Is A Hedgehog The Right Pet For You?

Hedgehogs are very special animals and require a certain level of care. A hedgehog can make a wonderful pet, but they are not for everyone. Consider the following before deciding to bring a hedgie into your life:

Hedgehogs can live up to 5-7 years. Where will you be in 7 years? If you own your hedgie while in college, can you still give them the proper care they need? What happens if you move what will you do with your hedgie? Who will care for the hedgie when you go on vacation? Can you afford vet bills if your hedgie gets sick?

Hedgehogs are not legal in every state, or even in every county. Maine, Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii, New York City NY, and Windsor ON.
Check with your local Department of Fish and Game to make sure it is legal for you to own hedgies in your county.
Hedgies must be housed in a minimum of 2 square feet. Do you have space in your home to fit this requirement? Remember, hedgehogs are nocturnal so they need a quiet place during the day to sleep and they need a place where their night activities won't disturb anyone.
If your pet hedgehog becomes ill they must be taken to a licensed exotics vet. You need to find an exotics vet in your area with hedgehog experience before bringing home your new pet. Hedgies should really go to the vet once a year to get a checkup as well and this can range from $60-100 depending on the vet. If your hedgie is a grumpy hedgie, they may have to be anesthetized so a proper examination can be done.
Hedgehogs are not cuddly little lap animals, they are more likely to run around and play on you than snuggle with you. However, there are a lot of hedgies that are content to fall asleep in your lap after a nice back rub or after wearing themselves out from play time. There are a few cases where a hedgie will cuddle with you, but if you really want a cuddly animal, get a puppy.
Hedgies do not make good pets for small children. They may poke the child and scare them. Kids may also squeeze or hurt the hedgie, resulting in a bite. A young child is better off with a different pet. A kid should also not be the main caretaker of the hedgehog, so consider this before buying your son/daughter a hedgie.
Will you be able to keep the room your hedgehog is in at a steady 74-76 degrees F? Hedgehogs cannot tolerate a temperature below 70 degrees or they will go into an unhealthy state of hibernation.
Hedgehogs require a large wheel to run on. They WILL poop/pee on this wheel and you WILL have to clean it. This is usually a nightly cleaning, and the wheels can get rather nasty some nights.
Are you willing to spend time cleaning out your hedgie's cage at least once a week?
They are solitary animals, meaning you should keep one hedgie per cage. If you want a clan of animals, try mice or rats.
Baby hedgies WILL poop/pee on you, and even adults have occasional "accidents".
You will get poked and pricked by your hedgie's quills. When first getting your pet accustomed to you, you may have to deal with a prickly ball of quills. They can literally ball up to the point where you can't tell where the head ends and the bottom begins. Even after your hedgie has gotten to know you, they have days where they can fluff up at you or an unexpected noise. If this freaks you out too much, a hedgie is DEFINITELY a bad choice of pet.
You may get a biter. Most hedgies don't bite because they don't feel the need.
Hedgies do need to be bathed and they need their toenails clipped. This isn't always a problem, but with particularly stubborn hedgies, this can sometimes be a two person job.
If you feel you can handle all of this, then a hedgehog may be a good pet for you. Remember, these are only the negatives of owning a hedgehog, and if these are all okay with you then the positives will end up outweighing the negatives by a long shot. If you have any other questions please feel free to email us and we will try to answer all your questions.

 

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