Hedgehog! ...Online! - Welcoming Your Hedgie

Pre - Hedgie
Before you adopt or buy a living pin cushion, remember it is very important to already have the cage set up before they arrive!! It is already going to be a traumatic experience for them: being kept in a box on a bumpy car ride home, not being able to see where he or she is going. Then after this is done, having to stay in the box or being kept somewhere they don't know while their home is still being built! I mean, think about it, how would you feel?

Secondly, make sure the food dish is filled and water dish/bottle is filled, as well.

I would suggest already having something that smells like you already in the cage to get them used to you from the start (see "After the Hedge is Settled in>warming up" for more info).

Keep the hedgehog's home out of the way of windows and doors. Light from the windows may make them too hot, and drafts from the door may hurt them after a period, as well.

After the Hedge is Settled in:
warming up
When your girl or boy is finally in a home, you must remember that they are still getting used to it, so you can't expect them to warm up to you on the first day, or even the first week. It takes time for hedgies to get to know you. Of course, all hedgies have different personalities, so the question of when exactly they will show their love for you, is totally up to them.
However, to help them get used to you, you may want to put a piece of clothing that you wore that day in the house with them. This will help them get used to your scent and have them warm up to you faster. It can even be a small piece of cloth (ex - hankerchief) that you put in your pocket all day.
litter training
Believe it or not, some people actually litter train their hedgies. It is done by taking a poo (when it is hard) and transferring it to a litter box (usually placed in the corner of the hedgie's house or condo), or when you see him or her pooing, moving them to the litter box. Once this is done enough, the hog will do it on its own!