HEDGEHOGS: Cute and Spiky

Well most of us have seen a hedgehog what they look like miniature porcupines almost minus the quills being able to shoot out at predators.  If anything these spiky creatures are one of the cutest pets I could ever imagine owning well next to my other animals.  So I guess you have guessed it already yes a new addition to my animal family is a male hedgehog whom I have chosen to name Ziggy.  When I first saw these exotic creatures I was afraid to pick one up let alone buy one.  Once I got past the spiky shell and picked it up the one I bought that is he started to lick my hands and I just felt like we had a bond of sorts that he was saying I want to go home with you.  Anyways I called up the wife told her I had found a new friend while looking around the pet shop, and well she wasn't letting me leave it there because I was going to sleep on it, I came home empty handed and needless to say I had to make the long jaunt back to the pet store to pick him up as the Mrs's was looking forward to meeting him.  I'm so glad she made me go back as I have found a new animal pal in this cute hedgehog.  The first night he started licking himself spreading a foam on himself while eating strawberries well it got kind of messy and smelly I said enough and gave him his first bath which he appeared to love.   Since then he has had a cage upgrade a new big wheel and  I have come to find out that he really enjoys meal worms and eggs.  Hedgehogs are omnivores so they eat veggies and meats there main source of food in the wild is insects, small eggs, lizards, snakes, basically many things that it can just grab and chew.  They have a strong bite no I have not been bitten I have just heard and read that they will usually bite onto something and hold onto it until it stops moving.  These spiky yet gentle animals are nocturnal so during the day they are not all that active yet at night they will travel up to 8miles in the wild or in our case a lot on his wheel.  Since we already have a dwarf hamster we have toned out the wheel noise many months ago.  They love to cuddle, yet some just like to roam, or are always grumpy. They will eat right out of your hand when not nervous and feel comfortable.  I cannot say enough from being scared to handle one to being totally hooked on owing one is like night and day if you have never held a hedgehog get over the fear ask how they should be picked up wear gloves or use a cloth if you scared of the poking spikes and give it a try.  Truly trying something new makes you
want to find more about the world in which we live atleast this is what I have found in my own life.

Here is Ziggy in my hands and yes the bottom photo he is licking my hand now you see why I got him what a cute guy hey!