#introduceyourpet Porkchop the Hedgehog

It’s birthday season around here. This little guy just turned one year old.

Hedgehogs are a bit on the exotic side of the household pet spectrum. They’re similar in size to a guinea pig and covered in prickly quills. They can roll themselves in a ball when threatened or cranky. Personalities vary, but they’re known for being pretty independent and chill.

this is when we first brought the little guy home

Hedgehogs require a warm habitat and steady temperature. We use a couple of heat lamps over the guinea pig cage where Porkchop sleeps. He eats mostly cat food, but he likes unseasoned meat and mealworms too. They’re nocturnal, so he spends most of the night running on his oversized rodent wheel, tugging on chew toys and burrowing under fleece blankets.

You can’t expect a hedgehog to act like a cat or dog. They’re not going to do tricks for you or go for walks or anything. Bonding is important and they like to snuggle to keep warm. They’ll cuddle up into sweaters and fleece “snuggle sacks”.

In the evenings he'll hang out with us in a play pen, running around and eating treats. The fur siblings are amused.

Exotic animals of any kind are not the most affordable. When my daughter decided she wanted one, she prepared a cost breakdown including ongoing maintenance and care. She’s a chip off the ‘ol block. :)

You can save money by building a cage and sewing fleece accessories yourself. Exotic vet bills can be costly and need to be planned accordingly.