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A Scottish pygmy hedgehog breeder has claimed there is a growing demand for the spiky pets.
Louise Muir has been breeding African pygmy hedgehogs for nearly four years but told the Evening Telegraph she just can’t keep up with the demand.
She said: “Originally, I never knew you could keep them as pets.
“I did more research and I started to look for breeders in the UK. I found someone in Glasgow selling them and that’s when it started.”
She said: “They’ve become more popular by word of mouth. There was a boy down in a small village in Dumfries who got one. Soon after, I had three people from the same village getting in contact who wanted hedgehogs.
“A lot of people seem to think they are full of fleas, but not indoor ones. They can be a bit huffy when woken up but they can also be affectionate if they’re handled by humans early. You can stroke them and a lot of people are quite surprised at how soft they are. They wander about and they can be quite comical to watch.”
She added: “You need to have a vivarium that is at least 3ft long, and the need a heat lamp because these hedgehogs are used to warmer weather. They’re good pets, but not for everyone.”
