So excited!!

[maherwoman]

Thank you for the ad! I'm hoping that hammie will still be available when we move into our own place. I don't think my FIL would be too thrilled with us adding another animal...particularly because they don't accept pets here (which we didn't know until the end of our long journey here).

I'm leaning toward a hedgehog...but I'm not sure. I'd like to read more about each.

Here are a question:

Do hedgehogs chew?

I've found a couple forums for each (hedgehogs and hammies), and I'm reading up on what to do for each. Whichever looks like the better fit is what we'll do. I'm insistant upon having my gerbil babies again, though!!

 

[maherwoman]

slavetoabunny wrote:

I lived in California for about 15 years. They have many strange laws regarding pet ownership. The exotic vet I had there would treat ferrets, even though they are illegal.

Yep...that's yet another funny thing about California...they have ferret supply sections in the pet stores, yet they're ILLEGAL. What's the deal with that?

 

[mouse_chalk]

Ooooh yay! I have always dreamed of having a pet hedgehog, although it's not really possible over here. I just think they're so cute! We feed them in our garden and love to watch them out the window in the summer evenings.

I was looking for a pic when I put this thread in the Today thread earlier and I found this:

Who could not want that?!

I did also watch the most awesome video on YouTube last night as well that a friend showed me, of hedgehogs.... I think it was called 'Boogie Hedgehog' or something... I'll have to try and find it!


I'd love to own hamsters or gerbils because I love them, but sadly Steve is allergic. So I guess it doesn't affect our dream of moving to San Fran one day too much lol. YAY for you having such an extended choice of pets now!


And btw, I don't think I have said this yet.... Congrats on your big move!

 

[maherwoman]

mouse_chalk wrote:

Ooooh yay! I have always dreamed of having a pet hedgehog, although it's not really possible over here. I just think they're so cute! We feed them in our garden and love to watch them out the window in the summer evenings.

I was looking for a pic when I put this thread in the Today thread earlier and I found this:

Who could not want that?!

I did also watch the most awesome video on YouTube last night as well that a friend showed me, of hedgehogs.... I think it was called 'Boogie Hedgehog' or something... I'll have to try and find it!


I'd love to own hamsters or gerbils because I love them, but sadly Steve is allergic. So I guess it doesn't affect our dream of moving to San Fran one day too much lol. YAY for you having such an extended choice of pets now!


And btw, I don't think I have said this yet.... Congrats on your big move!

How cute is that?!

Thank you for the congrats!

We're about to get outta here, and just venture on over to a pet store to get some idea of food prices, available supplies, maybe see what a hedgehog and hamster are like (more than what I remember). Just kinda want to get more data, ya know?

 

[Pet_Bunny]

maherwoman wrote:

We're about to get outta here, and just venture on over to a pet store to get some idea of food prices, available supplies,

When I see you, I'll give you the store namethat most of us bunny owners get our food from. However the store doesn't sell any type of live animals there.

 

[YukonDaisy]

I have a hedgie Rosie!
They are nocturnal, but you can get them accustom to waking up earlier.
You don't HAVE to feed them insects, mealworms especially are pretty high in fat, so you can only feed them once in a while. Most people feed them a mix of high quality and junk quality catfoods and fresh foods, like unseasoned cooked meat, fruit, etc. Rocky loves bananas and cheese.
Oh, and yes hedgehogs chew, why did you want to know that? lol

~Diana

 

[maherwoman]

YukonDaisy wrote:

I have a hedgie Rosie!
They are nocturnal, but you can get them accustom to waking up earlier.
You don't HAVE to feed them insects, mealworms especially are pretty high in fat, so you can only feed them once in a while. Most people feed them a mix of high quality and junk quality catfoods and fresh foods, like unseasoned cooked meat, fruit, etc. Rocky loves bananas and cheese.
Oh, and yes hedgehogs chew, why did you want to know that? lol

~Diana

Oh wow! What a diverse diet! I guess I could use tweezers or something to give the hedgie the mealworms, and any other such thing as that. Danny and I both get the heebie-jeebies when we're asked to be too near buggy type things.

OH, hehe...I wanted to know about the chewing thing because I'm trying to get an idea of what would be acceptable for their house (as in, would they chew the corduroy-type things I've seen on websites that people sew for them).

Would EVO Innova be good for a hedgie? If so, how much a day would he/she eat?

 

[maherwoman]

Pet_Bunny wrote:

maherwoman wrote:

We're about to get outta here, and just venture on over to a pet store to get some idea of food prices, available supplies,

When I see you, I'll give you the store namethat most of us bunny owners get our food from. However the store doesn't sell any type of live animals there.

That would be wonderful! I look forward to meeting you! That's good that they don't sell live animals. I would MUCH rather avoid pet stores for my animals. I haven't yet bought an animal from one, and I really don't plan to. Even my gerbils when I was younger...were from my math teacher in Jr. High school, who had a couple gerbils that'd had babies. I'm really proud of not getting animals from pet stores.

 

[YukonDaisy]

Ohhhhh! Do they chew on STUFF! I thought you were asking if they chewed their food, that's why I thought it was such an odd question! LOL
No, they don't chew on their things, they have pointy little teeth, not rodent-like teeth.

 

[maherwoman]

Hehehee!! That's too funny...

 

[TexasMari]

Please don't buy a few "teddy bear hamsters" and put them together. What they are selling as teddy bear hamsters are really syrian hamsters and they have very specific needs. "Syrian hamsters are solitary and territorial. They should always be housed alone. They may tolerate other hamsters when they are young, but by the time they reach 8-10 weeks old, territorial fighting usually starts and may be fatal."
If you only wanted one it would be fine.
Personally I would LOVE to own a few fat tailed gerbils, or "duprasi."

 

[maherwoman]

TexasMari wrote:

Please don't buy a few "teddy bear hamsters" and put them together. What they are selling as teddy bear hamsters are really syrian hamsters and they have very specific needs. "Syrian hamsters are solitary and territorial. They should always be housed alone. They may tolerate other hamsters when they are young, but by the time they reach 8-10 weeks old, territorial fighting usually starts and may be fatal."
If you only wanted one it would be fine.
Personally I would LOVE to own a few fat tailed gerbils, or "duprasi."

OH...no worries there. We just want one hamster.

 

[TexasMari]

Oh good, too many gory childhood memories for me to ever not warn someone who wants hamsters.

 

[maherwoman]

TexasMari wrote:

Oh good, too many gory childhood memories for me to ever not warn someone who wants hamsters.

I really appreciate the warning, though...too many people don't read up enough before getting a new pet.

:highfive:

 

[BethM]

I had no idea that all those small animals were illegal to keep as pets in California. Makes sense, though.

There was a story around here (Lawrence, KS), where a small boy wanted a pet hedgehog, and his mom promised he could get one when he was 10, knowing full well they were illegal within the city limits. Well, he ended up obsessed with getting a hedgehog, read up on them, and petitioned the city government. Went through the whole process, and got the law changed, so they're legal there now! (His mom wasn't too thrilled, because then she had to let him have one. )

If you get a hedgehog, make sure it is already socialized, or if you get a young one, make sure it's handled and worked with.

I had a friend in college who got a hedgehog at a flea market in Texas. He didn't really spend much time working with it, and it ended up being really anti-social. I took care of it for a couple months over one summer for him, and ended up needing a tetanus shot when the little bugger bit me!

The last two years that my rabbit group participated in our local Pet Expo, our table was right next to the local hedgehog group. They are SO cute! They give their hedgehogs little tubes (like toilet paper tubes), and the hedgehogs will purposely stick their heads in one end, then wander around with the tubes on their faces! It is hilarious!!!! They will even stick their heads back in if you take the tube off. One guy said they had a female that preferred to have a tube on all the time, she even had a method to scoop food up then tip it back to her mouth. Too cute!

 

[mouse_chalk]

BethM wrote:

The last two years that my rabbit group participated in our local Pet Expo, our table was right next to the local hedgehog group. They are SO cute! They give their hedgehogs little tubes (like toilet paper tubes), and the hedgehogs will purposely stick their heads in one end, then wander around with the tubes on their faces! It is hilarious!!!! They will even stick their heads back in if you take the tube off. One guy said they had a female that preferred to have a tube on all the time, she even had a method to scoop food up then tip it back to her mouth. Too cute!

Like this! This is the video I mentioned the other day, I found it!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK0l2tqFDvM[/ame]

 

[maherwoman]

Aww!! That video's so cute!!

And I love the story about the hedgie that didn't want to take the tube off...too adorable!

Hmm...not sure which way this'll go...we'll see!

 

[paul2641]

I would have to say teddybear hamsters are lovely I have a male who when you take him out he will start LICKING your fingers and he just loves to be held, and are female puts up with being held witch kinda shocked me as normally all my females were viscous, I'm hoping to start breeding teddybear hamsters in the next few months. I would also like to get a pet hedgehog there around in Ireland just not so common.

 

[maherwoman]

What do you guys think of this ad?

http://edmonton.en.craigslist.ca/pet/1186845164.html

"I bought 2 gerbils from a local pet shop chain, too close in age even though they were allegedly from the same litter. Now they are fighting for dominance, which won't end up nicely, and I've had to separate them. I'd like to give the less-aggressive one (that I suspect won't make it) to a good home. He's grey, about 3 months old, in good shape, just a bit nicked up at the moment but healthy and friendly. Too bad he's not a month or so younger - he would have made a good companion. He could be paired with another younger male and they'd probably work out quite well. Free (or trade for a young grey male)."

The only thing that gives me pause is the fact that she says she suspects he might not make it...but I think she means he wouldn't if he were left in the same home with the other gerbil.

What are your guys' thoughts?

 

[JadeIcing]

I agree sounds like if left together that he won't make it.