Other Pets

bodlover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
May 21, 2001
Messages
3,350
Purraise
1
Location
Leicester, UK
Oh that is tooo cute!! Could I adopt the hedgie from my garden or are they not the "pet" type? does it make a difference? No where here seems to sell hedgies for pets, not that I've seen anyway... I haven't even seen any in the rescue centres.....they are sooo cute though, where would I get one from? - or do you just adopt the ones you find? oh, and yup I see the red on her back - what did they do to her?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #22

nena10

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2001
Messages
1,436
Purraise
1
Location
Salt Lake City
Ha anybody owned a pot-belly pig for a pet? I heard they can be great companions and as smart as a dog. I will probably never own one, just curious.
 

sunlion

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 20, 2001
Messages
1,876
Purraise
3
Location
Arlington, TX
How funny! I was just hinking about hedgehogs today, and here y'all are talking about them!

Daughter wants a hamster when we get in a house, but I'm afraid the kitties would hunt it. I was thinking a hedgie might be a good substitute, it could protect itself with those quills! But do they in general do okay with the bigger animals?

Also, I just got a trivia in my e-mail that says hedgehogs (and armadillos) are the only animals that actually need fleas to be healthy. something about it stimulates their skin? Is that true, and if it is, how do you keep the other animals flea free?

I want all the info before we make a choice! Nothing like making a bad choice and breaking a child's heart . . .
 

nightsowindy

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 6, 2001
Messages
122
Purraise
1
Location
Baltimore

I'm sorry to say that I am pretty sure that hedgies as pets in the UK are not allowed, but I did see a link that said that someone over there could find african pygmy hedgie breeders --- I will get it for you and post it later, k?
Oh, I think the breeder was selling hedgies from the litter that Lilia came from and she wanted to keep Lilia so she marked her when she was little and they all had to stay with the mother still. Then when the people who were buying hedgies saw that she had a mark, they knew she was going to be kept.

no no no - fleas and mites are bad for hedgies - mites especially - they have been known to kill hedgies. Well, when I showed my hedgies to my cats, my cats were actually scared of the hedgies, they try to bite my cats for the fur haha :lovegrin - it's kind of cute
I have had no problems, and they are VERY easy to take care of, this is all you need:

1 big sterylite tub ($15)
1 vellux blanket($15)
1 wheel ($30)
water bottle and a dish ($10)
litter pan ($6)

you can always extend their tubs with pvc pipe and another tub

That's all you really need
You just cut the vellux blanket up into a square so that it fits on the bottom of the tub, litter pan in the corner (you can litter train hedgies), and stick in the rest of the stuff. It's cool because their favorite toys are tp tubes! They don't chew wood stuff, so youdon't have to buy chew sticks, and for a month's supply of food you only have to pay $5.00 (8-in-1 hedgie food.) For treats they like mealworms. You should also give them fresh fruit and veggies, also some meat (it can be baby graduates sticks). You can go to http://chins-n-quills.com/forums for a LOT of info. That's the other forum I belong to
(CryingOnThInsid). You should check it out
 

cleo

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 20, 2001
Messages
1,227
Purraise
2
Location
Portland Oregon
Ok, now I want a Duprasi AND a Hedgehog!


Whats the initial cost of a Hedgie? I like the idea that they can be litterbox trained! Also, do they need any vaccinations?

Jeez, like I really need another furball!
 

nightsowindy

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 6, 2001
Messages
122
Purraise
1
Location
Baltimore
hedgies usually cost between $90 - $200. They do not need vaccinations and you only have to take them like once a year to the vet for a check up (not even that often, but that's what I do) and it only costs $40 max usually. You can also find a lot of info on my hedgie page (I'm redoing it now under a different site, but this is the old site) http://geocities.com/summersett00

something else that's kinda interesting is that hedgies are one of the few animals that can stand the sting of a scorpion and poisonous snake bite and be okay
They're strong little soldiers haha :LOL:
 

debby

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 5, 2000
Messages
10,983
Purraise
4
Location
Iowa
NightSoWindy!!!!!!!!!!!! I am thrilled that you posted the pictures of your hedghogs!!! I too have 2 African Pygmy Hedgehogs, Penelope and Spike...Penelope is the same coloring as your Lilia! (I was told she is an Algerian Grey, and Spike is a cinnocot, very light colored, sort of reddish blonde quills.
I only paid $65 for each of them.
The forums link you posted, Chins & Quills, is a great one!! I am also a member there, although I haven't posted for ages, because since I became a moderator here, I am usually too busy...

Mine eat Puriona Senior cat food, it is low in fat, which is good, because too much fat intake will kill a hedgie quicker than anything.
They don't sell regular hedgie food anywhere near where I live, the closest place to get it is 70 miles away (Des Moines) so I feed them this, and they do well on it.

My hedgies LOVE june bugs.....my stepson has a ball catching them in the summer months and throwing them in the cage ( I also use a sterilite tub, with holes in the lid) and watching them scurry around trying to find each bug, and crunching it to bits...:LOL:
What I use for a litter pan is just the 9X9 disposable aluminum cake pans, that you can get at the grocery store or walmart, they are cheap, and can be replaced once a month.
Merlin is in awe of the hedgies...I can get them out and let them run around for awhile, and Merlin tries to pounce on them, then they ball up in a ball of quills and he backs WAY off and just looks at them, like, no what the heck do I do? I can't even touch them!!!!!!!! OUCH!!
:LOL:
I am hoping mine will have babies someday.

Also Cleo....since I can't post a picture of the duprasi
here is a good link to answer some of your questions, and has pictures....mine are cuter though...
And the fatter the tails, the healthier they are, and mine have fatter tails than the ones pictured.

http://www.rodent.demon.co.uk/gerbils/duprasi.htm

This is a good website for info about them, except this person seems to think they are a bit boring, and that is so not true, they are very loveable!!


I paid $30 each for them from a private breeder, started with two, and now have the parents and 3 kids...
 

nightsowindy

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 6, 2001
Messages
122
Purraise
1
Location
Baltimore
oh my gosh! I've never heard of duprasi before - they are soooooo cute! I don't know how they slipped by me, I know about most of the cute things out there . . . cuz at some point in time I've probably had one haha :LOL:

Hey, Debby, what was your name on ChinsnQuills? I have probably seen your posts. I look back at older posts a lot
So far I have almost 1000 posts there and I've only been on since like May - looks like I'm working my way up here, too heh heh
Lills is either Algerian Gray or Chocolate, it's hard to tell with her. I've gotten both answers from different people. And the first one that I posted was my first hedgie, Straws, I think he's chocolate chip, butthen again, I've gotten different opinions on him, too
I really wish I had him still, I had to give him to one of my friends because I joined the army, but things have changed now and I am not going in
but I feel strange about asking Dave for Straws back. You should post on cnq again!
hee hee
 

nightsowindy

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 6, 2001
Messages
122
Purraise
1
Location
Baltimore
Debby - I was just at cnq and I saw your profile
I thought you might have the same name so I just looked hee hee
Thought maybe I'd see some hedgie pics - you should come back
 

lady hawk

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 13, 2001
Messages
149
Purraise
0
Location
Australia
I would love to have another ferret.
They are so cheeky and cute and full of mischief.
I really miss Jean-luc and Q they were the best and even the kitties didn't mind them too much.
Q was a complete kleptomaniac that had a strange obsession with socks.
Jean-Luc was just a little devil, if there was trouble to get into he would find it.

Tish
 

nightsowindy

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 6, 2001
Messages
122
Purraise
1
Location
Baltimore
hee hee, Bodlover - sorry!


haha - maybe they thought the socks were just really flat ferrets to play with
that's cute!

okay - since yesterday you can add on a second dwarf ham!
hahaha
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #35

nena10

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2001
Messages
1,436
Purraise
1
Location
Salt Lake City
There was a segment on Planet's funniest animals, about a couple of ferrets who were playing in a box full of packing, foam popcorn. I am beginning to love ferrets.
 

sunlion

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 20, 2001
Messages
1,876
Purraise
3
Location
Arlington, TX
You can tell we are still in the talking phase . . .

I managed to talk my kid out of a hamster. Every one I've ever had is a little escape artist and my cats bring me presents, so I'm not sure that's a good match. I like the hedgies but she isn't so sure. She is saying she wants a bunny. Does anybody have any experience with cats and rabbits? I'm afraid it's that prey issue again . . .
 

debby

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 5, 2000
Messages
10,983
Purraise
4
Location
Iowa
NightSoWindy....I know, I need to go back to C&Q's I haven't been there for so long!!!!!!!!!! I used to be addicted to it, until I came here...:LOL:
That Kalandra is an absolute doll, and she knows so much about hedgies! Tell her I said Hi, and will try to come back to visit real sooon! (gosh I hope she remembers me!)
 

nightsowindy

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 6, 2001
Messages
122
Purraise
1
Location
Baltimore
oh yeah - Kal is great with the hedgies! She's gotten two other hedgies - the others that she did have died. I'm not sure if you knew or not. She's got some cuties now though! Their names are really neat, too - Nemali and .... man, I can't remember right now, but you'll just have to trust me - heh heh :tounge2:
 
Top