Hedgehogs- How is bonding with them? How serious is the hibernation issue? How sociable can they be, will they nap on your lap while watching t.v. for example? Is their life span really only4-5 years?
Suger Gliders- I know thier noisier than hedgies, but is it noisey enough to be a real bother to my roomates? I've heard it is not wise to only get one suger glider as it can depress them (unlike hedgies who are rumored to be perfectly fine as solitary animals) and lead to a premature and unexpected death, is this true?
Thank you for your answersGetting a New Pet, need advice, Sugar Glider or Hedgehog?
hedgehogs- like any pet it takes time and patience to build a strong relationship, they are nocturnal (or however you spell it). If you have a good relationship with it and it trusts you, then it will most likely sleep in your lap, they tipically dont live any longer than 6 years.
sugar gliders- yes! they bark at night(not every night), its as loud as a new puppy barking, and you can't trane them to stop. Its best to have at least 2 sugar gliders, unless you plan on spending a lot of time with them (as much as a dog). if they dont have enough contact they can become depresses and possibly die. Keep in mind they are very expensive and have a very strict diet of fresh fruit daily and protien (mealworms, almonds, etc). They can also take weeks to months for them to fully bond with you. They also live from 12 to 15 9if properly taken care of).
Hope that helped, I have had both, and though sugar gliders are better company, hedgehogs are much easier to take care of and cheaper. So if you dont have a lot of time or money to spend on them, then I would suggest the hedgehogGetting a New Pet, need advice, Sugar Glider or Hedgehog?
I don't pretend to be an expert on either animal, but I know sugar gliders are very difficult to take care of, at least in the beginning. They need constant attention or they won't bond with you. Improper handling and lack of information is actually one of the most common causes of death in the little guys.
Reijn may have had european hedgies. The african pygmy hedgehog is the one most often kept as a pet in the states. African hedgies die if they go into hibernation.
Hibernation is prevented by keeping the hedgie at a safe ambient temperature of at least 70 degrees year round. Carefully monitored heat lamps can be used for this, or the entire room can be kept at that temperature.
Check nearby veterinarians to make sure they accept exotics. You'll need one as hedgies are prone to skin infections. Oh, and you should do some online research on Fatty Liver Disease and Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome if you decide a hedgie is the way to go. Both are fairly common, and eventually fatal. It's good to be prepared,anyway.
Most hedgies are easily litter trained, but once they get on their wheel they forget the box and make quite a mess. I had to get up early to spot clean my little girl, her wheel, and her cage every day. You might have to get a wheel online, or make one. Usually pet stores don't sell them that big. You'll have to research what to feed her, too. A lot of what is sold as hedgie food isn't good for them, and many contain harmful ingredients.
They are shy, but can bond closely with you with patience. Have a quiet place to keep her if things get to rowdy in the house. And please have a back up plan in case he/she needs to be rehoused. You'll fall in love and never want to part...
Hediges:
bonding is great. Just let them sit in your lap every night, and they will love you forever. They can be sociable. I have let them out and run around...they've followed me around the apartment and such too. Yes, they will nap on your lap while watching TV. My mom would do that when I was living in the dorms and my hedgie had to live at home. Hibernation is dependent on winter temperatures. Take for example, I live in an area that snows so my hedgies really did hibernate all winter long, but when they traveled down to warmer winter weather (houston, texas) they would not hibernate. I liked the hibernation time because it meant that for 4-5 months I had a sleeping and mostly inactive pet! VERY little upkeep time. It was awesome, especially when you're a college student and you have to worry about finals. Hedgies' life span ranges from 4-7 years. It is all dependent on their health. Hedgies are more solitary animals than Sugar Gliders.
Hedgies can be litter trained too! I always added Bi-Odor to their water and put smell capturing crystals at the bottom of the cage underneath the bedding to help with smell. I almost eliminated smell completely.
I will also tell you from my friend's Sugar Gliders that they had more issues taking care of them and vet bills because they are so finicky creatures. They ended up keeping them for about two years...and they ended up putting them down for various reasons. They both said that Sugar Gliders are difficult creatures to take care of while in college...they did not have enough time. (nursing major and architecture major, both in marching band)
Good luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment