Breeders are the choice place to get a hedgehog, because good breeders choose the parent hedgehogs carefully to help lower the chances of babies getting hereditary diseases. With breeders, especially those with USDA licenses, you know that the hedgie is getting the best care possible and that the hedgies are being bred for quality and health, not quantity. If it is an option, you should almost always buy from a breeder instead of from a petstore. For a breeder near year, try the Hedgehog Breeders Alliance breeder list or the International Hedgehog Association's list.

Pet stores are sometimes the only places you can get a hedgie. For example, if the nearest breeder is not within driving distance and you don't want to put a hedgehog through shipping, maybe a pet store is your only option. Most places online will warn you about how badly animals in pet stores are treated, and that you should not buy an animal from there out of pity because soon they will just get another animal in to replace it, and the animal probably won't be very healthy anyway. That's all good information to know, but sometimes pet store animals make wonderful pets, and if it's your only option you should have some basic information about it instead of just "Don't buy from a pet store" statements. So if your only option is to buy from a pet store, please check out this page: Evaluating a Pet Store.  Please keep in mind, though, that pet store hedgies are often more prone to getting respiratory infections due to the fact that they are often taken away from the mother before 6 weeks of age. If you get a pet store hedgie, watch carefully for signs of illness and get to the vet if you notice anything.

Rescue hedgies make great pets, too, even if they are a little older (they just might take a little longer to bond). People often buy hedgehogs without researching them and then don't want to keep them when they figure out that the hedgie isn't going to seek them out like a dog or cat would. There are often comments that the hedgie is mean, just because it huffs at them when they try to pick it up. Check with rescue contacts in your area if you're interested in saving a rescue hedgie. 

If no breeders are near you and you don't want a pet store hedgie or a rescue, some breeders are willing to ship during good weather--but the cost of shipping is expensive, ranging from $200-400 in addition to the cost of your hedgie; this is because the only safe way to ship is by plane. This covers the shipping carrier and any fees the airline charges. Anyone who offers to ship via ground mail should be reported to the USDA, and you should not buy from them--this is an illegal thing and the hedgehog would likely arrive dead. By plane is the only safe way. If you want quality lineage in a hedgie, shipping may be worth it to you. But you have to weigh the benefits and drawbacks for yourself.

No two hedgies have the same personality. You could end up with a completely unfriendly hedgie that won't open up and takes forever to bond (if ever), and you have to be prepared to deal with that. A hedgehog is a big commitment, and you have to remember that they are not cats or dogs.

If you have owned a hedgehog previously and are considering getting another one because you miss the first one, think long and hard before doing so. The first hedgie you had may have been the perfect hedgie: well mannered, untemperamental, pottying only in the litter pan, etc. The second hedgie may be huffy, and love to poop all over the place. No two hedgies are alike; personalities vary greatly. It is unfair to a second hedgie for you to come in with standards set high from the first, expecting the exact same behavior; if you get a second hedgie, come into it with the knowledge that this hedgie is not your original hedgie and that a new one can never replace the first one so you should cherish the second hedgie for being itself, not for the fact that it's a hedgehog like the first one was.

Surprise hedgies are not a good idea.  If you want to purchase a hedgehog as a surprise for a birthday(etc.) for your child or for a friend/loved one, it's a better idea to let them know first--yes it takes the surprise away, but it puts anticipation in its place.  That way you can get the cage and everything set up first, then go into it with everyone's eyes open.  They can research beforehand so they know exactly what they're getting into, and then actually be there to pick up the hedgehog from the start.  Surprise hedgies can often be accidentally mistreated due to the fact that the new owner isn't sure what to do, and can be traumatized by all the commotion on the first day of getting home.  Hedgies should get 24 hours of quiet time the first day in its new home, and arriving on the day of a celebration wouldn't allow for that.

If you're a parent of a young child, are thinking about buying for a child/young adult, or are a young adult trying to convince your parents to let you get a hedgehog, please look at this page.  I have information on there about young children and hedgehogs, adolescents and caring for hedgehogs, and information for adolescents/teens who would like to try to convince their parents that they are responsible enough. 

When you first pick a hedgie up at the breeder's or pet store:

The first time you pick a new hedgie up, it will probably ball up and hiss at you. That does not mean anything is wrong, it's actually a normal reaction. If it does so, keep holding it; the hedgie should uncurl soon afterward. If it uncurls within a minute or two, wonderful! This could be a good pet for you. If not, there could be a problem since hedgies that stay balled up instead of coming out in a short period of time are usually shy or aggressive.

It will more than likely hiss and pop at you and this is normal. However, a hedgie should NOT click at you. This is a sign of aggression, and it is trying to threaten you. If this is the case, you should probably consider a different hedgie.

Examination:

Always examine a hedgie physically before you make a decision. Look it over and check for these signs of good health.

• Clear eyes that are not crusty or swollen
• Should appear alert and aware
• Ears should be clean with no crustiness or discharge present
• Clean fur and quills -- if the fur is matted or there is fecal matter around the anal area, there could be some health problems present; fur should be clean, soft, and unmatted; quills should be present without any bare spots
• Healthy skin -- Skin should be pink and clean (dark mottled skin is also okay sometimes, depending on hedgie color). Crustiness around the quills can mean dry skin or can indicate mites. The skin under the arms should not be yellow; yellow indicates liver problems
• Nose should be moist (not dry), but should also not be runny
• Nails should be trimmed and clean -- they should not be curled into the feet; they should be well trimmed and not completely covered in a layer of poop
• Healthy weight -- the hedgie should be able to tuck into a complete ball. If it can't, it may be obese (NOTE: There is a difference between can't and won't. If it's too friendly to curl into a ball, you may be blessed with a social hedgie. If this is the case, look at body shape.) Likewise, if it's too thin and has a caved stomach with hollow-looking sides, this can also indicate a problem. In either case, this body shape section may help you.
• Breathing -- listen to it breathe. If there is raspy breathing (not to be confused with hissing) there could be a respiratory problem
• Place it on a flat surface and watch it walk. It should not wobble or have difficulty staying upright.

Take a look at the area the hedgie was kept in, especially at a pet store. If you're buying a female, you will want to ensure that she isn't being kept in the same cage with her brothers because if that is the case she could be pregnant.

If you're looking for a certain gender, make sure you get the right one (telling the sex of a hedgehog):

Some pet stores often know very little about the hedgehogs they're selling--some pet stores rarely even handle their hedgies. It's the same case with various other places that you can get hedgies if they don't come from experienced breeders. That means you should always check to be sure you're getting the gender you were told you were getting. How do you tell the difference between a male and a female?

Males have a "belly button" on their tummies. Females have their "button" lower, down near their tails. These get more distinctive as they get older.

Photos are courtesy of The Hedgie Den. Please do not use without permission.

Male Hedgehog -His name is Quilliam- Note the "belly button" on the middle of his tummy.

Female Hedgehog -Her name is Kaida- Note her "button" down near her tail.

Make sure your hedgie is old enough to be taken from the mother:

A hedgehog should not leave its mother until 6 weeks of age. By this time, a hedgehog will have fur as well as quills. Hedgies that have no fur on their bellies and just have pink skin are much too young to be taken from the mother. When they're older than 3.5 weeks but still younger than six weeks, they look like mini adults but are still much too young.

These photos are courtesy of The Hedgie Den. Please do not reuse them without permission!

If someone tries to sell you a baby that looks like this, contact the USDA department over your area. These babies are too young to be separated and will likely not survive. Here is a guide for contacting the USDA.

Odds are, this will not be the case. However, there have been some incidents lately of such happenings, so everyone should be aware of age.

Don't be shy:

Feel free to ask ANY questions about the hedgie. Nothing is stupid when it comes to a new pet, and all questions are important to have answered so do not be shy about asking the person you are purchasing from. If they do not answer you in a way you feel is sufficient, check the Hedgehog Central boards to see if someone else had a similar question, and if not feel free to make an account and ask yourself.

There are some simple every day things that you need to know about before you pick your hedgie up. General Care/Daily Life