Does my hedgehog need a friend?

A lot of people have asked if their hedgehog needs a companion. The short answer is no, they are solitary animals. However we do house our females together and they seem to enjoy the companionship. Yes, I know other breeder friends are reading this shaking their heads in frustration and would not agree BUT in all of my years breeding I have yet to have a female fight with another female. However, our hedgehogs are raised around each other from birth. I am not saying go out and buy a baby hoglet, put it in the same cage as an elderly hedgehog and expect a perfect friendship. If you do decide you'd like to adopt another hedgehog, it is best to house 2 FEMALES together and to introduce them at a young age. Better yet, it is best if you can adopt sisters or a mother/ daughter together.
Male hedgehogs should NEVER EVER be housed together. They may seem like they are best friends and getting along great, but 99% of males are going to be territorial and extremely aggressive towards one another once they are older. You may ask "how on earth can they hurt each other if they're both covered in quills"? EASY, they will lunge at each others ears or underneath their bellies where it is soft tissue. Housing males together is not recommended, and housing a male and female is NOT recommended unless you are an experienced breeder. I have been asked if male hedgehogs would mate with their sister or mother. The answer is YES; They will mate with any female hedgehog they can find. As with any other animal, male hedgehogs have no idea what incest is and will seek out a mate starting out as young as just 7 weeks old (sometimes even younger)!
Please be a responsible pet owner. If you decide you want to adopt a male and female be prepared to always keep them separate from each other, no excuses. No cute playtime, no baths together, they must be completely separate.
 If planning on adopting 2 females, please be prepared to provide them with their own supplies in their cage. This means you need one hideout per hedgehog, one wheel per hedgehog, and one food and water bowl per hedgehog. 

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