Can you all think of any other concerns that may deter me from getting a hedgehog? I am willing to do all of the work, but I do not want to provide a hedgehog with anything less than a perfect home!
Hedgies do well when they're in a stable environment - their light turns on at the same time in the morning and off at the same time at night. They become accustomed to a schedule and can get upset if things like snuggle time keep changing. You'll need to make sure that you can keep consistent hours... your roommate too if you have one.
Temperature wise: while some hedgies may do fine at 72F, I know neither of mine would. When Satin was young, she was okay at 74F. As she grew older, she attempt hibernation with anything below 76F. Tex does well around 76F too.
Dorm life + pets can be hard - you'd have to hide a hedgie and their heating supplies. While it's certainly possible, the risks of being found out are pretty big. There's the risk of being found out when people start talking about hedgie or cleaning/environmental services needs to fix something either in your room or that darn water leak on the floor above. You'd need to be able to immediately move hedgie to a different home with someone who knows what they're doing to take care of hedgie. And, of course, there's always the slight risk of being found out when your against-the-rules heater burns down the dorm.
Speaking from experience, my 2nd-year college roommate kept a boa constrictor in her closet. He was kept warm and safe while he was there. I enjoyed having him there too. Unfortunately, he was discovered by the staff - I believe it was the situation where one person said something to another and eventually it fell upon staff ears. The Residence Director was never forthcoming on how it came to his attention... which, I guess, makes sense to keep it private.
Anyhow, it was a couple weeks before finals and my roomie had arrange care and transport for him immediately... she had to the end of the week. Else she would be summarily dismissed from the dorm. Imagine having to move hedgie and all of hedgie's belongings to a safe house in 3 days OR moving yourself and hedgie in 4 days right while you're trying to finish all those papers & projects that are due at the end of the semester and start studying for exams. Was not cool! She was relatively lucky that her parents agreed to drive 6 hours across state to get him and another 6 hours back. And to take care of him until summer when school was out.
I don't know what your finances look like... just projecting based on my pocketbook when I was living in a dorm... but hedgies can be pretty expensive. I'm fairly certain I've spent the equivalent of several used cars on my two when they were ill. And you'll need transportation to and from the vet in a way that doesn't disclose your hedgie's dorm-room location.
All in all, I love having hedgies. They've enriched my life in many ways and, for the right person in the right situation, I absolutely recommend having a little hedgie buddy. I think, though, if I were in your shoes (ie, living in a dorm), I'd make sure I have a good amount of money saved up and wait until I was in a pet-friendly apartment before going ahead with getting a hedgie. If you're really serious about a hedgie, check out nearby apartments for next semester/year
