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Archive-name: hedgehog-faq/part2
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Keywords: faq pet hedgehogs
Last-modified: 20 October 2008
Version: 3.115
HEDGEHOG FAQ (part 2 of 7) -- FINDING MORE INFORMATION
Compiled and edited by Brian MacNamara (macnamara@hedgehoghollow.com)
Additions, corrections, and suggestions for this file are welcomed.
This document is copyright 2008 by Brian MacNamara. See section [0.6]
for authorship information and redistribution rights. In short, you
can give it away, but you can't charge for it.
The basic Hedgehog FAQ has seven parts, all of which should be available
from wherever you obtained this one. A complete table of contents for
all seven parts is given in part I.
Please note: While my knowledge of hedgehogs has grown (far beyond my
wildest expectations when I began the FAQ), my knowledge is still quite
limited, especially in areas of health care. I did not write, or verify,
all the information in this FAQ. I have done my best to include only
accurate and useful information, but I cannot guarantee the correctness
of what is contained in this FAQ, regardless of the source, or even that
it will not be harmful to you or your hedgehog in some way. For advice
from an expert, I recommend you consult the books listed in part 2 [2.1],
or, especially in the case of a suspected medical problem, a veterinarian
who is familiar with hedgehogs.
Subject: CONTENTS OF THIS FILE
2. *** Where to get more information ***
<2.1> What books are there on pet hedgehogs?
<2.2> Is there any other information available on-line?
<2.3> International Hedgehog Registry
<2.4> Hedgehogs Welfare Society
<2.5> International Hedgehog Association
<2.6> Canadian Hedgehog Association
<2.7> Other hedgehog organizations
<2.8> Miscellaneous hedgehog stuff and sources
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2. *** Where to get more information ***
Subject: <2.1> What books are there on pet hedgehogs?
For a long time there was only a single tome available on our prickly little
friends, which was often referred to as ``The Hedgehog Book.'' With the
increasing popularity of hedgehogs, a number of books are now available.
There still seems to be little information on hedgehogs in print, especially
compared to most other animals, but this, fortunately, appears to be rapidly
changing. Also, many, but not all, of the books that are commonly available
contain outdated information.
As of spring 1997 there are two new complementary books now out that have
virtually made all the previous offerings obsolete.
The first of these additions, is _The Hedgehog: An Owner's Guide to a Happy,
Healthy Pet_ by Dawn Wrobel and Dr. Susan Brown, DVM. It is published by the
Howell Book House, and is available in pet stores that carry their Happy,
Healthy Pet series. It is also available through the Spike and Friends
Catalog [2.8]. For those of you who want to order it, the ISBN number is
0-87605-501-3, and it is listed as having a price of $12.95 USD, or $17.95
CDN.
Having had the luxury of seeing some of the preliminary text (thanks Dawn!),
I had high expectations for the book, and when I got to see it, I was quite
amazed at how far it exceeded my imagination. Simply put, this is a great
book, and one that no hedgehog owner should be without. It is full of great
tips, ideas and great knowledge, accompanied by some fantastic pictures. The
medical chapter by Dr. Susan Brown is more than worth the price in itself,
not that the rest of the book wouldn't be a bargain even without it.
Dawn's book is targeted at the pet owner, rather than the breeder, as has
been the case all too often in the past, and in this respect it succeeds
brilliantly.
The other great tome that was published about the same time as the one above,
is _The Pygmy Hedgehog a Perfect Pet_ by Sharon Massena with Bryan Smith.
Having now had the chance to see this book, I can attest that it is more than
worthwhile as well. The best part about it, is that rather than being
another great hedgehog book, it is complementary to books like Dawn Wrobel's,
by addressing many different areas. Here is the information I have on it:
The ISBN # is 0-9655629-1-3
The list price is $16.00 US and $19.00 CDN + post.
80 pages, soft cover, gloss pages with b/w and full colour photos.
Contains limited standard info and full colour pics many of the
standardized colours. Also has club and show information.
-- Bryan Smith
I should probably add a disclaimer here -- I have had numerous conversations
with Dawn and Bryan, and a bias in favour of either book could easily be
assigned to this. In the case of Dawn's book, I read the advance text she
sent with the intent to essentially critique it -- expecting it to already be
dated in many ways (as most books have been by the time they get to print) or
just a rehash of what has gone before, and I came away honestly impressed.
Having now seen Sharon's and Bryan's book, the same feelings apply. I'm sure
that I could nit-pick in minor places, but at most that's what it would be,
nit-picking about things that don't matter. We finally have very good,
up-to-date books that can go a very long ways towards giving people the
information they need about keeping hedgehogs as pets, and providing them
happy healthy lives.
Going back a bit now, the book, often called ``The Hedgehog Book,'' is
actually titled _Everything You Wanted to Know About Hedgehogs But you didn't
know who to ask_ by Pat Storer. This was one of the first books available on
pet hedgehogs.
Pat Storer has two books available on hedgehogs, and while there is
considerable crossover between the two, her newer book _Hedgehogs As Pets_
(my thanks to John Ofner for my copy) is targeted more at pet owners, while
the original ``Everything...'' is more oriented towards breeders. These
books are, for all intents and purposes, the original formal tomes on pet
hedgehogs, and having one or the other was virtually a must for any hedgehog
keeper (keepee?). While they don't cover absolutely everything, and they are
becoming a bit dated, now, they do provide a lot of very good information.
Both books cover areas of the other to some extent, so a pet owner looking
for basics on breeding will find it in _Hedgehogs As Pets_, while a breeder
can also find pet level information in ``Everything...''
Probably the most essential thing both offer is a reference section on
hedgehog health, body chemistry norms, and drugs (including quantities) that
have been safely used to treat hedgehog maladies. Given that relatively few
veterinarians in North America have even heard of hedgehogs as pets, let
alone ever treated them, taking one of these books with you to a vet in time
of emergency could easily be a life saving act.
That's the good news; the problem is that these books are generally only
available directly from Pat Storer herself, although the Ain't No Creek Ranch
[2.8] also carries them. In any case, here are the details:
Everything You Wanted to Know About Hedgehogs
But you didn't know who to ask
Third Edition
Written and Compiled by Pat Storer
Country Storer Enterprises, Publisher
P.O. Box 160
Columbus, Texas 78934
USA
Fax: (409) 732-9417
email: rzu2uREMOVE_TO_SEND@intertex.net
www: http://www.rzu2u.com/
Single Copies (In U.S.): $29.00 US dollars + shipping
by 4th Class Mail
Please note that Pat Storer no longer takes orders by telephone,
but she does by fax, and now has email access.
And,
Hedgehogs As Pets
First Edition
By Pat Storer
Country Storer Enterprises, Publisher
P.O. Box 160
Columbus, Texas 78934
USA
Fax: (409) 732-9417
email: rzu2uREMOVE_TO_SEND@intertex.net
www: http://www.rzu2u.com/
Single Copies (In U.S.): $22.00 US dollars + shipping
by 4th Class Mail
Pat Storer now takes credit cards, but money orders are fine too. The prices
and info above is up to date as of July 1997, thanks to Pat Storer herself.
There is one minor correction to ``Everything...'' that should be noted:
The correct number for Rainbow Mealworms (mentioned in Storer's
book) is 310-635-1494.
-- Katherine Long
Other books on pet hedgehogs are also available and can be found at some book
stores, or by contacting the publishers directly. I've listed the
information I have on them below. The first is with thanks to Elizabeth Jane
Monroe and Znofyl.
African Pygmy Hedgehogs as your New Pet
Dennis Kelsey-Wood, pics. by Ralph Lermayer
copyright 1995
distributed by T.F.H. Publications, Inc.,
One T.F.H. Plaza, Neptune City, NJ 07753
or National Book Network, Inc.
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706
or in Canada, H & L Pet Supplies Inc.,
27 Kingston Crescent, Kitchener, Ontario N2B 2T6
and other places. ISBN # is 079380192-3
Abstract: ``This book represents the culmination of years of research by
dedicated hedgehog breeders. Dennis Kelsey-Wood has compiled, through
intense research, interviews, and study, what I feel is the finest, most
accurate, and complete gathering of hedgehog facts on husbandry,
breeding, and care that has ever been assembled in one book. From its
accurate text to its superb photos, it is destined to become a classic
and will no doubt be the standard for anyone interested in these
fascinating animals. Enjoy it and Happy Hedgehoggin!''
Ralph M. Lermayer, [former - ed.] President, North American Hedgehog
Association [now defunct - ed.]
For anyone having a hard time finding it, you can call TFH directly
at 1-908-988-8400, ext. 117 and order it from their customer service
department.
This is a good book, especially for beginners (which is really where it is
directed). It does not contain the health standards, and medicine usage
that are in other books, listed above, and is to my mind a good supplement,
but not a replacement for them -- especially if your veterinarian is not
well acquainted with hedgehogs. I found it to be good reading, but it
always seemed to avoid a direct answer to most questions, lacking in real
detail. I must admit, however, that the pictures alone were both great
entertainment, and very useful, giving an excellent glimpse of what a
healthy hedgehog should look like. I'm still trying to figure out how the
photographers managed to avoid getting blurred pictures of all those busy
noses.
Dennis Kelsey-Wood has also released a second book (1996) called _Hedgehogs
Today_. It can be ordered from TFH, etc., as with his earlier book.
Hedgehogs Today
Dennis Kelsey-Wood
copyright 1996
distributed by T.F.H. Publications, Inc.,
One T.F.H. Plaza, Neptune City, NJ 07753
ISBN # is 0-7938-0103-6
The information above came to me by way of Brenda Basinger.
Having had a chance to look at this book, I have to say the quality of the
photos is excellent. That, however, is about the only good thing I can say.
The book is full of contradictions, and just plain bad advice. It goes on to
suggest that you should ``always use a glove'' to hold a hedgehog (which
captions a picture of a person holding one in bare hands). It also suggests
that a temperature range of from 60-75 degrees F, or 16-24 degrees C is okay,
when many hedgehogs will become unhealthy or even go into semi hibernation at
anything much below 70F/22C. It shows multiple hedgehogs being kept in a
Tupperware container barely big enough to squeeze them into (although it says
it's not big enough for a ``long term home'' -- it's clearly not big enough
for anything more than carrying them across the room. Finally, its listing
of states where hedgehogs are not allowed is totally misleading, and was
clearly the result of only the briefest research. The book even shows
feeding of raw eggs to hedgehogs -- something that can all too easily result
in salmonella [6.2].
While there certainly are good points to this book, including excellent photos
showing how a healthy hedgehog should appear, the sheer weight of bad
information means I cannot recommend this as much beyond a photo album, and
definitely not as a starting point for beginners.
Information on another book, which is now widely available, was sent to me by
Tirya:
Hedgehogs: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual
by Matthew M. Vriends, Ph.D.
pub: Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
ISBN: 0-8120-1141-4
Barron's Price: $5.95 US
Barron's has published numerous other pet books in their series, and
they all seem to be well-received and easily available in pet shops.
It's geared primarily towards the African, though it has a chapter on
the European as kind of a compare/contrast thing. It also has a
chapter on breeding by Pat Storer. A lot of good pictures and
information, in an easy-to-read style, plus a chapter on ``Understanding
Hedgehogs'' covering body language and sounds. While it's by no means
all-inclusive (is there a hedgie book yet that is?) it's a good read.
-- Tirya
The book contains some medical information that complements other books quite
well, but, does not replace them. However, some of the information is
seriously outdated, and other parts contradict statements made elsewhere in
the book. The chapter by Pat Storer is taken almost verbatim out of her
books, but is a worthwhile addition to any hedgehog library, and if taken as
a whole, the book is quite good, and is, at the price, probably where most
new hedgehog keepers will start.
For people seeking more in depth information on hedgehogs in general,
including species, natural habitats, and research, another book, which came
out in 1994, thoroughly addresses many of these issues.
Hedgehogs
by Nigel Reeve
ISBN 0-85661-081-X
T & A D Poyser Ltd.
24-28 Oval Road
London NW1 7DX
In published form, this book is probably the best source of true, scientific
information on all types of hedgehogs. Beyond this point, you probably need
to read scientific papers (30 pages of references to which are at the back of
this book, which gives you some clue to Dr. Reeve's efforts at research).
While it does focus primarily on hedgehogs in the wild, it does provide some
very useful insights into what makes our little friends tick. I find myself
turning more and more to this book, all the time -- especially when someone
asks me a detailed question. Unlike many scientific books, this one shows
the author had a real interest and excitement in his chosen topic of
research, rather than limiting himself to dry phrasing, an entertaining sense
of humour and wit shows through.
The book can be hard to come by in North America (the publisher does not
import it here), but it is available through the Exclusively Hedgehogs
catalog [2.8], and the Spike and Friends Collection [2.8].
While I am at it, Richard Saunders passed along word of another book that he
found. This one appears to possibly be a local effort by a hedgehog breeder
on the west coast of Canada, but just in case, here is the information that
is available:
Hedgehogs
Hedgehog Handbook
- Everything You Need To Know To Raise Happy Healthy Hedgehogs
Written & Illustrated by Joan Baydala (Copyright, 1994)
The small paperback book (64 pages) indicated Joan Baydala is located in
Kelowna, B.C. The book doesn't indicate a publisher or any ISBN
reference.
Outline of the book is:
A Brief History (page 1-10)
Survival In The Wild (11-18)
Selecting Your Hedgehog (20-26)
Housing (27-34)
Care and Management (35-46)
Breeding (47-56)
Allergies (57)
A Few Last Words (58-59)
References (60)
Index (61-64)
Another resource for hedgehog information is the ``Exotic Market Review.''
This is a journal about exotic animals and pets, and is primarily intended for
breeders. It contains articles on innumerable different animals that most of
us will never have heard of, but also contains an abundance of info on
hedgehogs. Subscription rates are $10.00/yr. in the U.S., $30.00/US/yr. for
Canada, and $60.00/US/yr. foreign. They can be contacted at:
EXOTIC Market Review
P.O. Box 1203
Bowie, Texas 76230
USA
phone: 1-800-460-3107
In addition to the books and journal, above, which are directly aimed at pet
hedgehogs, there are a number of books on European (or all types of)
hedgehogs which can be useful for pet owners and hedgehog lovers of all
types. I would suggest looking at the listings in section [11.2] for other
books which might be of interest.
One final tidbit I can't resist adding. I have heard of a number of new
hedgehog books that are in the works and (hopefully) due out over the coming
year or two. Information on hedgehogs promises to continue to be
forthcoming.
Subject: <2.2> Is there any other information available on-line?
Discussions of hedgehogs often come up in the rec.pets and on the
alt.fan.hedgehogs and alt.pets.hedgehogs Usenet newsgroups. The FAQ ``Fleas,
Ticks and Your Pet'' is distributed on rec.pets, as well as listed in [9.4].
Several bulletin board systems keep pet FAQs and discussions, as does the
CompuServe Small Mammals forum.
I maintain a set of Hedgehog WWW pages that can be accessed at:
http://HedgehogHollow.COM/
(Please Note: most my site is currently closed while under reconstruction --
I hope to have it reopened shortly, with the many out of date entries brought
up to date.)
Among the things available off my pages are links to all other hedgehog pages
I have found, and an HTMLized version of the FAQ.
Here are a couple of hedgehog sites to get you started searching through
the Web. These are not the only sites, nor are they definitive, but are
meant as a starting point to get you going:
http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/
http://www.hedgehogworld.com/
Thanks to Rachel Markley for suggesting I add these here. I expect to add
additional sites to the list as time goes on. I would also suggest you
make good use of your favorite search engine to find hedgehog sites as the
web changes too rapidly for FAQ published monthly to try to keep abrest of
what's happening.
The list of hedgehog web pages is growing rapidly -- I've been trying to keep
pointers to many of them off my own web page, but by now I'm starting to miss
many, I'm sure. Feel free to email me if you have one to add to my list of
pointers, or if you find one of my links doesn't work -- I am running way
behind on checking, lately. :-}
After several changes in location over the years, the original Hedgehog
Mailing List has, unfortunately, closed down. Many thanks to all the folks
who looked after it through the years.
There are, however, a couple of hedgehog mailing lists that are up and
active. Fist, is the Hedgehog Help list, and as the name implies is meant
for hedgehog help topics. Both an individual message version and a digest
version of this list, are available. One caution: this list is subject to
censorship by the list moderator, and not everyone can freely post to it.
You can join the regular (individual message) version by sending email to
the address:
hedgehog_help-subscribeREMOVE_TO_SEND@onelist.com
Or for the digest version, subscribe as above then send email to the
following address to switch to the digest:
hedgehog_help-digestREMOVE_TO_SEND@onelist.com
You can switch back to the individual (normal) version, by sending email to:
hedgehog_help-normalREMOVE_TO_SEND@onelist.com
And, of course, to unsubscribe, use the address:
hedgehog_help-unsubscribeREMOVE_TO_SEND@onelist.com
Last, and far from least, to send a message to the list, simply send it to:
hedgehog_helpREMOVE_TO_SEND@onelist.com
Alternately, there is the PigPogLives mailing list. I have heard that the
PogPogLives list may have closed, but I have not confirmed this as yet. The
instructions for accessing PigPogLives are almost identical to the Hedgehog
Help list:
You can join the regular (individual message) version by sending email to
the address:
pigpoglives-subscribeREMOVE_TO_SEND@onelist.com
Or for the digest version, subscribe as above then send email to the
following address to switch to the digest:
pigpoglives-digestREMOVE_TO_SEND@onelist.com
You can switch back to the individual (normal) version, by sending email to:
pigpoglives-normalREMOVE_TO_SEND@onelist.com
And, of course, to unsubscribe, use the address:
pigpoglives-unsubscribeREMOVE_TO_SEND@onelist.com
Last, and far from least, to send a message to the list, I believe the
address is:
pigpoglivesREMOVE_TO_SEND@onelist.com
Next, another new list that looks very promising is the Hedgehogfun group.
Joining this list is probably most easily done through the web at:
http://www.egroups.com/invite/Hedgehogfun
and click the ``JOIN'' button. One caveat -- this appears to be a very busy
webserver, as I've had trouble connecting, although the list, itself seems to
be fine.
I believe you can also subscribe to this list by sending an email to:
Hedgehogfun-subscribeREMOVE_TO_SEND@egroups.com
Probably with the word ``subscribe'' as the text of the message.
The list will send you a confirmation message, which you need to reply to.
To post messages to the list, send them to:
HedgehogfunREMOVE_TO_SEND@egroups.com
To unsubscribe, send a message to:
Hedgehogfun-unsubscribeREMOVE_TO_SEND@egroups.com
likely with the word ``unsubscribe'' as the text of the message.
My thanks to Pam (Russo) Powers for keeping me up on the info for the AOL
hedgehog chat session.
The AOL hedgehog chat is on Thursday's at 7:00 P.M. EST
We love to have new people stopping by.
The chat is located in the Critter Chat room, located in the Pet Care
Forum, keyword-Pet Care.
Dick Brisky of Brisky Pet Products is setting up yet another web based chat
off the YAHOO site.
I wanted to let everyone know that I will be setting up a chat area at
YAHOO ( http://chat.yahoo.com/ ) the first Wednesday of each month, from
7PM to 8PM Eastern. If you're interested in learning more about our pet
food products or in sharing any ideas or thoughts, stop in.
To log-in you need to set-up an account there first (free), so stop by a
couple of hours early if you don't have an account. After that all you
have to do is search the ROOMS list for a room labeled BRISKY PET
PRODUCTS and click in.
- Dick Brisky
I know from my own dealings with Dick Brisky, that he is honestly interested
in things which will improve pet foods and products, and has always been very
open with any information he has had. This should prove to be a good
variation on the other forums.
For those of you with ICQ access, Lisa Rowe, has set up an ICQ Hedgehog chat
room. You can get more information about it at:
http://www.webvoodoo.com/hedgies/
I've been given a pointer to a new forum that deals with hedgehogs (and
chinchillas) at:
http://www.chins-n-quills.com/forums/
Thanks to Rachel Markey for this pointer.
Subject: <2.3> International Hedgehog Registry
Jennifer Young-Watson, with help from Antigone Means, has set up the
International Hedgehog Registry, to try and help track all pet hedgehogs.
Here's an excerpt from the registry information:
This registry is setting out to register all the [pet] African Pygmy
Hedgehogs. We want to do this to a) take a census of all the Hedgehogs
that are out there b) to cut down on unwanted inbreeding by unknowing
breeders and c) to help track behavoral and genetic traits.
This is a great chance for your pets to help add to our knowledge about
hedgehogs, so please do register. Registration is free, although for $10.00
U.S. they do provide a really nice registration certificate, should you want
one.
You can get more information, and register online at their web page:
(Note: new address as of June 2000 -- thanks to Jeffery Allen)
http://www.hedgehogregistry.com/
or by mail to:
IHR Headquarters
Jennifer Young-Watson
P.O. Box 9880
Canoga Park, CA 91309-0880
USA
email: hedgiesregREMOVE_TO_SEND@earthlink.net (new as of Oct. 1998)
Other branches exist at:
IHR Southern Branch
Antigone (Tig) Means
Littlerock, AR
USA
email: nannyoggREMOVE_TO_SEND@mailcity.com
IHR Eastern Branch
Vera C. Rhoades
Trenton, NJ
USA
email: dreamcatcherhedgehogsREMOVE_TO_SEND@erols.com
Subject: <2.4> Hedgehogs Welfare Society
The Hedgehog Welfare Society is a relatively new, and active group that has
come about. Unlike many of the earlier organizations, this one seems to be
focused more on proper care, and welfare. You can contact them at:
The Hedgehog Welfare Society
5308 21st Ave SW
Seattle, WA, 98106
USA
email: infoREMOVE_TO_SEND@hedgehogwelfare.org
www: http://www.hedgehogwelfare.org/
From what I can gather, HWS is affiliated with the Carolina Hedgehog Society
(or vice versa) which also appears to be a very interesting group. The CWH
website contains a wealth of excellent information.
www: http://hedgies.com/
My thanks to Dawn Wrobel for putting me onto these organizations.
Subject: <2.5> International Hedgehog Association
The IHA is a registered charitable non-profit organization established with
the purpose of educating the public in the care and betterment of hedgehogs
and to facilitate the rescue, welfare, promotion and care of hedgehogs
everywhere.
The IHA is active in the promotion of hedgehog shows as a means of bringing
together and educating hedgehog lovers and fanciers and encourages and
supports rescue and research activities.
International Hedgehog Association
PO Box 122
Yates Center, KS
USA 66783
Canada and International:
International Hedgehog Association
1070 Lilly Dale RR#1
Belle River, Ontario
Canada
N0R 1A0
email: infoREMOVE_TO_SEND@hedgehogclub.com
www: http://hedgehogclub.com/
Individual:............$20.00/year
Family:................$30.00/year
Junior:................$12.00/year (up to 18 years of age)
Breeder:,,,,,,,,,,,,...$40.00/year
Veterinarian/Clinic:...$15.00/year
Lifetime individual....$250.00/lifetime
Lifetime family:.......$350.00/lifetime
Lifetime Breeder:......$450.00/lifetime
Subject: <2.6> Canadian Hedgehog Association
This came as a pleasant surprise to me when I received information about this
organization from Sophie Hannan, the founder and President.
Canadian Hedgehog Associationm Inc.
542 South Black River Road
Black River Bridge, NB
Canada E1N 5T2
email: infoREMOVE_TO_SEND@canadianhedgehogassociation.com
www: http://www.canadianhedgehogassociation.com
Individual.............$18.00 CAD/year (over 18 years of age)
Family:................$25.00 CAD/year (2 adults + 4 children)
Youth:.................$12.00 CAD/year (up to 18 years of age)
Breeder:...............$35.00/year (>18months experience breeding)
Aside from this, I know all too little about the CHA, as yet.
Subject: <2.7> Other Hedgehog Organizations
Aside from the IHA [2.5], and the now defunct HI and N.A.H.A. (North American
Hedgehog Association), there exist a number of other organizations dedicated
to hedgehogs. Many of these organizations discussed in this section are
generally involved with wild European hedgehogs, rather than pet hedgehogs.
Within North America, until recently there has been no problem with hedgehogs
not having homes. They were rare enough, that few would wind up at the pound
or unwanted. Unfortunately that is now changing, and Kyrstin Westwind has
started the Hedgehog Rescue organization to help out unwanted, or illegal
hedgehogs. At the present time, it is located in the Northwest United
States, specifically in Oregon, but she hopes that it will become more wide
spread and organized over the coming months.
You can contact Hedgehog Rescue at:
Hedgehog Rescue
11575 SW Pacific Hwy. Box 148
Tigard, OR
97223
USA
phone: (503) 230-1624
email: westwindREMOVE_TO_SEND@aracnet.com
Rescued hedgies are given a complete health check by a vet, any needed
treatments are given and they are put on a balanced diet (most of the
hedgies, we see, have been eating store-brand kitten food!) In most cases
the hedgies have not been socialized at all and need to be worked with one
on one for a while. We try to determine if they CAN be socialized or
will always be grumps -- happily, in most cases they DO come around.
On the advice of other rescue groups we have an adoption fee. I had been
resistant to this idea, but it is true that people rarely value ``free
pets'' -- some groups had real horror stories to this affect -- and there
are a LOT of expenses involved in this effort! So for $50 the adoptive
person/family gets a healthy hedgehog that will unball, a list of
resources including how to reach the hedgehog list, FAQ, and other web
pages as well as local vets. We waive all or part of the fee for people
who have experience with hedgehogs, or in cases where they need to pay for
a Delta Dash.
We do screen perspective adoptive homes: making sure they are well
informed about all the pros and cons of life as a hedgie slave and that
there have been no abuse complaints against them in the past. We avoid
giving a female from a ``breeding mill'' to someone who wants to breed
hedgies, because these females tend to have been ``over- bred'' We provide
on-going support and, if at some point the person/family decides hedgies
are not for them -- hasn't happened yet -- we take the hedgie back and find
a new home.
-- Kyrstin Westwind
I've been told by Sharon Massena that ``the 4H group of Hedgehogs Northwest
is doing rescue work. I'm not entirely sure what area this covers, but it
sounds like something that has merit well beyond the nominal Northwest US.
There are also a number of regional and local hedgehog clubs and
organizations appearing throughout North America. One of the largest,
and oldest is Hedgehogs Northwest:
Hedgehogs Northwest is composed of pet lovers, owners, hobbyists and
breeders who are interested in expanding the understanding and knowledge
of hedgehogs. The club sponsored the first hedgehog confirmation show in
the world. We sponsored our first show on October 22, 1995 which was
such a success that we sponsored another March 24, 1996. (These were both
held in Tacoma, Washington). We also do the Puyallup (Washington).
Spring and Fall Fairs as well as other shows to acquaint people with the
specialness of our little friends.
Note: I don't have a current address for Hedeghogs Northwest, although
there is a website to be at:
www: http://www.hedgehogsnw.com/
My thanks to Janet Martin for sending me the info above, and to Sharon
Massena for updates.
More local and regional hedgehog clubs/organizations are forming, some under
the auspices of the IHA [2.5]. You should contact or the IHA for information
about any known clubs or organizations in your area.
In the Netherlands, the organization VEZ is involved with numerous types of
exotic mammals, including hedgehogs:
The VEZ is a Dutch organization of keepers and lovers of exotic mammals.
The main goal of the organization is gathering and spreading information
about these animals and how to take care of them. We coordinate
breeding programs for different kinds of mammals. Members are not only
vets, zoos, breeders with a large stock of animals, genetic experts and
so on, but people with a pair of chinchilla's, a hamster or gerbils are
as important to us.
We publish a magazine, four times a year, in Dutch. In the future we'll
try to add a summary in English at the end of the articles. Members meet
regularly to exchange animals an experience, and to visit zoos in the
Netherlands and abroad.
For some animals, like hedgehogs, sugar gliders and others, we have a
contact person who coordinates the breeding program, can give you basic
information and show you the way in case you need more than that.
Costs:
Membership costs Hfl 50,- excl. bankcosts for foreign countries.
For more information write to:
VEZ
Beetslaan 73
2281 TG Rijswijk
The Netherlands
Contact person for different species of hedgehogs is:
Anja van der Werf
Siriusstraat 16
1622 ZH Hoorn
Tel. 0229-246499
The Netherlands
E-mail address: 101621.2230REMOVE_TO_SEND@CompuServe.COM
-- Anja van der Werf
Subject: <2.8> Miscellaneous Hedgehog stuff and sources
This section contains information on various hedgehog things and places to
get hedgehog stuff that just doesn't easily fit into any of the more
organized categories.
The first item on our list of interesting stuff is the Spike and Friends
Collection, a catalog of miscellaneous hedgehoggery, and stuff relating to
other exotic pets put out by the ``Ain't No Creek Ranch:''
Ain't No Creek Ranch
2553 W. Offner Road
Beecher, IL
USA 60401-3347
email: SunSpikeREMOVE_TO_SEND@aol.com
www: http://www.aintnocreek.com/
Phone: (708) 946-9750
Fax: (708) 534-3277
The Ain't No Creek Ranch accepts MasterCard and Visa to make feeding your
hedgehog habit just that much easier.
If you are into pet hedgehogs or just like hedgehogs in general, their
catalog is really neat! As a quick overview, it contains most of the books
available for pet hedgehogs, T-shirts and sweatshirts, hedgehog toys, and
toy-hedgehogs, hedgehog homes, and numerous other hedgehog novelties and
gifts. They are primarily hedgehog oriented (in fact they breed hedgehogs --
a good sign :-) ), but the catalog also has items that are related to other
exotic pets like ferrets, sugar gliders, rheas, goats, etc.
Here's part of the welcome message from the first catalog to give you a
feeling of what they are all about:
Welcome to the first edition of the Spike and Friends Collection.
This brochure is an outgrowth of our hedgehog mania here at Ain't No
Creek Ranch. In attempting to locate hedgehogabilia for ourselves --
we found a lot of other hedgehog lovers looking for the same things. So
we began accumulating items as well as designing our own. And we've even
included books, toys, and T-shirts for a few other exotic/alternative
animals as well.
Dawn Wrobel
Ain't No Creek Ranch
A second hedgehog catalog is also available, called Exclusively Hedgehogs.
The wonder of this is that there is virtually no overlap in what they carry
with what is in the above catalog. It is indeed a good time for hedgehog
lovers! Like the Spike and Friends Collection, Exclusively Hedgehogs carries
both hedgehog pet supplies and hedgehogabilia, and is available from:
Exclusively Hedgehogs
145 S.E. Ankeny Circle
Portland OR 97233-3121
USA
(503) 253-7388
(503) 255-7176
Among the items carried for pet hedgehogs are hedgehog food and treats, and
Roadrunner Play Safe wheels [I would recommend at least the 11'' and
preferably the 14-inch model for hedgehogs - ed.]. They also carry a large
selection of hedgehog figurines.
As mentioned above, there is virtually no overlap in what is carried by
Exclusively Hedgehogs, and the Ain't No Creek Ranch, which I find quite
amazing, and an incredible bonus to ``hedgehogians'' like myself. If you
already have either catalog, the other it worth getting too.
Here's part of the introduction from their catalog:
Welcome to our updated catalog. We have recently traveled to
England, France and Canada, as well as parts of the United States
in search of new hedgehog items. We are proud to bring you two
new items carried exclusively by us, the Roadrunner wheel and the
hedgehog food. We also found some great gift items imported
directly from England. It would be remiss not to mention the book
by Nigel Reeve. It is also imported directly to Exclusively
Hedgehogs from England.
Happy heggie shopping
Val and Julie
Please note: My earlier suggestion that Exclusively Hedgehogs may have
temporarily put their catalog business `on hold' was an error -- they are
open and active as ever. This was due entirely to my misinterpreting a
message, and not due in any actions or lack of actions on the part of
Exclusively Hedgehogs. My sincere apologies for any confusion this may have
caused.
Susan & Chia sent along the following site as being a great source for
accessories for your hedgie:
http://theferretstore.com/
While nominally for ferrets, the site acknowledges right up front that what
they carry isn't just for ferrets, and a search through their site does
quickly turn up explicit ``Hedgehog'' items, as well as wheels, and other
useful items.
I would also suggest taking a look at section [11.5] for sources of
hedgehogabilia that are more oriented to wild, or European hedgehogs.
Disclaimer: I've had the wonderful opportunity to meet and get to know many
of the people behind the catalogs above, although I have no other connection
with them, as far as the catalogs go, aside from being a very happy customer
in several cases (yes, I admit to being a certifiable hedgehog addict). I
have endevoured to provide an unbiased opinion of their products and
services.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
--
Brian MacNamara - macnamara@HedgehogHollow.COM
Hedgehog Hollow: http://HedgehogHollow.COM/
- - -
--
Brian MacNamara - macnamara@HedgehogHollow.COM
Hedgehog Hollow: http://HedgehogHollow.COM/
|
Thank you!