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Pets

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Please tell me all about having hedgehogs as pets

95 replies

PricklyJo · 14/05/2019 14:36

In a flat with a 5 and 9 year old?
Are rescues or domesticated APH better?
We all love animals but always discounted pets as we both work and wouldn’t be able to dedicate enough time to them. Also worried about the flat getting destroyed.

I like the idea of sweet cuddles at dusk and dawn (DP gets up early, we both go to bed late).

But im wondering if a wheel is really enough to keep it active and happy at night?
Could this work? Anything else we should know or consider? Is it really that hard to clean the cage daily?

OP posts:
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Prequelle · 14/05/2019 15:16

at least four foot
Wow that seems a very small at least number. torts are at least 6 foot, you would think a hedgehog would need more

TheFaerieQueene · 14/05/2019 15:17

Totally ridiculous.

Soubriquet · 14/05/2019 15:18

It is the bigger the better but they spend a lot of time on their wheels at night. Plus in the evenings, owners tend to set up a play pen in the room to let them have a good forage and roam around

PricklyJo · 14/05/2019 15:19

We don’t have pets because we think it’s a bit cruel to keep animals not in their natural environment. Have read about hedgehogs and how they make good pets couldn’t find much information not from sellers so that’s why I’m asking here!
Thought I might have found something that fits in with our family but clearly not Blush
Aren’t hamsters and GPs happier in pairs?

OP posts:
Starlight39 · 14/05/2019 15:20

I was going to suggest rats too. My DS and I have 2 (you have to get at least 2 as they need company) and they're really cute, sociable, fun pets.

HappyStripper · 14/05/2019 15:22

I had a hedgehog before and it never got tame. You see a lot of Facebook videos etc of them being all cuddly and whatnot but in reality those are the exceptions. They’re prey animals and are extremely anxious, most of the time you picking them up and trying to “cuddle” them is extremely stressful for them and at most they learn to not bite or puff up and instead sit still anxiously.

Plus they poop on you any time you play with them.

picklemepopcorn · 14/05/2019 15:24

I looked I to hedgehogs and discovered it was a no no.

But I'd second rats! They are adorable, and actually enjoy your company once you've earned it!

PricklyJo · 14/05/2019 15:25

Asking here so we don’t do something stupid....!

And definitely not a European/your regular garden hedgehog!

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 14/05/2019 15:25

No Syrian hamsters must be kept alone.

You keen then in pairs and they will kill each other

Prequelle · 14/05/2019 15:30

We don’t have pets because we think it’s a bit cruel to keep animals not in their natural environment

Which confuses me, because hedgehogs are not a domesticated animal. So why would you chose to have one. A flat is not their natural environment.

MissingInActionYouSay · 14/05/2019 15:33

I used to keep and breed African Pygmy hedgehogs, gave up about 6 years ago after I developed an allergy.

They are amazing creatures to keep but yes, they can be very smelly, very noisy and expensive to maintain.

I kept mine in a temperature controlled exotic room, so it never went below 20c. I kept mine in 5ft stacking hutches but with vented perspex on the front and extra vents fitted each side. It was one hog per hutch and each hutch had a mini heat pad under the lino flooring of the hutch with a snuggle pouch sitting on top. I swapped between shavings, fleece and lino and found lino to be the best and easiest to keep clean. They need a wheel, I found the best were silent spinners and I needed two per hog. One for washing, one for using. they can run 3 miles a night easily and they crap as they run.....this leads to poop slippers and a very dirty wheel that is crusted in shit. The wheels got put into a bucket of soapy water for 3-4 hours and the hogs had to be bathed every evening to keep the feet and nails clean Also trimming as needed. I had an exercise pen with lots of enrichment that I changed daily with new smells, tastes etc and this would lead to self anointing. Within the hutches I would have rubber treat balls and a foraging tray filled with gravel/pebbles and I would put morio worms in there to allow them to show natural behaviour and keep them stimulated. I kept 12 at one point and it was very expensive, very time consuming and very very smelly. I fed them a mix of iams, purina1 and go kat and supplemented with plenty of baby mice/rats, chicken, scrambled eggs, and live insects. they LOVE cockroaches, morios, meal worms and crickets. But the effects of that diet means that their poo smells like extra beefy/ ratty oxo that has been left in the sun to ferment for a few days.

They do not last very long either, so a very expensive pet. Say £300 to get them set up properly and then £140 for a hog from a reputable breeder. They will live for 3-5 years. Exotic vets are between £30-60 just for a consult.

MissingInActionYouSay · 14/05/2019 15:35

I would definitely suggest guinea pigs as the perfect pet for your situation. They are amazing pets and do well indoors with human company. Much less set up and running costs, stay at room temperature and love human interaction.

CrumbsCrumbsEverywhere · 14/05/2019 15:36

I agree with what everyone's said op apart from please PLEASE dont get a rabbit or hamster either. Not with such young children and DEFINITELY not a rabbit on its own. They're not good for children and It's cruel.

Sup3rCooper · 14/05/2019 15:37

@Prequelle it's an ABH, not a large brown hedgehog you find in a field.

Sup3rCooper · 14/05/2019 15:37

^aph ! Typo!

Springisallaround · 14/05/2019 15:38

Hamsters live alone, OP, and gerbils can be in pairs but we've also had lone ones where one of the pair died and they were fine.

It doesn't sound, with the diet and pooping, that they are ideal pets for you.

Also, if you don't agree with any pets due to them not being in their 'natural habitat' then surely no pets are ok?

Baloonphobia · 14/05/2019 15:40

Can you consider an animal that has been described as hard to tame domesticated?

RomanyQueen1 · 14/05/2019 15:42

They are very nutritious and full of vitamins.
cook them like a roast and then break in half and the spikes and outer skin come off, leaving lovely fresh meat. Apparently .

Soubriquet · 14/05/2019 15:42

APH have never been a wild species

They would die if they were released into the wild

They can’t hibernate. This will kill them

Baloonphobia · 14/05/2019 15:44

Ah right. Op, get a fish.

MrsTerryPratchett · 14/05/2019 15:57

Also, if you don't agree with any pets due to them not being in their 'natural habitat' then surely no pets are ok?

TBF dogs domesticated themselves. Sort of. Wild dogs with shorter flight distances spent more time around us and we discovered a mutually beneficial relationship. Realistically dogs have a much more symbiotic relationship with people than most animals.

Prey animals wouldn't hang out with us by choice normally. Rats are very intelligent and social and love their food so they are OK. Rabbits just really don't want to be with us. Cats are sociopaths and willing to put up with us until we invent a paw-opening tin. At which point they will kill us all in our sleep. So there are different levels of 'natural'.

SpanishTiles · 14/05/2019 16:39

Stick insect op?

greathat · 14/05/2019 16:41

They stink. My garden is a release site for a local rescue. I keep them in the garage from afternoon til dusk. In that time they stink the place out

greathat · 14/05/2019 16:43

Guinea Pigs are lovely pets but need to be kept in pairs and need a fairly large cage

Medievalist · 14/05/2019 16:53

Why oh why breed an animal to keep it in a cage? Unbelievable.

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