Honestly, I got into hedgehogs because they’re freaking adorable. I love their little faces, their bulgy eyes and their little feet. When I actually did some research, I found that they would compliment my lifestyle well. When I got Hemi, my first hedgehog, I was a high school student and spent the majority of the day at school or work. A nocturnal animal sounded perfect for that routine – they’d be sleeping the entire time I was away, and would just be waking up when I got home.
In addition to the reason above, I was lonely. My dog had just died, and I’d never been without a pet of my own. I was really out of place with nothing to take care of. Since my dad was adamant about no dogs (heh, that worked well), I started looking into pocket pets. Hedgehogs won out when compared to sugar gliders, chinchillas and ferrets simply because their level of care seemed better suited to me.
I’ve owned hedgehogs since May 2005, and currently own three. Hemi passed away in April 2007, and I still miss her. She introduced me to this wonderful world of hedgehog obsession, and she was the perfect hedgehog to do it. She was unflappable, and nothing ever bothered her. She was calm, gentle and friendly… and she led me to Cuda. After Cuda, Vette came home and subsequently moved in with my boyfriend. When he moved to Edmonton for school, she came with him and I took over primary care. After Hemi’s death, Kismet came home and she has a nearly identical personality to Hemi. I firmly believe that Hemi had a paw in leading me to Kismet, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
Interesting trivia: My dog died on May 3, 2005. Hemi came home on May 23. Hemi died on April 3, 2007 (exactly 23 months after Buster died) and Kismet came home on the 2 year anniversary of Buster’s death.