Before I commit

[katiequill]

So I take pet ownership VERY seriously, I have a rescue dog, and I believe pets are NOT fads or accessories etc... so I have some questions before I give a hedgie a forever home. I like to be an informed pet parent. :wink2:

Questions:

1) I know Hedgies are nocturnal by nature and they have wheels. I have owned chin in the past who loved to run in their chin saucer ( metal on metal) all night and shake the house. I know they are busy at night, and I have owned nocturnal animals in the past, but are they noise makers all night? << I have a hermit crab that chirps at night lol)>>

2) Can hedgehogs live in the same house as dogs? Granted the cage would be in a separate room where the dog could not have access and everything would be supervised, but I assume dogs might have natural predatory instincts, so I am curious about people's opinions. I would be gone to work during the day, the door would be closed but still, I would like people's honest opinions.

3) owning a dog I know a trip to the vet can easily run 200 to 300 dollars and more if there is an emergency. I am however, unfamiliar with exotic animal rates. I have also heard due to mites, hedges might need to have revolution? Can some people please weigh on the financial commitment. I have a special savings for vet visits but have never cared for an exotic and don't know if their care is VERY VERY expensive.

Thank you and know all of the questions and transparency is so I can make the right decision for me and for the hedgie. :thumbsup:

 

[Kalandra]

Welcome to the forum.

1. For the most part hedgehogs are very quiet. They do require exercise wheels and many will run most of the night. However, they do not leap like a chinchilla does and they don’t cause the cage to rattle from it. You will likely hear one snuffling about, or moving cage items about as they attempt to burrow though.

2. I personally don’t keep anything but my hedgehogs. With enough precautions you should be fine. However, I am one of those that do not advise any interaction between predator/prey species. A dog may simply be being playful but one quick snap of his jaw may be deadly for a hedgehog.

3. Exotic visits can quickly become expensive. Just to walk in the door may cost you $50+, that’s before any procedures or medications are prescribed. Hedgehogs are a pretty healthy animal when provided proper care. However, they do hide illness, and once sick they often are very sick and require a lot of nursing care to recover. Cancer is extremely common in these little ones. To have a tumor removed expect to pay anywhere from $300-500. Veterinary costs vary from veterinarian to veterinarian. Contact yours and ask if he has hedgehog experience, how often he sees them, and how much he charges for a base exam.

Keep asking questions and keep reading. These little guys require a lot of time, patience, and care.

 

[tacotac]

They are up on and off throughout the night. My wheels used to be quiet, but the bearings or whatever are rusting/etc. from all the washing (expect to wash them every day, they poop/pee on them, and run in it O.O), and now they make a grinding noise when they run on them. I hear them eating, walking about and through their litter otherwise. I have a white noise machine that helps a bit anyway. Sometimes if they get too annoying, I just roll the cage into the hallway and shut my door, lol! I am an insomniac it seems, and I still can't sleep any better with or without them in the room, so they are ruled out, but still, it is hard to even try to go back to sleep when you wake to them making noise.

I've never had an issue with hedgies and my dog when she was around. But my dog was even tempered and liked to keep to herself, and payed no attention to the hedgies, let alone want anything to do with the prickly creatures. It all depends on the dog really. When cats were around, they were curious, but as soon as the hedgies huffed and got prickly, the cats knew better than to stick around

As far as vet bills, expect them as any other pet to get sick, or have an issue, as they will. I have an emergency fund saved up now as I am moving on my own, and mom & dad won't be helping with the vet bills anymore. The last visit for Mr. Snow costs us over $60, plus there was no definite diagnosis, the vet cost maybe because it was in a rich part of town, which we had to drive an hour to get to. Also, picked up a bag of food to see if we can get his issue cleared up. No such luck thus far. If you can afford it, go for it. I think it's worth it!! I wouldn't ever say "no more pets" just because I would have to pay for the vet bills, unless of course I knew I wouldn't ever be able to manage the costs, which I hope will never be the case. Hedgehogs forever!!

 

[addictedtochins]

Hellp and welcome. I just wanted to pipe in and tell you why a hedgie just isn't for me. They run and poop in their wheel, the poo flies around and they get "poopy boots." Just wanted to make sure you knew about that.

 

[LexieHeg]

Welcome to the forum! It's nice to see people doing their research.

1) My hedgie really isn't noisy. If my wheel is noisy, then you would hear that but otherwise they are pretty quiet. Mine likes to dig and push her house around so we occasionally hear things being shifted but thats really it.

2) If you are really careful, yes they can. This is such a debate on this forum...some people allow their pets to be near the hedgehogs, others don't. I have a cat and my personal opinion is that the risk of a him hurting our hedgehog far outweighs the benefits of having my cat around her. My cat is sweet, and friendly and I doubt would hurt a fly. But I love Lexie too much to take the risk of her being hurt. So, she is in her own room that our cat doesn't even know exists, and thats the way it will stay. Keep in mind that cats and dogs also carry bacterias that could make a hedgehog sick.

3) It depends on where you live. For us, vet visits cost 80.00/visit and any procedures run 50+ but more likely in the hundreds.

Keep reading! You learn so much here.