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Pet trends: how about a hedgehog?
Filed under: Weird But True
If you are looking to add a pet to your family and want something a little different, consider the hedgehog. The African pygmy hedgehog is fast becoming the 'it' pet for busy Brits who appreciate their nocturnal habits. These hedgehogs will sleep all day and be wide awake to greet you when you return from work. After a hard day at the office, what could be nicer than cuddling up to a prickly, palm-sized ball of cuteness?"They are unbelievably pretty little creatures, the way they bumble along, the way they poke their noses into everything," says hedgehog breeder Bonnie Martin.
A baby hedgehog will initially set you back about £300, but they are cheap to feed. They can survive on cat-food and only eat about a third of what the average household cat eats.
Of course, not everyone wants to see African pygmy hedgehogs become common household pets. Animal conservationists are concerned about Britain's native wild hedgehog population, whose numbers are declining. If everyone starts wanting a hedgehog, what will stop them from plucking one from the wild and saving the £300?
If your family is in the market for an unusual addition, check out Hedgehog World. Too cute? Here are some other exotic pets to consider.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
4-18-2008 @ 12:38AM
angelafay said...Ahhh yes...the trendy pet. My sister had a hedgehog. They're interesting conversation pieces. She enjoyed him for a couple months then pawned off onto my mom, and then later me. These are animals are not domesticated and should not be advertised as such. In my opinion no animal should spend most of it's life in a cage for human entertainment.
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4-18-2008 @ 9:21AM
Emma Leigh said...Agreed. It is like the Prairie Dog trend a couple of years ago. Please let these little creatures live out their live as they are meant to. It would be happier in your garden rather than a cage.
4-18-2008 @ 11:34AM
Meagan said...Yeah I realize people tend to get overly bent out of shape about pet stuff on this sight, but I'm with the previous posters on this one. Let wild animals be wild. After hundreds of thousands of years of human history there's a reason some animals are domesticated and others are not. Some animals just don't make good "pets" and it's not good for either the animal or the people taking care of them to keep them captive.
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