AboutLaurel Sedgwick Expertise Can answer care, health, & behavioral questions, as well as basic breeding questions. Can help questioner figure out if a hedgehog is the right pet for them.
Experience Have had hedgehogs since 2001 - 8 so far. I have no experience with non-weaned babies, and limited experience with breeding and with pregnant hedgehogs. I have had too much experience with WHS (Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome). I would rate myself "expert" at syringe-feeding, and as "advanced" at performing SubQs.
Organizations I am a Provisional Judge for the IHA (International Hedgehog Association), and run a rescue station for the HWS (Hedgehog Welfare Organization). I also belong to the HBA (Hedgehog Breeders' ssociation) and am USDA licensed.
Education/Credentials I read everything I can get my hands on. Have read the best of the books, Dawn's Wrobel's THE HEDGEHOG and Tig M-Burleson's THE HEDGEHOG primer. Have been a member of various online bulletin board groups since 2002. Have attended many hedgehog shows.
Expert: Laurel Sedgwick Date: 1/29/2008 Subject: new to hedgies
Question Hi, Ive always been interested in hedgehogs and may have the oppertunity to get one from a breeder in the near future. Could you give me some basic, background information that I should know. I really want an outgoing, friendly pet that will want to be around me or want to be held, are there any hedgehogs that are like that? If so, how do I know what to look for when picking one out? Thanks so much!
Answer Hi, Ashley:
Sorry for the delay in answering your question. Something seems to have been the matter with my ISP. Maybe the server was clogged, because last night I got about a week’s worth of emails in one download.
Rather that try to tell you all I know about hedgehogs (which would surely leave stuff out), I would like to refer you to some resources. BTW, it is an excellent idea to do plenty of research before you get an exotic pet; hedgehogs are not the perfect pet for everyone.
BOOKS:
The best books on hedgehogs (in fact, the only good books in terms of accurate info) are THE HEDGEHOG by Dawn Wrobel, and THE HEDGEHOG PRIMER by Antigone Means-Burleson. I do not know the print status of either of these books, but I’m sure you could find copies by Google-ing on the titles.
ONLINE GROUPS
Yahoo! has quite a few good hedgehog bulletin board groups, some with very heavy traffic and a lot of knowledgeable members. Two are:
hedgehog_help
hedgehogwelfare
I’m not on AOL, but I imagine they probably have these sorts of groups, too.
Hedgehog Central has its own chat room. And there is another independent bulletin board site called CHINS & QUILLS that is pretty good.
If after consulting all/some of the above, you find you have specific questions that are unanswered, please feel free to write to me again.
Let me add a few notes “off the top.”
A good breeder will do her/his best to socialize hedgehog babies before they reach adoption age (about 8 weeks). The best way to assure yourself of getting a friendly hedgehog is to interact with any hedgehog you are considering for adoption. Hedgehogs are naturally shy creatures and will probably roll up in a ball at first; but they should start to unroll within a few minutes, and show that they are curious by sniffing (and possibly moving) around.
Your breeder should be willing to offer info on the ancestry of your hedgehog upon request. As a responsible owner, you should register your hedgehog with the IHR. The database they maintain helps researchers track trends on hedgehog health. http://hedgehogregistry.org/
Like any companion animal, hedgehogs require veterinary care. This can be quite expensive.
