So, since I know that it will help a lot of folk out, I’ve reduced it to $9 in the period up to Christmas. That way, you can make up your mind if buying a hedgehog for Christmas is really the right thing for you, before you lay out a lot of cash on your new pet.

Here’s to lots of new happy hedgies!

If you are looking for basic advice on starting out with a new pet hedgehog, looking for guidance on how to care for it, or even wanting to make some money by breeding them, this should get you a long way.

For a short time, I’m selling it at $17 and it is available on Clickbank and also here, on the right, at pethedgehog.net.

Let me know what you think!

Apparently the craze has just followed on from the idea that you can stuff a dog in a handbag, since pet hedgehogs are smaller and lighter to carry. Being a handbag accessory is just the latest indignity the poor pygmy hedgehog has had to suffer.

The Telegraph in particular has quoted a whole load of self-serving individuals without providing any comment on their accuracy. A seller of hedgehogs in the UK is quoted as saying that they love to be handled, when in fact, most pygmy hedgehogs are relatively shy but will tolerate handling from their owners.

Please make sure you know the truth about these pets (or indeed any others) before treating them in ways that will distress them.

You can read the whole Telegraph article here.

Baby Hedgehog also referred as hoglet is very delicate, they should be handfed at some point when their mothers are not available to feed them.  They also need a comfortable room, but not much room—a shoebox for example is good enough, just put a soft cloth in it.  Always remember, they can’t digest cow’s milk, instead give them lukewarm kittens milk. Use an eyedropper to feed them. Feed them every two hours, do not overfed them.

Hedgehog mothers lick their babies’ bellies to stimulate digestion. You’ll need to approximate this by taking a Q-tip or cotton ball and gently stroke the hoglet’s body from chin to rectum about 20 to 30 times following each feeding. This is VERY important! (See. http://www.hedgehogsaspets.com/how-to-hand-feed-baby-hedgehogs/)

Of course we love our dear pets, that is why we search the internet, read books or sometimes ask our friends on how to take care of pets properly. Now we are talking about hedgehogs here. We all know from the previous article (Hedgehogs: the Nature) that they are low maintenance, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t need our attention, that they don’t really have to be taken cared of. Hedgies are little creatures that give us joy and I think, they deserve to be treated special too. Here are the guidelines on how to take care of your hedgies properly.

ENCLOSURE/BEDDINGS

Hedgehogs require as much room as possible.  Without having their own room, they will show signs of depression such as: refusal of eating and excessive sleeping.

Corncob bedding is the choice of majority it absorbs odor, organic and safe, non-toxic, and hedgehog can easily move corncob bedding around, which makes them happy, since they enjoy burrowing hedgis can easily move.

It is also recommended to put a wheel on your pet’s cage or room to provide them exercise.  Use a bucket type of wheels.

Note: Wired cage is very dangerous to hedgehogs because they can easily slip and get limb on the wires.

FOOD

Hedgies love to eat tiny insects.  You can also give them cat-canned foods. They also may eat cooked meat, chicken, vegetables and fruits.

Note: Do not give your hedgehogs a bread or milk and any kind of nuts , they cannot digest it.

BATHING

Use baby shampoo preferably a no-tear variety because their eyes are so sensitive, s we have to be careful. Use a nail brush to bathe them and lukewarm water.  Dry them off using a warm dry towel.  Cut their nails but be careful.

Note:  Don’t let your hedgies get too cold, they are susceptible to pneumonia. Keep the warm always.

African Pygmy hedgehog  is the most common species of domesticated hedgehog. A hybrid of the White-bellied or Four-toed Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) and the Algerian Hedgehog (A. algirus). It is smaller than the European Hedgehog, and thus is sometimes called African Pygmy Hedgehog. Other species kept as pets are the Egyptian long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus auritus) and the Indian long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus collaris). (Read. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesticated_hedgehog)

The hedgehogs commonly kept as pets in North America appear to by a mix of species, originally native to Africa. The term “African Pygmy Hedgehog” is a descriptive term (coined by breeders), rather than a true species name.(See. http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/hedgehogs/a/hedgehogs.htm)

Pygmy Hedgehog grows between 6.7 and 9.5 inches (17-24cm). They generally live four to six years, but have been known to live up to nine or 10 years in captivity.

This hedgehog is a small mammal about the size of a guinea pig. They have a long pointy snout, large eyes and ears, four digits on each foot and a short tail. They have soft white to dark brown or even black fur covering their face and under parts.

Their coloring varies from black to white to gray and they have white-tipped spines or quills covering the top of their head, their back and their sides.

Unlike their much larger English cousins, the African Pygmy Hedgehog (or pet hedgehog) is rather small in size, with the average adult weighing between ½ and 1 ¼ pounds and are 5 to 8 inches long – about the size of a Guinea Pig. There are a few rare adults that will grow to as much as 1 ¾ to 2 pounds (without being fat) while others are as little as 6 or 7 ounces. Breeders are now concentrating on these differences so that someday, we will have a choice between two different sizes of hedgehogs.

Hedgehogs also known as hedgies are small and very quiet animals. They are very expressive and are interesting to look at. They are not aggressive and have no body odor. Hedgies are easy to feed and easy to take care of.  They dont need much attention. Once you get their trust, you’ll find them very playfully.  The common life span of a hedgehog is 4-6 years.  Male and female hedgies should be placed in separate cage or just separated to each other or else they’ll fight. They are not like other animals that plays with their mates.  Hibernation is fatal for them.

Pet hedgehog can surely help ease out stress and depression.  They will bring joy to you.

Are you planning to adopt a pet? What are on your list? Dog, cat, bird,

fish, rabbit or you want to try taking care of little hedgehog?

Yes, hedgehogs as pet. Why not?  They are so accommodating and easy to deal with.  With their cute, peaceful and humorous nature , they will help you ease out stress from work, from school or even helps you forget your problems and brings smile on your lips whenever you see and touch these quiet little ones.^_^

Hedgehogs truly are a low maintenance pet. They don’t bark, although when happy, some will emit a quiet purr; they do not climb curtains or chew on furniture; and, they do not ask to be taken out for a walk. All that your pet asks for is to be fed and watered, loved and appreciated. Besides simply being enjoyed as pets, there is also an active hobby.

Here are some facts about hedgehogs:

1. There are two types of hedgehog: Eurpean and African. The latter is the most common species of domesticated hedgehog.

2. Enjoy razor sharp hearing

3. Powerful sense of smell.

4. They have very poor eyesight.

5. They are territorial animals meaning you can’t put them in a same cage because they will just fight..

6. Hedgehogs love to eat small insects. They also enjoy eating canned-cat foods. Dont give them Bread and Milk for they can’t digest them.

7. They need lots of fluids (water).

8. Between December and April, wild hedgehogs will go through short periods of hibernation. If you allow your pet African Pygmy Hedgehog to hibernate it could be fatal. To stop you

r pet hibernating make sure that its cage is heated to between 72 and 75° F.

9.  Hedgehogs have pointy spines on their backs and sides and will roll up into a ball if they sense they are in danger. Males can have up to 500 spines on their back, while females tend to have fewer spines.

10. A baby hedgehog is called a hoglet, and 4 to 5 hoglets are common per mother.

11. In the wild, hedgehogs can travel 1 – 2 miles looking for food. They prefer to live near a food source, and areas with lots of dead leaves are very appealing for them, as they can burrow into the leaf mounds for shelter.

12. Pestecides of all kinds are harmful to these creatures, so keep your hedgehog pets away from any plants that have been sprayed with these kinds of chemicals.

13. It is illegal to own a European hedgehogs in North America.

14. The African Pygmy Hedgehog grows between 17-24cm with life span of  four to six years, but have been known to live up to nine or 10 years in captivity.

15. They also use their quills for defense like as the porcupines do. Their natural defense when alarmed is to become a prickly little ball. They roll up into a tight circle with their quills pointing outward in all directions. A tame “socialized” hedgehog will rarely erect its quills.