OK, here's a little hedgehog primer. I'll add a pic when I am back home. African hedgehogs are excellent little pets. I chose them because they are both adorable & well able to defend themselves against cats. They weight from under a pound up to two pounds, but a two pounder is a BIG hog. Usually, they live from two to seven years. When they first came on the US scene as pets in the 90s, they lived longer, probably due to hybridization.
My hedgies eat a mix of dry cat & dog food, with mealworms and meat based baby food for occasional treats. They are officially classified as insectivores, as wild ones forage for insects in large swathes of Africa. (BTW, if you wish to give your cat a delectable treat, serve up pure chicken or turkey baby food. Even the pickiest feline in my world will devour it.)
I find them easy to take care of, but the bugaboo for most people is NAIL CUTTING. They need their hind nails trimmed every now & then, and they do not particularly care for it. However, there are certainly ways to get the little piggies to cooperate.
On each Pink Saturday, I will do a hedgie post, so keep reading!
I've only seen (and petted!) a real hedgehog once, and it was a special experience! I expected its coat to be hard and bristly like a scrub brush, but it wasn't, of course.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see a picture. I've no idea what they look like.
ReplyDeleteMary
*SQUEE!* I had a hedgehog once, his name was P-nut. I miss him terribly. I love love love hedgehogs! There's a little trick for getting them to uncurl from their balls that I know that works wonders. If you gently press a finger at the base of their neck, and rub in little circles, it helps calm them down and they peek out. Also, have you seen your hedgie "self-annoint" yet? MAN is that a trip.
ReplyDeleteYou hedgehog whisperer, you! I haven't figured out how to do the sweet spot on my piggies. When they ball, I pick them up anyway and typically they come right out.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try to get video of self anointing & post it--it's hilarious! I have been known to give them stinky socks or hockey equipment just to get them to do it :)
Such a cutie!
ReplyDeleteMy son had hedgehogs when he was young... We were one of those homes that had a little of everything as I always wanted my kids to experience it all. Plus I could not say no as I liked them just as much... They are so cute...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info. I've been going back and forth over getting a pet, but I never thought of something exotic like a hedgehog. If I get one, I shall name him Hans. *^_^*
ReplyDeleteThere are many, many folktales about hedgehogs, and one of them is "Hans, My Hedgehog" collected by the Brothers Grimm :) Most of the folktales are about European hogs, though, who are bigger & stinkier. But good to have in your garden.
ReplyDeleteI seriously cannot wait to hear more. They're just so cute.
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