# Gender mix-up; should I still get him?



## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

So it turns out the baby girl I reserved is actually a boy :lol: The breeder was playing with him today and figured out the mis-labeling. I am set to pick him up next Saturday but the breeder says I may reserve a girl from a new litter instead since I wanted a girl.

I can't really decide which way to go with this. Pros/cons to getting the little boy:

Pros: 
I get my baby next week.
I can be 100% sure I have time to drive and pick him up (not sure what school/job will allow later on).
I get to have experience with a male hoglet.
I could name him Caspar  I love that name.

Cons:
Can't really have the hogs out for playtime together since opposite gender
Travel may be a little more difficult with the opposite genders
Would have to deal with "boy time" messes (the boy time itself I don't care about)

Thoughts?


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

I have a boy and girl hedgie. I keep play time seperate cause they dont like each other. hedgies dont generally like other hedgies. the only time I have had to deal with boy time is when i am changing his bedding but other then that I have had not had a problem with it. I only have my male Sonic in my signiture because Im trying to find Lena Bean my female another home cause I dont have the amount of time I did before to give to her.


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

I would, I mean gender shouldn't really matter right? When I got Dallas I didn't know if he was a gril or boy, I was just happy to have a hog. Boy time isnt that bad,some males are worse then others, I have 2 males and a female and i honsetly think it's a preference thing. I'd say go for it!


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## pickles17 (Feb 18, 2012)

Wait for the girl.

Pros:
no sperm messes
no issue letting your hogs socialize (well unless they fight but that's obvious)
no potential for accidental mating
travel won't be as nerve wracking
you can still name her Caspar 


You're not really missing out on anything with the male hog experience in my opinion. The only differences I found with my specific hedgehogs over the years were that the male was more messy, pooped where he slept a lot, and there was always sperm stuck to his fur, and all over his bedding. From this experience I opted to only adopt females from then on, lol.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

IMO, it depends on your housing situation and how capable you are in keeping them separate at all times, and that no one else in your household may decide to put them together to let them "play". 

We've had several different incidences lately, either accidentally forgetting to close the cages properly, to a non-escape proof cage with a ninja hog, to having a family member temporarily watch them while you clean cages, and not watching well enough and end up interacting. 

Or, you may chose to get the male, then get the female spayed. Then you won't have to worry about accidental babies.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

I'd wait on the girl for reasons already mentioned.


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## Shell (Aug 23, 2012)

I have a boy, and if I ever get another, it will be a boy. Percy is spotless, a clean freak. he only poops and pees on his wheel which means for easy clean up. He cleans his own poopy boots. I know, yuck, but saves me in time on foot baths like I did when he was a baby. He is 7 months old and I've yet to see him do boy time, or even see anything in his cage that may look like it. As it's been mentioned, two girl's may not get along either, but you'd have to be careful not to have opposite gender's mate. I'm not sure what else to say as I'm loving having a little (ummm, big) boy.


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## cardiologineer (Sep 29, 2012)

I'm not planning on getting another hedgie while I have Zannah but if I ever did, I think I would prefer them to be the same sex (just for reference humans are the only animals that truly have genders since gender and sex are different but I'm mostly particular on this since I'm a bio major and gets points off tests/assignments if I say gender when I mean sex, but anyway that's just me :lol: ). Even though they are perfectly fine alone, I still think it would be much easier on you to have two girls. Even if they don't interact I imagine it might be easier for you to be able to have them out together and stuff.
Personally, I'd say wait for a girl. How long will you have to wait for a little girl? That might make a difference too if you're as impatient as I am. :lol:


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## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

I'd be waiting another two months to get the girl if I wait on her :lol: So she'd be going home in February. All the older babies are already reserved.

The breeder says the boy is really sweet. I'm going to go meet him on Saturday and will make a final decision. If I don't like him I will pick a girl from the litters while I am there  I'd hate to wait so long but it wouldn't kill me.

:lol: oh science. You are correct about gender v. sex, sometimes I forget. I need to make sure I get that correct, it's important to nursing.


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## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

would being housed near a male change Quinnlee's behavior at all?


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## Avarris (Dec 3, 2012)

SouthernSweet said:


> would being housed near a male change Quinnlee's behavior at all?


I don't think being housed close together will really bother him at all. I could be wrong, more experienced owners I'm sure will pipe up. When I saw my breeder's Hedgehog Room I was surprised to see that males were in enclosures next to females, but after looking around and seeing all the splats around the room, it didn't seem to bother any of them. Everyone seemed pretty comfortable. She had something in the vicinity of 40 Hedgies between rescues, the hedgies she breeds and her pet hedgies.

I don't see a big problem with it, as long as you can handle it financially, provide ample living space, play time, and keep them seperated so you don't have any Oops! babies. (I don't think I've heard of anyone spay/neutering a hedgehog, but I suppose that could be done too... I think it's probably just easier to keep them seperated.) But then, I'm a first time hedgie owner so my opinion is just that, my opinion.

Use your own common sense, and if you fall in love with the little man when you meet him, You'll know, and you'll do what you need to do to make it work for you and Quinlee.  February is a long time to wait, but if you feel that's the right way for you to go, then wait you must.


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## AlexONeil (Nov 14, 2012)

I'd say get him. It's not guarenteed that your hedies will get along if they're both girls. Plus, boy time isn't that annoying.


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## cardiologineer (Sep 29, 2012)

SouthernSweet said:


> The breeder says the boy is really sweet. I'm going to go meet him on Saturday and will make a final decision. If I don't like him I will pick a girl from the litters while I am there  I'd hate to wait so long but it wouldn't kill me.


That sounds like an excellent idea. Good luck.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

For all the reasons already mentioned I'd wait for a girl. I'd also consider possibly looking for a different breeder. For a baby to reach the age of being ready to go home and the breeder just figures out what sex it is, is rather concerning. :?


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## FiaSpice (Jan 16, 2009)

SouthernSweet said:


> would being housed near a male change Quinnlee's behavior at all?


It didn't changed Litchi's behavior when I brounght Lily... erm Tangelo. Their cages was next to each other (after quarantaine)









I was really cautious with separat playtime, I would never allow both hedgies to be out of their cage at the same time, even in the hands of someone else. Even if Tangelo would have really been a female, I would have handeled trips the same: in 2 cages.



Nancy said:


> I'd also consider possibly looking for a different breeder. For a baby to reach the age of being ready to go home and the breeder just figures out what sex it is, is rather concerning. :?


I agree with you there.


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## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

FiaSpice said:


> Nancy said:
> 
> 
> > I'd also consider possibly looking for a different breeder. For a baby to reach the age of being ready to go home and the breeder just figures out what sex it is, is rather concerning. :?
> ...


I'm going to wait and see once I'm at the breeder's. Everything else she has done so far has shown that she really is a good breeder and this looks like an honest mistake (exactly like I would make, suuuuper ADD here haha) I will make sure I like what I see when I go visit her on Saturday, and if not I will switch breeders.

I'm glad it would be okay to keep the cages near each other 

I'm thinking, if I like what I see at the breeders, and the boy is really sweet, I may take him home. Even with the difficulties of having hedgehogs of opposing gender, the biggest thing I was looking for was a hedgehog on the sweeter side.

Also will give me a chance to see if I have a skin reaction to him :lol: Quinnlee only irritates my skin when she sleeps on my chest, but I've held a friend's hoggie and has rashes all up and down my arms after he anointed with my perfume.j


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

I have a C&C cage for both my male and female. there is a peice of corplast that keeps them speerate. they dont seem to be bothered by being next to each other


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