Is this the cutest pet in Britain?
Her nose is soft, cold and wet and constantly sniffing around. She has a massive tongue and likes licking things, both herself and whoever’s holding her. Her little white belly is very, very soft, and she loves to be fussed over, though she will huff a bit if you disturb her sleep.
This adorable creature is Hoglet, she’s a two-year-old African pygmy hedgehog and the pet of the moment – though she needs proper care. Hoglet lives with Holly Barnett, 26, a senior public relations executive, and her partner Paul Smith, 30, a civil servant, in southeast London.
‘As we live in a first-floor flat we are unable to have a cat and we’re both out during the day, so we can’t have a dog either,’ explains Holly.
‘I stumbled across pygmy hedgehogs on the internet, and after doing some research about how to look after them properly, I decided one would be a good option for us.
‘I got her from a specialist breeder based in the UK, who told us she’s a girl. Pygmy hedgehogs are often referred to as ‘’hoglets’’ so this was actually supposed to be a temporary name while we thought of a proper one for her, but it stuck. We think that she is very pretty.’
Indeed, she is a little cutie. Hoglet is around 15cm long and weighs just 250g. ‘She just about fits on one hand, although when we first got her she was about the size of one of my fingers,’ says Holly.
She mainly eats dry cat food, although Holly occasionally gives her bits of fruit and veg and cooked chicken. ‘Her favourite food is mealworms, which she absolutely loves but we have to ration them because they’re very fattening.’
She gets plenty of exercise though, and runs on her wheel for hours every night – ‘She is surprisingly quick when she wants to be,’ says Holly.
Hoglet’s home is a large cage, with a running wheel and a little bed area. ‘We make sure we take her out and play with her as much as possible. We’ll always have her out when we are watching TV and she particularly loves curling up on Paul’s shoulder.
‘We don’t have to monitor her too much as she’s very predictable as to where she heads – somewhere to nest. I’ve got some very soft slipper socks, which Hoglet clearly spotted as a great place to sleep,’ says Holly.
‘She crawled in right down to the bottom but later when trying to get out she wasn’t able to reverse because her spikes kept getting stuck. In the end we had to cut her out carefully.
‘Hoglet is a lovely pet. She never bites but will make a huffing noise when irritated – usually if woken up. As she really doesn’t like the cold she has her own heat mat, which we warm up to keep her toasty.’
As Holly and Paul look after Hoglet so well, they’ve never had to take her to the vet. But African pygmy hedgehogs, which cost around £200, do need special care, says Helen Coen of the RSPCA . ‘These are wild animals whose needs in captivity are the same as they are in the wild. They can live for 10 years in captivity so are a considerable commitment.’
They are found naturally in Africa, so heating needs to be provided to maintain an ambient temperature of 24-30C. In the wild, they may also wander several miles a night looking for food so a gerbil/hamster cage is too small for them. A minimum area of 3ft x 2ft is suggested.
Their natural habitat is semi-arid, grass-covered plains, savannah and grassy areas with light undergrowth and this should be replicated as closely as possible in captivity. They also need somewhere they can burrow and hide away. They need environmental enrichment, such as hiding food in bedding so that the animal has to forage as it would in the wild.
The animal should also be given ample opportunity to exercise, just like Hoglet. Pygmy hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures, so they should be kept in a place where they can rest undisturbed during the day and should be fed at dusk.
‘Before taking on an exotic animal, it is important to nd out (from reputable sources) what its needs are and how best to provide for them,’ says Helen.
You also need to know how big it will grow, whether any laws restrict the trade and keeping of the animal, and if there is a suitably experienced vet nearby. And find out its life expectancy, too, because, just like dogs, an African pygmy hedgehog isn’t just for Christmas.
3 MORE UNUSUAL PETS
1 Chinchillas, rodents from South America, are quiet, clean and have beautiful silver coats. They have a shy nature and can jump over 6ft high.
2 Yes, some people do keep Giant African land snails as pets. They eat dandelions, spinach and grass, but need carefully monitored conditions.
3 Australian Bearded dragons are the perfect pets for amateurs. They can grow to 50cm in length, are easily handled and can live up to 10 years.
For more information: www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/general
This adorable creature is Hoglet, she’s a two-year-old African pygmy hedgehog and the pet of the moment – though she needs proper care. Hoglet lives with Holly Barnett, 26, a senior public relations executive, and her partner Paul Smith, 30, a civil servant, in southeast London.
‘As we live in a first-floor flat we are unable to have a cat and we’re both out during the day, so we can’t have a dog either,’ explains Holly.
‘I stumbled across pygmy hedgehogs on the internet, and after doing some research about how to look after them properly, I decided one would be a good option for us.
‘I got her from a specialist breeder based in the UK, who told us she’s a girl. Pygmy hedgehogs are often referred to as ‘’hoglets’’ so this was actually supposed to be a temporary name while we thought of a proper one for her, but it stuck. We think that she is very pretty.’
Indeed, she is a little cutie. Hoglet is around 15cm long and weighs just 250g. ‘She just about fits on one hand, although when we first got her she was about the size of one of my fingers,’ says Holly.
She gets plenty of exercise though, and runs on her wheel for hours every night – ‘She is surprisingly quick when she wants to be,’ says Holly.
Hoglet’s home is a large cage, with a running wheel and a little bed area. ‘We make sure we take her out and play with her as much as possible. We’ll always have her out when we are watching TV and she particularly loves curling up on Paul’s shoulder.
‘We don’t have to monitor her too much as she’s very predictable as to where she heads – somewhere to nest. I’ve got some very soft slipper socks, which Hoglet clearly spotted as a great place to sleep,’ says Holly.
‘She crawled in right down to the bottom but later when trying to get out she wasn’t able to reverse because her spikes kept getting stuck. In the end we had to cut her out carefully.
‘Hoglet is a lovely pet. She never bites but will make a huffing noise when irritated – usually if woken up. As she really doesn’t like the cold she has her own heat mat, which we warm up to keep her toasty.’
As Holly and Paul look after Hoglet so well, they’ve never had to take her to the vet. But African pygmy hedgehogs, which cost around £200, do need special care, says Helen Coen of the RSPCA . ‘These are wild animals whose needs in captivity are the same as they are in the wild. They can live for 10 years in captivity so are a considerable commitment.’
They are found naturally in Africa, so heating needs to be provided to maintain an ambient temperature of 24-30C. In the wild, they may also wander several miles a night looking for food so a gerbil/hamster cage is too small for them. A minimum area of 3ft x 2ft is suggested.
Their natural habitat is semi-arid, grass-covered plains, savannah and grassy areas with light undergrowth and this should be replicated as closely as possible in captivity. They also need somewhere they can burrow and hide away. They need environmental enrichment, such as hiding food in bedding so that the animal has to forage as it would in the wild.
The animal should also be given ample opportunity to exercise, just like Hoglet. Pygmy hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures, so they should be kept in a place where they can rest undisturbed during the day and should be fed at dusk.
‘Before taking on an exotic animal, it is important to nd out (from reputable sources) what its needs are and how best to provide for them,’ says Helen.
You also need to know how big it will grow, whether any laws restrict the trade and keeping of the animal, and if there is a suitably experienced vet nearby. And find out its life expectancy, too, because, just like dogs, an African pygmy hedgehog isn’t just for Christmas.
3 MORE UNUSUAL PETS
1 Chinchillas, rodents from South America, are quiet, clean and have beautiful silver coats. They have a shy nature and can jump over 6ft high. 2 Yes, some people do keep Giant African land snails as pets. They eat dandelions, spinach and grass, but need carefully monitored conditions.
3 Australian Bearded dragons are the perfect pets for amateurs. They can grow to 50cm in length, are easily handled and can live up to 10 years.
For more information: www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/general