SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
Because what else would you name a hedgehog even if it's a female? Sonic is an African Pygmy Hedgehog and she was a Christmas present to myself. Hedgehogs are interesting little critters and to be honest, I don't recommend them if you're looking for a little critter to play with and to handle. I most definitely don't recommend them for younger children. This is a list of pros and cons, based on *my* experience, of owning a hedgehog.
THE PROS
- If you're looking for something unusual and exotic to own, a hedgehog is right up your alley.
- If you don't feel the need to handle a pet all the time, a hedgehog may be right for you.
- They don't smell as long as you clean their cage on a weekly basis.
- They're relatively easy to care for compared to other exotic pets.
THE CONS
- If you're looking for a pet to frequently handle and play with, a hedgehog may not be right for you. While they seem to tolerate handling, they would prefer to be left alone.
- With that said, I don't recommend them for small children. Hedgehogs have quills. While the quills cannot get stuck in you, like a porcupines quills, they can hurt and can draw blood if the hedgehog balls up and raises it's quills hard enough.
- They will use you as their personal toilet and have no qualms about pooping and peeing on you while you're holding it.
- They are nocturnal and are sensitive to light. This means you'll only see them in action at night and you must keep their cage covered when you have the lights on.
- They are also sensitive to the cold and must be kept warm at all times. This means you must either keep them in a warm room or must use a heat lamp or heating pad on their cage. If a hedgehog gets too cold, they can go into hibernation and some hedgehogs have been known to die from that.
- Hedgehogs are insectivores and do require insects included in their diets in order to thrive and be healthy.
With that said, I don't mind not having a pet that I can't really hold and cuddle. I have a dog, rats and a bird to do all that with. I really don't see Sonic in action as she's awake when I'm asleep and I only catch her in action if I'm up late. The only time I really hold her is when I'm cleaning her cage, I'm giving her fresh food or when I take her out to let her roam around and play.
I keep her in a large cage. I read that the bigger is better, however, I noticed that she really doesn't utilize all of her living space. I have an igloo and a blanket in her cage for her to sleep in, a wheel for her to run in and a litterbox that she does NOT use. Hedgehogs can be litterbox trained but Sonic is a rebel. She'll poop and pee wherever she feels like, lol. A wheel is a must and it's best to use the Kaytee Silent Spinner as their feet can get caught in a wire wheel and cause injury to them. Because they are sensitive to cold, they do require a heat lamp or a heating pad on their cage. I use a 75 watt black heat light so while it provides heat, the light doesn't keep me up at night as Sonic's cage is in my bedroom.
I line her cage with newspaper and I add some Kaytee Clean and Cozy paper bedding and shredded newspaper. Hedgehogs do like to burrow and I've noticed she makes tunnels under the newspaper. Even though she doesn't use it, I still keep a litterbox in her cage and I do add corn cob litter in it. As I said before, hedgehogs really don't stink but I do clean her cage once a week and I have to scrub her wheel down because she does poop and pee in it while running in it.
Hedgehogs are insectivores and that must be kept in mind when feeding them. Quite honestly, I haven't found a decent priced hedgehog specific food that I find appropriate to feed Sonic. A lot of them are loaded with by-products and ingredients that I find unacceptable to feed an animal. I prefer to feed my pets good diets, they actually eat better than I do, so I prefer to feed Sonic a high quality cat kibble supplemented with insects such as meal worms and crickets. Hedgehogs require a high protein diet where the protein is a minimum of 30% and a fat content of less than 15%. I am currently feeding Sonic a cat food called Chicken Soup for the Soul Limited Ingredient Diet Salmon and Legumes Grain Free however, it's been discontinued so I have to research a new kibble to feed.
With that said, while hedgehogs are interesting little critters, they aren't for everyone so be sure you do proper research before buying one. They can be purchased from breeders, as some of them do specialize in different colors, and some independent pet stores may sell them as well. Sonic was purchased from Animal Island Pet Shop. They specialize in fish, reptiles, amphibians and insects but they also sell small critters such as ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and they occasionally sell hedgehogs.
MORE HEDGEHOG INFO
Hedgehog Care: A website with hedgehog care information.
Hedgehogs as Pets: Another website with hedgehog care information.
Chewy.com: This is where I order a lot of my pet supplies. They have decent prices and fast shipping.
Hedgehogs as Pets: Another website with hedgehog care information.
Chewy.com: This is where I order a lot of my pet supplies. They have decent prices and fast shipping.