Hedgehog Cafe Opens in Tokyo

Cuddles offered alongside coffee ‘to show people the charm of hedgehogs, which give the impression of being hard to handle’, says cafe worker

For those Tokyo residents wanting more than just your average cat, rabbit, owl, hawk or even snake-themed cafe there is a new choice – a hedgehog-themed cafe.

Customers at “Harry” – a play on the animal’s name in Japanese – have been lining up to spend time at a bright room in the Roppongi entertainment district where 20 to 30 hedgehogs of different breeds scrabble and snooze in glass tanks.

A fee of 1,000 yen ($9) on weekdays and 1,300 yen ($12) on holidays brings an hour of playing with and cuddling – carefully – the prickly mammals, which have long been sold in Japan as pets.

Anna Cheung, an 11-year-old visitor from Britain, said: “All of these hedgehogs are friendly even though some of them might spike you.”

Cafe worker Mizuki Murata, who also works in a rabbit cafe in the same building, said the shop had been popular since its opening in February, with customers often having to queue.

“We wanted to show people the charm of hedgehogs, which give the impression of being hard to handle. We wanted to get rid of that image by letting people touch them,” Murata said.

“The cutest thing about hedgehogs is getting them to finally open up and show you their face.”

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5 of The Most Exotic Pets You Can Have

Having an exotic pet has become all the rage nowadays. a dog or cat has become too common, so people are getting into taking care of pets that are in the more exotic side. Below are a few exotic animals that you can have as pets. Before getting them, you should check your local laws to make sure it’s legal to take care of one in your area.

Fennec Fox

Although foxes don’t usually make good pets, Fennec foxes are an exception. These small species of fox are native to the Sahara desert in North Africa. One feature that makes these foxes stand out is their giant ears. These help them stay cool in the desert heat. Fennec foxes are smart and are easy to housetrain. A litter box is enough for them. They’re very active so you’ll need some space for them to exercise.

Capybara

They may be related to hamsters and guinea pigs, but they’re definitely not that small. These giant rodents grow to about 4 feet long and can weigh in at a hundred pounds. in certain areas, capybaras are illegal to have as pets, so check your local legislations. They’re also high maintenance pets. They need a lot of room and a small water pond where they can swim in.

Miniature Donkey

These fuzzy and cute donkeys look like baby donkeys for the rest of their lives. They’re great with kids and are very friendly. Getting these donkeys as a pet means you’ll have to get a couple of them. These animals are very social animals and they have to live with other miniature donkeys to survive. Although they’re mall animals, they need a lot of room to roam around.

Hedgehog

Hedgehogs are very friendly and affectionate to their owners. Although they have spines, they actually don’t hurt when you tough them. They don’t require a lot of maintenance, but do need a lot of attention. These nocturnal cuties live off worms that you can get at any petshop these days.

Skunk

People might think you’re crazy for keeping a pet skunk, but they can actually make good pets. They’re low maintenance and require little care.  Before you can get one as a pet, their scent glands are removed. This means that you absolutely have to be sure that you can take care of one since they can’t be taken back to the wild without their scent glands. Make sure you also get it from a reliable source that’s certified to breed and sell skunks.

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5 Exotic Pets you can Actually Keep

To some people, owning a dog or cat is too common, so they go for more exotic pets. Although these animals sound very uncommon as pets, millions of people all over the world actually keep them at home.

Here are a few common exotic pets that you might want to check out if you’re planning to get one.

Some may turn their head at the site of one or get grossed out, but many consider this pet to be one of their favorites. The Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches are native to the island of Madagascar and have a lifespan of 1-3 years. Their name comes from the hissing sound they make, which is made by forcing air through small holes in their bodies.

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

For those brave few who actually don’t mind having a few cockroaches at home, you can keep these Madagascar hissing cockroaches as pets. They became widely popular because of their unique “hissing” sound, not to mention these cockroaches are much bigger compared to the common cockroach. They don’t need much, just a good living area, they also don’t bite or fly. They’re also inexpensive.

Tarantulas

Probably one of the most common creepy-crawlies turned pet, tarantulas are very low maintenance and they can live almost anywhere. These insects can live up to 10 to 25 years and come in a range of sizes. Tarantula’s actually rarely attack or bite people despite some breeds being quite aggressive. Chilean Rose-Haired Tarantulas are the most common kind of tarantulas that people turn to pets.

Bearded Dragons

If you’re into animals that remind you of magical and mythical creatures, a bearded dragon is the animal for you. They get their name from the scales and spikes found around their heads. These lizards can live a pretty good 5 to 8 years and can reach 12 to 24 inches long. They’re very calm and rarely bite.

Sugar Gliders

Forget about hamsters and guinea pig, these cute marsupials can take anyone’s heart away. Sugar gliders are related to kangaroos and are commonly see in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Although small, they do have long lifespans, ranging from 10 to 15 years. But they rarely grow any bigger than 7 inches long and are usually just 6 ounces.

Hedgehog

They may be covered in spikes, but they’re definitely one of the cutest things you’ve ever seen. Commonly seen in Africa, Asia and Europe, hedgehogs can live up to 3 to 8 years. They’re small animals, weighing in at  1.5 pounds. A down side of these as pets is that they do need a bit of maintenance. But as long as you keep their cages clean and give them enough space and privacy, they’ll be happy.

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Exotic Pets – Hedgehogs

Owning an exotic pet is exiting. You get to interact with an animal that you usually won’t see in every household, unlike a cat or a dog. You also get to learn a lot about them and how they behave around people. Exotic pets come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, and can be covered with scales, feathers and even spikes.

One of the most common exotic pet that’s really picking up a lot of popularity is a hedgehog. These little critters basically resemble a ball of spikes, but they’re actually not related to the porcupine. They’re in the same family as the shrew, in fact their snouts and faces looks very close to one, and they’re nocturnal as well.

There are around 15 different hedgehog species in Africa, Asia, and Europe. They’ve also been taken to nontraditional areas like New Zealand where they now strive in some areas. They were named after their preferred foraging method. Hedgehogs root through undergrowth and hedges when hunting small animals that make the most of their natural diet, like small insects, centipedes, worms, snails, and even small snakes. As they make their way underground, they give off piglike grunts, hence the name.

A few people take care of them as pets because they love to pray on common garden pests. Hedgehogs actually have very bad eye sight, so they rely more on their sense of smell and hearing to hunt down food and to get used to the environment. Another thing that makes them great as pets is that they rarely ever attack or bite, instead they just curl into a ball to defend themselves.

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Funny and Cute Animal Pictures

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Hedgehogs: Not the Cuddliest, But Still Make the Best of Pets

There are certain qualities that we look for in a pet. These just serve as guide but not necessarily sticking
it out with the book. Some people decide to have pets for a purpose, and some for convenience. While
they may seem not to be the cuddliest of pets, Hedgehogs regardless of their spiny appearance can be
very affectionate and sweet, making them as great exotic pets.

Easily distinguished and set-apart because of their hard coat of stiff, sharp spines, Hedgehogs can be
helpful and dependable pets to have because they mainly require very low maintenance and very quiet
pets. In fact, no one would even have the slightest idea that you have one ‘til it is actually seen. They
just roam around and do some ‘sniffing’ which produces little to no sound at all. The Hedgehog was
named because of its strange foraging methods in search for food like insects, frogs, snakes and worms.
Usually, as it works its way during the hunt, Hedgehogs produce a pig-like grunt, obviously earning its
name.

The spines of the Hedgehog are basically hollow hairs made stiff with keratin. Keratin, on the other
hand, is the key structural material, making up the outer layer of the human skin. What makes
Hedgehogs quite unappealing to other people to have as pets is because of the threat of their spines.
At first sight, their spines can be likened to that of the porcupine, but it is also interesting to note that a
Hedgehog’s spines are not poisonous and barbed and they do not have the ability to remove the spines
when they want it. However, their spines normally come out when a hedgehog sheds baby spines and
replaces them with adult spines. This is called "quilling". When under extreme stress or during sickness,
a hedgehog can also lose spines but not for purposes of threat and harm.

With 15 different Hedgehog species spread across Asia, Europe and Africa, more and more people have
learned to adapt a Hedgehog as pet to help in hunting down common garden pests. Their sense of smell
and hearing are strongest while their site is weak which makes them very reliable hunters of pests and
other insects. Some farm owners opt to have a Hedgehog to maintain a free-from-pest farm.

Like all other exotic pets, Hedgehogs require a specialized level of care, with proper feeding, housing
and cleaning in order to maintain healthy and happy lives. Although not the cuddliest, Hedgehogs may
just be the perfect pet for you!

 Hedgehogs Video

 

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Mini Hedgehog

Popular pets mini hedgehog. mini hedgehog prickly but not sharp. mini pet hedgehog so because they are easy to maintain. mini hedgehog has a passive nature. mini hedgehog also has some uniqueness. mini hedgehog now more in interest.

Cute Pets

hedgehog pets

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