Prickly Issues!
The latest must have for in vogue pet owners is prickly, has a tendency to snooze for most of the day and a slight penchant for cannibalism. Yet despite its shortcomings the African Pygmy Hedgehog appears to be growing in popularity as the exotic pet of the hour.
These adorable hedgehogs, which are a cross between two different varieties of African hedgehog, can be housed in ordinary ‘hamster’ cages and appear to take pleasure in human companionship. Once they have become familiar with their environment and are used to the daily routine of their adoptive homes, they will unfurl and drop their spikes, enabling the owner to interact with them and even stroke them.
The price tag for the tiny white or brown coloured creatures, which are just a quarter the size of their undomesticated British hedgehog relatives, is an estimated £200, with some breeders alleging to have waiting lists a year long. There are around 8 breeders in the UK, who appear to be unable to meet current demand, and the intensive breeding that has followed as a result has led to a number of cases of an incurable and inherited condition known as wobbly hedgehog syndrome, a fatal disease which attacks the hedgehog’s nervous system.
The craze has caused concern among welfare groups who fear increasing numbers may be abandoned as owners lose interest in them, since the initial fascination with trendy pets is often followed by a low level of interest.