Questions often asked before getting a hedgie:
Hedgehogs do not have barbed quills like porcupines. Although a quill might stick in your skin if you step on it, the quills will not do any major damage and should only cause some minor discomfort--it's more shock than pain. They don't come out on command or anything, the only thing you have to worry about is a stray one in a location that you didn't expect. The best comparison I've seen compares petting a hedgie to petting a bristly hairbrush. This is a commonly asked question. Mainly, the people asking it are wondering which has the better temperament. The answer is: There is no real difference between the two. Each hedgie has an individual personality. Some are more aggressive, some are more lovey, and so forth. Males and females each have individual personalities, and there are no specific isolated qualities of either sex. Some males will do "boy things" when they think you aren't looking--and sometimes when they know you are! This is not all males, but it IS a common occurrence, especially if the male has been used for breeding before. It is not a big deal, and usually you won't even know about its going on. If that possibility bothers you, though, you might consider a female.
Common new owner questions: Males have a "belly button" on their tummies. Females have their "button" down closer to their tails. For pics and more detail, look under "Things to look for" on this page: Tips on Purchasing. Although you are less likely to be allergic to your hedgie than to a cat/dog, some people are allergic to hedgies in different ways. Some are allergic to the urine or the saliva, and some are allergic to the dust from bedding and litter. The little red bumps will likely stop happening after a few weeks. Some people just have a mild reaction to being poked. This doesn't mean that you are allergic to your hedgie, it's just something new that your skin has to get used to touching. Using lotion during this time can help alleviate any pain or itching from the bumps. Some people get the reaction from hedgies that anoint a lot. And it can come from dust being on your hedgie from commercial beddings, too. Try washing your hands immediately after handling and apply some hand lotion. Also, try giving the hedgie a bath. If the issue stops, it could have just been that the hedgie needed a bath, or that your skin needed some time to adjust. If it continues, you should probably consult a vet and a doctor for advice. This is usually a minor problem, though, that most people go through at first. There are more serious reactions in some cases, though. If you have problems breathing after you get your new hedgie and you're sure it's not the bedding, you may need to find a new home for your new little friend. If that is the case, take a look at the "Unable to Keep" area. Hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures, and it can make them ill to try to change that. You can wake your hedgie up during the day to play once in awhile if you'd like, but you should not try to make their normal hours take place during the day. For the health and benefit of your hedgie, please do not try to change their nature. Most hedgies need to go potty within a few minutes of getting up. To avoid getting pooped on, you can wake the hedgie up, then sit it back down in the cage for a few minutes and let it do its business before picking it up again. Babies can't hold it, so they poop wherever they need to (some adults are a little better about that). They also tend to go to the bathroom when they're being active, because it's hard to hold it in. So if your hedgie is running around you, exploring, you should keep an eye out. (That's also why most people recommend placing the litter pan under the wheel.) If you put it back in the cage right after the hedgie poops on you, it can learn that pooping will get it put back in the cage and might do it just to get you to go away, so you don't want to immediately put the hedgie back into its cage after it poops on you. No. They do not need the same kind of vaccinations that cats and dogs do. They can get some illnesses and bacterial infections, which will need vet treatment, but they do not need to be vaccinated and there actually aren't any vaccinations at this point that would be suitable to give to a hedgehog. No. Males and females should ONLY be together for breeding purposes, and those should only be selected carefully pedigree hedgehogs. No male and female should have ANY play/interaction time together because it only takes a second for a female hedgie to become pregnant, and non-pedigreed PET hedgies should never be bred--which means a male and female should never be near each other to risk pregnancy. Since they shouldn't be near each other, there shouldn't be any need to spay/neuter without a medical reason. Neutering males is very risky and should not be done unless absolutely necessary. Females are sometimes spayed because of uterine problems though (infections, cancer, etc). This procedure is much less risky than neutering. If you need to have a female spayed because of uterine problems, opt for laser surgery because this yields less blood loss and holds a faster recovery time. Hedgehogs CAN go outside with you, but they should never be allowed outdoors unsupervised. They are FAST little guys so you should try to have an enclosed area that doesn't have any holes in it where they could go to hide if they get away from you; also check the area to be sure there is no other animal feces in it. ALWAYS watch them closely because they can easily get away or be attacked by a predator (if you notice any predator birds nearby be especially cautious or if your neighbor has a dog running around also--any kind of predator). Be aware of the temperature before going outdoors, as well. If the temperature is less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit (including the wind chill) they should NOT be allowed outside. Be aware of the ground temperature, which is usually significantly colder than the air: if you can walk outside barefoot without your feet getting chilled, it should be warm enough for hedgie. They should also not be allowed to roam in any areas where pesticides, fungicides, or other chemicals have been used because if they eat any insects that have been in that or start licking on the grass, it may not be such a fun experience for either of you afterward. People often ask if the hedgie can be allowed to run on the beach. This is not recommended because if the hedgie starts to dig, you could lose it forever. Sand is also not good for them, and if they got away they could get washed out to sea or burrow down and be lost. During warm months, you can if your hedgie doesn't get stressed by the trip. If it does, it's best to leave your hedgie home. If not, have a carrier that the hedgie can easily stay in (some people sell carriers specifically designed for hedgies), and be prepared to deal with anything. Ask yourself a few questions so you'll be ready (questions originally posted by smhufflepuff on HHC): What if hedgie poops/pees? What if hedgie gets upset and wants to go somewhere quiet? What if a store owner asks you to leave because pets aren't allowed inside? What if the weather changes and it starts getting too hot or too cold? Will you let people pet your hedgie? What if hedgie bites? What if people hurt or scare hedgie? Yes! They are great swimmers, depending on the hedgie personality of course. They should only be allowed to swim in supervised settings (IE the bathtub), and they should never swim alone. If you have a pool, be careful though: although hedgies are good swimmers they normally don't swim long distances; if they get into water and can't get out (accidentally falling in, etc) they can drown as they tire. This is not a good idea. You really should not leave a hedgie alone for more than 24 hours at a time in case anything goes wrong, like the power going out or an accident. If you must leave your hedgie behind, try to find a sitter who can either take the hedgie the whole time you're gone or who can come to your home once daily to check on everything. Make up a list of everything your hedgie requires like food specifications, how to clean the wheel/cage, any specifications about how your hedgie prefers the cage to be arranged (if it's picky like that), and some facts (like the hedgie will probably be sleeping during the day, so your sitter isn't worried about that fact, and how to warm the hedgie up if the power goes out and it attempts hibernation, etc). If possible, show your sitter how to handle your hedgie properly and how to do leg checks. Be sure to leave your contact information (preferably hotel phone numbers/land lines in case you can't get cell phone service where you are), and the contact information for your veterinarian. Yes. Although they are more likely to get too cold, heat can kill a hedgie too. Do not leave your hedgie in front of window or over a heat vent, and especially don't leave them in the car. If your air conditioner happens to go off in the summer and your house starts getting really hot, you can use those frozen blue ice packs and place one on top of your hedgie's cage. Alternatively, a bowl filled with ice will work, too. You will definitely need to carefully monitor the cage temperature, and you need to keep in mind that this should only be used in extreme heat. You never want anything creating a draft in the hedgie's cage--hot OR cold. This means never point a fan at the cage. (Those tips from from Reaper on Hedgehog Central). A hedgehog that is overheating will typically "splat" on its belly with its legs sticking out to the side and stick its tongue out or pant. In general, they aren't great. Hedgies have an increased sense of smell, and air fresheners could cause problems with their respiratory systems. I wouldn't recommend using any kind of scented fresheners/cleaners/oils/incense in the same room. If you notice a smell in the room that you would like to eliminate, try placing a bowl of baking soda in the room. You can also sprinkle it on the carpet and furniture, then vacuum it up to help eliminate odor from those areas. Vinegar is not harmful to hedgies, either, so when cleaning you can use a vinegar/water solution in the cage to help eliminate urine odors. Some people even recommend sitting a bowl of white vinegar in the room, instead of a bowl of baking soda. I also saw somewhere about putting a dryer sheet on the back of the door to the room the hedgie is in so you smell a fresh scent when you open/close the door. Alternatively, there are air purifiers that have filters to clean the air. The noise usually does not bother the hedgie after a day or two of the filter's running. Hedgehogs typically do not do well when constantly around smoking.If possible, the best thing to do is to put the hedgehog in a room that is declared smoke free, and run a good air filter. If the room previously had been smoked in, run the filter for several hours before putting the hedgehog in there to clear out any leftovers. Get a good quality filter, keep it running at all times, and don't allow smoking in that room. If you take your hedgie into another area for playtime, request that no one smoke around him/her and if they try to ask them to go elsewhere, or take the hedgie back to the smoke free room. Hedgehog noses are much more sensitive than our noses, so smoke would be absolutely overwhelming for your pet. If you're visiting family that smokes, ask them if there's an area you can put the cage with little traffic and where they won't want to smoke. Run your filter full force in that area to get it cleaned out, and depending how accessible it is to the rest of the house maybe even full force the whole trip. If it gets to the point where someone is smoking in the same area, feel free to go ask them to stop or you can even take your hedgie outside. You have the right to protect your hedgehog. My boyfriend's family has a lot of smokers in it and since I was a guest I didn't want to be like "Hey put that cigarette out!" constantly. Well, I said it a lot, anyway; one member of the family would not listen and when I felt it was getting ridiculous that they weren't listening, I wouldn't say a word: I would just pick Quentin up and head outside. After I spent half an hour outside on the swing making evil faces at the house and cuddling my little one, they understood a little more. So feel free to go outside or whatever you have to do to keep that smoke out of your hedgie's lungs. NOTE TO SMOKERS: Hedgehogs tend to bite smokers, because of the smell on their hands. Always be sure to wash your hands very well before handling. Odds are, no. Most animals can't get the common cold/flu from us because of a difference in body temperatures. What can survive in us at 98-99 degrees can't survive in most pets because their temperatures are usually a little higher or a little lower than ours. (There are two bacteria that can do so: bordatella and conjunctivitis--basically bordatella is a kind of bacteria that causes coughing, and conjunctivitis is pink eye. If bordatella is passed to a hedgie, it can cause a respiratory infection. There has also been a reported case of the herpes virus being passed to hedgehogs as well so be EXTREMELY careful about washing your hands well if you have a cold sore.) Hedgehogs have a body temperature of 95-96 degrees. While it is unlikely that a hedgehog will get sick from you, you should still take precautions by washing your hands before you handle the hedgie and coughing or sneezing away from the area the hedgie is in. Don't sneeze on the poor hedgie! If the hedgie starts showing signs of a runny nose, licking at its nose, sneezing, etc. you should take it to the vet, because these are signs of an upper respiratory infection, which is serious and deadly if left untreated. This is a reverse mohawk, and yes it's normal. The reason those quills are missing is so that the quills on the forehead can be crossed over each other in an effort to better protect the face when the hedgehog rolls into a ball. If those quills were there, they would actually be in the way and the hedgehog would not have as effective protection. This is more apparent on some hedgehogs than on others. Yes, but it depends on the hedgie's personality. Females have scent glands in their heads and will rub their faces against things they wish to mark. Males may or may not have scent glands, but will also often pee on things they consider "theirs"...like their hedge-mommy. After spending time with my boyfriend, upon coming back to me (a scent he likes more than daddy's, apparently) within a minute Quentin will pee all over me, as if to say "My mommy. You can't have her, go away." It really depends on the hedgie in question as to whether it will do any marking or not: some never do, some mark everything. No. Hedgie teeth do not continually grow like a rodent's teeth do, so they don't need to chew constantly like those other animals do. This means that chew toys for those animals are not suitable for hedgies, and any edible logs/houses/etc. should be avoided. Some hedgies are naturally bigger than others, without being overweight. You can generally tell by body shape. Take a look at this article: Body Shapes. Sometimes supplements can help with different things but sometimes they are not needed. Flaxseed oil capsules can help with dry skin. Acidophilus capsules can help with the digestive system and are recommended as an aid if your hedgehog gets ill. If your hedgie needs more fiber, try adding some Grape Nuts cereal (relax, there are no grapes or nuts in it, if you're thinking that both are on the toxic list) to the mix, or powder the kibble with some infant rice cereal. Some hedgies do not like Grape Nuts cereal and will pick around it; if that's the case, the powdered cereal would be your best bet. Added calcium IS NOT needed, and can cause kidney stones. First, how far was the drop and where was the landing? If it happened with you sitting down on the bed and the landing was on the bed, odds are nothing will come from it and you have nothing to worry about. If you were standing and there was a concrete floor involved, things would be a bit different. Falls can sometimes break limbs and cause back injuries. Check the hedgehog over to see if there are any immediate symptoms, like a broken leg or a gash. If so, get to the vet immediately! If not, put the hedgehog down on a flat surface and let him/her walk around. If there is trouble walking, get to the vet. If you don't see any indications of a problem, keep an eye out for a couple of days and monitor closely. If anything seems out of the ordinary, schedule a vet appointment ASAP. Unless the hedgie came from a bad situation, it's not necessary to change the name. If it was a good home, even if the name is something as common as Sonic or Spike, you should consider leaving the name. It could still have good associations from the old home. If a lot of bad things happened at that home, or if it was a stressful experience for the hedgie, you might consider changing the name so that it's not hearing something all the time that was associated with the bad times. If you're sure the hedgehogs there are being mistreated/unsatisfactorily fed or homed there are a few different things you can do. Try contacting your local SPCA, especially if one of the hedgehogs is sick, and ask them to step in. Please also take a look at these links: Hedgehog Welfare Society Advocacy Article (Pet Store "Rescue" and Report) and Contacting the USDA.
Rumors: That is a myth. Hedgehogs do not naturally carry salmonella. They CAN pick it up, just like you can, however. That is why you should never feed them raw meat and be very careful if you own a reptile. Always exercise caution and wash your hands before and after handling any animal. No, this is not true. Hedgehogs can GET rabies, just like any other animal species out there; however, with hedgies that are bred specifically by breeders, and little contact with animals that spend time outside, there should be little risk of your hedgie getting this disease. As for the recessive gene, I have heard of animals that have a recessive gene allowing them to be resistant to gaining the disease, but odds are very low that your hedgie has a recessive gene that actually causes rabies.