I know that it was naughty but....

A hedgehog! Wow! I don't even own a fish.... You are lucky you've got to enjoy those kind of animals while me I only get to see them in Discovery channels.LOL I'm not sure if they could be dangerous when petted but the next time you saw one, just be careful if you couldn't resist it.;-)

If they were that tame, I probably couldn't resist either. Oh, I saw a 'possom in my front yard the other night... need to post a discussion about that!

I know for a fact that my youngest would be trying to pick up the cutie pie all the time. She just adores animals. I don't see nothing wrong with picking the lil guy up. Just as long as you wash your hands before and after. They might not have any germs, but you might have some on your hands at the moment that could hurt them. All I have is rabbits, squirrels and the occasional deer that like to come out of the wooded area to our back yard.

Eeeeeek! Too cute! You lucky duck! :o) I know it would be so difficult to hold back. But wow, I'm surprised that it was pretty tame. I'll say a quick little prayer that it will stay safe, and not trust all people too easily! I've never ever seen a hedgehow (in person I mean, besides photos!). :o) :o)

Hi Oldchem, Ihave heard that hedgehogs are ribbled with fleas so I certainly wouldn'tbe picking one up. They can't get into visit my gardenat all because of emabankment and brick enclosure of it sothe only time I ever witnessed seeingone was when I lived at my nans as a chuild and she used to leave food out, I guess it seems back from then as I was told I could watch but not touch. Huggles. Ellie :D

He's absolutely ADORABLE! I doubt you could have gotten a better picture. That is precious! I've only picked up a turtle that was wandering around in front of our house. We live in the mountains, at a lake so we do get a lot of wildlife around here. The closest I've gotten to any of them, aside from that turtle, was an opossum who had been stealing the cat food I put out on our deck for our cats. He was stealing it every night for about a week before I finally trapped him and moved him to a new location. They are ugly in a cute sort of way but that hedgehog of yours is absolutely ADORABLE! I want to hold him myself! Thanks so much for sharing this, oldchem. It gave me the first big smile of my day.

Did you know that hedgehogs are riddled with fleas? In fact, if you deprive them of their fleas, it has been shown that they don't thrive ... there seems to be some kind of symbiosis! I don't think it's naughty to pick up a hedgehog. They can easily become quite used to humans and even friendly (which is what we call 'tame'). They do, however, have their own 'pets' and I prefer not to handle them too much!

Well, last year I handled 4 hedghogs. I was clearing a pile of lawn-cutting from the garden when I discovered it moving. I saw 3 young hedgehogs that had gone to sleep for the day in there. I took the bag of grass to the recycling centre only to find that there was another one in the car. He had obviously been put in the bag unseen by me and didn't really enjoy the ride to the dump. I wrapped him in the old blanket that I used to keep the car clean and took him home again. I left him where I had found him. He was curled up. When I checked later he was gone somewhere in the garden I hope, eating up the slugs and snails! _Derek

I once met some folks who had a pet hedgehog, & of course I had to hold it! Outside of kittens & baby seals, I think they're one of Nature's cutest critters ever! It was an interesting & amusing sensation to hold it. It looks as if it should hurt, but instead, it just tickled my palms. I'd enjoy holding one again. In fact, if I knew they were easy to care for, I'd like to keep one or two (two so they'd not be lonely--if they get along, that is)! Maggiepie "Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves." ~ William Pitt

I don't think we have hedgehogs in the USA; but if we did and I came in contact with one, you can bet I'd pick it up. They're adorable. They're the kind of little critters you want to love.

Absolutely! I owned a hedgehog and after the first couple of hours, it was quite happy to nestle in my lap while it slept. It never bit us and seldom curled into a protective ball. They are very sweet natured little darlings. I took it to my daughter's classroom for show and tell. She was in a special ed class. Henley surprised all of us when we put him on the desks that had been placed side by side in a square formation. He walked all the way around the square, allowing each child to pet him. Not once did he show any fear. It was as though he knew they wouldn't hurt him. What a sweetheart he was!

I wouldn't myself. I would be afraid of it poking me.:) But a friend of mine has one as a pet and she holds her's all the time as if it is a kitten. I think they are adorable though.

I have never seen the real hedgehog and only know it from the book. We raised the dogs, cats , parrots as the pets, but never hedgehog. The hedgehog is pricky that I don't think I have enough gut to pick it up. In another side, I am freaking out that I would hurt her if I hold too tightly.

It's great that you have uploaded a picture of Mr Spike! - i's like to know how to do this myself when I am discussing something equally as interesting? I get very sentimental over creatures of all kinds, I even picked up a moth today by the wing and set him free out of the kitchen window. I think you are brave for handling a Hedgehog, they can puff their spikes out as soon as they sense danger, but clearly it must have felt very safe and welcomed that you came along and did a bit of pampering - What do they eat? Sometimes people in Britain have ornaments in their gardens that look exactly like real Hedgehogs or even cats, so I have been known to approach stone carvings of these curious animals only to realize that they aren't real, but are made to look so convincingly genuine!

that is so cute! i say yes! pick them up and play with them!

Aww so cute... I had a huge hedgehog in my garden a couple of years ago... actually our old dog found it. I had never had one before, normally it's foxes (well until they scared away by my cat!). If it wasn't for the fact that I was pregnant and had the dog running around like a lunatic, I probably would have, even though I was a little worried about getting pricked, I did take some pictures of it. I ended up coaxing it into the cat basket, so I could get it away from my dog. I left food out for it, I think I gave it cat food, since that was what I was told to give it, not having this type of visitor before, I was unsure as to what to give it. I have not seen one since, but I do not often go outside in the evening's when they are around as I don't have a dog anymore.

i've always heard about tame hedgehogs that come near houses to look for food that's left out, but i've never had the chance of actually seeing and experiencing touching one if i were there, i too might pick it up and cuddle it a bit...just out of curiosity

Oh, I totally would! I am so jealous of you! I was always one trying to make friends with the wildlife as I was growing up. I used to dream of living in the forest with all the animals as friends. I remember a comic book series (short lived) called Rima about a woman who lived in the jungle with the animals and that was my dream life!

That's so cool, I don't remeber if I've ever seen one in real life. that's cool. he looks cute, I would have to play with him too. As long as the momma and daddy where not hanging around, are they mean? I would hate to look that silly running away from somthing so small.

just by looking at the picture that u posted, i want to squeeze it's little a** out of it. it's so cute. no one can blame u for picking them up.