# Animal Planet: Pets 101- features hedgehog



## Kenzi

Yesterday I was watching Animal Planet when a commercial for a new show (mini series I think) came on called "Pets 101" it is like their "Dogs 101" and "Cats 101" but will feature small pets. 

I looked into it, and it looks like there is an episode called "Peculiar Pets" (Another is called "Little Pets"and it will feature hedgehogs. (Also featured in the series are Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, Geckos, Rabbits, Parrots, Ferrets, Pet Pigs, Pygmy Goats, Capybaras, Mini Donkeys, and Skunks)

I was shocked/elated to see the hedgehog in the commercial. It was owned by a woman with multiple facial piercings, an array of unnaturally colored hair, and "peculiar" clothes... she said something like "this pet is as unique as I am". I'm not trying to pass judgement, (as I myself enjoy self expression, though personally at a more moderate level) but I just worry that a hedgehog to her is more of a statement than a well cared for pet... Though I know its not fair to make an assumption off of a 4 second snippet of the commercial... I can't help but wonder.

The episode containing the hedgie feature will air Dec 11, 11:00 pm and Dec 12, 3:00 am (I'm assuming eastern) and just to warn you, Animal planet (and all of Discovery's networks) doen't put full episodes online.. so if you miss it you might never see it.

I tried finding a link to the commercial, but all i found on the AP site was the TV schedule listing the episode air times.

I think i can speak on behalf of everyone here at HHC when I say that I hope that the show will provide accurate care and information and not further entice people to impulsively get one for the holidays (couldn't they have waited until AFTER Dec 25?!)


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## MissC

" (as I myself enjoy self expression, though personally at a more moderate level)"

You made me snort coffee out of my nose. :lol:


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## Puffers315

Oy, someone bump this topic on the 10th so I can autotune my cable box for it, I definitely want to catch it.

I don't know, it kind of scares me the fact they went out and got a peculiar person with a peculiar pet, besides the piercings I bet she's dressed in all sorts of oddities. I'll admit, I consider myself a freakish outcast, but was taught good morals and to present myself appearance wise in a normal manner.

What I'm scared about is the info they might give, since there is all sorts of different and sometimes conflicting information floating around the web. I know somebody mentioned one time a show going over hedgehog care I think in the montreal area that featured the sand paper wheel. So I'll just assume the worse, like someone with a face full of metal, a hedgehog running around in a hamster ball and running on a sandpaper wheel with spotlights on it 24/7 living inside a freezer, then when I do see it, I'll be pleasantly surprised.


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## EryBee

Whoa whoa, let's not start making judgements on someone we don't know from a television episode which hasn't even aired yet. Let's give this show a chance and see if they get the facts right. In my experience, the Cats 101 and Dogs 101 show try and do a good job of explaining the ups and down of the particular breeds/species they feature. 

Besides, I have tattoos and piercings, and I dye my hair from time to time, and I consider myself a competent hedgehog owner


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## Puffers315

I'm not judging yet, never judge a book by its cover, but the "this pet is as unique as I am" thing kind of scares me, I consider every human unique in their own manner. TV producers like to find the strangest person in the world, because its 'entertaining' more than informative.

What colors you go for? I always liked either blue or red.


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## Kenzi

EryBee said:


> Whoa whoa, let's not start making judgements on someone we don't know from a television episode which hasn't even aired yet. Let's give this show a chance and see if they get the facts right. In my experience, the Cats 101 and Dogs 101 show try and do a good job of explaining the ups and down of the particular breeds/species they feature.
> 
> Besides, I have tattoos and piercings, and I dye my hair from time to time, and I consider myself a competent hedgehog owner


This is exactly why I posted the following in my initial post:


Kenzi said:


> I'm not trying to pass judgement, (as I myself enjoy self expression, though personally at a more moderate level) but I just worry that a hedgehog to her is more of a statement than a well cared for pet... Though I know its not fair to make an assumption off of a 4 second snippet of the commercial... I can't help but wonder





Puffers315 said:


> What I'm scared about is the info they might give, since there is all sorts of different and sometimes conflicting information floating around the web.


Not only the web, but in print too. I work at an elementary school. There is a VERY dated hedgehog care book that has so much information that is unsafe (though I do believe they were doing the best they could at the time) It had pictures of grid-type wheels that were way too small, lots of pictures of hedgies on cedar bedding, and all sorts of conflicting breeding and babies information. It was copywritten to 1997 though.


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## Hedgieonboard

I will hope for the best with the show but I have to admit it is scary to me also because of how much attention its going to bring to hedgehogs. In one way it can be great in the sense it could show appropriate care and can reach many that may not be caring for their hedgehogs the right way. The part that makes me nervous though is for all the impulsive people who see it and decide they are going to go out and get one right away without thinking about it. I know this happens all the time in life but its always makes me nervous with TV because it reaches more people than many other sources and in turn it may reach more impulsive ppl than other sources. 

I don't think if you dress a certain way it makes you not able to care for an animal (I didn't take any comments like that), I just think that it seems like TV shows tend to set up a very predictable template that can be frustrating at times. They always show the person with dyed hair/piercing tats having animals that may not be considered mainstream. They may have lots of shows where that person has the lizards, snakes or anything else that might make some people gasp but you hardly ever see them portrayed as the pet lover with something like a cat, dog, horse ect. I used to dye my hair in colors that aren't natural in the sense someone wouldn't be born with it like that and dress differently than most, I didn't take any offense, I just took it as tv in general tends to group things together.....like here's a girl that dresses different with her different pet. I would have been the girl that dresses different with her pet.....dog lol 

I don't say any of these things as argumentative, just sharing things that come to mind on the subject. I know the show hasn't come out yet so they aren't judgments, they are more my hopes that the show won't go down the same road as others


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## LizardGirl

> I will hope for the best with the show but I have to admit it is scary to me also because of how much attention its going to bring to hedgehogs. In one way it can be great in the sense it could show appropriate care and can reach many that may not be caring for their hedgehogs the right way. The part that makes me nervous though is for all the impulsive people who see it and decide they are going to go out and get one right away without thinking about it. I know this happens all the time in life but its always makes me nervous with TV because it reaches more people than many other sources and in turn it may reach more impulsive ppl than other sources.


I agree 100%.

I'll try and catch this episode, to see what info they give, but I won't keep my hopes up... :|


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## susanaproenca

As all of the HHC members are, I'm hoping the episode will be capable of showing to people that a hedgehog in indeed a very peculiar animal and therefore not a pet for everyone. However, I'm very skeptical when it comes to anything aired on the Discovery's networks, so I wouldn't be surprised if they present hedgehogs as excellent pets for children or something erroneous like that. 

It would be nice if we could find a way to give our feedback to the producers after the show is aired.


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## Mary

susanaproenca said:


> I wouldn't be surprised if they present hedgehogs as excellent pets for children or something erroneous like that.


They do make excellent pet for children. If the child is little they can hold them/ play with them. If they are old enough the child can care for a hedgehog.


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## susanaproenca

Mary said:


> susanaproenca said:
> 
> 
> 
> I wouldn't be surprised if they present hedgehogs as excellent pets for children or something erroneous like that.
> 
> 
> 
> They do make excellent pet for children. If the child is little they can hold them/ play with them. If they are old enough the child can care for a hedgehog.
Click to expand...

I believe it depends very much of the parents / child. My Col. Mustard was a child's pet... after a few months the spoiled little brat just lost interest on it and told parents she didn't want her pet anymore, because the pet was "boring."

I am a nanny and took Col. Mustard for the boy I watch to see her because he was bothering me too much that he had never seen a hedgie before. He's 4 years old. After 2 minutes holding her he got tired and started asking if she was going to do something or what, and went to play with his Legos. So yeah, I'm not exactly sure if a hedgie would be a pet for children unless the parents are 100% committed to assume the responsibility in case the child doesn't (which sadly doesn't happen all the time.)


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## susanaproenca

Just wanted to bring this up again, in case some people had forgotten. It goes on tomorrow night!


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## tie-dye hedgie

Thanks for the bump Susana! I did forget, but I just hit the record button for tomorrow at 11:00 pm and am excited to watch it.


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## amber.vroman

Thanks I almost forgot.  Looking forward to it. I love Cats 101 and Dogs 101. I really hope they do a good job promoting hedgies in the RIGHT way.


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## Xyloart

I will definitely tune in for this. I also like Cats 101 and Dogs 101 so I hope the show is similar, and not like the newer "Fatal Attractions" show that portrays everyone who owns an exotic pet as totally off the sanity train... :|


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## amber.vroman

Xyloart said:


> I will definitely tune in for this. I also like Cats 101 and Dogs 101 so I hope the show is similar, and not like the newer "Fatal Attractions" show that portrays everyone who owns an exotic pet as totally off the sanity train... :|


LOL I know what you mean. They make it seem like exotic pet owners are so "different" and disconnected from the world. lol :roll:


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## Xyloart

And only having the exotic pets because we're incapable of maintaining human relationships! Just a little insulting...


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## LizardGirl

For those who won't be able to catch it, Susan (Herisson) will be sending me a copy of the video and I'll be posting it on YouTube for everyone.


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## firephoenixla

Great! Thanks, I don't get animal planet but I wanted to see it


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## PJM

Woohoo! Thanks LG!


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## EryBee

Thanks! I don't have TV, I just watch Netflix.


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## Alastrina

Thank you! I'd have no other way to see it over here (hoping it works in Germany, some videos don't) ^_^

~Katie


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## Puffers315

Double thanks, I got my cable box set to 'tune' to it tomorrow but if I miss it, at least we got the youtube backup. I'm going to keep my fingers cross that they didn't go out and find the weirdest person with a hedgehog, I know I commented about the piercings and tattoos (and I think offended a few people) and not trying to prejudge a person based on that, considering I'm the freak when it came to my friends for having zero tats, piercings and wearing normal clothing, but its what she said on the commercial about "this animal is as unique as I am". Its just my opinion that every animal and every person is unique in their own way. Quills crossed though.


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## megan4032

Thanks so much! Can't wait to watch it and I had no idea it was going to be on. I can't wait to watch it with my new hedgie!


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## Puffers315

Not bad at all, and I always go for thinking 'worse case scenario' when I think of things, but the woman was your average person, I'm sure chosen due to her local fame at the pet store. Information wise it seemed on key, actually I watched the pigs one before it and to me, its kind of lacking in information and more just telling history of the pet or about the owners. But they promoted warm environments, solid surface wheels, high protein / low fat high quality cat food, mentioned they were nocturnal and most active at night, and need to be bathed but only when dirty, their solitary creatures that don't need a cage mate.

Not bad at all, though as said it seems like it lacks care information, but not just on the hedgehogs, all pets, but of course they're squeezing this into 11 minute time slots.


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## Sarahg

Puffers315 said:


> Not bad at all, and I always go for thinking 'worse case scenario' when I think of things, but the woman was your average person, I'm sure chosen due to her local fame at the pet store. Information wise it seemed on key, actually I watched the pigs one before it and to me, its kind of lacking in information and more just telling history of the pet or about the owners. But they promoted warm environments, solid surface wheels, high protein / low fat high quality cat food, mentioned they were nocturnal and most active at night, and need to be bathed but only when dirty.
> 
> Not bad at all, though as said it seems like it lacks care information, but not just on the hedgehogs, all pets, but of course they're squeezing this into 11 minute time slots.


Well said, Puffers! My opinion was almost exactly the same as yours. Plus, it was adorable! I love seeing hedgehogs on tv.


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## Lilysmommy

I agree, Puffers, I'm pretty pleased with it! I was very happy to see that they mentioned the big things, like temperature, wheel, and cat food as a diet. The bathing only when dirty was another good point, and I liked that they mentioned cancer and WHS as two big problems. Also pleased that they pointed out that they wouldn't be a good pet for a family with young children. Considering they were only able to give a limited amount of time to them, I think they did a pretty good job!

Edited to add that one of my big happy points was the temp range they mentioned. I know 72 is still a bit low compared to the 74 usually recommended here, but considering I usually see 68 given as the low, they were much better!


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## Puffers315

Yeah, 72 is kind of low (I always say 73 to 78) but definitely not like some sites that do use 68 or so. The one thing they didn't mention which would have been good is that low temperatures = hibernation attempts which = bad.

Edit - Oh, and anointing, mainly because there was a couple of clips, the one with a bunch of hedgehogs on a table or something that was anointing, just so some people don't freak out. I had read about it but the first time I actually saw it, my first though was "oh god she's having some sort of fit" just by how freaky they look contorting their body around.


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## firephoenixla

How much longer until the clip goes up on to youtube? I want to see!


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## LizardGirl

Hopefully I'll get the file soon, and I'll post it here as soon as it's uploaded.


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## Herisson

LizardGirl said:


> Hopefully I'll get the file soon, and I'll post it here as soon as it's uploaded.


It's all ready to go! I just need to get it to you. :mrgreen:


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## tie-dye hedgie

Even though I recorded it, I was up late last night and saw the very end of it, but I'll watch the whole thing with my breakfast. From what I saw, the info they gave was pretty substantial and well put. 

Thank you Susan for putting it on Youtube!


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## LarryT

Susan is uploading the video to my websites video page incase youtube removes it.
If you look closely you will see the Carolinas Storm Wheel a few times!! :mrgreen:


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## LarryT

LarryT said:


> Susan is uploading the video to my websites video page incase youtube removes it.
> If you look closely you will see the Carolinas Storm Wheel a few times!! :mrgreen:


Opps forgot the link lol
http://www.carolinastormhedgehogs.com/h ... ideos.html


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## Nancy

I saw it. Susan sent it to me. I thought it was very well done with good information.


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## Alastrina

"It's not a pinecone, it's not a sponge, it's not a hairbrush with a face..." :lol: 

Thank you both for putting it up so we all could see it! My son loved it too.

~Katie


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## firephoenixla

I thought it was great! I even posted a link to my facebook to share


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## LizardGirl

Here it is on YouTube for those that haven't been able to see it elsewhere:





I thought it was pretty well done. Of course I am picky and can see things I would add or do differently, but no major complaints about the information.


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## poetic

I don't have cable, so a huge thanks to Susan for saving the file and to Lizardgirl for uploading it. It's much appreciated.

I thought it was well-done, for the most part. And I don't see it as encouraging families to run out and make impulsive hedgehog buys, which was nice. The best part was clearly the little children at the bookstore talking about Stanley. (I like the sneeze noises too, small child.)


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## Kenzi

Ack! 
Being in the chat room tonight, someone came in asking if hedgies have teeth.. then asked how often they bite. 
The conversation continued that this person was planning on getting a hedgie and wanted to know more about them... 
I asked why he was interested in getting a hedgie, and he said " i love small animals and iv had so many over the years and i was watching pets 101 a few days ago and they were on there they looked so cute and lovalble"

...
I did my best to educate him about hedgie's needs.. and to inform him that hedgies aren't always the social little ones needing or wanting interaction like some other small pets.


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## TeddysMommy

I haven't read through the entire post but I saw the episode and she was a childrens librarian (I THINK?) and she loved her hedgehog and read hedgehog childrens book to children and I think I would have been scared to see the comercial too (for the well being of the hedgie) :?


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## hedgiebuddy

I saw this video on youtube: 



 It does have good, correct info, but there are a few details left out. Like how it may take a hedgie months or YEARS for them to trust you. And also how hedgehogs need light for 12-14 hours a day. I hope that I'm not overacting  but I just want people to have the correct info.


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