I’ve long been charmed by hedgehogs, but I never thought that I would meet one in person until I found out that one of my oldest friends (who knows me well enough to report such events to me) was babysitting a hedgehog for a friend. Before I could shriek like a teenage girl, I had set a play date.
And then I started to shriek like a little girl, because I literally couldn’t contain my excitement for my hedgehog meeting.
He was delightful! He was literally quite prickly at first, but his owners had spent a lot of time socializing him and when he got used to the new person smell he was very curious and cuddly. He was surprisingly quick on the ground and was very adamant about not having his things taken away from him- and when he was upset he curled up tightly and huffed!
It was all far too cute for me to handle.
So he may be a little moody, but it’s pretty much decided that we’re running away together. Have you seen his button nose? How could I resist!
{ 62 comments… read them below or add one }
We had a hedgehog in science club in seventh grade – what a sweetheart he was. Did you know that a baby hedgehog is a hoglet? I love it.
In the vein of cute prickly things:
http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2010/07/introducing-pip-the-porcupine-pup.html
A HOGLET?
Oh wow, I die lol :)
OMG! That hedgehog is adorable! I can see why you’re enamored. ;)
I’ve only known one person to have a hedgehog (My band director in 8th grade), and he would bring him in all the time. You should so get one!
I used to host birthday parties at the zoo, and I ALWAYS used the hedgehog as one of the meet and greet animals. The kids loved him!! My boss thought I was doing this because it’s a unique animal that they would otherwise never get to meet, but really it was because in between parties, I just liked playing with him!!
Oooh he’s beautiful! Love his wee nose and gorgeously shiny black eyes!
He is ADORABLE! I almost shrieked along with you as I saw these photos. I want to cuddle him! :)
Hedgehogs are one of those animals that just sound so funny and strange that you almost don’t *really* believe they exist.
Your pictures? Yeah, they prove otherwise. That hedgehog is ADORABLE!!!!!!
Ah gosh I love this!! Hedgehogs are my favourite animals. The Photographer found one in his garden last week – TOO CUTE!
That hedgehog face reminds me of your doggies’ faces. No wonder you find the lil’ guy cute!!
Adorable!!!
He is adorable! I think you should look into adopting one. I sort of love the fact that when he was upset, he curled up and huffed. I’ve been known to do the same thing.
Hahaha. Omigoodness he IS too cute! And tiny!! I always forget that hedgehogs are so tiny. You should get one of your own :)
Oh my goodness, I’m in love. I hate living in Australia sometimes, we don’t have hedgehogs as pets here. :(
Ahhh! too much cute for one morning. Seriously Kyla, so jealous! I love that you finally got to play with one. Your description of him in a tight ball and huffing is just too cute for words. Hooray for hedgehogs!
We had two hoglets for about a month this year (we were fostering) and they just aren’t my pet! Most of this is likely due to the fact that they were babies and had yet to be socialized. They huffed and pricked and huffed and pricked ALL THE TIME. The neighbor kids always wanted to play with them but it just wasn’t a good idea. Thank goodness for hedgie blankets! We did have a lot of fun photographing them in every nook and cranny in our house. They look HILARIOUS in flowers!
They also love the water. The only time we could really hold the hogs was if they were in water. They relax and just chill out!
I think I’d prefer a chinchilla. They’re just as cute but SOFT!
I think I’m with you Lauren, it seems like being a hedgehog among humans would be very stressful for the little guys- they seem very much like wild animals. And they’re not really a low maintenance pet to care for, either!
They’re really cute but this definitely crossed them off my list. But I would loooove to babysit one. My friend said the same thing about them loving water! I can’t even fathom how cute that would be.
Oh my gosh! What a cutie! I just want to snuggle and watch movies with him….is that creepy? ;)
Oh my gosh! I think I’d like to meet a hedgehog as well!
OMG, hedgehogs are just TOO CUTE.
I’ve never seen one that was “socialized” and would actually be quite comfortable being held… Oliver just looks adorable and comfy in your hands :)
OMG How adorable is this? If not for the prickles I think I’d be in love. I used to want a raccoon for a pet. But then I realised that any baby of any animal is the cutest thing in the world, and then they grow up to be bothersome teenagers. ;)
Oh no, now I must have one!
Not that I was ever adverse to hedgehogs before…
I already saw the pictures on Flickr, but OMG I’m in LOVE. WANT WANT WANT!! There’s no way Dave would let me get a hedgehog, considering I’ve asked for both a pet pig and pet duck before and was vetoed. :(
OH MY. OH MY GOODNESS.
I have to go now. I’m off to plot ways to convince Michael I cannot live another day without a hedgehog.
hahahahaha, the cuteness factor for today just rose exponentially. =D love it!
oh my goodness, he is the cutest little guy ever!
Awww…I had a hedgehog growing up. His name was Ponch. He was a little cutie!
xo – jami
i m a g i n e
EEEE! Too freaking cute!!! <3 I melt.
Kylah!!! I LOVE HIM!!!! I’m so jealous. Where can you buy a hedgehog anyway?
I think at exotic pet shops, maybe? I would recommend them as a “to visit” pet rather than as a forever pet- he was a honey, but was very much a wild animal.
But so ridiculously, astonishingly cute. I kept expecting him to ask for a cup of tea in a British accent. :)
That first picture makes me want to burst. Must have!
Okay, I just squealed–at work. Thank goodness hardly anyone is around to hear me right now. Thanks or sharing! Think you’ll ever get one?
I did not know you could have a hedgehog as a pet. So adorable.
I don’t know that I would have ever thought to think I wanted to meet a hedgehog, but you have thusly changed my mind. (SO cute.)
I reckon you should steal Oliver the hedgehog and I’ll steal Rudy the micropig and we can meet somewhere in between Vancouver and Winnipeg for a playdate.
Oh my! That is just too cute for words! My dream pet right there! =)
This has got to be the cutest thing in the whole wide world!
After seeing how ridiculously cute this creature is, I’m convinced I need to add a hedgehog to my menagerie of animals. Too. Stinkin’. Cute. :)
SO SWEET!
We had a pet hedgehog. His name was Goby. The PERFECT pet for us. Soo very cute. He passed away in March of 2009.
If you’re interested, http://squashcakes.blogspot.com/search/label/goby
oh. my. goodness. that is sooo cute!! I love that he huffed when he was upset… I can’t handle the cuteness!
I am dying (OK, maybe just swooning) from the cuteness! I have to meet one now!
OMG I’m dying at his cuteness. I want to hold him!
OMG! He is sooo cute!
OMG! He is too cute! I want one!
Ahhh that’s adorable!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
whew ok deep breath. heehee.
Hedgehogs are SO cute!
I can’t imagine having one as a pet, but way cute! I love the first photo :)
swooooooon…
he almost doesn’t even look real. but man is he adorable!
oh my gosh, SO CUTE!!! i was seriously awww-ing out loud!
That is awesome! I love that it curled up & huffed when it was upset about something. I can relate! ;)
How adorable! I never knew you could have pet hedgehogs. As a kid I was told to stay away from them because they usually have fleas (or was it other bugs?).
How cute! I love how you were expecting him to ask for a cup of tea in a British accent. I can see why you are in love with hedgehogs. Very cool that you actually got to hold one.
That’s pretty much the cutest thing ever! Very, very cool and I’m so jealous you got to snuggle him!
My uncle’s weird wife used to have hedgehogs. SO cute! But they got carsick on road trips… very odd.
Too cute! I just found out that Joe’s uncle, who we’re going to visit at the end of August, has a pet hedgehog! I will definitely take some pics and show you, since you’re a fan of the prickly cuteness! :-)
Cutest ever! Oh my gosh, so adorable. <3
Okay, so this was my first time seeing a hedgehog ever in life. I never even knew what they looked like! hahhahaha it’s so cute. I wonder what they do all day long…….play?
I want one! I want one!!! They’re so freaking cute. Jealous of your lovely pictures with the hedgehog, haha :)
How cute! I never would’ve thought of a hedgehog as a possible pet, though I confess I was thinking “ouch”!