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Topic Review (Newest First)
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| 01-12-2012 06:44 PM | |
| panda |
Re: Doing our Research! Sounds like a great gift for your daughter.. such a cute idea how you wrapped it up! As far as pet stores go, some people here are strongly against it, especially the big corporations... but I bought Norma from a local family owned pet store & she is healthy as a whistle & has been such a great pet. I will admit that the setup they had for the hedgies wasnt ideal, but i know they personally own hedgehogs themselves & i also handled her prior to purchasing her & she didnt show any signs that would be a concern. I have yet to find any animal being housed in the perfect enclosure at a store, whether it be a dog or exotic pet, the two things when judging store enclosures that really matter are cleanliness and constant access to food and water... if the quality of either is lacking then i would be hesitant. Buying from a store is something you just have to weigh the risks on. If you decide to do so, make sure you handle the animal prior to purchasing to look for signs of underlying health issues such as clear & clean eyes & nostrils, healthy skin, ect, also looking at the color & texture of the stool if there is any in the enclosure can give you clues to the health of the animals... ask about their policies just in case something does end up being wrong once you get your hedgie home, & see how much information they can give you, if any, about the breeder, any vet examinations & when the hedgie was born. I hope I was helpful, if you want to ask me anything about the store I got Norma from or anything like that please let me know! & Good luck finding your hedgie! |
| 01-12-2012 03:44 AM | |
| moxieberry |
Re: Doing our Research! You have the bad luck of being close to the border of a state where hedgehogs are illegal, which definitely makes things difficult! If you don't want to make the drive, you could consider the option of having a baby shipped to you - some breeders will do this and some won't. I imagine the cost of shipping vs. gas for the drive would more or less even out, and it would be a lot better for the hedgehog to get picked up and then have a nice long nap on the ride home with you. You could also look around on craigslist to watch for anyone rehoming a hedgehog, if you're willing to take an adult. Depending on who the closest breeder is to you, there might be the possibility of them driving to meet you halfway (with you reimbursing the travel/time cost appropriately) - it couldn't hurt to ask! Good luck. :] |
| 01-11-2012 08:36 PM | |
| Dadofthree |
Re: Doing our Research! Hello to everyone again! I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday. Just wanted to update everyone were we are at with our hedgie. Sadly we still have not added one to our family as of yet. Yet being the keyword  .My daughter received all the necessary items for Christmas for her hedgie. Cage, Carolina wheel, heat lights, etc, etc. Thanks to Hedgehog Central and all of you for posting the amazon links to everything I needed to order in the housing forum. That made things easy. Also placed our order for the custom hedgie bag and blanket from Nikki at Quills and things. They should be here by next week. We did the cage all up nice and placed a small stuffed hedgie toy on the wheel and wrapped everything for Christmas. She loves it all. So the research is done, housing and all equipment is ready. Now to pick our hedgie and pay a deposit  . But I'm wondering does anyone know or recommend a breeder that is closer to us then 4 hours away. That is a long ways to drive out and back. We really do not wish to purchase from a pet store but have located one about 1.5 hours away that sells hedgies. What are members thoughts about buying from a petstore? We are located in New York, zipcode 13905. tried google but only come with up tons of sell ads.We would like to get one soon because our daughter has been so good taking her time doing research as you can tell by the dates on our posts and getting everything prior to purchasing a hedgie. Thanks for any insight or help you can offer. |
| 08-10-2011 09:12 PM | |
| Dadofthree |
Re: Doing our Research! Thank you all for the comments and advice you have given. We believe we are just going to continue with the research and then move forward with purchasing a hedgie from a breeder. We see no reason why things wouldn't work out with our family. Off to read and research further... Thank you all... |
| 08-10-2011 08:38 PM | |
| shortnerdy |
Re: Doing our Research! Welcome to HHC! Glad you found us! I wish I found HHC before getting Sheldon. So much advice and kind people here. Here my 2 cents. Sheldon is my first Hedgie and a rescue. Because his old owner took very poor care of him he isn't very trusting. But slowly making progress. If you go with an older Hedgie check his current treatment. If he was neglected like mine was, he is going to take a lot more work. Also I can tell you first hand about vet costs. Do your reasearch on the vets reputation before you go. I want to a vet in my city and the guy was an idiot and couldn't help Sheldon and chagred me over 300$!! I then took him to a recommended vet from here and was only charged 230$ and she actually helped him  Research the crickets out of your potential vet is my best advice.I think what your wife and you are doing is not only responsible but also awesome. More parents should be like you and research the pets. I've seen far to many parents just buy the animal and not know how to care for it and it gets neglected. Kudos, you guys are awesome! I can't wait to see pix! *Also: this forum has one more source that is invaluable: friends. The support I've received personally from these people during Sheldons Illness, bad vets and tears has been astronomical. They are supportive, intelligent and. Trustworthy. *nytime you have a Hedgie question or concern, ask. Someone will always be there. Again welcome and best of luck finding a local breeder Meg |
| 08-09-2011 08:51 AM | |
| PJM |
Re: Doing our Research! It was the same with me. I had done all the research & knew a hedgie would work for us. The only thing holding me back was my hubbys asthma. That's why we couldn't have any other pets. I started buying my supplies & when we went to visit a friend in Dallas, I discovered there was a breeder there. I put the travel case in the car, just in case. We stopped by the breeders store, just to see them & she how hubby reacted. However, she had cats & the place kind of stank a little. So, we still didn't know how hubby would react to them. But once she put little Cholla in my hand, both hubby & I knew that he was ccoming home with us. How would you feel about getting some supplies & just not unpacking them & keeping the receipts? Since we were out of town, Cholla spent 2 days in our friends bathtub. |
| 08-08-2011 11:50 PM | |
| panda |
Re: Doing our Research! i had never handled a hedgehog before Norma either. another possible way to meet hedgehogs.. look for possible reptile expos near your area or other fairs ect... just last weekend in my area there was a fair where they had hedgehogs on show and also a reptile expo, at expos they dont just have reptiles but also other exotics including hedgies. unfortunately i missed both because they landed on the same day and my fiance decided to get ill that day as well  so i was at home trying to help him get better lol.. fortunately he is all better now and we plan on going to another expo planned for the end of this month.
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| 08-08-2011 11:26 PM | |
| Rainy |
Re: Doing our Research! Have you tried asking your vet if they treat any hedgehogs. I know a lot of hedgie owners that are willing to educate. Maybe if you give your vet your information, he/she will pass it on to a hedgie owner and you could meet a hedgehog that way. I can't think of another way you could meet one without going to the breeder. Have you looked at petting zoos or other zoos in your area? If they won't let you touch one, they might know about a rescue organization that may be closer than the three hour trip. Just some thoughts. There is a "mom and pop" pet shop near me and they have hedgehogs. I stopped in purely out of curiosity, but then fell in love with Harvey and went home with him three weeks later. |
| 08-08-2011 10:57 PM | |
| Alastrina |
Re: Doing our Research! I have to admit to the same thing, only when I saw my first hedgie Charley for the first time in the pet store I had never seen a hedgehog before nor given any thought to having one as a pet. My husband's excitement was infectious, and the first time I saw his little face it was love pure and simple. With you and your family being so informed and prepared you are sure to be able to provide a safe and loving home to a hedgie and your future ball of quills will be lucky to have you for a family!
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| 08-08-2011 10:11 PM | |
| ReginasMommy |
Re: Doing our Research! Me too! I'd never seen one in real life until I showed up to pick up Regina! But it was all worth it! |
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