Is a Hedgehog worth it?

sckemotion · New member Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 1 Location: Ohio

Okay, so I'm thinking of buying a hedgehog but I don't know. They're pretty expensive around here, like $60 but I love them to death. They're so adorable and aren't THAT hard to take care of. Any input? What do you think? Is it a go for it or a... find a different animal?

sakura.seppun · Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 5:38 pm Post subject:

I don't know you, so this isn't directly at you. Don't get offended.
Typically the rule of thumb is, if you can't/won't afford the actual animal, you can't/won't afford the veterinarian and really shouldn't purchase it.
Larger small animals, if that makes any sense, like ferrets, hedgehogs, rabbits, etc... tend to get ill often and easily and also often require yearly checkups and shots. You need to take into account all of that.

Aqueous · Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 6:08 pm Post subject:

Fisrt off dont' get a hedgehog from a pet store.

Usually pet stores can't guarentee the age of their hedgehogs and you want to get a young hedgehog for hand training.

If you think $60 is expensive think of all the possible health problems that a pet store hedgehog could possibly carry and the amount of money you may have to spend on vet care and treatment.

Hedgehogs are also insectavores so you'll have to supplement their diet with the occasional cricket or meal worm. Make sure you're willing to do this before you get one.

You may also want to litter train your hedgehog which requires daily cleaning of the litter box. They also require bathing and nail trimming.

Bente · Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 8:55 pm Post subject:

I didn't even know you could keep a hedgehog as a pet Laughing

Here they just live in the wild, at least I haven't heard of anyone who has them as pets.

AnnaBelle · Member Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 29

I HAD ONE ABOUT 8 YEARS AGO HIS NAME WAS GIZMO.I REALLY LOVED HIM HE WAS SWEET.

tuttifrutti · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 12:19 am Post subject:

I was going to get a hedgehog, but I had a friend who had one and she didn't reccomend him. She said while she loved him and he was sweet, their spikes (quills?) really do poke, and can shove things under your skin so for me, I'm allergic to cats and possibly hedgehogs (not bad, simply red and itchy until I wash my hands) having the hedgehog's spikes shove whatever I'm allergic to under my skin where I can't wash it off would be really bad. Now, what my friend did reccomend were short tailed opossums. They can be kind of expensive (I paid 75$ for one and 110$ for the other, although I've seen them as low as 45$) but they don't get sick very often. However, they are too insectivores, although feeding them crickets or mealworms isn't absolutely necessary, it is beneficial to them. Now realize, I am a highschooler and can afford both of them without worry, but I also babysit.