My Hedgepiggies

Not only do I have my lovely BP but I also have 3 hedgehogs. :)

This is my oldest girl Luna. She's a little over 3 years now. She is very sweet and doesn't really ball up much anymore, she'll put up with alot haha.
http://i40.tinypic.com/w9ikbt.jpg

This is my second oldest girl Kishi, she's going to be 3 in August. She has an attitude and can be grumpy but she's also very sweet (when she feels like it).
http://i43.tinypic.com/2zfjwhw.jpg

And here is my albino "baby" Izzy. She's just over 2 years old. She is my mom's girl pretty much, she is quite attached to her. She also makes some of the weirdest noises I have ever heard. :rofl:
http://i44.tinypic.com/35m1qmv.jpg

Loads more pics if anyone wants hehe! Who else has hedgehogs? Put up some pics! :D

i have a hedgie either

OOO very cool. I know very little on hedgies. What would you compare them to? Are they very social? What do they feed on? ...and the question which youve been asked 2000 times....are their spines sharp? :P

:P that little nose is SO cute.

Quote:

---

http://i44.tinypic.com/35m1qmv.jpg

---

your so lucky, there illegal in pennsylvania.

Thanks! :D That's sad that they are illegal, they're such fun animals, they're really good pets. Hehe the noses are quite adorable!

I'm not really sure what I'd compare them to. :confused: I don't know if I can compare them to any other animal I've met. For the most part they're pretty shy. They may ball up or "huff" at you. Usually if you pick them up and have something for them to hide in like a blanket they'll calm down and lay with you or poke their heads out and explore. The spikes aren't too bad once you get used to them. When they are flat they don't feel like spikes at all. But if they're in a ball and doing the "click jump" it feels weird. Kishi does this alot. She kind of jumps and pulses and makes a clicking noise to let you know she doesn't want to be picked up. It kind of just pushes the spikes into your skin more. It would feel kind of like squeezing a brush with stiff bristles. I've never had my skin broken by one though (aside from the stray ones that end up in the carpet that you step on at 3 A.M on your sleepy way to the bathroom). :|

They can be social but for the most part they're not. I believe hedgehogs are solitary animals who don't really want or need a cage buddy. It's best not to keep them together from what I've heard. Even if they are getting along ok they may turn around and change their mind. Boys will usually always fight with each other, girl plus boy..well we all know what that equals hehe and girls and girls can work but it's still better to house them separately. The two brown girls of mine get along. They will curl up together or explore the couch/hallway/floor together, but once in awhile one will annoy the other. I wouldn't trust them to live together though. Izzy, my albino, doesn't get along with the others and chases and bites them. She is the youngest but also the scariest hehe. They seem to enjoy the company of me or mom more. They are used to us now and love to stretch out on a lap and get foot massages or tummy rubs, it took awhile to get them that used to us though. But very worth it. :)

Most people feed them high quality cat food. I have Chicken Soup For The Cat Lover's Soul. Other good brands I've heard of people using are Innova, Blue Spa Select, Wellness Healthy Weight, Royal Canin, Felidae, Nutro and quite a few others. Some people feed a combination of cat foods. They also like treats like turkey, chicken, hamburger, cottage cheese, egg, yam, sweet potato, apple, banana, blueberry, pear, baby food, carrots etc. That's just a small list of treats my girls like. :)

This forum for chinchillas and hedgehogs is awesome! You can find anything you want to know on here and check out tons of cute pics! http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/index.php

Hedge hogs are awsome!!! Yours are beautiful!!! My wife loves them and did a lot of research on them but we never did end up getting one :(

Aw thank you. :) You should get one, or two, or three! They're really sweet pets.

Are they expensive to keep? I really want one but would need to learn more about them. Also, my school doesn't really allow mammals but they don't care really. It's my parents I worry about more. We have a cat, so I think they won't like the idea.

Where do you even get them anyways? I found an ad on CL selling one for $150, is that worth it?

Another thing. Do you keep the cages in the same room as your snake(s)? Would it put them in feeding mode all the time?

I just found out through that forum that hedgehogs only live for 2-4 years. :(

I would tend to say more like 4-6 (I think two years old would be pretty young for a hedgie to die), but yeah, unfortunately they don't live terribly long. A bit longer than rats (I can't even own pet rats because they die so young) but still not as long as we'd like :( I had one breeder tell me her average was 3-4 years, but in my experience they do live a bit longer than that ...

Here's mine -- he's a minimal pinto. He's got some girlfriends coming soon ... I was breeding albinos, but I traded my pair for a female pinstripe BP :P I'm hoping to work with some of the lighter colored, dark-eyed hedgie morphs soon (champaign, black-eyed white, etc..)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...vana/bubba.jpg

Wow, that photo's terrible! Sorry ...

Would this be a good cage for a hedgie? I might just get one. Plus, it's only $30.
http://smd.craigslist.org/pet/1233970647.html

Nope -- unfortunately though that cage is a good deal, that's not a very good cage for a hedgie. (Great for a ferret or chinchilla, though!) Hedgehogs need a fair amount of floor space, but they don't climb well, and if they DO manage to climb up things they are notoriously awful at NOT falling off of them. So, I'd say that cage is the wrong dimensions for a hedgie at best; at worst, it could potentially be dangerous ...

I've got a hedgehog FAQ here on my website, as well as a care page -- not to be a shameless self-promoter or anything :P

http://www.nirvanafauna.com/care-guides.html

Hope this helps!

Thank you!
I also just found out there's a hedgie breeder in my hometown! :O

Ah, I see you have some experience with chins as well. Which do you recommend? It looks like chins just destroy everything by chewing on it haha.

hedgies are so cute. I love their faces. sux that they are illegal in pa, but I can live vicariously through pics :P I didn't even know that they come in colors, that is amazing. thanx for sharing.

Wait a minute, you're in MA too! Worcester is about 20mins away from me! Yay!

My girlfriend picked up a little hedgehog back in March. It's a pretty cool little thing. It lived with me during the school year because the dorms aren't very pet friendly.

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/l...l/P4190050.jpg

Cute hedgie and awesome to see a fellow CnH'er! :) I'm chin_gal on the forum, I thought I knew those piggies!

I'm sure this is asked all the time, but which do you think is better, a C&C cage or Sterilite bins. I figure snake owners are biased towards bins haha.

But I like that C&C are a little more portable via car. But, Sterilite is cheaper it looks like and holds heat better.

I am doing a ton of research before I potentially get myself a hedgie, and I want to make the right choices from the beginning for the hedgie's and my wallet's sake.

Its "Sonic" the Hedgehog!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mrshawt

I'm sure this is asked all the time, but which do you think is better, a C&C cage or Sterilite bins. I figure snake owners are biased towards bins haha.

But I like that C&C are a little more portable via car. But, Sterilite is cheaper it looks like and holds heat better.

I am doing a ton of research before I potentially get myself a hedgie, and I want to make the right choices from the beginning for the hedgie's and my wallet's sake.

---

Sorry I didn't reply to your ?'s sooner -- I guess I gotta turn on that thing that notifies me when there's a new reply to a thread I've posted in ... :P

In answer to your question about chins vs. hedgies -- I'm personally partial to chins -- I have ~20 of them and I think they just can't be beat! They have such unique, individual personalities, they come in a variety of cool colors, they have almost NO odor, and they're entertaining to watch.

The downsides to chinchillas are that they are often flighty -- I have a few animals that don't mind being picked up and cuddled, but many of them will kick and attempt to get away when handled. (A few may bite, though their bite is nowhere near as painful as that of a rat or hamster, and some really mean ones will pee -- I don't recommend buying one with that kind of personality, though!) They also need a really big cage with lots of levels so that they can jump up and down and exercise.

Hedgehogs are cute and can make good pets as well. They are not as naturally social as chinchillas -- in fact, unlike chins, they aren't naturally social at all -- and so they really need to be handled daily in order to remain good pets. They don't need as big a cage as they can't climb, though they do need a reasonable amount of floor space to run around. They make a bit more waste than chins, and it does smell if not cleaned regularly -- but then again, most animals are like that :) (They're not naturally smelly like ferrets [sorry ferret owners!].)

One thing to consider about hedgehogs vs. chins is that hedgehogs only live 3-5 years, whereas chins can live to be 12 or more!

I get asked the chinchilla vs. hedgehog question a lot actually ... I've been meaning to make it part of the FAQ on my site, but haven't gotten around to it yet -- guess I need to get onto that, huh? ;)

Oh, and with regards to hedgie cages -- I had never actually even heard of C & C cages so I had to look them up :rolleyes: Interesting concept! If you think you can find the materials, I'd say go for that. Sterilite also works great for hedgehogs -- that's what most hedgie breeders use -- but it doesn't look as "pretty." A large, flat-bottomed wire cage (like the "Super Pet" brand, I think it's called) works well for hedgies as well, if you can find one used (they are way overpriced in pet stores).

Hope this helps!

Oh wow, I'm behind on this thread, sorry everyone. I was out of town for awhile. It looks like all the questions got answered though. I don't house my hedgehogs and snake near each other. The snake is in my bedroom and the hedgehogs are in the living room.

I got 2 of mine from Petcetera for $70 each and one from a local shop for $110.

I've heard they only like a short life too, I'm not sure though. These are my first hogs and the oldest one is only 3 and a half, although she has had a bit of a health issue this year so who knows. :(

Hi Chin_Gal! :D It's so cool to see other hoggie owners over here as well. :)

Who wants more pics? :P

Luna not enjoying her Easter decoration.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/DSCN5519.jpg

Kishi and her favourite toy.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/DSCN4863.jpg

Izzy not impressed by the camera flash while sleeping on mom's lap. (Not the best quality sorry but she's hard to get a pic of for some reason).
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/DSCN4951.jpg

Luna and Kishi, the two that get along and are both bossed around by little Izzy. (Luna looks like she's smiling!) :)
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/RSCN6100.jpg

Izzy kidnapping Kishi's toy.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/DSCN4621.jpg

Where's Izzy?
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/DSCN4605.jpg

Snuggling on the couch!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/DSCN2885.jpg

Uh oh....
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/DSCN1029.jpg

My pretty girl Luna!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/DSCN0938.jpg

I'm GRUMPY!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/DSCN0921.jpg

Luna's hide out while she's playing on the couch.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/DSCN0742.jpg

Baby Kish, all tired out from attacking shirts.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/IM000653.jpg

Put meee down!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...IM000652-1.jpg

What do you think you're doing human?
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...s/IM000644.jpg

A funny Halloween pic!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60...-LunaCandy.jpg