|
General |
|
Deposits
/ Purchasing / Payments |
| Can I pay with a
credit card, debit card or bank account? |
Yes, we accept
PayPal payments.
Payments can be sent on our Deposit
page, Shipping Page,
and Supplies page. |
| Can I pay by check? |
No. We do not
accept checks. |
| How much is the
deposit? |
The deposit amount
is $50.00 and no animal will be
reserved without a deposit. |
| If I've placed a
deposit and the animal is ready, how do I
pay the remainder? |
You can pay the
remainder in cash at pick-up or online using PayPal.
NOTE:
If you pay the remainder using PayPal within 5
business days of pick-up, it must be an instant payment (no e-checks) or the
payment will not have time to clear.
|
| How old do babies
have to be
before I can place a deposit? |
We begin accepting
deposits on new litters when the babies are 2 weeks of age. We will
occasionally accept deposits on future unborn litters, though we prefer to
wait until the litter is born and 2 weeks of age because of problems that could
occur during nesting. |
| How old do babies
need to be
before they can go to a new home? |
Baby hedgehogs
and STOs typically wean at 6-8 weeks of age and stay with us for one week after
being separated from mom. Some are ready to leave us at 7 weeks and
some take a little longer. |
| Do you sell to
breeders? |
Yes, we sell to USDA
licensed breeders. We do not sell to unlicensed breeders. |
|
Shipping |
| How much is
shipping? |
Check out
our Shipping
page for our current shipping rate and shipping policies. |
| Why is shipping so
expensive? |
Our
shipping fee includes airfare, shipping crate, additional supplies, travel
to the airport, and parking. |
|
Temperament
/ Handling |
| When is
temperament determined? |
Hedgehogs:
During the nursing and weaning time, hedgehogs are quilling and may be a
tad sensitive. They usually settle into their own unique personality
around 12-14 wks of age.
STOs: They are typically not aggressive during the nursing and
weaning stage, but do not usually settle into their unique personality
until around 3 months. |
| How sharp are a
hedgehog's
quills? |
A hedgehog's quills
are moderately sharp (regardless of anything you may have
read). If you've ever gotten a sand spur
(or sticker if you're
a southerner) stuck in your hand or foot, it is a similar experience ...in my
opinion. Yes, it's uncomfortable, but tolerable. When a hedgehog is social, they lay
their quills down and there is no
stick. When they do not want to be held, they will put them up and
it's like picking up a large bunch of sand spurs. |
| How do I pick up my
hedgehog
if he/she is grumpy? |
The majority of the
time, you can slip your fingers underneath a hedgehog's belly and lift
them straight up. If the hedgehog is being particularly stubborn, you may want to cushion your hands with
some of the bedding from the cage, this is provided that you are using pine shavings or paper bedding.
If you use cage liners, you may want to use a wash cloth to help ...
though the help is truly minimal. Persistence is key when bonding
with a stubborn hedgie. If they know that they can deter you from
picking them up, they will continue to display the behavior. If you
show them that you are going to pick them up anyway, they will eventually
get the idea and come around. This type of behavior is usually an
issue during quilling and frequently resolves itself once quilling is
over. |
| Do hedgehogs and
STOs bite? |
All animals can
bite. Hedgehogs and STOs are no exception. However, they rarely
do. If they smell something on you that they think may be edible,
they may decide to have a taste.
Hedgehogs: If your hedgehog starts licking, this is a
warning. Licking is almost always followed by a bite. We
recommend putting your hedgehog down and washing up with soap and
water. If he/she licks after hand-washing, move your hands, change the way you're holding them, do
whatever you need to do to deter the licking in order to avoid being
bitten. When hedgehogs bite, they do tend to hold on and not let go
immediately. For tender skin, such as with young children, this can
be painful and possibly break the skin.
STOs: For the most part, STOs rarely bite. They are
somewhat reluctant to open their mouths other than to eat. In the
event that they do bite, it is rarely out of aggression, rather they smell
something on you that they think is edible. Wash up and try
again. If bitten, the bite is typically no big deal as they do not
apply much pressure at all and do not tend to hold on. It's usually
just a quick nip and it's all over. |
| What do I do if my
hedgehog or STO bites me? |
If you are bitten,
DO NOT over-react or try to discipline the animal. They are not
aware that they did anything wrong and if you do anything that they could
perceive as "harm" they will react negatively and bite
again. Hedgehogs hold a
grudge ... forever. A bond can be broken over one
attempt at discipline. Downplay the whole incident and they will
realize that they didn't achieve anything and won't likely try it
again. If they persist and continue to bite, use an anti-bacterial
gel before handling. This will help to prevent any infections from
the bites and will also taste bad to the animal and may help to discourage
the behavior. |
|
Food
& Water
|
| What do hedgehogs
and STOs eat? |
Hedgehogs:
A varied diet of quality dry cat food (for
those with tooth problems, offer wet food),
live insects and some produce and other proteins. There are Hedgehog Foods available in some pet stores but they are usually
not nutritionally ideal for hedgehogs (and most hedgies will turn their
nose up at them). We use a mix of
2 quality dry cat foods with no artificial preservatives. Always offer live insects, never freeze-dried. The enzymes in live
insects are essential to digestion. We offer mealworms, crickets and
occasionally wax worms. Hedgehogs will typically accept melon, apple and certain other
produce but these are to be given in moderation to avoid diarrhea. Most hedgehogs will accept boiled egg, boiled chicken, some fish, some shell fish and plain unflavored yogurt. These should
also be offered in
moderation and with NO SEASONING.
STOs: Dry food for STOs includes dry cat food and dry mink
food. Mink food can be substituted with ferret food, just be sure to
monitor your STO for fur loss and fur quality to ensure that he/she is
receiving adequate nutrition. They also require LIVE insects as
mentioned above for hedgehogs. They can also have (in moderation)
boiled egg, boiled chicken w/no seasoning, and various produce. |
| Are insects
necessary? |
Yes,
absolutely! Hedgehogs and STOs cannot live a long and healthy life without
live insects in their diet. If not offered live insects, they will
eventually develop various nutrition-related health problems and this will shorten their
life by years. Hedgehogs and STOs that aren't offered insects will typically
only live 2-3 years. Hedgehogs that are fed a proper diet and
offered an exercise wheel can live 8 years or more.
STOs that are fed a proper diet and offered an exercise wheel can live up
to 6 years or more. |
| Are any
foods bad for hedgehogs or STOs? |
Yes.
We have a page containing information about foods that are not good for
hedgehog, STOs and most other animals. Click Here. |
| Water bottle or
water bowl? |
We choose to offer a
water bottle and all of our babies are weaned to one. If given
a water bowl, they will usually play in it or fill it full of bedding ... leaving them with no clean water. With an 8 - 16 oz. water bottle,
they will have a full day of clean water available to them. |
|
Health
& Hygiene
|
| What is
the proper temperature? |
Hedgehogs:
While
hedgehogs can survive at temperatures from 70F - 95F, the ideal
temperature range is 75F - 85F. If you
are unable to constantly provide these temperatures for a hedgehog, please
do not buy one. For more info, click here.
STOs: The ideal temperature
range for STOs is 70F-85F. They should not be allowed to drop below
70F for prolonged periods of time, nor above 85F for prolonged periods of
time. |
| Do
hedgehogs lose
their
quills? |
Yes. Hedgehogs
go through cycles of losing their baby quills. They should only lose
a few at a time and you should never see obvious bald spots. A bald
spot is a sign that there is a problem and that it's time for vet
attention.
NOTE: Take care to pick up all quills that have fallen
out. Trust me when I tell you that getting one of these stuck in
your foot is no fun. |
How do I give my
hedgehog a
bath?
and how often? |
Bathing should only
be done when necessary; when obviously soiled or smelly. Each bath
removes essential oils from their skin and can lead to dry skin issues if
bathed too often. Always use lukewarm water and run just enough to reach their belly.
Once the hedgie is comfortable with the water, you can raise the water
level until it is just high enough to force them to swim. Gently
stroking with an old tooth brush will remove any areas that do not wash
clean. Avoid soaps and detergents unless you have no other choice
and then use fragrance free and dye free only. And even fragrance
free, dye free shampoo should be used sparingly. |
| How do I trim my
hedgehog's
nails? |
We have found it
best to use regular (human) finger nail clippers to clip the hedgehog's
nails. It may take 2 people to accomplish the act. When laying
your hedgie on his/her back (provided that they do not ball up tightly)
you should be able to get to both back legs and quickly snip off the tip
of any over-grown nails. Typically, the nails are translucent enough
to see the vein; just snip below that point so that you don't nick the
vein. The nails on the front feet don't usually need trimming due to
their digging activity. |
| Do hedgehogs
or STOs require
shots? |
No.
Neither hedgehogs nor STOs require any kind of vaccination or immunization. |
| How will I know if
my
hedgehog or STO is sick? |
Hedgehogs and
STOs could develop a variety of illnesses. We strongly recommend that you take
your hedgehog to the vet if you suspect that there is a problem. Some of the signs that there could be a problem and it's time
to visit the
vet are:
 |
Mucus or dried mucus in the eyes and/or nose |
|
Extreme lethargy |
|
Sneezing or coughing sounds |
|
Very flaky or caked on skin on the ears |
|
Obvious
fur or quill loss |
|
Persistent diarrhea or green tarry stool |
|
Vomiting for more than 1 day |
|
Any bleeding from anywhere.
Hedgehogs &
STOs do not have a heat cycle
so any blood is an indication that there is a problem. |
|
| Is an exercise wheel
really
necessary? |
Yes. Hedgehogs
and STOs walk miles each night. In nature, they forage for their food and
walk to reduce anxiety when they are stressed. It is absolutely necessary for them to have a means of exercise while being confined to
a
cage. Even if he/she gets time out of their cage daily, they still
need the exercise wheel to get in those extra miles or to reduce their
stress level. |
|
Hedgehogs
and other animals |
What if I have other
animals
in my home? |
Our opinion ... no
direct exposure to other pets.
In addition to possibly transmitting parasites, exposing them (face
to face) with other animals could
stress out an already nervous hedgehog. If you have a hedgehog that is
very social and outgoing, a quick introduction might be OK but at the
first sign of nervousness, they should be separated as it
"could" lead to stress related health issues or possibly change
the personality of the hedgehog in a negative way if the owner continues
to allow the contact.
The current occupants of our home
include:
Humans - 2 adults, 1 child (11 y/o)
Dogs - 2 dachshunds, 2 bassets
Goats - 2 African pygmies
Bird - 1 sun conure
Ferret - 1 spoiled rotten
Cat - 1 spoiled rotten
Our hedgehogs aren't bothered by any of our animals, but do not have
direct contact any of them. Our dogs and cat go outside daily and we
feel that it just isn't worth the risk of our hedgies picking anything up
from any of our other pets.
Our hedgehogs don't seem to be bothered by our dogs barking, however, we
do try deter continuous barking.
In short ... can hedgehogs live in the same home with other animals?
Yes :o) |
|
Pricing
/ Color |
| How much do
hedgehogs & STOs cost? |
All
hedgehogs and STOs that are "Available" will have a price posted.
Our hedgehogs are
priced based on age, temperament, color
and gender. STOs are based on age and gender. |
| Why do
some hedgehog colors cost more? |
Some
colors, patterns or facial patterns are more expensive because they are
not common and are in higher demand; such as black, leucistic, split-face
and raccoon masked. |
| Why do licensed
breeders
charge more than other breeders? or people on Craigslist? |
The
short answer is, expense. Licensed breeders have expenses such as:
|
Routine veterinary care |
|
Annual veterinary inspections |
|
Licensing |
|
Permits to sell legally |
|
Taxes |
|
Caring for the herd with
the highest standards |
Unlicensed breeders do not
answer to anyone and cannot be held accountable if they sell an
unhealthy animal. There are unlicensed breeders who are not breeding
for the betterment of the species, refuse to seek medical attention for
ill/injured animals and will sell them when they
have outlived their usefulness.
If an unlicensed breeder owns more than 3 females OR earns more than $500
in a single year, they are operating illegally by not being licensed.
Many of the people placing
classified/Craigslist ads are trying to sell animals
that they purchased that:
|
Are grumpy and the
buyer doesn't want to deal with it. Never properly
socialized. |
|
Are ill and they do not
want to take it to the vet. |
|
Has passed from person
to person and little or no info. is known about it. |
Now...
those hedgehogs need
homes too and we are always willing to take in rescues. However, we
will not offer money for taking in a rescue because
the first thing we have to do is take it to the vet. We are
instantly out of pocket with rescues and if they turn out to have a
life-threatening illness, we are unable to adopt them out to
recover our expenses. This is something that the average buyer
should consider when shopping the classifieds for a pet. |
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More to come. We will be adding to this page as more questions are
asked.
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