“Why would you get a bunny when you could get a hedgehog?” Tate Lystad asked Natalie Buffet as she pondered the idea of getting a new bunny.

Natalie, a junior, was hooked on the idea of getting a pet hedgehog after Tait showed her a video of a baby hedgehog floating in a bathtub. Once Natalie figured out she could actually have a hedgehog as a pet, she was determined to get one. To watch the video go to Hedgehog in Bathtub.

On Thursday October 3rd after school, Natalie brought her hoglet home! A hoglet is the name for a baby hedgehog.

Natalie says, “I love her. My hedgehog and my dog are best friends. Trixie will sit outside of Kahlua’s cage and just look her at her…. I think Kahlua likes Trixie more than me.” Natalie named her hedgehog Kahlua because she thought it was the cutest name she found.

Natalie is thrilled to have her exotic pet, but exotic pets can have exotic problems. Consider the threat of Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS). WHS is when a hedgehog wobbles too much and suddenly falls over and dies. So, if you ever decide to have a pet hedgehog, make sure it does not have Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a dead hedgehog, which is probably one of the last things your parents want in your house.

Natalie named her hoglet Kahlua. Kahlua’s humble abode is a pink cage in Natalie’s room. She got Kai from a hedgehog breeder in Northport. Who would have thought you’d find a hedgehog breeder in Florida?

Natalie feeds her hedgehog hedgehog food that you can only purchase online, but hedgehogs are actually omnivores and can eat many things. Natalie says they can also eat cat food. So if you have a cat, and decide to get a hedgehog, you’re set on food.

There are some little known facts about hedgehogs that you probably have never heard of.

• They are lactose intolerant
• When they feel threatened or afraid, hey roll up into a ball suing their quills spikes) protecting their face, eyes, limbs, and bellies
• They can have up to 7,000 quills
• Although their backs are prickly, their bellies tend to be very soft
• Hedgehogs are banned in 6 different states
• They are hypo- allergenic, so if you have lots of allergies, a hedgehog is the pet for you!

If you would like to get a hedgehog of your own, talk to Natalie to get the information on the breeder. So far Natalie says her little hoglet is so cute that she could sit for hours and just stare at her.