Age to buy hedgehogs

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Joe17

Joe17

Hedgehog lover!
Joined
Jun 16, 2011
Messages
18
Location
Southern Louisiana
I'm new to the forum and havent even purchased a hedgehog yet. I haven't found any local breeders in my area so I must go with a pet store. I called my local pet shop and they said that they have hedgehogs that are one year olds or a little younger. Is it wise to buy a hedgehog at that age from a pet shop? Will it be too old to warm up to me? I don't think any of them will be super friendly.

What age range can hedgehogs get pregnant? I believe last time I went to the pet store they allowed all of their hedgehogs together. I don't know if it was for just a short time or if they were all females.

Have any of you bought a hedgehog from a pet store? I'm pretty nervous about that. I hope they have good personalities.
 
Where do you live, Joe? I'm not really a fan of pet store hedgehogs for about a zillion reasons. I'll bet someone on this forum can find a breeder within a reasonable range of you.
 
I live around Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The only southern breeder I could find was Kelly's quills and she was totally booked up! I wanted to get one from her pretty badly but it seems like so many people want hedgehogs from her. You have to apply for a hedgehog by doing an interview so I can't just call her.
 
Going through her application process and waiting to get a baby from her would be your best option though. Pet store hedgehogs are not always the healthiest animals, they often come from mill or back yard type breeders. Many have had to deal with upper respiratory infections and mite infestations with pet store hedgehogs. Not all pet store hedgehogs are unhealthy, but so few pet stores know how to properly care for them that is a risk you take. Also, by purchasing your first hedgehog from a quality breeder you are more likely to get one that is friendly, and will be healthy.

I vote, go through the application process. Yes it will take you longer to get one, but it gives you more time to learn about these wonderful animals, prepare to bring one home, and to learn about what to expect and how to properly care for them.
 
You are right, buying from Kelly would be my best bet. I don't have to worry about bad genetics or it being unfriendly. She seems very professional. She maybe a little more expensive but I think it's worth it!


I have another question. What's the most you would spend on a hedgehog? I have seen some that are crazy expensive!
 
What you spend on a hedgehog depends entirely on what YOU want to spend, not what anybody else would. I know people who wouldn't spend more than $50.00 on a chinchilla for a breeding program, and others who wouldn't hesitate at $500.00 a chin. That is an entirely personal choice, and what anybody else would spend on a hedgie doesn't matter. That's up to you.
 
I asked because I wanted to make sure the breeder or pet shop wasn't trying to make a quick buck by having extremely high prices.
 
Different breeders/petstores/etc charge different amounts. Some base the amounts on color, whether they are pinto or not, how heavily marked they are if they are pinto marked, and some even base it on whether they are female or male.

I've seen anywhere from $100-300 and higher lately being charged. Completely depends on who you get them from.
 
This is the only breeder I could find in Louisiana. Do you think I should purchase from her?

http://www.kellysquills.com/

It seems like she really loves and cares for her hedgehogs. The only thing is that she still has partial custody of the animal. I shouldn't be worried about it because it just shows she cares about her hedgehogs. If I paid the $225 then shouldn't I be able to do what I want with it? I mean if I was moving and I had a friend who really wanted my hedgehog, why couldn't I give it to them?

She's really my only option right now besides my pet store. I will still try to find other breeders before I go with Kelly's quills.
 
Ask if the pet store houses male and female hedgies together. You don't want to end up in the situation I ended up in, where the female I bought randomly had two babies a month later. It'll be very stressful as a new owner and complications definitely can arise. I would also ask them lots of questions and definitely take a good close look at the hedgie you plan to buy. Ask them about their health guarantee and take it to a vet to make sure it's in good health! Otherwise, I'd go the breeder route.

As for the age question, I think it honestly depends on the individual hedgehog personality. Some of them may take some time to warm up to you. Some may never be that "social", and some will crawl right up on your shoulder and hang out. It doesn't so much matter the age as it does the personality + timeframe of socializing.

I bought Sookie from a petshop and when I was looking at the different hedgies, she crawled right up into my hand and has been social ever since. I'm pretty sure she was a year old when I got her. Grumpy I've had since the day he was born and he still doesn't like me all that much (he's 6 months old now) lol.
 
The partial custody is a fantastic policy. It shows that the breeder really cares about what happens to their hedgies. It cuts down on someone dumping their hedgehog if they don't want to take care of it, costs to much, or just isn't the pet they thought it would be. So many hedgies are in rescues, ads on craigs list, or even dumped in the wild. If you move and for some reason don't want to take your pet with you, you could contact the breeder and let her know. Your friend might have to go through the interview process, but it shouldn't be a problem because if they really want it you would have told them everything they need to know about caring for hedgies.
 
Joe17 said:
This is the only breeder I could find in Louisiana. Do you think I should purchase from her?

http://www.kellysquills.com/

It seems like she really loves and cares for her hedgehogs. The only thing is that she still has partial custody of the animal. I shouldn't be worried about it because it just shows she cares about her hedgehogs. If I paid the $225 then shouldn't I be able to do what I want with it? I mean if I was moving and I had a friend who really wanted my hedgehog, why couldn't I give it to them?

She's really my only option right now besides my pet store. I will still try to find other breeders before I go with Kelly's quills.
Click to expand...
what pet store?
 
I would go with the breeder that you mentioned. Custody of the pet shouldn't be an issue because when you buy an animal you should know it's lifespan and have planned for it accordingly so the issue of who to give the hedgie to shouldn't really come up... I mean, my house burned down and I still found a way to keep my animals happy and healthy and with me while I tried to find a new place to move into that would accept them. It becomes an unavailable choice for me if I have to part with my babies, you know? Like it's all of us or none of us. She sounds like a great breeder and you should take comfort in the fact that she is always going to be their for her babies if you ever need help.
 
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