#african pygmy hedgehog

[beardedmrbean]

Those thistles have legs

[drscruffydog]

Who gave him the authority to be this cute???

[queen-of-the-grapefruits]

Hey everyone, I usually don't like to ask for help, but I had to take my hedgehog to the emergency vet this morning, and I don't currently have the money to pay for it or any procedures he may need, please help me save my hedgehog. Please share this with more people as well.

Help Save Gus The HedgeHog

[mustelavison]

hogs aplenty

[morgansram]

African Pygmy Hedgehog Skeleton

[regularbeans]

Need help with my hedgehog's vet expenses 🦔💕 (~180 euros)

Long story short, my hedgehog Charlie developed a lump on his chin that might be cancerous. As I'm waiting for the cytology results I need help covering his expenses (past and possibly future). PLEASE REBLOG IF YOU CAN, any help is appreciated ♥

(VET BILL ATTACHED FURTHER DOWN)

>> ⭐ Official Fundraiser ⭐<< OR my paypal is bori.feher193@gmail.com OR my revolut is @ borblayc1

(Here's some of my socials to prove that I'm a real human being I guess?)

Here he is, sleeping on my chest to tug at your heartstrings.

Charlie is 2 years old and along with my other hedgie, Griffin, they mean the world to me ♥

Longer story long, I feel ashamed that I need help with money. I would never be so irresponsible to get a pet whose care I can't afford. I usually do have money.

Unfortunately these past few months a few issues came up that made me strapped for cash, chief of them my mum retiring in July but not receiving her pension yet nor her 40-year bonus, so we're living on my salary only.

Also my mum's eyesight got so bad these last few months (minus 12 on one eye, the other's just shapes and shadows) that she needed to get two expensive pairs of glasses, which I also paid for, emptying my emergency funds that I have not touched in five years.

But I want to give Charlie the chance to get better if it's possible. For now they took an x-ray, took a tissue sample, and gave me some anti-inflammation meds while we wait on the results. Some signs indicate it can just be an inflammation, others indicate it can be a tumor.

If it's a tumor and it's operable, if it's possible to find a specialist that does such this kind of surgery, it will definitely be expensive but if I'll do everything I can to find a way to try it if it means Charlie can survive and live a good hedgie life. If that's not a possibility, I'll let him go. But I need to fight if we can.

He's hiiiigh af x) My poor baby <3 the vet and the vet tech were so enamored by him. They loved his name, they loved that he's black and white, the tech said "I've never seen a hedgehog you can pet!", they took a picture of him x") Of course everyone's in love with him, Charlie is the loveliest little angel ♥

Here's a picture of Griffin too so he doesn't feel left out. He's a big ol' sea urchin x)

[niallthebadboi]

Really missing my spiky boy today, he was an absolutely jackass of a hedgehog but he was mine💔

[johnhogandlittlemartin]

When you're just chilling but you remember something embarrassing from when you were a child

[xxlionheartxx]

Cedar is always happy to help in the garden 💕

[hedgehogs84]

On Sunday 23rd July 2023 I got a new hedgehog I called him konker he is so tiny he only weighs 241g bless him he is nearly 13 weeks old now. He was born on 27th April 2023. It nice to have a prickly friend again xxxx

[drscruffydog]

Happy Halloween! 🎃🌵

[queen-of-the-grapefruits]

Grief is weird. It's been 3 days since my hedgehog died. It feels like I should be a lot more sad, meaning I should be sad more often. It should be all i can focus on. It's not though I've been ok... I've been sad often. Everything will be normal, and then something will remind me of him. It's the little things that really get me. I don't have an all consuming sad, I have a lot of little sad spread out.

I can use a fan or open my window now. I hate that I can open my window if I want. I couldn't before because he needed it to be a certain temperature, or he would hibernate and die.

I can have the lights on all night now. I don't need to hook up fairy lights to the light switch. I've walked out of my room almost in tears because the light was on, and I knew that it didn't matter. I couldn't have the light on before. Hedgehogs are nocturnal they need 12 hours of night and day, or they will try to hibernate

His cage is set on a timer. Lights on at 8 am, off at 8 pm. Heat lamp keeping it at 76ish degrees. I haven't been able to turn of the power strip it's all plugged into, or unplug any of it. I know that if I turn it off it means he's never coming back...

And I know he's never coming back, but grief is weird, and I can't do it. I can make dark jokes and I can use the grief for writing inspiration but I can't deal with the fact that he's gone. That I'll never hear him again. Hear him drinking or eating, running on his wheel.

[glogobaba]

Mochi, my baby hedgie. 🦔

[bulafinch]

I was all set to have one of these miniature hedgehogs in my future ..

Until I read this from the RSPCA:

"Here's why we can't fairly recommend keeping African pygmy hedgehogs as pets:

The African pygmy hedgehog is a wild animal and compared to other domestic pets, caring for them is very difficult.

African pygmy hedgehogs are naturally nocturnal and so must be left alone during the daytime."

.. there was more to be said.

[dramatic-shitpost-poet]

African Pygmy Hedgehog

Enclosure:

House alone

Minimum enclosure size should be 16 x 24 x 12 in, but more space is better

The bottom of their enclosure should have good padding, no wires or hard plastic 

Makes sure fresh water and a clean water bottle is available 24/7

Substrates can be paper towels, puppy pads, aspen bedding, or recycled paper. It should be 2 inches deep at least

Ideal temperature for them is 65-80 degrees F

They need a place to hide such as PVC pipe or cave or cardboard box (replace every 2 weeks)

They need enrichment and exercise too, so let them have a safe “hedgehog wheel” for them to play on along with little scraps that are safe to chew on, toys, wood, etc.

You can litter train them, so keep a small litter pan in their enclosure that they can get in and out of easily. You should fill it up dust free kitty litter and treat it just like a cat’s litter box. It may take time for them to be litter trained, so be patient.

Spot clean daily and completely change every 2 weeks

Diet/Feeding habits:

Insectivores with a commercial hedgehog diet making up a good portion of their diet (2-3 teaspoons)

They also need vegetables and fruits can be a treat. Serve each meal of pellets with 1-2 teaspoons of chopped vegetables

You can let them have 3-4 mealworms/crickets or an earthworm with their meal

Feeding them in the evening will help because they’re nocturnal

Feed them daily or once every other day if they are obese

Age identification:

Most live to about 5 years old

Maturity is reached at around 6-11 months old

Physical traits:

Poor eyesight, but strong motion detection and scent detection 

They have over 5,000 spikes on their body 

They begin shedding or quilling their spikes at 2-6 months old and might curl into a ball a lot while doing this. Quilling takes a month usually.

They are shades of white, brown, and sometimes black in color with black eyes most times and long noses

They have small, sometimes with no fur, legs and claws.

Adults size is 5-8 inches long with round, chubby bodies

Personality:

Nocturnal 

Some prefer to be alone while others love human interaction, so socialize the hedgehog early

They startle easily, so move slow and be patient

They chirp, whistle, and purr if they are relaxed and happy

If their spikes are flat then they are relaxed

Snorting, hissing, and clicking sounds mean they are frightened or angry

They will also ball up and flex their spikes if threatened and if the spikes on their head are erect it means they’re cautious

They may hiss or be extra cautious during their quilling time, just be patient

If they lick (or have frothy drool on) something nonstop for a few minutes to an hour then groom themselves, this is called “Anting”. They do this when something new is in their environment and they want to get used to it

Health concerns:

They might get their toes caught in wires or hurt themselves, so keep that in mind while choosing an enclosure

Obesity is common and feeding them less to help with it. They may have foot sores, depression, and lethargy if they cannot exercise enough. 

Wobbly hedgehog syndrome (WHS) is when the hedgehog has partial or full paralysis  and you need to see a vet

Mouth infections (cleaner environment and see a vet)

Mites and other parasites (see a vet)

Foot infections might happen if they injure their feet and get untreated infections. Bad enclosure padding usually causes this and it can be helped with a foot soak for them.

Spaying and nurturing is suggested to avoid tumors and cancers

Handling:

Move slow and be patient as they startle easily

Wash hands before and after handling

You can handle them while they are quilling, but be extra patient

Younger ones are easier to tame, so handle them everyday for 20 minutes and make sure they feel safe

If they feel safe they will crawl into your hands, take treats from you, and snuggle

They don’t typically like their heads pet and will curl up

can Pygmy Hedgehog