Hi, I'm a newbie!

[mommy2ryan]

We are in the process of getting our first hedgehog. My son who is 4 is looking for a pet(his brother has severe allergies/asthma) so we decided on a hedgehog. We drove out to Tig's house and we now have a hedgie, but have to wait for him to be weaned. My son has named him prickles(at least for the moment).

[platnymbit]

Well first I would like to welcome you all to the board :welcome3: and then congratulate :bananadance: you on your new pet! There are a lot of very knowledgable ppl on this forum, who are always willing to answer any and all questions you have. Again welcome and post pics as soon as possible!

[razzle]

Congratulations and welcome to the Board!! I love the name Prickles. So cute! Can't wait to see pics! (We go crazy for hedgie pictures around here!) There is lots of great information here, so if you have any questions at all, ask away!

[illinidairychic]

awww, congrates on the new hedgie...well when you get it. And welcome to cnq!!

[Super Chin]

:welcomeparty: to C-N-Q! I hope you enjoy your soon to be new hog. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. :)

[mommy2ryan]

Thanks all! We are pretty excited as well. We had to find a home for our dog because of all the allergies and asthma so I am crossing my fingers that this one will work. Looking at everything I have it looks like the best option.

Any tips on bedding to use that does not affect allergies/asthma. I know that liners would be the best thing but that freaks my husband out.

Also tips on having hegies around a 4 year old?

[High On Hogg]

Congratulations and welcome to the Board!! Can't wait to see pics! There is lots of great information here, so if you have any questions at all, ask away! (Love the name Prickles. So cute!)

[yourmine]

Any tips on bedding to use that does not affect allergies/asthma. I know that liners would be the best thing but that freaks my husband out.

Also tips on having hegies around a 4 year old?

Well, if you are looking for a non-allernenic (sp?) bedding, I would recommend Carefresh Ultra (the white, not the grey/brown) It's made of paper and low in dust. My hedgies love it cause it's super soft!

The most important thing when it comes to young children and ANY small animal is to make sure ALL interactions are SUPERVISED! Small children should not have free access to a hedgie...Even if they can't get into the cage, they can still pound on it and cause severe emotional trauma (this happened to a hedgie I rescued). Also, sanitation is a MUST! Hands need to be washed before and after handling of a hedgehog. In general, I don't recommend that children that young directly handle hedgies as they can easily startle or hurt one another. Your new hedgehog may be a "look don't touch" pet for a little while when it comes to your 4 year old...especially durring quilling when the hedgie is likely to be a bit more grumpy.

Good luck and have FUN! I have two of Tig's hedgies myself and they are so gentle and docile that I do allow younger children to handle them when closely supervised. New pets are always exciting for a child and this could end up being a very rewarding experience when properly managed.

[razzle]

Thanks all! We are pretty excited as well. We had to find a home for our dog because of all the allergies and asthma so I am crossing my fingers that this one will work. Looking at everything I have it looks like the best option.

Any tips on bedding to use that does not affect allergies/asthma. I know that liners would be the best thing but that freaks my husband out.

Also tips on having hegies around a 4 year old?

What kind of cage do you have? I ask because what I do is use 1/2 bedding (I use Yesterdays News) and half liner. I like the Yesterdays News because it seems the least dusty to me (thereby not affecting allergies/asthma). The thing I don't like about it is it is a little hard and looks uncomfortable to sleep on. So I use Vellux blankets (cut to size) as a liner for the "sleeping quarters", and the Yesterday's News in the "play area" (where the wheel & toys are). I use two Sterline bins connected by a plastic tunnel for a cage.

The only things I can think of as far as having a hedgie around a 4 year old is just to let your son and the hedgie get used to each other. The quills can get pokey and when hedgies get scared, they roll up, hiss and "pop" (jump up). This can be scary. I know I was afraid to hold my hedgie at first! So obviously, you don't want Prickles to be dropped. Also, Prickles is still a baby and is going to need lots of sleep during the daytime without a lot of loud noises around to scare him. And if Prickles is anything like my Razzle.....he'll be real grumpy when woken up from his slumber!! :laugh:

[razzle]

The most important thing when it comes to young children and ANY small animal is to make sure ALL interactions are SUPERVISED! Small children should not have free access to a hedgie...Even if they can't get into the cage, they can still pound on it and cause severe emotional trauma (this happened to a hedgie I rescued). Also, sanitation is a MUST! Hands need to be washed before and after handling of a hedgehog. In general, I don't recommend that children that young directly handle hedgies as they can easily startle or hurt one another. Your new hedgehog may be a "look don't touch" pet for a little while when it comes to your 4 year old...especially durring quilling when the hedgie is likely to be a bit more grumpy.



That's a great answer!! I totally agree!