Hedgies make fantastic pets but are better pets for teens and adults. It is important to consider some of the attributes of a hedgehog when deciding if one will be the right pet. Please consider the following before submitting your reservation form:
Hedgehogs have sharp quills.
Getting poked can be a painful experience which may result in it being dropped and injured. Sharp quills can also be intimidating for a young child and may prevent your hedgie from getting the socialization it needs to be a good pet.
Hedgehogs are tasters.
It is a rare occasion for a hedgehog to bite out of fear or aggression. However, they do like to explore their world through their sense of smell and taste and may attempt to “taste” you. A taste test doesn't hurt much but it definitely startles you and may be quite scary for a young child. Being scared of the "tastings" may prevent a young child from providing the hedgehog with the necessary taming and bonding time.
Hedgehog babies need to be tamed.
Hedgehogs are wild animals and need to be hand tamed. Our babies go through many different hands while they are here in an attempt to get them used to being handled. HOWEVER, you will need to continue handling your hedgehog on a DAILY basis for a minimum of 1 hour. If you do not continue handling your baby, your hedgehog will not be tame. If you have ONE negative experience often times the hedgehog will no longer trust you. A child will not have the skills necessary to tame a wild animal. This will be the responsibility of the parent.
Hedgehog Lifespan is 5-7 years.
A hedgehog can live 5-7 years in captivity. Our hedgehogs average about 5.5 years. Many factors contribute to the lifespan of a hedgehog. I am a firm believer that diet contributes to the longevity of your hedgehog (please see feeding your hedgehog). I also believe that hedgehogs bred with a coefficient of inbreeding of less than 2% also contributes to a hedgehog's longevity. The breeder you buy our hedgehog from should be educated in these areas and provide a solid health guarantee.
Hedgehogs are WILD Animals.
I know I have said this before but I can't stress the fact that hedgehogs are wild animals. When you choose to have a wild animal as a pet you run the risk of it not being able to be tamed. Sometimes you can do everything the right way and your wild pet wants to be wild. Unfortunately, a hedgehog that wants to be left alone is not the breeder nor the pet owner's fault... it is the risk of taking in a wild animal as a pet.
After considering all of the quirks of owning a hedgehog, if you are still undecided,
please contact us! I am happy to chat with you!
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