10 reasons why owning an African Pygmy Hedgehog is great. (and none of them will shock you because this isn't click bait.)

Whenever I tell someone I own a pet hedgehog it usually prompts two reactions: “why?” and “omg I want one!”

If you're in the latter category, this post is for you. I've had my own hedgehog Florence for just over a year now, and whilst I'm by no means a hedgehog expert (and each hedgie is different) I've learnt a couple of things along the way.

I think it's important before committing to any pet, to do your research first. I researched African Pygmy Hedgehogs 2 years prior to owning one (this is mostly because I still lived at home and our family dog is an incredibly jealous attention hogger who would flip his shit if another animal took that away.) So, as soon as I moved into my own place with Mike, I set about turning my ideas into actions.

Here are the things I learnt:

1. Pygmy Hedgehogs aren't naturally inclined to love you straight away like a dog, so you have to put the work in. They can be very huffy and grumpy (especially in the morning, but hey who can't relate to that?) The only way to combat this it to ensure that you handle them as much as you can - don't be scared. I try to get Florence out for at least an hour a night to ‘free roam.’ In theory this is a chance for her to explore her surroundings, in reality she has a scuttle around and then finds her way to the biscuit box.

2. Hedgehogs naturally gravitate towards a ‘favourite’ so make sure that favourite is you by getting in lots of bonding time, and allowing them to get used to your scent and presence. Florence still isn't keen on Mike, but she tolerates him. (As do I.)

3. Hedgehogs sleep A LOT. They're a pretty low maintenance pet overall, and as they're nocturnal Florence will naturally wake around 11pm. You can wake them before this to ensure you know, you actually see them, but just be warned that Hedgehogs can be grumpy when woken and roll into a ball. Florence generally seems quite happy to be woken up around 9pm without too much complaint, but each hedgehog is unique. Some people have said they have hedgehogs that are happy to wake during the day and sleep during the night, so it's just getting used to your own hedgies routine.

4. You're going to be peed on and pooed on a lot - especially when your hedgehog is a young ‘hoglet’. There's no way to avoid it, sorry.

5. Hedgehogs need a wheel for exercise so they don't get tubby - when we first got Florence she wasn't bothered by the wheel (we had to bribe her with pieces of chicken leading up it to coax her on) but now she's got the hang of it, she's anyways wheeling. Exercise aside, hedgies also like to have places to hide like tunnels as they're prey animals and would feel uncomfortable out in the open. Hedgehogs need a ‘safe place’. I had Florence’s bed custom made and it's perfect - it's a leopard print cube that's fleece lined on the inside, so no wonder she wants to sleep all the time really.

6. Hedgehogs aren't cheap. I paid £150 for Florence as they're classed as an ‘exotic breed.’ You can basically expect to pay anything between £100-£200. It's also important to make sure you have a vets nearby that specialises in African Pygmy Hedgehogs just incase. Not all vets do, but there's more than you'd think.

7. Live food still grosses me out. Hedgehogs are insectivores so having a diet rich with insects is very important - for Florence it's mostly mealworms (live and dried) and Morio worms which are basically mealworms bigger, scarier older sibling. Generally she has dried cat food, mixed with chicken dreamies and a couple of mealworms a night. Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant so avoid dairy and also seafood. You can try fruit and veg, but Florence will only humour me so far with it. Fussy little minx.

8. Hedgehogs are solitary animals so it's best not to buy two. They don't need company - they're happy alone. Males and females will inevitably mate, males alone will fight and whilst some females can be housed together, it's generally advised to keep them apart - because we all need our own space, right?

9. Hedgehogs do this very weird thing called ‘anointing’ whereby they will take a liking to a new taste/smell, foam at the mouth and then demonically contort their bodies to spit on their back. This is totally normal. Well it's not, but they do it anyway the weirdos. No one's sure why they do this exactly - some think it's to mask their scent and hide from predators, and others believe it's a hedgehogs way of wearing a really gross perfume...Florence's personal favourite things to ‘anoint’ over are the living room blinds and the hall rug. She lives a wild life.

10. Not everyone will understand why you have a pet hedgehog and can actually be pretty rude about it. African Pygmy Hedgehogs aren't  the same as what you find in your garden and have been domesticated in the same way that cats and dogs have (and no an African Pygmy hedgehog wouldn't survive for very long outside, just like a domesticated pooch wouldn't.) People like to attack the unfamiliar and whilst I'm happy to educate anyone who asks, it's the people who don't listen who shout the loudest so be prepared to fight your corner.

Overall, owning a African Pygmy Hedgehog is a rewarding experience - they're very curious little creatures and depending on your hedgies temperament, can be soppy little sods who love affection as much as the next pet.

They may take their time to get used to you, but bear with them - it's so worth it.

HayleyHeartsxo