blackxrose said:
Sweet_Fall said:
This is Kiwi, my hedgehog.
I can hardly ever get a good photo of her because she's always moving and I have a crappy camera.
Omg this makes me want a hedgehog! So cute! How hard are they to care for? Do they need buddies or are they fine on their own?
Hedgehogs are almost exclusively solo creatures. You can house two females together, but it's not necessary or recommended. Never put two males together, though.
Hedgehogs are quite simple to care for, honestly. But their personalities are not for everyone. Some of them can be super sweet and love to cuddle, but others, like our's, hate any interaction with you. They definitely are more like a cat than a dog. They get grumpy over a lot of little things. Kiwi would honestly prefer to just stay in her cage all the time if she could. She tolerates us, and that's about it.
They're a bit more work than a hamster, but not much different than a ferret, care wise. They need attention to get used to you and open up. They need a large cage, cage liners (pine shavings can be used, but you'll be scorned by most of the community, bleck), a solid wheel (no wire or mesh) and they eat high quality cat food supplemented with insects, veggies, cooked meats and fruits.
Hedgehog Central is a great place to read up on hedgehog care. I could go on and on for hours about them. Haha.
Oh, they are illegal in a handful of states in the USA, so you'll have to see if they are in your state. I highly recommend to not get one if it's illegal in your state simply because finding a vet that's knowledgeable enough to help them would be hard, and also dangerous because they could confiscate your hedgie and put it to sleep (I've heard horror stories).
