Hedgehogs

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

I'm thinking after I get settled into my new place I might try adding to my little "family". I'm not interested in fish, reptiles or birds and don't really want a cat or another dog just yet. Thus, I'm thinking some kind of small mammal/rodent-type creature. I'm currently leaning towards a hedgehog (rats are illegal where I am, so they're out of the question; I was thinking chinchilla, but they don't sound very suitable for a beginner).

I've never owned a 'rodent', so this is all new to me and I want to be sure to do as much research as I can before investing in one.

What, approximately, would the average cost of setup be?
What materials would be best to lean towards ('cage', bedding, food, exercise and entertainment, etc..)? to avoid?
I have a dog, she was here first - will the two likely clash or should they be fine?
Should I consider a different sort of rodent for beginner experience first, or should they be all right?
Any site or book recommendations (to look at or avoid)?
Diet?
I have two or three rooms to choose from for keeping the little one in - my bedroom, the living room, or maybe the laundry room (not sure if the layout will work out to accomodate a setup). I'm kind of leaning away from keeping it in my bedroom, because I prefer the temperature in there to be cooler and I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night because Hedgie-kins is up and about. In the living room, though, on the rare occasions that I do have guests over it could be stressful for the little one. With the laundry room, would the humidity linked with laundry day be an issue? (on the offchance I'm not home during the time the dryer's on - if I'm home I could use that time for extra out-of-cage time) Would it be too stressing for the little one if I just moved its setup during potentially stressful times (to my bedroom or the laundry room when there's company)?


These are the sites I've looked so far that seem good:
http://www.freewebs.com/thehedgieden/hedgehogcare.htm
http://hedgehogcentral.com/care.shtml  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

ugghh, wow, I know like nothing about hedgies. Sept that they are extremely cute. I think maybe kip would know about hedgies.  

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

I know very little as well, which is why I want to be absolutely sure to do a ton of research first and make sure I'm ready to take that plunge (in a couple months).

I don't even know for sure yet if I'll be able to find one 'easily'.

From what I've read so far, though, care actually seems quite similar to that required for a dog (or cat), on a smaller but more sensitive scale.  

[Azusanga]

I'm looking into a hedgie right now, I found some places that sell them so it'll be easy for me to obtain them.

Set up is varied. Anyone and everyone will tell you that. It depends on your cage, foods, and general equipment.

Lean towards:
a handmade cage that can be easily motified or moved (think C&C or a pen style).
Bedding: Try to litter train it (they're easy to train), so you can buy some non-dusty non-clumping cat litter for a litter box and put towels down for the rest of the cage. To make sure it's non-dusty, put it in a bin and roll it around for a while, don't let it settle.
Food: A high quality cat food with supplements like worms and fruits (and veggies!) are the most reccomended. There are hedgehog foods on the market, but be careful to not buy the Hedgie equivalent of Alpo by checking the ingredients.
Exercise: A large wheel.. is essential. Ish. I'd get a cheap one first, to see if it'll run on it (some hedgies use it as a bed instead of a treadmill!), and then advance up to a silent spinner or saucer type. Make toys for it the promote movement, like a dig box with worms in it, or a little maze, or even a PVC puzzle if you have the room.
Entertainment: Anything that interests it will entertain it. A plastic spoon to throw around, some non-chewable cat ball toys, and my favorite, a dig box.

Avoid:
Anything shallow or small or enclosed (desert creatures, they dislike moisture)
Bedding: Anything that irritates any other rodent, such as natural pine, softwood beddings, and cedar. Also avoid anything that might be a treat to your little honey, as eating bedding often results in blockages.
Food: Low quality. 'Nuff said.
Exercise: Letting them run free. They're small creatures, and if they have to get cornered to be caught, you'll get a handful of quills.
Entertainment: Anything breakable, chewable, or that has small parts that can be bitten off.

Hedgies should be alright, but I'm (naturally) biased towards guinea pigs and would highly recommend them.

Avoid: Anything directed towards children. The simplest terms don't mean accurate. Look through the whole site, and try to see any inaccuracies that YOU know about, like if it gives the wrong information for fish or cats. If it's wrong there, it'll be wrong where it matters the most. Colours.

Try to find: A site with consistent accuracy lining up to reputable sites, things aimed towards adults, sites with terms you have to look up (that means that they know what they're talking about if they're being technical. Usually). A site that will cite the author's pets. Any proffesional organization aimed towards them that have reputable breeders listed. MOST OF ALL: Try to find breeders to talk to. They'll know what you are looking for, and can answer questions in a more timely fashion then that of a site.

use the living room. Desert creatures do NOT like excess humidity or being chilled. Make sure to provide a secure hide for them, so when you have guests over it can retreat into a safe place where it won't be bothered and can meet everyone when it's ready.  

[pompoennetje]

Animal planet had a really informative show about Hedgehogs last week.

All I know is that you have to make sure that it's legal to keep Hedgehogs as a pet in your country/area.  

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

Dianda Panda

Animal planet had a really informative show about Hedgehogs last week.

All I know is that you have to make sure that it's legal to keep Hedgehogs as a pet in your country/area.

I know others that have them, so I'm pretty sure they're legal.  

[pompoennetje]

~ Aki - Fairy ~

Dianda Panda

Animal planet had a really informative show about Hedgehogs last week.

All I know is that you have to make sure that it's legal to keep Hedgehogs as a pet in your country/area.

I know others that have them, so I'm pretty sure they're legal.

I suppose that's different per country.  

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

Azusanga

Thanks for all the tips.

With food: Some sites I've read recommend dog kibble over cat on account of fibre and vitamin A levels being more suitable in dog kibble, but cat kibble being a more suitable size. Should they be fed kibble with grain (brands like Acana and Blue Buffalo, not cheap crap), or grain-free?

Insects: Can I just go out to the yard and catch some to give to the critter, or is it best to go with ones from the pet store and avoid giving wild ones?

Dig Box: Dirt or sand or a combination of the two?

Should they have just one hide in the enclosure, or a couple?  

[Akiska]

Wild caught insects are not really a safe food source seeing as you never know what they are exposed to.

Also I'm sure Hedgies are not rodents. I know they belong to the Erinaceinae family, and they do not have rodent teeth.  

[pompoennetje]

Akiska

Wild caught insects are not really a safe food source seeing as you never know what they are exposed to.

Also I'm sure Hedgies are not rodents. I know they belong to the Erinaceinae family, and they do not have rodent teeth.

insectivores?  

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

Akiska

Wild caught insects are not really a safe food source seeing as you never know what they are exposed to.

Also I'm sure Hedgies are not rodents. I know they belong to the Erinaceinae family, and they do not have rodent teeth.

That's what I figured, I just thought I'd check. Are freeze-dried insects suitable?

I know they're not really a rodent, I just link them on account of size/appearance, especially in the middle of the night (let's just be glad I actually managed to avoid typing 'hamster' instead of 'hedgehog' as I had issues doing with initial google-searching).  

[Azusanga]

~ Aki - Fairy ~

Azusanga

Thanks for all the tips.

With food:

Insects: Can I just go out to the yard and catch some to give to the critter, or is it best to go with ones from the pet store and avoid giving wild ones?

Dig Box: Dirt or sand or a combination of the two?

Should they have just one hide in the enclosure, or a couple?

I said cat kibble (grain free) because the diet will need supplements anyways, so if you breed some worms and feed them high fiber and high vitamin A content mixtures, you're hedgie will get what's necessary. Definetly store or bred insects.
Dig box: sand is an irritant, and dirt can be risky, so mixture would probably be best. Worms are perfect in dig boxes.

One solid hide, like a shoe box stuffed with shredded newspaper, and several 'escape' hides for when it gets startled.  

[Kipluck]

LOVE Hedgies. I have been studying up to own one for a number of years now. As has been mentioned, they aren't rodents, but can be compared to them for size purposes. They smell a lot better than most rodents, in my opinion, also much better than ferrets or suggies. They are also RELATIVELY low maintenance, for an exotic.

As I understand it, diets can be mostly high quality pet kibbles (Authority is a good one. So is Innova. Cat foods are usually smaller and softer, but make sure it is a meat and not meat by product type.) But supplement with insects as much as possible. Mealies, crickets, etc. I do NOT recommend catching your own because they can have traces of pesticides, also can carry pesticides. Personally, I raise my own for my sugar gliders, and will for my hedgie someday too. Too risky for me.

As for cages, wife floors are REALLY bad of their feet, so I suggest something homemade out of rubbermade boxes, etc. As much space as you can give them. And I like a sauces style wheel more than the traditional kind, though I have seen people use large wheels like Wodent Wheels.