NRSB ~ Hedgehogs anyone?

[nonnie]

I have never seen these for sale in the states, but here they are all the rage as pets over here
I have been thinking about getting one for Dylan for Christmas and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with them -
How are they as pets - I am assuming similar to Guinea pigs? Are they legal as pets in Europe?

[nun69]

my girlfriend's daughter has one {she is 9} and they have had him about 3 years and I guess it is litter trained and everything...supposedly he is a very good pet and I am thinking of gettign Sam one for XMAS {one that is already trained...}

[lauren grier]

!!
Idon't have one LOL but i wanted one for a while.. They had the cutest lil adorable albino baby hedgie @ the pet store.. I even sent shawna pictures of it.. LOL

that is all. I did a lot of reading online about them- - there's so much info, it gets overwhelming, but they seem to be pretty awesome :]

(though they have big gross poop relative to body size. this is what turned me off the last time i went LOL )

[Jengerbread88]

This is entirely unrelated and therefore not helpful, but your post reminded me of this shirt:

http://www.snorgtees.com/hedgehogsca...76a7aa8142822c

[Julie Billingsley]

about 12 years ago we had a neighbor with a hedgehog and I thought it was awesome. SO cute!! But I have no idea if they make good pets or not.

[Gabbina]

I am THE hedhehog lover!!I just love them.
But... You may want to consider some other animal to get and own as a puppy.
In Italy it's considered a protected species (it's a 1992 italian law), and you cannot own it, cannot move it if found and if you found one which is hurt or in a dangerous place, you may move it but you need to contact the closest wild animal recovery place. Plus, the european union signed a Convention (from 1979) that consider them as protected, so it may not be the best animal to keep here. You will definitely see many of them, but you just cannot keep one with you. Sorry...
If you need more info about italian/european law, just ask I just got out from law school last year.

[fruitysuet]

Been to a rescue place for hedgehogs and, although they are cute, apparently they wee and poop pretty well continuously. Wouldn't be my cup of tea to be wanting to spend all my time cleaning up after one.

What about a pair of guinea pigs instead (best to have a pair from the same litter), they are small and easy for small hands to hold.

[jessica31876]

I have been told they are more apt to bite then other small animals. I love guinea pigs though. They are really sweet. Ive also owned ferrets which are so much fun!! They love to play and run and chase toys...kinda like a little cat or a dog LOL. They can be litter trained also. I think hedgehogs are really cute but from what I have seen of them in pet stores and from people who have owned them I dont think I would want to get one.

[Paula]

We used to have six guinea pigs and they were so lovable and sweet. I really miss having them. =(

[jacinda]

Hedgehogs are relatively common in New Zealand, though not as pets. While they look cute, I hear they carry lots of diseases, but that may be because they're wild here. It's not exactly a cuddly animal for kids though - I'd think a guinea pig would be a better choice.

[ajfries]

We had a hedgehog as a pet when I was a kid. She started out as a class pet & then we ended up with her. She was a great pet. Not really cuddly, per se, but we'd hold her & pet her. Their quills aren't that pokey, they don't penetrate the skin by any means & their tummies are super soft.

They're low maintenance & we just fed ours cat food. We just had her in a guinea pig cage with a exercise wheel. And I don't remember ever getting peed or pooped on, but we did have to clean her cage at least every other week. I don't know how that compares to other little critters.

As for biting, our hedgehog would only bit if she liked your scent. See, they lick (and bite) you & then they lick their paws so they smell like you. If I remember correctly, it's to help keep predators at bay.