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BlackDrappa Fuzzy Wuzzy    NY, USA 1876 Posts valkyriemome Goofy Gorillatoes USA 3479 Posts They don't "need" annual vet checks. I got mine checked when I first got them, and haven't since. They can get the same things as gliders - parasites or mites, mostly. But you can pretty much tell when they are sick. One of mine never raises her quills, so petting her is almost soft. She likes her forehead rubbed. The other does, and she can be spikey to handle. Irritating, but not really painful. They *can* become painful if they are feeling very defensive. Bob just kinda is wary, and not truly defensive. They can bite, and some can be quite aggressive. But, again, a good breeder will be handling their hoglets and breeding against aggressive traits. They make a stress sound. It sounds like a car that won't turn over - it is their version of "crabbing." It is almost a cute sound, but not so much, because it means the hog is distressed. Some love swimming, some don't. But they need regular baths. Running literally makes them poop. Since they need a solid surface running wheel, they end up running in their poop. When the poop dries on their feet, their feet can become caked, and it can become really irritating for them. So, they need their feet soaked in warm water at least once a week. Then a full bath about once a month. I usually use oatmeal shampoo on them, and gently wipe them with a soft toothbrush. My sister had a hog who wasn't very socialized and she declared they are "the most boring pet ever." But she didn't do much research, honestly. I don't find mine boring at all. They are always up for attention, but don't seem to require it, like gliders, so hedgehogs are more flexible as to their attention needs. You can carry them in a bonding pouch, like gliders. I like to take mine to the park in the summer. They seem to enjoy snuffling in the grass. Bob LOVES her meal worms, Carrot doesn't like them. Bob will actually bite trying to get mealworms from me. Kinda like gliders - she smells the worm and bites indiscriminately. They can't climb, so their housing is really easy. A large Rubbermaid-type bin, without the lid, if the sides are about a foot high or more. Bedding- I haven't found one I like yet. I've tried just using fleece. I've tried "Yesterday's News." Now I'm using Aspen, and I don't like that, either. They LOVE toilet paper roll tubes. And balls with bells. And I have a little stuffed animal with a bell in it they like to toss around. They drink A LOT more water than gliders, so you really have to check their water bottle. Two is better- because they tend to knock things up against the water bottle which makes it drain out. :/ They eat a good-quality (but not "high quality" - they actually need some fillers) cat food, plus some veggies. And their bugs. Fruit isn't good for them. What else? valkyriemome Goofy Gorillatoes USA 3479 Posts They have problems if they get too fat, too. They don't self-regulate, so you have to really monitor their food intake. They can have strokes. They are very subject to hypothermia, and will try to hibernate if they get too cold - which will kill them. They actually need the room to stay at the warmer end of the glider "range." They do have problems, of course. No pet is problem-free! Just like ferrets are prone to cancers, and certain breeds of dogs are prone to hip-dysplasia, or other conditions, hedgehogs have their little set of potential problems. I notice that Exotic Nutrition sells the Wodent for hogs. I wouldn't recommend that. They can get too large to go through the holes. Mine have an open-front bucket-type wheel. They had the saucer wheel http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/attachments/domestic-exotics-classifieds/12165d1274901690-3-x-large-12-flying-ppets-3766196t400.jpg
but didn't like it as much. Their nails need to be clipped fairly frequently - I forgot to mention that. Grace Face Hugger 428 Posts Get a rat! Rats are wonderful pets! They're like small dogs that sit on your shoulder and love to run around. Despite their horrible past, a rat is the best pet I've had so far. I love my gliders and all, but rats take a lot less time to get to love you, and they really show their effection. They love to lick and groom their owners, and my girls loved to fall asleep in my hand. They do chew, but not as much as one thinks. They love running on wheels, and are best when kept in pairs for company, however one rat will suffice if you take it out often. For my girls, I had them in the rat manor from petco that was about 100 bucks. It's 3 story, easy to clean, and pretty large. OH, their food can be purchased at a regular grocery store. Pet stores try to sell rat food that contains corn in it, but corn can have parasites and causes stomach cancer in rats. If you look online, they have a lot of awesome diets out there. The sad part, is that rats live about 2-3 years, 4 if you get lucky. All rats, unless born in a lab, will have a respiratory disorder where they will sneeze a good bit, and red porphyrn will leak from their eyes and nose. It's not much to worry about, but many people will put their rats on antibiotics to help reduce the symptoms. I just bought echinacea in liquid form and gave them each a drop at night to help reduce the symptoms. Their tail isn't that gross either, though most people have issues with it. They're super clean also, and smell very little.
Grace Face Hugger 428 Posts Yea, labs really only use rats because of their short life span, their ability to breed quickly, and the fact that their chemical composition is similar to ours in a few ways. Their lifespan is the downside of rats though... if it wasn't for that, I would get tons of them. I actually had an incident where my rats, Tesla(cream and white dumbo with red eyes) and Persephone(petsmart black and white regular) got loose because I forgot to close their cage door all the way. I went to go watch tv in another room, and was in that room for about an hour. All was fine, until I heard tiny, faint, padding sounds that sounded like something hitting the carpet. Well, I looked down on the floor, and Tesla was running as fast as her legs would carry her across the room. I jumped off of the bed I was on, and lunged for her. She froze, and squeaked with disappointment that I had finally caught her since she had been free for about an hour. I brought her back to my room, hoping that Seph was still in her cage and hadn't got loose, but the moment I entered my room, it looked like a tornado had gone through. A potted plant on my bedside table was knocked over, and dirt was everywhere. I inspected Tes, and yes, she had dirt all over her mouth. She didn't even look a little bit guilty. Since they had a fear of falling off my bed when they were on it, I placed Tes on the bed, and went looking for Seph upon discovering that she was indeed not in her cage. I looked everywhere. I ran around frantically for 30 minutes, looking under the fridge (Tes's favorite spot when she got out), in the laundry room, in the bathroom, under beds, everywhere. I felt all hope was lost, and that my baby was gone forever... somewhere under the house where she would live as a street rat. I went back to my bedroom to grab Tes off the bed and put her in the cage. As soon as I walked up to the bed, she poked her head out from my blanket, and ran up to the edge of the bed, just asking to be picked up and loved. I cuddled her before I walked to the cage and put her away. That was when I noticed it. Something in my blankets was moving. I heard sneezing. Relief flooded through my every vein as I lifted up the blanket, and saw Seph curled up in a ball. She had managed to make herself a little bed while she was out, and out of all of the places she could have gone, she choose my bed. Her spot was warm, like she had been sleeping there at least an hour and a half. I picked her up and kissed her all over, all the while she kept lifting up her hand in my face as if to say "no more kisses!" I will always remember that day. Especially because I kept finding small things with a bite taken out of it many weeks afterwards.
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We also have to figure out where we would put them though....if we got them. 