Hedgies!

So apparently there's this new pet trend happening now. The animal is small, prickly, and ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE! I'm talking about hedgehogs! Hedgies! Those cute little things that I would love to have right now! I haven't met anyone who has had a pet hedgehog but I feel like I've seen something online, or read somewhere about people keeping hedgehogs for pets! I did a google search, came upon a site devoted to hedgehogs, and now I want one for myself! :)

Look at those ittle faces! From what I've read, hedgies are bristly-not sharp and porcupine-ish- with quills that aren't as sharp or barbed. They have no body odor and come in lots of different colors. They don't require special food, they can eat good quality cat food, and are pretty disease resistant. They can be litter trained and can live from 4-7 years. They're not native to Canada or the US but hedgehog central has a list of breeders here.

I would love to have my very own hedgie friend but my house doesn't have heat and hedgehogs do well in temperatures between 65 to 80*F. I've decided to have one when I graduate and get my own place though. They are the cutest and one site said you could even let them wander the house after you've trained them but that would certainly be a matter of watching your step! :) So what do you think? Hedgehogs: amazing or not so much? My grandma says they look too much like rats- she's terrified of rats and they are pretty expensive right now- I've read a couple of breeders around here selling them for like $200 a hedgie. Does the cuteness, no body odor, and lack of special diet make up for these things? Leave me a comment and let me know! :)