# Is a hedgie right for me?



## Taylor250905 (Apr 22, 2014)

Heeeey!

I've been heavily lurking this site, so I may as well join in!

I'm currently a university student (going into my 3rd year at school) and I was looking at getting a pet, but i can't get a dog or a care due to allergies. So I thought of getting a hedgie! 

I've done a lot of research on hedgehogs, and I think it would be good because it would sleep during the day while I'm at school and I stay up late at night as is and so I could still bond and play with them at night. And I know of a hedgehog vet that is not far from my house, and if I budget it right I can have some money saved up just in case they get sick and need a vet

I just wanted to know if this is a good idea or not... Thanks!!!


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## Artist (Apr 18, 2014)

Sounds great so far! Just make sure you buy from a good breeder. (Preferably licensed) but if you can't a pets store would be your next option. Just keep reading up on the forums! It can't hurt to learn a little more.  what cage are you planning on using and what cat food?


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## lilsurfergrlsp (Dec 13, 2013)

Welcome! I'm glad you're doing a lot of research!

I'm also a student, and the nocturnal schedule is great because of classes during the day. However, my bit of advice is, hedgehogs can be very sensitive to a lot of noise and commotion. So, if you live somewhere with loud neighbors, or you have a lot of people over, there's a high chance of you having a grumpy hedgehog. This goes for a lot of commotion happening during the day as well, because that's when your baby will be sleeping. Babies need a lot of sleep, and if there are loud noises and it's waking up constantly, you'll probably have a very grumpy hedgie to deal with at night.

If you haven't read it yet, here's a great guide to owning a hedgehog; it has all the information you'll ever need:

http://westcoasthedgehogs.com/files/hedgehogbook/PetAfricanHedgehogs2-byKimberlyGoertzen.pdf


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## Taylor250905 (Apr 22, 2014)

I'm not. Sure what kind of cage and cat food I'll get my hedgie, what do you suggest? I have an average size room and it's hardwood so good for if I'm playing with them and they have an accident! What do you suggest?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Another thing to consider - what are your long-term plans? Will you be moving after graduation? Hedgehogs are illegal in some states, so you would have to plan to avoid looking for jobs in those states, or be prepared to rehome your hedgehog if you do move there. I remember Pennsylvania, Arizona, California, and Georgia, but there's a full list on the main site. If you end up looking at a different country, there's often quite a bit involved with taking a pet along & sometimes very long quarantine periods are required. 

As far as cages, a store-bought wire cage with plastic bottom is usually best, but there's other options. You can see the different ideas either in the book link that surfergrl linked, or in the Cage Setups threads in the Housing forum. For food, there's also information on that in the book, or there's a lot of nutrition-related stickies in the Nutrition forum.

One more thing - it sounds like you might live at home? If not & you're renting or something like that, make sure you're allowed to use heaters & such where you live. You'll need to keep hedgie to 73-78*F, which often requires a CHE set up or a space heater. Both of those tend to be expensive as well - CHE set ups are minimum $50 (even if you get a good deal, such as on Amazon), and a decent space heater is usually at least $50 as well. Mine (an oil-filled radiator-style one) was around $100, but works great & I really like it.


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## Taylor250905 (Apr 22, 2014)

I currently live in Canada, but I'm from
BC but I got to school in Southern Ontario. And I'd probably get the hedgie in Ontario when I go back to school. I live with 4 other roommates and I live on the main floor and nobody else has their room on that floor. And I'm planning on purchasing a space heater for my room as well.


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## TikkiLink (Dec 4, 2013)

Welcome to the forum! My concern would be that if you are mainly in the same room as your hedgehog, if you stay up late to do homework or watch TV or whatever, even if it's quiet and almost dark, any bit of light could cause your hedgehog to refuse to be active when it might normally want to be. You can cover the cage with a thick blanket to block out the light, but some hedgehogs, like mine, will still refuse to be active if it hears you nearby. And while mine doesn't use her wheel until 2am, some hedgehogs run starting at 8 or 9 pm.


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## Taylor250905 (Apr 22, 2014)

Like how long are hedgies active at night? This is the only thing I like don't know about them. Like I'm not usually up super late, but some nights I do stay up late. Do hedgie become used to your schedule? 

I'm also contemplating between a boy and a girl (and yes I am aware of boy time lol)


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## TikkiLink (Dec 4, 2013)

My hedgehog doesn't wake up until the lights go out-- around 8pm, and at that time she eats, goes to the bathroom and goes back to bed until I wake her for bonding later, but a lot of hedgehogs seem to be active for an hour or so at that time before taking a nap again. As for running and playing, mine will do that for 3-5 hours after I put her away for the night, after bonding from 11:45ish to 1:30am. I keep her out so late because I have found that she wants to sleep and cuddle until that time whether I hold her or not-- and it works for my schedule. But for example, others I know hold their hedgies from 9-11pm and so they start being active earlier than mine because they're put away earlier. 

Hedgehogs can also adapt within reason to your schedule though, as long as you don't keep them up during the day and you give them most of the night to do their thing. They stop running when they know morning light is soon to come, so I'd say if you went to bed at 3 or 4am, that's not giving your hedgie enough time to be active. On occasion I have gone to bed that late, and have found that my girl will not run that night, or will run much less than normal. Once in a while staying up that late is okay, but not all the time, at least not for my hedgehog.


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## Taylor250905 (Apr 22, 2014)

Okay! Usually the latest I stay up is around 1am, at the absolute latest. So this could all work out perfectly!


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## Taylor250905 (Apr 22, 2014)

Is there anything else that I need to be concerned with? Or am I good to get one in September?


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## Brittany (Sep 15, 2013)

I just want to warn you that even the quietest wheel can be noisy. I used to keep my guy in my room, but could not sleep because of his constant running all through the night, and I had to move him into another room. Depends on if you are a light or heavy sleeper. I would also get a thermometer to make sure your room near his/her cage is the right temp. Then the basics as im sure you have already heard. Make sure he/she has enough space, good quality food, bedding etc before you bring her/him home.


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## Taylor250905 (Apr 22, 2014)

I'm a very heavy sleeper, so that shouldn't bother me.


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## kuroneko (Apr 4, 2014)

aside from bonding, make sure you have time to be their slave aka clean up duties
some hedgie can be potty train, like the one I have and only poop and pee on a certain area, while some seems no control over their bladder and just poop and pee anywhere...
so in those cases I need to litterally change one of my babies bedding every other day (if not everyday)...

I find this forum very helpfull... so I believe you made a good choice of joining in to find more about hedgies...

and on one part, I do have allergies so cats and dogs are a big no for me, although that doesn't stop me from getting one, but I think I remember reading here that you can get allergies from hedgehog, but I'm no expert... 

just do more research and even more research once you have your baby on board...

welcome to the forum Taylor250905 ☺


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## Taylor250905 (Apr 22, 2014)

I've heard about them going...a lot. So I'd want to get them litter trained as much as possible. 

I don't have the allergy to dogs and cats but my roommates do.


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