# Thinking anout getting a hedge hog



## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

I'm thinking about getting a hedgehog to keep me company while I'm gone for college & can't have my goats 
Has anybody had experience with them?
Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I was reading up on them since I was interested as well. Very cute, but they don't make as good pets as guinea pigs or rats.


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

One of the things I read that really stood out to me was that they don't have an odor like rodents do, & since I will be living in an apartment I feel like people would probably be more willing to accept a hedgehog than a rat as a pet in the home.


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## oxhilldairy (Mar 24, 2013)

Just letting you know the male hedghogs masterbate and can get very gross also thay aren't really cuddly even the sweetest ones they stink a lot to : p


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I had two female mice, no stink! I think the key is to get some ladies


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

I read that if they're being fed the right type of food they don't have an odor.
Did you own the hedgehog?
& what was it being fed?
I read that cat food works great, you just have to be careful what brands to pick.


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## In_Clover (Feb 28, 2013)

My son wanted a little hedge hog, but my husband said they carried salmonella. I thought this was just some kind of media hype, so looked it up online. I did see some stories on it, but I'm still not convinced. Really. I mean it only takes a few stories like that to get something really condemned.

I have seen that they are illegal in some state. I don't know why! Maybe fear of getting loose and creating a breeding fiasco to native species, like those pythons in Florida?

Ever considered a chinchilla? I had two. Delightful little pets! Will run on an oversized wheel. Droppings are dry like gerbils, and they don't pee a lot like rabbits.
Erin


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

Haha, I thought about a chinchilla. Some friends of mine had one, but it pee'd on everyone that picked him up!


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

All I can say is, no, no no! They are cool, or cute, or whatever else, but they are NOT sweet. They just sleep around, and usually you can't even pick them up. Their natural instincts don't go away, if they see you as a predator, they are NO fun. We ended up selling Knuckles as a school pet.


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## PiccoloGoat (Sep 10, 2008)

Get a chinchilla!!!! Argh they are the cutest things ever


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I heard from my friend who used to manage a pet shop that they stink horribly and are extremely messy and they are very noisy at night being nocturnal and when given a wheel to exercise , forget it , lolol
They will burn rubber on that thing and then if that isnt enough , they will poop all over it and its never easy to clean off for some reason.
Many kids fell in love with this hedgehog that was in the store forever.
Everyone held it and loved it but wouldnt take it home , no way !
Finally a person who worked in a small petting farm took it.
Not putting hedgehogs down, I think they are adorable , but I think I would pass because of knowing all this.


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

They do stink, but their food smells DELICIOUS!


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## NavaBoerFarm (Dec 15, 2012)

Get an iguana


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## alpine_fan (Jan 6, 2013)

No iguana, they escape from their pen and scare people from the curtains

Also they bite...


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## NavaBoerFarm (Dec 15, 2012)

Kinda funny how we are all suggesting other animals 
Hedge hogs are cute and all but they aren't active at all. In my opinion if I wanted a pet to keep me company I would want it to play and move around.


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## NavaBoerFarm (Dec 15, 2012)

alpine_fan said:


> No iguana, they escape from their pen and scare people from the curtains
> 
> Also they bite...


LOL when I was in highschool a kid would take his on his shoulder and have it with him all day. I just thought it was neat.


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

Haha I actually had an iguana.
He had a stick come loose in his pen though & he fell & died when I was at school 
He was only a baby. About a foot long.


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

I've been looking at hedgehogs on Craigslist. Everyone I have seen seem to be very attached their animals & are screening buyers. The man I'm talking about maybe buying his told me that it doesn't stink and he gives it a bath weekly.


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

Everyone who's selling is either moving, or recently had a child so they don't think they can keep the animal.


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

I have been told that they can be litter box trained also.


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## NavaBoerFarm (Dec 15, 2012)

Cool! Good luck


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

I would not get one if I were you! It's a waste of money, I think! They really just... don't really entertain me!


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

Haha, are there any happy hedgehog owners out there???


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

I like guinea pigs.  I don't enjoy things that can hurt my whole hand if I just slightly touch them...  Plus they pee A LOT, well, he would pee and poop on me when he was a baby.


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

OwnedByTheGoats said:


> I like guinea pigs.  I don't enjoy things that can hurt my whole hand if I just slightly touch them...  Plus they pee A LOT, well, he would pee and poop on me when he was a baby.


Do you own a hedgehog?


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

I did. Well, I say "I" did, it wasn't me. My cousin who lived here did and I always spent time with it. He also had an iguana and a bearded dragon, it took years to get all of that smell out of here!


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## FlyingFeetsFarm (Nov 28, 2012)

I have never had a hedgehog. I have had mice, rats, bearded dragons, leopard geckos, western hog nose snake, etc. I love small animals and all, but they are always hard to clean up after, never as friendly as say a dog, cat or goat, and can be extremely boring, and a lot of small animals aren't very smart (with the exception of rats and mice). I say get a cat, lol, at least you can snuggle it, and you can maybe rescue one from getting put down at the shelter and they live MUCH longer than most small animals.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

KymberLeAnn said:


> I've been looking at hedgehogs on Craigslist. Everyone I have seen seem to be very attached their animals & are screening buyers. The man I'm talking about maybe buying his told me that it doesn't stink and he gives it a bath weekly.


Well , sure , ferrets dont stink if you bath them frequently and descent the males and spay the females. But they do have a body odor regardless.
Its the poo that stinks something really bad with a hedgehog, and they poo a lot. Its not the food you feed , its just that they have a odor, like the ferrets. Thats why people are being screened so much , because they have a extremely high rate of people looking to turn in their hedgehogs for that particular reason. And , its alot of work that they didnt realize it was going to take. 
Cant you have a cat ? So easy and so snuggly


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

You can get rid of a ferrets odor by putting a couple drops of vanilla extrct in his water bottle. 
All I know about hedgehogs is that, I was over at someones house one day and their teenage son was laying on the couch with a hedgehog on his chest. The critter grabbed a hold of his nose and it took 3 people to get it off. 
It's kinda funny now.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Wow never knew about the extract ! That's great
I had a ferret when I was young and the odor never bothered me or my family but certain friends didn't like it , lol

I think a cat is a great option because they really don't care if you leave all day or stay home , lol. Their life carries on , lolol

I could just see a bunch of people trying to get a hedgehog to release the poor kids nose ! ROFL


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

Those things HURT so badly when they hook on! The little tiny teeth are like little needles!


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

I did have a couple of ferrets for awhile, we bathed them every week but my mom made me get rid of them because of the smell.
I read that with the ferrets bathing them actually stimulates them to make more oils, & more smelly.
The reason why I'm trying to avoid dogs & cats is because I'm not completely sure on where I will be living and a lot of people have cat allergies & don't allow dogs.


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## PiccoloGoat (Sep 10, 2008)

I still think a chinchilla or even a miniature rabbit would be a good pet. :3


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Ahhh , that changes things  lol 
Never thought of that , sorry KymberLeAnn 
Maybe look into a Chinchilla ?
They dont smell really and are pretty darn cute 
Or what about a Sugar Glider ? I heard those are nice pets.


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

I think I may just go out on a limb this time & get the hedgehog.
I'm not moving away till September & the place I'm moving to, I checked their Craigslist and saw like 10 "hedgehog wanted" ads. So I don't think I will have a problem rehoming him if things don't work out. 
I will definitely post pictures & tell you guys all about my problems & successes with him. 
One of my thoughts was if I do end up loving them I think finding a breeding pair would be a great little side-thing to do for extra cash while I'm in school.
& who doesn't adore baby hedgehogs??? XD


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

Well, good luck! I just hope you don't end up wasting money. That would be really bad... I hope you do enjoy him, though! Maybe it is just me!


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

The one I've been talking to a person is only $120 & comes with a cage & supplies, so I think that's a pretty good deal!


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

The one thing I don't like about it is that his name is Sonic.
How unoriginal!!
Maybe I'll re-name him,.. XD


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

Ours was named Knuckles.  Sonic's friend.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Good luck  Post pictures when you can !
Yeah , the one in the pet store was named Sonic , lolol
You can , we can , think of a better name , lololol


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

Oh, OOOOO!!! Hey, look!!!
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/for/3731483463.html


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

OwnedByTheGoats said:


> Oh, OOOOO!!! Hey, look!!!
> http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/for/3731483463.html


Haha she's cute, but too far away for me!


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

Okay... hmmm... Here is another one! This is really hard not knowing where you live, lolol

http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/for/3724104134.html


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

Haha, I'm closer to Portland


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/fod/3731184606.html


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/bab/3726933430.html


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/grd/3723969559.html

Have I got the idea in your head yet? Lol, I will stop now. I am sure this is probably getting annoying.


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/pet/3714845432.html

I thought this guy was pretty cute, great name too!
But I think I'm pretty set on the hedgehog, maybe I'll consider a guinea pig next time I'm in need of a pet.lol


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

Wow, if I lived closer I would definitely take that little guy! Hedgies are just so expensive. I LOVE the name Chewbacca. How clever!


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## NavaBoerFarm (Dec 15, 2012)

I like that name too

Since we are all throwing stuff out there take a look at this one I'm sure you'd want one of these

http://www.animalssale.com/exotic-animals/cheetah-cub-31-2753.html#.UWYu9Pq9Kc0


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## NavaBoerFarm (Dec 15, 2012)

Or this one

http://www.animalssale.com/exotic-animals/barbary-lio-5-2723.html#.UWYwCtq9Kc0


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

Lol nbf!


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## NavaBoerFarm (Dec 15, 2012)

Lol I couldn't resist


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

Haha oh wow!
That would be so cool to own a lion or cheetah cub!


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## NavaBoerFarm (Dec 15, 2012)

Imagine.... Most fearsome livestock guardian


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

Haha, not sure about "guardian" but he'd be fearsome alright! Lol


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I'm not going to say how many years ago it was but, there was a resturant in Yachats that had a cougar. He was in a kennel with a collar and leash on at all times. He would take it into his head on occassion to go stroll around town. Whatever group of kids happened to be around would pick up his leash and take him home. Silly old neutered cougar


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

I remember when I was a little kid I went to visit my cousin & we went to a friend of theirs' house & they had two cougars in a large cage in their back yard.
They also had a large alligator & a turtle


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## JanetM (Mar 13, 2013)

We have a chinchilla and a hedgehog...and as far a pet goes I would choose the chinchilla over the hedgehog in a min. Sadie(chinchilla) is much more interactive than Heidi(hedgehog) and Sadie does not stink and she pees in one corner of her cage and she has never peed on me when I hold her. Heidi does stink(and she is on cat food) they are both nocturnal animals but Sadie has adjusted her sleeping to when we are up...now she stills bounces around her cage at night but she will interact with us in the evening. If you want to play with Heidi you have to wake her up.

Neither are cuddly animals though.


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

I am keeping Edwin at my boyfriends house at the moment, we have decided to put him on a 7am-7pm sleeping schedule which I think will work best for me because I wave work & school till about 5 so that gives me time to eat and get some stuff done before he's up to play.
I got to play with him for the first time yesterday, & you're right, they aren't very cuddly, but he is a very good natured hog and I am really happy I got him 
He's just learning his litter box, but I'm my sure if he'll ever learn to "hold it".
Only time will tell


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