All Comments: African Pygmy Hedgehog

My sons & I recently found an Albino-African Hedgehog.So Cute he is. Is a male- My son took him to the vet & the spca.To see what some of the care options are of caring for this cute lil critter.He is defnatly scared. Iam trying to bond with him. What My Question is.WHat type of bedding and all do they Use? Or need. Any help is greatly appreciated. Ty Dee

This site's information is excellent. A couple of things: please be careful of commercially packaged foods labeled as specifically for hedgehogs. Some lack the protein these insectivores require to be healthy. A poultry-based, inexpensive grade of catfood (NOT hairball formulas) is just fine. Be careful of gathering bugs from your yard for your pet; some can have parasites, etc. that can harm your sweet hedgie. Store-bought mealworms and crickets (live or freeze-dried) are safe. A bit of well-cooked chicken or turkey will be well-received, also. African hedgehogs are decended from hedgehogs that DO NOT hibernate, so if one of these pets gets so cold it becomes sluggish and tries to hibernate, it can die. So please keep your baby comfortably warm, but not hot. Their nails need trimmed once in a while, so use baby clippers. If your hedgehog tries to ball up, never attempt to force it to open; you can cause serious, perhaps mortal, injury to your pet. As you build trust in your hedgehog, it will usually allow itself to be groomed more readily, which also eases the stress of visits to the vet. Enjoy your hedgie!

I have a hedgehog too, and I have to keep him in the basement because of my dogs, but is a little cold down there so what can I do.

I have 2 hedgehogs, millie and percy, both 7 months old. Just decided to put them in together to see if they produce any babies. The only trouble is since they've been with each other, they keep scratching them selves. Checked for signs of fleas, etc and can't see nothing. Going to bath them 2morrow 2 see if that helps. Best pets ever.

I love your hedgehogs.

I have a hedgehog. Her name is Maple and she is the best pet ever! She will sleep on my lap in her blanket all day since hedgehogs are nocturnal. You wouldn't think a hedgehog would be a very "cuddly" pet but they are(or Maple is anyway). She also won second place in a hedgehog show! The downsides to having a hedgie is having to clean them and their wheel every day. I clean her cage every other day. The wheel also gets squeaky and since hedgehogs are nocturnal they run on their wheel at night. Trust me it is not fun to have a squeaky hedgehog wheel when you're trying to sleep! To fix this all you have to do is oil it with olive oil every night. And Hedgies cost a lot. I got maple for $150. Their supplies don't cost that much, although we bought more than we needed. The supplies that seem to work for us are: Food dish, water dish(Maple gets most of her water from her bath though. She won't drink from her dish), cat food(we also give her mealworms and corn sometimes), wheel, and litter box (but we found that litter really isn't needed although you still want a litter box to put the wheel in seeing as how they "go to the bathroom" when they are on their wheel). For caging, we use a plastic storage bin(we want to get something that isn't plastic but we haven't got around to it yet). We just use fleece to line the bottom of the bin. She likes to sleep under the fleece so we don't need to buy anything for her to sleep in. It's nice to have some "hedgehog towels" around for drying off after a bath or for handling. You are supposed to have the heat up to around 74 degrees F but we have our heat set to 70 deg F. Our heat also drops to about 63 deg F at night but Maple is fine so that's not a big issue for us. All in all getting a hedgehog is totally worth it (in my opinion anyway)! And I love having Maple around! For those of you who want a hedgehog and don't know where to find them Google: Hedgehog Central and go to the breeder's list.

I had a hedgehog for about four years. He was the cutest thing you have ever seen. Not many people knew this but he was my best friend. Their very loving animals, but you need to care and nurture them. I would recommend one for people who are ready to make a commitment. I miss Albert very much he was the greatest part in my life.

I have two hedgehogs. Mine love to be with each other. They are very loving. My boy Oliver (10 months) is going crazy without my girl-Peanut(7 1/2 months), because we now have 4 new little hoglets in our family (3 girls and a little boy). They all seem very well natured and are only 2 1/2 weeks old. Healthy and happy! If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

You know how they always say to keep your other pets away from the hedgie, well my cat once got into his play pen and patted it with his paw. My cat was halfway across my house in two seconds! ever since then my cat never bothers him. My dogs aren't even Interested! I wonder if when they say that they try to protect the other animals from the hedgie and not the other way aroumd? That sure is the way in my house. I mean it is hilarious to watch the hedgehog chase my pets when he's in his ball because the dogs are actualy whining and running away. It's like he's playing tag! And the entire time I'm rolling on the ground laughing my head off. This is one curious and outgoing hedgie. He sure isn't shy! I love cooper(my hedgie)

To the person who asked about hedgehogs and where to get them, try craigslist. or hoobly.com. There are always people trying to sell their pets. I rescued my rupert from an animal rescue place since I don't believe in buying animals from petstores.

I would LOVE to get a hedgehog someday but I don't know where to get one. I would like some someone PLEASE to help me. San Diego

One of my very best friends is getting a hedgehog. She is very exited and can't wait to get one!

Don't forget to clip your hedgies nails regularly. This can be time consuming. It is best to try after their bath, and this is sometimes no easy task. Be careful not to clip too short as they will bleed if you cut into the quick. If you plan on breeding them, get a young animal. If they haven't had their first litter by 18 months of age, they may experience difficulties during the birth. just a couple hints from a former experienced owner/raiser but not a commercial breeder.

Oh, I would LOVE to get a hedgie! They're so sweet and loveable! I aspire to be a hedgie breeder someday...though I know it wouldn't get me much money, but I don't care! Oh, and one suggestion for this site: You should have a section for dogs. I've got a Bichon named Buddy. NOTE: Dr. Jungle says a dog section is coming within just a few weeks!

I just bought a hedgehog and named him Sonic. The first day he was very lively and I let him run in our bathroom and underneath my bed. However the 2nd day he wasn't lively at all and was very wobbly on his legs. I ended up taking him back to the pet store to see what was wrong and found out he was very dehydrated. I thought that was what it was because he wasn't drinking out of his water bottle. I don't think he understood how to use it. Anyway he's doing loads better now. I've switched his bottle to a dish and he now drinks from that! He also loves me to pick him up out of his cage and he sleeps beside my body, I think because of the warmth!

We have a total of 14 animals, all of which were rescued from abusive/neglectful homes. What I discovered about hedgehogs is that they are wild, not domesticated, animals. I always study up on the behavior of any animal we live with. Spiny Norman was fine in his clean crate with aspen chips and a wheel, fed on dry cat food. after reading up, I added a driftwood stick (pet store, reptile section), alfalfa hay, and a pressed alfalfa hut. Norman immediately sniffed the new additions and totally annointed himself. He is so much happier since I tried my best to replicate his natural environment. He also has a pan of water big enough to get in (only 1" deep). I try to handle him as little as possible, though he will take crickets or mealworms from my hand, and comes out whenever I come in the room. He is in the small rodent room and the big animals are not allowed in there. Norman is about six yrs old now and very healthy. I lined his crate with slate tiles & now his nails stay worn down. Oh yeah, don't feed fatty foods - it messes up their liver.

I had a four year old female hedgehog named Dafina. Unfortunately, there is a disease called "Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome" that has very little information on it. She stopped eating and drinking completely, and was constantly throwing up any and all medications/dextrose/glucose that I had her on. (She went to the vet) Hedgehogs become off-balance and wobbly when they have this weird neurological disease. She became paralyzed in three of her legs and could not move. In short, I had to have her euthanized far before her time. I did all the right things for her through her entire life but this is a disease that isn't well known. No one is sure what causes it and how to treat it. I just wanted to inform all the hedgehog owners out there of this possibility. I have heard that it is uncommon to see this--but I also want to say that all of you need to enjoy your little ones while you have them, spikes and all. If they do not cuddle, or ever become socialized, continue to love them with all your heart.

I have a two year old salt-n-pepper female that means the world to me. "Sonic" is the second heggie i have had the honor of owning. She is absolutely opposed to handling during the day but becomes the most lovable little devil at night. I'm not an emotional person but i could barely stand to finish G. Dodger's account and i wouldn't know how to deal with the loss of such a benign little friend.

I was walking home from church one day, and I saw something by the side of the road. I saw that it had spikes... a snout... small, black, beady eyes...it was snuffling- yes, a hedghog! I crossed over and found that wasn't a happy chappy, so I wrapped it in my jumper to bring it home and nurse it. On the way home I called it Bobby. I have guinea pigs and have a couple spare cages. I bedded one of these as I would for my guinea pigs, and put newspapers, woodshavings, and hay in it. I also included a water bowl and food bowl. I then got some woodlice, worms, and any other grubs I could find, and he chewed them up happily. Well, I kept him for a few days. Here are my notes: Do not feed them milk(it can kill them, but they'll obliviously drink it if they have the chance). Feed cat/dog food like chicken liver jelly or pet turkey pate and, of course, grubs like they eat normally. Provide them with a lot of water. They won't eat grass, but put them in a large run every day so they can root around the earth or grass. Try to resume, for them, a normal enviroment. Provide a patch of leaves or hay, a water bowl, and some extra food. They aren't aggressive in any way, but don't provoke these sweet little creatures, as they'll curl up, frightened, into a ball if aggravated or scared. Therefore, keep them away from predators that might scare it. They won't respond to other pets very well, and don't bring them near domesticated pets for fear of ticks, mites, and fleas. Don't put any solution for fleas or things on it, as it is a wild animal. It'll sleep, in the wild, for all of the day and scavenge at night. But you'll find that it'll be quite disorientated if you take it from the wild, and so will sleep in the night. Nevertheless, it will be jerky and wobbly in the day if it walks around, so don't worry.

He'll be very pleased if you give him cat food and grubs, if he's all right and not injured. Don't touch him since he's a wild animal, and it would be cruel to do otherwise. Hedgehogs rock, they are really fascinating!

I have got 2 hedgehogs, one salt anf pepper colour called Mr Moose and a cinnicot colour called Apricot, we have had them for nearly a year now, and i love them. They are great pets and so much fun, they both love playing around the house with their balls. We put them together a couple of weeks ago and we think the Apricot is pregnant, so how exciting hopefully soon we will have little hoglets.

I Got my Hedgehog last night. she is 2 years old, called Susie, and clearly a 'huffie'. We tried to bring her out of her box and she well, hissed at us. We left her alone and we will try again tonight. She is the cutest little thing ever, and an albino. I have lots of other pets: dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. I want to work with animals when Im older and will definitely enjoy Susie.

I got sisters, Sugar (white) and Spice (brown) for Christmas 2004. They lived with out trouble in the same cage. They were perfect pets for me because I'm nocturnal too. Sugar was my cuddler and Spice was my hisser. On August 12, 2006 about 5:30 A.M. after playing, I gave them food and then I went to bed. It wasn't until around 2 P.M. I noticed something wrong with Sugar. Somehow she had broken one of her back legs (probably fell after climbing up the cage side) and the bone had ripped through her skin. She had lost allot of blood and went into shock. She died as a result of her injuries. Spice raced around looking for her sister for days. Then she got very quiet and stopped eating. Even though she was in good health she grieved to death within a week. They were wonderful friends and I miss them.

I have had my female hedgehog for over 3 years now and she has been amazing from the start. She is one of the few hedgehogs that i have seen that loves cuddling, she is super freind and almost never spikes up! The one problem that i will be fixing soon is that her ears are falling apart, but she is the cutest and friendliest hedgehog ever!!

I live in Israel and I have African Hedgehogs all around my home during the summer-- I mean outside. There are a few varieties here, even a desert spiecies. In addition to being insectivores, they re said to attack poisonous snakes. Some people keep them in pens in there gardens in the settlement I live in. I don't like to pick them up with my hands because they seem to carry ticks. But I love seeing them wobble around in the streets when I do my nightly walk!

I have had hedgehogs since 1996, all with different personalities, from snugglies to huffies. They are wonderful little pets. They love they runabout balls and wheels. Add to your list of BAD states for hedgehogs, Pennsylvania- you cannot ship there or own there legally. There was a state law put into effect seveal years ago, if they are found they will be confiscated and euthanized.

i used to have a hedgehog, named "mr.tiggywinkle" from the hedgehog mrs. tiggywinkle from beatrix potter. i remember, one day, i must have been 4 years old, i was playing in my bedroom, bored because i had no pet to play with (i had recently lost my hamster and was quite down about that). i remember my dad came home from work, with a 20 gallon tank and a few toys in it, inquisitive, i looked in thinking it was a hamster. after a little while, my dad lifted a piece of bark and there was a little hedgehog! i instantly remembered the beatrix potter story and named him mr. tiggywinkle. for years, he was my best buddy and i always played with him (my parents told me that the second night i had him, i was up all night watching him play in the dark ) after a few years, my parents decided to "lend" my hedgehog to my cousin. i hardly saw him since and missed him a lot i got him back a few years ago, because my cousin could no longer take care of him. after a year or so, he died peacefully in his sleep. RIP mr. tiggywinkle

My hedgehog, named Basil, is salt and pepper and only one year old. He loves to snuggle and explore, and doesnt bite. They are really easy to take care of and the most different animals I have ever seen.

I got my hedgehog a year ago May. She is a salt&pepper hedgehog and her name is Tortilla (named after the salty, bumpy chip). I LOVE my hedgehog alot and I love to watch her explore.(They also like to explore outside). Anyway before you buy a hedgehog you should know that they really do not like to be cuddled, most do not mind being picked up though. They need to stay warm so I highly suggest using pieces of Flease blankets in their sleeping area, never use towels. They are more of a watching pet and they no not mind crawling over you, but they are not like a cat or hamster that you can just hold and pet. I think it is importent to know that and I would not recommend kids under 12 get a hedgehog. Trust me I know because I was 14 when I got mine, and they are not 'cuddley' pets. So if you are thinking about getting a hedgehog know that you must except them for what they are, not what you want them to be or a hedgehog is the wrong pet for you.

I got my hedgehog like two weeks ago. He's an Albino and his name is Parker. He's grown very attached to me, we even take naps together and I love the way he walks. I think that he thinks he's a cat because sometimes he hisses and eats cat food but he loves it when I show him off to other people.

I just got my fiance a hedgehog for Valentine's Day, and even though he's a bit huffy right now, it doesn't take him long to get out of his ball and explore :D

We had a hedgehog named Salty Ambrose. We picked him out from his litter because he was the most curious and least huffy. He was the most lovable, cute and curious pet. When we took him to the vet, they said he was the most sociable hedgehog ever. We miss him and can't wait to get another hedgehog.

I just got my male hedgehog about 5 days ago and i love him alot already. His name is Disel. He is still very timid and hasnt came out of his ball willingly in about 3 days. the first day i brought him home he was very frendly and loved my dogs.

Hi, I have 3 hedgehogs(2female,1male) The male is salt and pepper. The older female is white and the younger one is albino. i breed them and sell the babys. i got them about a year ago and they all are so loving. i love my beautiful pets!!

I got Pokey 5 months ago. He was 3 months old. I managed to litter train him. He comes to see me when I call his name. If I say go use your litter, he does. It was an intensive training of 2 months and I never expected that much from my new little creature. He asks to go to the kitchen by pushing my hand with his nose and he doesn't have a cage, but a little house. He and I are close and every day he finds a new way to please me and make me understand what he wants. I love you Pokey.

I love hedgehogs.

I wrote in a long time ago. Since then me and my hedgehog Bucky have grown closer together. She knows my scent and is not scared anymore when I pick her up. She really likes to run around in her play-pen. If you have a hedgehog that likes to get up and run around you should really look into getting one. She likes to run around in her ball to, But when she really starts to run she has "accidents"! What I want to say is that I dont think you could get a cooler pet.

I just got my hegdehog yesterday, and its been great! It is a female. its name is Bucky. It hardly ever rolls into a ball and it is so energetic. Its about 5 weeks old. I made its own cage. It loves to hide in its tunnel. I have never had a hedgehog before but i think they are the greatest pet anyone could ever have! It is a salt and pepper color. For all you hedgehog lovers out there I have to say you guys have excellent taste. By the way I got her at animal city. Another thing she was 100.00 bucks!

hi my name is jim. i have eleven rabbits. they are kind of like hedgehogs but when these animals get mad they pee on me.

I just got my male hedgie today at 8:00. It was a birthday present from my parents. His name is chester. He is such a wonderful pet and is pretty friendly already after about an hour. He makes weird clicking noises. He is about a year old and he was $120.99.

Hi, I run an animal santuary in England and keep 4 hedgehogs (2 male and 2 female) in what used to be my utility room. I have partioned the room off into four parts so they are all kept individually. They are all relatively timid but do not mind handiling. You have to handle them gently as they are delicate. They each have a bird house to sleep in and it has hay in it. Mine get active at around five to eight in the evening, they are very playful. I made them each a wooden wheel which they enjoy. I feed them on dry cat food and water with a little bit of kitten milk in. They are taken to the vets on a regular basis (I have had no health problems with them yet) along with all my other animals.

I got my hedgehog about a year ago , she is a one of the most unusual pets of all of them which consists of dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, fish, rabbits and more. My hegehog loves to be out of her cage to roam arond the house and explore.

I work at a pet store and our hedgehog loves Tender Vittles for cats. The odor is stinky but not unbearable. Just a little thought in case you would like to try it...!!!!!