# day trips



## tictoc1957 (Sep 20, 2015)

Is it o.k. to take Josephine with me while I'm doing things during the day. Also is it bad to show her off to people?


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

It depends on the hedgehog and there are several things to keep in mind if you want to take her out with you.

1) Make sure she's okay with it. Some hedgehogs find outings to be lots of fun and they have a blast. Some just sleep through it & don't seem to mind much either way. Some hedgehogs don't like lots of noise or people around them & would find the entire thing very stressful. If Josephine gets very upset by the first outing, it wouldn't be a good idea to make it a regular thing for her.

2) Weather - make sure it's warm enough. Even if you're not going to have her out of her carrier, there's no point in risking an issue by taking a hedgehog out for fun when it's cold out. I would personally stick to temperatures in the 60s & higher, and only in the 70's & higher if hedgie's going to be out of their carrier for show & tell or anything. Also check for rain since you don't want her to get wet. IMO, there's no reason to risk taking a hedgie out in the winter (if you live where it gets cold) for any trip other than necessary travel or vet visits.

3) Don't take her to food places. Grocery stores, restaurants, etc. There's no need and animals aren't allowed in these places for a reason. Even if she never leaves her carrier, there's no point and it's an unfair risk for her and the business. 

4) Be prepared based on how long you're going to be out. Make sure you have stuff to clean up accidents if she potties in her carrier. Treats aren't a bad idea, especially if you're going to work on socializing her with other people & want to reward her for that. If you're going to be out for a large part of the day, take water. Have hand sanitizer (make sure she's used to the scent first so you know she won't try to bite at the new smell) on hand and if anyone wants to pet or hold her, make them use it before & after. Personally, I wouldn't let anyone outright hold her - they may not be prepared for how sharp the quills are or for how fast a hedgehog can move & it'd be very easy for her to get dropped. 

Again, go mostly by how she's doing. If she doesn't seem to mind meeting new people, you can show her off a bit. Watch for signs of stress - frantic attempts to get away, green poop, excess huffiness, biting, etc. Any of that & the fun outing is no longer fun for her & it's time to go home. Hedgehogs are shy animals and most do not do well with being used for show & tell in a store, especially since they aren't typical pets & would get a decent amount of attention. Same thing for duration of the outing. If you have her out for half the day & aren't letting her sleep, she's going to be tired, grumpy, and it'll likely cause her to sleep more of the night & not be as active. If she goes off her food the night after an outing due to being kept awake too much during the day, you may want to keep them infrequent or keep them short so she can get her beauty sleep.


----------



## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

There are a lot of factors that make this one of those questions without an easy answer. 
This goes for fun outings as well as a trip to the vet. 

You need to take so many things into consideration. 

You have to look at the weather and supplemental heating. You have to look at where you are going, places like restaurants, grocery stores and doctors offices are a bad idea. 

You need a way to handle them hands free, outside the car. Inside the car, they need to be in a hard sided carrier. Outside the car you still occasionally need to be able to use your hands, so you'll need a safe and secure place to sit your hedgehog. 

If showing your hedgehog off sounds appealing, you have to take her personality into consideration both overall and at the moment. If your hedgehog is huffy, there isn't much point in showing it off right then. If she is friendly and super laid back then in some cases it's ok. This is where you have a whole new factor to consider, other people. Most people will want to touch, who wouldn't? How do you feel about other people handling your hedgehog? Not everyone reacts the same to them, some are soft while others are incapable of gentle touching. Then you have to figure what your comfortable with another person doing with your hedgehog. This will probably change depending on the person and your hedgehogs mood. Some people that I encounter when I have a hedgehog on an outing I'm ok with just about anything. They've handled my hedgehogs in the past, even when they are grumpier. 

Another thing to consider is how long you'll be out. If you are running a couple errands, it's different than if your out all day with them. Also remember during the day for the most part they need to be sleeping.


----------



## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Lol, I swear Kelsey is a mind reader.


----------



## tictoc1957 (Sep 20, 2015)

Thanks guys. I've taken her out once. I use one of those soft plastic gel filled heat pads. I put it in the microwave for 10 seconds and put it between 2 blankets and then put her on top. As far as her being grumpy she's always grumpy and always huffing. What kind of treats would you suggest? I started the car first and warm it up.


----------



## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Whatever treats she enjoys. Her regular kibble might work as well. Do not experiment while your out with her. 
Another factor is if another person is wearing perfume or cologne they are more likely to be bitten, body washes and some soaps will fall into this category. Those who smoke or chew tobacco also are more likely to be bitten. A person in public being bitten can take legal action against you. 
If she is huffy, I don't think I would let some person pet her as it could cause additional stress.


----------



## octopushedge (Apr 26, 2015)

If you have a huffy hedgehog, I'd strongly caution against it because the extra touching can lead to trust issues. I don't even like taking Reggie to the vet because inevitably some receptionist will try to pet him and ignore his popping


----------

