Reggie The Hedgie

I am currently looking after my friends African Pygmy Hedgehog whilst they are on holiday in Austria.
Reggie is one year old and it's my first experience of looking after a Hedgehog but what an experience it is. I picked Reggie up on Friday after work and we are getting to know each other quite well.
He is currently in my bedroom with the heating on, they like it hot otherwise they will try to attempt to hibernate and domestic hedgehogs don't hibernate and it can be dangerous for them.
He comes out in the evening, the later the better as he is more awake, and he goes into an open top pen with his flower pot and food and water. He loves his flower pot and it can be difficult getting him out, not because of his spines just because he loves it so much, his great game is to wait for you to call him and then he puts his nose through the hole at the bottom of the pot.
He is very easy to handle and loves walking from hand to hand and does give you little licks, he doesn't bite. When you first pick him up he makes a kind of huffing noise and bristles up, it's a natural instinct to them to protect themselves from predators but once in your hands, he's like putty.
I will get some photos of him whilst he is here but at the moment we are becoming friends and I don't want to scare him with the flash, so for now heres a link to some info on them and a cute little picture that looks very similar to Reggie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesticated_hedgehog

P.s. I am getting used to Reggie using his wheel at night......usually about 2 - 3 AM.....they can walk 5 miles per night in their wheel.......I think Reggie does
littlewid-x-

Reggie sounds adorable Littlewid - not sure about the 5 mile walk at 2.00am though rather like when I had a hampster when I was a child and it kept me awake all night

Really looking forward to some photos once Reggie is settled, hoping the other furries are okay with Reggie and not eyeing him up.

Lai

Glad Reggie is setteling in OK LW, I'm sure he'll soon feel at home. I have the same problem as Reggie, I walk about 5 Miles a night, Mrs S reckons it's to do with the Boddys but I'm not so sure
WS

Awww, I bet Reggie is adorable :) can't wait to see some pictures of him. Not sure about the 2am wake up call though.

Well i've spent a good part of the evening giving Reggie a little wash.....his feet can get a wee bit whiffy as he seems to think his wheel is a litter box as well as for exercise , so he has been sprussed up and his house has had it's daily clean. He has been playing in his pen and I have managed to get some photo's but true to form with animals.......no nose through the flower pot as yet.....will keep trying....I think he new what I was trying to get him to do and tonight we failed
Heres a few pics for starters though of the little fellow.

Looking for an escape route out of the pen


Maybe I need to look a little higher


Maybe I need to go this way


Lets try under here


Ok wheres my flower pot then......under here maybe


Yahoooo found my favourite flower pot


Too much excitement for one night....I need my bed


Reggies travel pad.......his luxury pad has been left behind......far too big for my car but he is very happy in here, as long as he has his wheel, food and water and litter box Reggie is cool


littlewid-x-

Isn't Reggie just so sweet great to see some photos of him. Thanks for sharing Littlewid.

Lai

Aww what a little cutie. Thank you for sharing the photos with us

He is fantastically cute LW. Is it a lot to look after a Pygmy hedgehog??

SM

Well it was a sad evening yesterday......I had to take Reggie back to his owners they very returned home from Austria so I reluctantly had to take him back. Reggie pleaded along with me for him to stay but they were having none of it.....the best we got was a promise to let him come and stay again
I really miss the little fellow, he has been such fun and so friendly. Mind you, we never got the photo of his nose through the flowerpot but in the end I think that was my fault.......too busy playing with him but he will return so I will get a pic of him doing it.

In answer to your question SM they are easy to look after as long as you really want one. They have to be cleaned out every day and also their wheel......I mentioned the P & P in that earlier . They also need to have the contact to remain friendly and happy with you. In the end reggie and I became such good friends I was able to hand feed him which was so cool to do. They need to be warm to stop them hibernating as that is dangerous for them, so the heating needs to be on or you will need a safe heating system for the home in the winter. Feeding them is easy as you can get Hedgehog food, soft and peletts and they do like some of the cat food meats. They also eat meal worms etc and dried bananas. You have to be careful about their bedding so they dont eat it or choke on it.
If you work all day they are ideal as they are asleep and you can have fun with them later in the evening.
They are also not stupid, Reggie new his name and always responded to being called.
I would love to have one.......so watch this space and also for the return of Reggie for his next holiday

littlewid-x-

Its a shame when they have to go back LW. We feel the same when Harry has been to stay when he sends his owners on respite , but like you they have said he can come back when they are away again

WS