# I'm getting a African Pygmy Hedgehog- Please help with a few questions!



## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

As you may allready know I have been thinking about many pets to get for several months. Finally, my dad has agreed to let me get an African Pygmy Hedgehog. I'm so excited and really can't wait! So I came on here to ask you guys a few questions to research about them before I even think about going to get one. So....

Do they make good pets?
Are they easy to care for?
Do they interact with you?
What is the average price I will be paying for one?
Can you keep two together?
What supplies will I need to start me off?
What is the correct way to handle them?
What is the initial costs going to be?
Does anybody know of a place/person in Glasgow that breeds/sells APH's?
What do I feed them?
How long do they live?
What size do they typically grow to?

Sorry for the large list of questions :$ & Thanks in advance.


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## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

Do they make good pets? they can do, though are nocturnal so usually come out late evening and are most active overnight so if you sleep when you are meant to then you dont always see them
Are they easy to care for? fairly easy, you can house them in different ways. most require heat, or at least a heat mat on stand by if it gets too cold. You should read up on their diet 
Do they interact with you? depends on the hog and how young you get it. most breeders handle them from a young age makin them fairly tame so they will crawl on you etc 
What is the average price I will be paying for one? anywhere between £100-200 depending on age, colour, area, etc. most are priced around £150 each
Can you keep two together? there have been cases where two females have been kept together sucessfully, though it isnt recommended as generally hogs are solitary animals and seem happy that way. females can fight just as much as 2 males being together so ive been told. 2 males together is definately a no, and a male and female will probably equal the female constantly gettin pestered as well as being overbred
What supplies will I need to start me off? housing.... some people use vivs, if you choose this you will need extra ventilation, or indoor rabbit cages. a flying saucer wheel, large one, a pouch or something to sleep in, cat toys for them to play with, some people put large tubes in or bits of drain pipe for them to run through, just make sure its big enough. a food bowl. possibly a water bowl, though it depends if theyre used to a bottle or not. bottles are much better cos the water doesnt get dirty. bedding could be shavings, some people use fabric and wash it regularly though i found this really messy.
What is the correct way to handle them? i cant suggest a correct way to handle them, theyll let you know if theyre not happy! to bond with your hog though some people get a pouch on a clip or one wth a handle so they can walk round with the hogs close to bond with them
What is the initial costs going to be? 150 for the hog, anywhere between 20-50 for the housing, 14ish for the wheel, 10 on toys, beddin cost varies, bowl, waterbottle etc around £5 then regular cost for food on top of that 
Does anybody know of a place/person in Glasgow that breeds/sells APH's? pass
What do I feed them? diet varies, dry cat biscuits, meal worms, crickets, some will eat veg, cooked chicken, cooked cold mince. some eat small bits of cottage cheese. you can get commercial hedgehog food but ive heard it isnt recommended as it has raisins in it which isnt good for them? 
How long do they live? anything up to about 5 years. ive had ones live til 4
What size do they typically grow to? would have to look that up, mine varied in size quite a lot 

Sorry for the large list of questions :$ & Thanks in advance.


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## Gina. (Sep 9, 2009)

Cleo27 said:


> As you may allready know I have been thinking about many pets to get for several months. Finally, my dad has agreed to let me get an African Pygmy Hedgehog. I'm so excited and really can't wait! So I came on here to ask you guys a few questions to research about them before I even think about going to get one. So....
> 
> Do they make good pets? I would say yes, but obviously depends on the person, and the hog. They're nocturnal so would only really be a good pet if you're around in the evening.
> Are they easy to care for? I would say fairly easy but you do need to know their requirements e.g heat, food etc.. but once you've done research and know your stuff then its not too hard.. oh and you do need to be prepared to clean their wheel every day as it gets very.. poopy.
> ...



UK APH forum - Pygmy Hogs UK - African Pygmy Hedgehog Forum


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## xxx_phoenix_xxx (Sep 25, 2009)

Do they make good pets? i think they do as long as you dont mind having a pet that only comes out at night its ideal for me no kids in the way at that time lol.
Are they easy to care for?once you have the set up sorted and get into their routine they are easy.
Do they interact with you?mine comes out of her viv and climbes onto my hanmd when i call her so i guess they do in their own little way.
What is the average price I will be paying for one?average price is £150
Can you keep two together? No they are solitary animals housing more than one together can lead to many complivtions even death thrue fighting
What supplies will I need to start me off?ummmm loads.
Viv or zoozone 2,
 heat mat, 
thermostat, 
digi thermometer,
a house,
kitten litter tray ,
food bowl,
water bowl, bottles arent usually recomended however some people prefer these but hogs have been known to get their tongues caught in them
mealie dish,
pouch to sleep in,
fleece liners or fina card to cover the bottom of their enclosure,
toys, tunnels,
wheel but only after they are 12 weeks of age,
What is the correct way to handle them? just be ptient with your hog when handling and once you have bonded with it you will know how like to be handled
What is the initial costs going to be? varies on what you wish to buy including my hog i spent £444 dead on for everything i needed
Does anybody know of a place/person in Glasgow that breeds/sells APH's? best place to look is on the pygmy hogs uk forum there is a list of recomended breeders on there from different areas in britain.
What do I feed them? i feed my hog a mixture of three different cat buscuits
i use-
joe and jills chicken senior
go cat indoors senior chincken,
and pets at home purely senior 40%.

my hog has a set menu for a week for example,
monday- buscuits
tuesday- buscuits and freeze dried crickets
wednesday- buscuits and mince meat
thursday- buscuits and boiled/scrambled egg (NO MILK LACTOSE INTOLLERANT)
friday- buscuits and cooked chicken
saturday- buscuits
sunday- buscuits and cooked chicken

How long do they live? can live up to 8 years but this is rare i have read the average age is 5-6 years
What size do they typically grow to? they do vary in size but mine is at adult size now i can hold her nicely in one hand if she sits still so they are still quite small as adults
she now weighs 356 g she is a nice sixed girl.


i hope i have answered all your questions helpfully but i would really advise you to join the 
pygmy hogs uk forum everything you will eber need to know is on there eberyone is friendly and love to help people with any questions.
i found my hog by joing the forum and learnt so much on there that you wont find on general web sites the forum is really fab.
if you like have a look at my profile on here there are some pics of my hog and her set up it may help give you some idea of how it could look.
good luck with info search if you need ny more quetions answering just ask but please join the forum you will love it and come and say hi in the intrductions section :2thumb:


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## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

ooooh i forgot to [price up the heat mat and stat doh well spotted


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

I know others have answered thoroughly, however my answers are.



Cleo27 said:


> Do they make good pets? Mine is a very good pet, he was rehomed to me from a woman who brought him for her young child, he oddly seems to wake up around 2pm and is more lively and better to handle at that time than at 8pm ish which is what I tried intially. Possibly the previous owner got him out for her son when he got home from school at this time of day. All are individuals. They are truely an animal where you will get out of them what you put in.
> Are they easy to care for? Mine is very easy to care for. I have 6 fleeces for him, 3 sets of 2 just the £1 pet blankets. One is the base for the 3ft viv and the other I fold in three and then twist in the middle and fold half back over the other, fold back a rim and I had a little pouch bed. 2-3 days later I take out a set and pop in another and then wash them once a week. His biscuits are made up of 3 brands, which I mix 2 cups of PAH 1 cup of Go cat and 2 cups of Iam naturals stuff, which he was on when i got him, but possibly next time I will use another in the mix, he is still eating through the first bag I brought for him.
> Do they interact with you? Yes, he sits with me, eats meal worms from my hands, licks smells on my hands to annoint himself, he is really sweet.
> What supplies will I need to start me off?
> ...


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## lil_jo84 (Sep 6, 2008)

Being from glasgow I can tell you that their is only one recommended breeder (thistle hedgehogs) in the area (the other one gave up recently) but she has quite a long list so you may have to wait a while. I think there is someone in Edinburgh who breeds too but isn't on the recommended breeders list so not sure what she is like.

If you are serious about getting a hog I would look through Recommended Breeders List and find a good one as you know it will come from a good ethical breeder. It may mean that you need to travel a bit to get your hog but it will be worth it. I have recently put myself on Colin's waiting list which will mean an 8 hr round trip but i'm desperate to have a good hog.

Not to scare you but WHS has been identified in the UK so please make use of the registry and the recommended breeders to avoid future heartbreak, don't just buy a hog because of a cheap price tag


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

*-*

All the advice has really helped me, Thank you. lil jo yes I have allready had a wee look at that Reccomended Breeder list and I will be waiting another little while yet before getting the hog so the waiting isn't really a problem. I am going to take my time and make sure I get exactly what I want instead of buying just any hedgehog. Thanks for all the advice and I'm sure I'll be back later on with another page load of questions :lol2:


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

*Zoo zone 2*

Can somebody maybe give me a website where I could get a zoo zone 2? I can't seem to find it anywhere & everywhere I find it they are discontinued :bash: .


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## Gina. (Sep 9, 2009)

Cleo27 said:


> Can somebody maybe give me a website where I could get a zoo zone 2? I can't seem to find it anywhere & everywhere I find it they are discontinued :bash: .


I got mine off ebay, brand new, for under £40 :2thumb: ZooZone Rabbit Guinea Pig Habitat Cage Box Blue Large on eBay (end time 22-Jul-10 13:31:33 BST)

You can get them on netpetshop.co.uk as well, although some people have said they have had problems with ordering from them, i've ordered from them three times I think, and never had a problem. The cage is over £60 on there though


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## connor 1213 (Apr 6, 2009)

neon gecko had one in a few weeks ago...


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

*-*

Well I'm going down there tomorrow to get my Cleo some rats so I'll have a look to see then. Thanks : victory:


Where can I get half decent ceramic dishes?
Does anybody know where I would be able to find them quite cheap.

I'm trying to save money as much as I can- aswell as providing my little hedgehog with the best enviroment as possible lol<3


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Cleo27 said:


> Well I'm going down there tomorrow to get my Cleo some rats so I'll have a look to see then. Thanks : victory:
> 
> 
> Where can I get half decent ceramic dishes?
> ...


 

Ramekin dishes make ideal hog bowls and are very cheap too


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## Gina. (Sep 9, 2009)

Cleo27 said:


> Well I'm going down there tomorrow to get my Cleo some rats so I'll have a look to see then. Thanks : victory:
> 
> 
> Where can I get half decent ceramic dishes?
> ...


You can get ceramic dishes in wilkinsons for a pound


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

*-*

Thankyou :2thumb:

I will be getting the hedgehog very soon hopefully! Probably before the summer holidays end :no1::no1:!

I'm sure I'll have more questions soon:Lx


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

*treats & toy*

*GREAT NEWS!!!*

 I'm getting a little hedgehog tomorrow night from 'alexandra' on the forum. I'm so excited! I will take some pictures when I get him :] I can't even sleep lol:$! 

I am going to go down to Pets at Home tomorrow morning and get him a few little toys & stuff, maybe a few mealworms too.

Is there any toys you reccomend getting him, stuff your hedgies like etc?

So: what exactly can I feed him, treat wise? 
Can I feed him fruit or vegetables? If so, what kind?

What should I avoid feeding him?

Awwww I'm so excited!!! :flrt:


Brooke xxx


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Cleo27 said:


> *GREAT NEWS!!!*
> 
> I'm getting a little hedgehog tomorrow night from 'alexandra' on the forum. I'm so excited! I will take some pictures when I get him :] I can't even sleep lol:$!
> 
> ...


 


Join here and get loads of information Pygmy Hogs UK - African Pygmy Hedgehog Forum


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

*-*

Thanks just joined there <3


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

*-*

Hi I have had Bramble for 5 days now & he is absaloutely gorgeous!
I love him to bits, he is totally fine with handling now.. can be a wee bit huffy but he's settled in brilliantly!

Thanks for all the advice xx


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Cleo27 said:


> Hi I have had Bramble for 5 days now & he is absaloutely gorgeous!
> I love him to bits, he is totally fine with handling now.. can be a wee bit huffy but he's settled in brilliantly!
> 
> Thanks for all the advice xx


 
Now you just need to post photos:whistling2:


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

*Bramble's photos<3*

Okay here they are hehe:
The first, clearer ones are from the previous owner.
I apoligise from the bad photo quality of my pictures, I will get clearer ones tonight and post them tomorrow or something - these were taken on the webcam:




























Now for mines..
These were taken last night at about 10:30pm...























































This was his first night home:


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## reptilelover96 (Feb 17, 2010)

awwww so cute congrates lovly lil hedghog xx


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

reptilelover96 said:


> awwww so cute congrates lovly lil hedghog xx


 
Thankyou : victory:xxxx


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## TIMOTHY AND MATILDA (Oct 31, 2008)

gorgeous,I want it :flrt::flrt::flrt:


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