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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Hedgehog & Afternoon Open Thread

Hedgehog & Afternoon Open Thread

by Betty Cracker|  August 14, 201312:52 pm| 165 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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hedgehog

My daughter is constructing a detailed slide presentation to convince her father to allow her to get a hedgehog (with her own money!). My general rule is “no pets that poop in the house,” which pretty much rules out everything but dogs (and outdoor cats, I guess). But I’m a pushover, and she knows it.

What say you? As this is an open thread, please feel free to discuss non-spiny mammal topics as well.

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165Comments

  1. 1.

    SiubhanDuinne

    August 14, 2013 at 12:56 pm

    I think hedgehogs are adorable :-)

    If Tom Levenson sees this, I’m hoping he will do a post, or at least a comment, on his late colleague, the historian Pauline Maier.

    Also, is anyone else unable to access the online NYTimes? I’ve been getting a “service unavailable” message for hours.

  2. 2.

    shortstop

    August 14, 2013 at 12:56 pm

    Well, even the “domesticated” ones bite, and they really don’t do anything but eat and poop, so I’m not sure their indisputable cuteness will be enough for your daughter after the novelty wears off. Also, I’m pretty — like 150% — sure that your boxers will view it as prey, so this may end in heartbreak if you don’t keep them separated at all times.

  3. 3.

    Violet

    August 14, 2013 at 12:58 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Just checked, linking through from a Google search, and I’m getting the same message. According to their Twitter account they’re having a server issue.

    The New York Times ‏@nytimes
    Part 1/3: As you are undoubtedly aware, we are experiencing a server issue that has resulted in our e-mail and Web site being unavailable.
    We believe the outage is the result of an internal issue, which we expect to be resolved soon. (2/3)

    We will communicate further when we have more information. – from @NYTimesComm (3/3)

  4. 4.

    Billy Dilly

    August 14, 2013 at 12:59 pm

    On AMC, I have seen commercials for the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Vegas.
    I can best describe it as a luxury hotel designed by John Cole meets Robert Palmer with all those cats, and a nice looking model with a lamb.

  5. 5.

    Patricia Kayden

    August 14, 2013 at 1:00 pm

    Hedge hogs, boxer dogs and chickens?! I’m seeing a pattern here. Hope I don’t see you on Animal Planet’s hoarder show, Betty.

  6. 6.

    mistermix

    August 14, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    Had guinea pigs, they were cute for a while but the kid got bored with them very quickly since all they do is poop and eat and really don’t have much personality or interest in humans. I assume hedgehogs are roughly the same type of experience – cute for a while, don’t really do anything.

    Then we got a dog and had to always make sure the pigs’ cage was closed and the pigs were not out when the dog was around.

  7. 7.

    dmsilev

    August 14, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    Peggy Noonan has been hitting the vodka again:

    Let me suggest a classy Obama move that might go over well. From his Vineyard vacation spot he should have the press office issue a release saying his reaction to finding out a rodeo clown was rudely spoofing him, was, “So what?” Say he loves free speech, including inevitably derision directed at him, and he does not wish for the Missouri state fair to fire the guy, and hopes those politicians (unctuously, excessively, embarrassingly) damning the clown and the crowd would pipe down and relax. This would be graceful and nice, wouldn’t it? He would never do it. He gives every sign of being a person who really believes he shouldn’t be made fun of, and if he is it’s probably racially toned, because why else would you make fun of him?

    What a horrible person she is.

  8. 8.

    scav

    August 14, 2013 at 1:03 pm

    @Violet: Must be inconsistent, I’m getting through. Good luck to them I guess. FYWP is spreading!

  9. 9.

    burnspbesq

    August 14, 2013 at 1:04 pm

    If you can watch this video and still say you can’t support Cory Booker, I just don’t know what’s wrong with you.

    http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/08/14/20024186-wednesdays-campaign-round-up?lite

  10. 10.

    Commenting at Balloon Juice since 1937

    August 14, 2013 at 1:04 pm

    Hedge hogs are selfish and not good role models for children

  11. 11.

    aimai

    August 14, 2013 at 1:05 pm

    Must.put.this.here.

    I would really love to have hedgehogs in the garden here, but I don’t think our weather is conducive and the garden is really tiny. But we did have six wild turkey strutting across our 20 feet of backyard yesterday, so what do I know?

  12. 12.

    Jerzy Russian

    August 14, 2013 at 1:06 pm

    @shortstop:

    Well, even the “domesticated” ones bite, and they really don’t do anything but eat and poop,

    I assume there are liquid waste products also.

    I have no idea how cuddly hedgehogs are, compared to rabbits and guinea pigs. I am not sure I would want to have hedgehogs and large dogs in the same house at the same time.

  13. 13.

    Zifnab

    August 14, 2013 at 1:07 pm

    @shortstop:

    and they really don’t do anything but eat and poop

    In all fairness, neither do snakes or hamsters or birds or pretty much anything more exotic than a well-trained mutt.

    That said, owning a pet is a big responsibility. Is your daughter ready to handle a hedgehog’s dilemma?

  14. 14.

    burnspbesq

    August 14, 2013 at 1:08 pm

    @dmsilev:

    This is one of Noonan’s rare lucid moments. If Obama reacts by doing anything other than pointing and laughing, the idiot wins.

  15. 15.

    Suffern ACE

    August 14, 2013 at 1:11 pm

    @burnspbesq: I’m thinking he just ignores it. But I guess it wouldn’t be classy to not issue a press release stating that there won’t be a press release.

  16. 16.

    Highway Rob

    August 14, 2013 at 1:12 pm

    Spiny Norman approves.

  17. 17.

    Jerzy Russian

    August 14, 2013 at 1:12 pm

    @dmsilev: As I recall, Richard Feynman tried pot a few times, but did not want to try the harder drugs for fear it would (paraphrasing here) “mess up his brains” to the point he could no longer do physics. In that same vein, I suggest you should forgo the consumption of Ms. Noonan’s “columns” before it is too late.

  18. 18.

    Spaghetti Lee

    August 14, 2013 at 1:13 pm

    I’m trying to figure out a Terry Pratchett/Hedgehog Song joke here, but they all seem wildly inappropriate.

  19. 19.

    Violet

    August 14, 2013 at 1:13 pm

    @burnspbesq: How does “the idiot win” if President Obama ignores it and says nothing? He’s on vacation. By the time he returns it’s unlikely he’d be asked about it. The press will have moved on.

  20. 20.

    gbear

    August 14, 2013 at 1:14 pm

    ,blockquote>and they really don’t do anything but eat and poop

    At least with a cat you get the additional entertainment of barf.

  21. 21.

    hedgehog the occasional commenter

    August 14, 2013 at 1:15 pm

    @dmsilev: I think my brane just ‘ploded. Geesh.
    Don’t have an opinion on hedgehogs as pets :) My nym comes from my SCA device, which has hedgehogs on it (which I chose because they were unusual and can be somewhat prickly :) )

  22. 22.

    gbear

    August 14, 2013 at 1:15 pm

    @gbear: work computer fail.

  23. 23.

    Paddy

    August 14, 2013 at 1:18 pm

    I would take this into consideration.

    Video- Adorable Hedgehog Cleaning Her Feet

  24. 24.

    max

    August 14, 2013 at 1:18 pm

    My daughter is constructing a detailed slide presentation to convince her father to allow her to get a hedgehog (with her own money!).

    Hedgehogs are pretty fragile if I remember correctly*. They tend to up and die if you don’t watch over them very carefully. Guinea pigs are not particularly fragile, and they’re also furry and not spiny.

    max
    [‘Just make sure to get two guinea pigs of the same sex. Also, if you like South American food, you can eat them.’]

    * I’d have to check to make absolutely sure.

  25. 25.

    PsiFighter37

    August 14, 2013 at 1:18 pm

    Back from a West Coast swing for a 36-hour stop in NYC before flying to Hawaii. Hit the Grand Canyon for sunrise yesterday, drove to Zion and did a few hours of hiking, and then drove back to Vegas for a red-eye. A bit tired, but worth it. At Mighty Quinn’s in East Village housing brisket and Founder’s Dirty Bastard Ale.

    Have not been following much of anything recently and am thoroughly enjoying it.

    PF37 +1

  26. 26.

    MattF

    August 14, 2013 at 1:19 pm

    @mistermix: I think this is right– do hedgehogs maintain their discreet charm even when they grow up? Does their teenaged sociopathic behavior go away and become merely boring? You need to know.

  27. 27.

    khead

    August 14, 2013 at 1:19 pm

    Will it use a cat tree?

  28. 28.

    PsiFighter37

    August 14, 2013 at 1:20 pm

    Also, too, glad de Blasio is in 1st in the latest mayoral polls. About 90% sure I’m going to vote for him next month.

  29. 29.

    Suffern ACE

    August 14, 2013 at 1:21 pm

    @max: I’ve heard that their eyes fall out of you turn them upside down.

  30. 30.

    aretino

    August 14, 2013 at 1:22 pm

    Disappointed that nobody has namechecked philosopher Isaiah Berlin yet. C’mon, Juicers! time to raise your game.

  31. 31.

    WereBear

    August 14, 2013 at 1:22 pm

    I lived with 200 pounds of dog, 100 pounds of cat, fish, turtles, hamsters, a rabbit and a parrot. And I would balk at a hedgehog.

    They need a narrow temperature range… and not on the high side. They are both jabby AND need a weekly bath. They also run in one of those exercise wheels… and are nocturnal.

    Great hedgehog info.

    Good luck!

  32. 32.

    kindness

    August 14, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    @Billy Dilly: No doubt you are aware that Robert Palmer is still dead. Yea I figured you knew.

  33. 33.

    MattF

    August 14, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    @aretino: We’re all foxes here.

  34. 34.

    Geeno

    August 14, 2013 at 1:26 pm

    One word TUBING!

  35. 35.

    PsiFighter37

    August 14, 2013 at 1:27 pm

    @burnspbesq: It’s not a matter of not supporting him, it’s mainly that he wasn’t the best choice in a field with more progressive alternatives.

    That said, he won fair and square – and he’ll probably do a very solid job of representing NJ on the Senate. If he can stay clean, I can see him aiming for higher things in 2020/2024 (think 2016 is too soon, even if Hillary doesn’t run).

  36. 36.

    Alexandra

    August 14, 2013 at 1:28 pm

    I didn’t know they had hedgehogs in the US.

    What about ferrets? They’re cute. Can they be housetrained?

  37. 37.

    Randy P

    August 14, 2013 at 1:30 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: I hadn’t tried today but I just did after reading your post, and it came up fine.

    No opinion on the hedgehog question. Can’t you play croquet with them?

  38. 38.

    PsiFighter37

    August 14, 2013 at 1:30 pm

    Can I also make a blog suggestion – a button that scrolls right to the comment box after the comments? AFAIK, this doesn’t exist.

  39. 39.

    Napoleon

    August 14, 2013 at 1:32 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Also, is anyone else unable to access the online NYTimes? I’ve been getting a “service unavailable” message for hours.

    Some wingnut who post on a non-political site I post on is conviced it is related to their Clinton “expose” today.

    Get ready for them to roll out the pumpkins to shoot in the backyard again.

  40. 40.

    Randy P

    August 14, 2013 at 1:34 pm

    @Randy P: Spoke too soon. I got the NYTimes front page, but all attempts to click on links failed & the front page is down now too.

  41. 41.

    MattF

    August 14, 2013 at 1:34 pm

    @Napoleon: The NYT has been posting today’s stories on Facebook:

    https://www.facebook.com/nytimes

  42. 42.

    LanceThruster

    August 14, 2013 at 1:36 pm

    I generally try to discourage ‘exotic’ pets as no matter how well cared for they are by some, they’ll inspire others who might not be as responsible (I experienced this when I got tree crabs – also known as hermit crabs). The traffic in exotics pets is troubling to me and anything that tends to reduce those numbers I see as a good thing…but that’s just me.

  43. 43.

    dmsilev

    August 14, 2013 at 1:37 pm

    @Alexandra: I don’t have any first-hand experience, but a brief Google suggests that ferrets can be litterbox trained. They’re not that unusual as pets, so I imagine there’s a fair amount of info on the subject.

  44. 44.

    gbear

    August 14, 2013 at 1:37 pm

    @PsiFighter37: The ‘End’ button on your keyboard will do that.

  45. 45.

    kindness

    August 14, 2013 at 1:38 pm

    @LanceThruster:

    I got tree crabs

    Is that what they’re calling it now?

    re – ferets. Real good pets but they also are very nocturnal and do require a lot of time to keep them sane. Kinda high energy too.

  46. 46.

    PsiFighter37

    August 14, 2013 at 1:38 pm

    @gbear: Something my iPhone lacks…

  47. 47.

    The Fat Kate Middleton

    August 14, 2013 at 1:38 pm

    My husband and I raised and sold hedgehogs for a few years – sold them all over the U.S. They were the easiest pet in the world to care for. The only serious problem we had was with a couple of the mothers, who took it upon themselves to eat their newborn babies. To see what they’re all about, there’s this:

    (True Facts About Hedgehogs)

  48. 48.

    Belafon

    August 14, 2013 at 1:40 pm

    @kindness: If a dead Robert Palmer is consulting, that would be even cooler. Imagine trying to get zombie women to sway in sync. Karen Gillan could consult on the makeup (go to youtube and look up zombeal if you don’t know).

  49. 49.

    SiubhanDuinne

    August 14, 2013 at 1:40 pm

    @Violet: Thanks, Violet! I never use my Twitter account and it wouldn’t have occurred to me to check in there. I appreciate the info.

  50. 50.

    scav

    August 14, 2013 at 1:42 pm

    Wouldn’t the pooping in house rule rule out children, husbands and anything more than short-term guests?

  51. 51.

    Billy Dilly

    August 14, 2013 at 1:42 pm

    @kindness: Yes he is gone but his videos had style!

  52. 52.

    gbear

    August 14, 2013 at 1:42 pm

    @PsiFighter37: Sorry. I’m a fossil. All I know is fossil technology.

  53. 53.

    Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader

    August 14, 2013 at 1:45 pm

    The only hedgehog I know is Sonic. Can you do anything with them other than feature them in video games?

  54. 54.

    El Caganer

    August 14, 2013 at 1:46 pm

    @burnspbesq: I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by how squirrelly Lonegan is – we’ve got a lot like him here in Pennsylvania.

  55. 55.

    SiubhanDuinne

    August 14, 2013 at 1:47 pm

    @Napoleon:

    Some wingnut who post on a non-political site I post on is conviced it is related to their Clinton “expose” today.

    There a times when I am just in awe of what wingnuts are capable of imagining.

  56. 56.

    Roger Moore

    August 14, 2013 at 1:48 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    If you can watch this video and still say you can’t support Cory Booker, I just don’t know what’s wrong with you.

    I would rather that somebody else had won the primary, but I’ll take any Democrat over any Republican these days. If Cory is the nominee, then I’ll back him.

  57. 57.

    Betty Cracker

    August 14, 2013 at 1:48 pm

    Thanks, everyone.

    1. RE: the dogs — my kiddo already bans them from her room, so that shouldn’t be an issue. But we’d definitely have to make sure they never met the hedgehog.

    2. RE: ferrets — I had a friend who had one, and it stunk to high heaven. It also hoarded its owner’s socks. It was cute, though.

    3. RE: guinea pigs — I wish she’d just get a damn guinea pig. They’re a lot cheaper! We had one at one time, and it was fun, but this was when the kid was a lot younger, so I got stuck cleaning the cage, bathing the critter, etc. I never knew an animal was capable of producing so much shit! Luckily, it was in the form of relatively inoffensive little pellets. But good lord, that guinea pig could lay a line of them from here to the moon. When he finally croaked, I rolled out my “nothing that shits in the house” rule, but the kid pointed out (with some justice) that she’s more responsible now.

  58. 58.

    rikyrah

    August 14, 2013 at 1:49 pm

    When the hedgehog eats the chickens, don’t say you weren’t warned..LOL

  59. 59.

    Nicole

    August 14, 2013 at 1:50 pm

    I used to work at a facility that had tractable hedgehogs and they really aren’t much as a pet. They’re nocturnal/crepuscular, so they sleep all day, they have to be handled very carefully because the quills hurt if they poke you, and because they are insectivores their poop smells like evil (insects- the original high protein diet). I was only bitten a few times, but that’s no fun, either.

    If she wants to stay up late and watch them waddle around a little enclosure and feed them live mealworms, then great. But if she wants a pet to cuddle and play with, a hedgehog is not a good choice.

  60. 60.

    kindness

    August 14, 2013 at 1:51 pm

    Yea I liked Robert Palmer. And I can forgive his video & album covers as you got the same thing with Roxy Music. Who was the woman who shot a video an stole Robert Palmer’s meme but with Chippendale men? I forget.

  61. 61.

    Roger Moore

    August 14, 2013 at 1:51 pm

    @max:

    Guinea pigs are not particularly fragile, and they’re also furry and not spiny.

    Everyone I know whose opinion I trust says that rats are by far the best rodent to keep as a pet. They’re smart enough to have some real personality and make all the other rodents seem boring.

  62. 62.

    Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader

    August 14, 2013 at 1:51 pm

    Are they good eatin’? In case the pet thing doesn’t work out?

  63. 63.

    IowaOldLady

    August 14, 2013 at 1:53 pm

    @scav: Feature, not a bug.

  64. 64.

    ranchandsyrup

    August 14, 2013 at 1:53 pm

    El Baradi (VP) resigned

    http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/14/baradei.html

  65. 65.

    David in NY

    August 14, 2013 at 1:56 pm

    I personally suggest avoiding animal pets that don’t have a long domestic history with man (dogs, cats, others?). I think there’s always issues with others. I particularly remember some pre-school gerbil-sitting when the gerbils seemed to turn cannibal. And just got rid of a turtle that had been pawned off on my kid who had asthma and couldn’t have furry guys. Took a while to find an appropriate place for it (not good for itself or other turtles to put out in wild, a vast oversupply in world of certain kinds of turtles, etc.).

  66. 66.

    Botsplainer

    August 14, 2013 at 2:02 pm

    Bad move. hedgehogs are cute when little, but the adults don’t make good pets. Get dwarf hamsters – they’re awesome.

  67. 67.

    zombie rotten mcdonald

    August 14, 2013 at 2:06 pm

    @Belafon:

    Imagine trying to get zombie women to sway in sync.

    Interest. Website? Newsletter?

  68. 68.

    The Moar You Know

    August 14, 2013 at 2:06 pm

    Peggy Noonan has been hitting the vodka again

    @dmsilev: She really shouldn’t be brewing her own. Causes brain damage, as you can see.

  69. 69.

    srv

    August 14, 2013 at 2:10 pm

    What ever happened to potbelly pigs?

    Great pets, good eatin once you get bored with them.

  70. 70.

    scav

    August 14, 2013 at 2:10 pm

    @IowaOldLady: Goes without saying. Enforcement — or at least threatening with same — seems a little lax. Unless the Chickens have company most nights.

  71. 71.

    NickT

    August 14, 2013 at 2:13 pm

    A delicious piece of news from the good folks down in South Carolina (the Sanity Strictly Optional State):

    State Sen. Lee Bright announced his candidacy Tuesday for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate, calling incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham “a community organizer for the Muslim Brotherhood.”
    “During the (congressional) recess, when I would hope that he would be around folks in South Carolina, getting their feelings on so many issues that affect their lives, he has instead chosen to take his time to be a community organizer for the Muslim Brotherhood and that concerns me,” Bright told supporters in a conference call. “He needs to spend more time listening to what the brothers in South Carolina have to say.”

    http://www.thestate.com/2013/08/13/2916971/lee-bright-announces-candidacy.html

  72. 72.

    IowaOldLady

    August 14, 2013 at 2:13 pm

    In the continuing saga of home ownership, workmen are ripping out the front of my house. Money is flying out the resulting hole.

  73. 73.

    Belafon

    August 14, 2013 at 2:14 pm

    @kindness: Shania Twain.

  74. 74.

    Joey Maloney

    August 14, 2013 at 2:15 pm

    Dinsdale? Dinsdale!

  75. 75.

    raven

    August 14, 2013 at 2:16 pm

    @IowaOldLady: Better than sitting on one’s ass for the last three months with half of the back deck torn off waiting to resolve a massive sewer issue.

  76. 76.

    Long Tooth

    August 14, 2013 at 2:19 pm

    I see. You are weighing whether or not to take in a wild animal, for it to live within your own four walls, and are leaning to saying “yes”.

    I’m obliged to be frank (just don’t call me shirley). That serves to call into question the caliber of your overall judgement, i.e., your capacity to judge wisely. I for one am bound to take a more critical look at your writing whenever you spout off about politics from here on out.

  77. 77.

    coin operated

    August 14, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    My rule to my children was “no pets at the bottom of the food chain”. In northern Idaho, this ruled out everything but medium+ sized dogs, as anything smaller was instant coyote/owl/hawk bait.

  78. 78.

    Yatsuno

    August 14, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    @Long Tooth: Noted, your concern has been.

  79. 79.

    LanceThruster

    August 14, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    @kindness:

    Is that what they’re calling it now?

    Had names and everything. Trophy winners in fact at the Brennan’s Pub crab races in Hermosa Beach.

  80. 80.

    Nicole

    August 14, 2013 at 2:24 pm

    @Roger Moore: As someone who had pet rats as a kid, I’ll second that. They’re cool about being handled and you can teach them to do tricks.

  81. 81.

    IowaOldLady

    August 14, 2013 at 2:25 pm

    @raven: Sewer issues are the worst. A friend’s boss had a pipe break and spew raw sewage over his finished basement.

  82. 82.

    Belafon

    August 14, 2013 at 2:27 pm

    We tried fish, couldn’t keep them alive. Tried a hamster, but the one we were given was kind of small and sickly, so it only lasted about six months, and I was generally stuck cleaning the cage. So, we got my middle kid, the responsible one, a small dog from the shelter (chihuahua-dachshund mix, 18 months old at the time, we think he was given up because he could no longer be taken care of). Best choice.

  83. 83.

    raven

    August 14, 2013 at 2:27 pm

    @IowaOldLady: We’re lucky in that sense. we just started the project and hit the line that was marked totally wrong on the map. No real spill but it is a complex problem that we hope will only delay us a year.

  84. 84.

    dan

    August 14, 2013 at 2:30 pm

    Hedgehogs, like guinea pigs, don’t DO anything. They can’t learn anything. You can’t play with them! They are extremely BORING. But hedgehogs are worse cause you can’t even snuggle with them and they are NOCTURNAL!! Noise when you are trying to sleep. If she thinks hedgehogs are cute, get a poster. If she want’s a small pet, get a hamster or gerbil. You can interact with them and since they are small, they don’t make as much of a mess.

    That being said, let me know if anyone wants a male and a female guinea pig. Cage, food, water bottle, take it all.

  85. 85.

    shelly

    August 14, 2013 at 2:32 pm

    @Joey Maloney:

    Beat me to it. I was gonna ask if she was going to call him, ‘Spiny Norman.’

  86. 86.

    Yatsuno

    August 14, 2013 at 2:34 pm

    @dan: Guinea pigs are edible. I bet there’s a butcher who could help you with that. I don’t know what you would eat on them though.

  87. 87.

    Amir Khalid

    August 14, 2013 at 2:35 pm

    @NickT:
    So “Muslim” is just an all-purpose insult over there, right?

  88. 88.

    LanceThruster

    August 14, 2013 at 2:36 pm

    @dan:

    Hedgehogs, like guinea pigs, don’t DO anything. They can’t learn anything. You can’t play with them! They are extremely BORING.

    Reminded me of these lyrics from “Dead Puppies.”

    xD

    They don’t come when you call
    They don’t chase squirrels at all
    Dead puppies aren’t much fun

  89. 89.

    ? Martin

    August 14, 2013 at 2:36 pm

    @Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader: Of course it’s good eating. It’s florida.

  90. 90.

    IowaOldLady

    August 14, 2013 at 2:36 pm

    @Yatsuno: Also I have a friend who was doing economic development in Ecuador and she saw a ceremony in which the shaman rubbed a guinea pig all over someone who was suffering to draw out the bad vibes. They then cut the guinea pig open to study the entrails and see what was up. So there’s that.

  91. 91.

    LanceThruster

    August 14, 2013 at 2:38 pm

    @LanceThruster:

    Or “Fish Heads”

    They can’t play baseball,
    They don’t wear sweaters,
    There not good dancers,
    They don’t play drums

    Fish heads fish heads,
    Roly poly fish heads,
    Fish heads fish heads,
    Eat them up yum

  92. 92.

    gbear

    August 14, 2013 at 2:38 pm

    @Belafon: I tried having an aquarium setup a long time ago and could never get a community of fish to get along. I didn’t overload the aquarium, but there was always one fish who would terrorize all the others. I’d get rid of it, and another one would step up and start beating up the other fish..and on and on. I finally gave up on the aquarium because it wound up being stressful to watch rather than relaxing. Maybe something in our water irritated them…

  93. 93.

    Yatsuno

    August 14, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    @Amir Khalid: Muslim is the new Jew. We can just ignore the largest Islamic country is Indonesia. I think either your home or Pakistan is number 2. You’re looking for that consistency and logic thing again.

  94. 94.

    ranchandsyrup

    August 14, 2013 at 2:44 pm

    Moar Florida news: A Galtian Superhero tries to hire MS-13 to kill family, takes roids and makes threats against the Kenyusurper. http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/South-Florida-Business-Owner-Accused-of-Trying-to-Have-Family-Killed-Threatening-President-Ordered-Held-on-5-Million-Bond-219438711.html

  95. 95.

    Ben Cisco

    August 14, 2013 at 2:44 pm

    @burnspbesq: Holy crap. I mean, even for a NeoConfederate that is some rachet ass sh*t right there.

  96. 96.

    David in NY

    August 14, 2013 at 2:46 pm

    @NickT: Mr. Bright does not realize the irony in his patronym. In any event, something has led him to think it’s “God’s will” that he be Senator. Will be fun to see about that.

  97. 97.

    Bobby Thomson

    August 14, 2013 at 2:47 pm

    I think some women would disagree as to the cuddliness of The Hedgehog.

  98. 98.

    Riley's Enabler

    August 14, 2013 at 2:49 pm

    @Roger Moore: Rats are a brilliant pet for kiddos. We’ve got two atm, and they are smart, clean, not terribly stinky (weekly cage cleaning is a must but not difficult) and affectionate. They are active day and night both- meaning they will play with the kids during the day. They are not nervous or jittery – which means they are good for younger kids to handle/care for. They are easy to feed – mine love fresh veggies and fruits with a bit of rat kibble.

    Downside – they are short lived (2-3 years, maybe a bit longer) and the females are prone to tumors. I’m dealing with that issue currently. Other downside – the look on most faces when you admit to owning a rat…which can be used to great advantage, now that I think about it.

  99. 99.

    Gene108

    August 14, 2013 at 2:51 pm

    @NickT:

    Interesting no one is opposing Tim Scott. All the daggers are drawn to knife Graham.

  100. 100.

    PurpleGirl

    August 14, 2013 at 2:57 pm

    @dmsilev: Ferrets can be litter box trained. Friends had three ferrets: 1 albino and 2 sable-colored sisters. Besides the litter box you want to have them in a bed of cedar chips because they so have a odor. The cedar chips work well to keep that in check.

  101. 101.

    WereBear

    August 14, 2013 at 2:57 pm

    And I found this out:

    The hedgehog may self-anoint (spread spit on their self).

    Hedgehog care.

    Though, to be fair, cats clean themselves.

    Nonetheless, I am going home and hugging each one of my cats. They are looking better and better.

  102. 102.

    Suffern ACE

    August 14, 2013 at 2:57 pm

    @Gene108: I would feel sorry for Graham as he has done nothing to deserve the ire of Republicans, except for two short weeks when he was being courted by Obama, otherwise he has been a good republican soldier.

    But hell.

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

  103. 103.

    gbear

    August 14, 2013 at 2:59 pm

    @ranchandsyrup: Wow. That’s a pretty amazing story. I think it’s funny as all get-out that the guy went to all of these paranoid extremes to secure his house (and it seemed like everyone he knew knew about it) and then just gets busted without ever getting the chance to make his ‘last stand’. You lose, sucker.

  104. 104.

    raven

    August 14, 2013 at 3:00 pm

    Get a sugar glider.

  105. 105.

    J R in WV

    August 14, 2013 at 3:02 pm

    @PsiFighter37:

    It’s called the “End” button…. ;-)

  106. 106.

    ranchandsyrup

    August 14, 2013 at 3:03 pm

    @gbear What good is being a wealthy paranoid narcissist if you can’t share it with your friends human chattel?

  107. 107.

    Chris

    August 14, 2013 at 3:04 pm

    @Yatsuno:

    Muslim is the new Jew.

    Quoted for truth.

  108. 108.

    burnspbesq

    August 14, 2013 at 3:06 pm

    @Ben Cisco:

    One of the interesting things about that video is that is was assembled by what Benen called a “progressive PAC.” The idea that progressives might abandon their unicorn ranch on Gumdrop Mountain and engage in some Old Politics mud-wrestling is hard to process, but an encouraging development.

  109. 109.

    WereBear

    August 14, 2013 at 3:06 pm

    In all fairness, the link above has this to say:

    Hedgehogs truly are a low maintenance pet. Your pet should be kept indoors at normal room temperature (72 to 80oF); it should be fed a high quality dry cat food; they don’t bark, although when happy, some will emit a quiet purr; they do not climb curtains or chew on furniture; and, they do not ask to be taken out for a walk. All that your pet asks for is to be fed and watered, loved and appreciated.

    Isn’t that what anyone wants?

  110. 110.

    SectarianSofa

    August 14, 2013 at 3:10 pm

    OK, so holy crap http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/08/14/orson_scott_card_worries_about_obama_turning_urban_gangs_into_his_personal.html [Orson Scott Card Worries About Obama Turning “Urban Gangs” Into His Personal Police Force]

    So Orson Scott Card is a fucking racist lunatic and Weigel, in order to make the column a a little snappier, starts by pretending that Card merely dislikes gay marriage — lots of people do! No biggie — not like he threw buckets of money out to support Prop 8, etc..

    Anyway, it’s a good little piece in the sense of I didn’t realize what a yahtzee goddamned douchecanoe Card was. Apparently not just the queer peeps making him sweaty and anxious.

  111. 111.

    ranchandsyrup

    August 14, 2013 at 3:13 pm

    Proceed, goopers (via wonkette): http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-14/food-stamp-cut-backed-by-republicans-with-voters-on-rolls.html

  112. 112.

    SectarianSofa

    August 14, 2013 at 3:14 pm

    @Commenting at Balloon Juice since 1937:

    Nice. I’m buying six of them, and mailing them to my neighbors. (Why the neighbors? Just because. Maybe it’s a thing that’s happening.)

  113. 113.

    cckids

    August 14, 2013 at 3:19 pm

    @PsiFighter37:

    Hit the Grand Canyon for sunrise yesterday, drove to Zion and did a few hours of hiking, and then drove back to Vegas for a red-eye.

    As a Vegas resident & big fan of both the GC & Zion, I just have to say,
    Holy Shit, that is quite a long day. It was a little warm yesterday too. Did you do the North Rim or South?

  114. 114.

    cckids

    August 14, 2013 at 3:23 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    There a times when I am just in awe of what wingnuts are capable of imagining.

    This. And yet, most of their creative work (books,movies, etc) is so bad. They clearly need to redirect their energies.

  115. 115.

    David in NY

    August 14, 2013 at 3:25 pm

    @burnspbesq: Even progressives can shoot fish in a barrel. Sometimes.

  116. 116.

    Geeno

    August 14, 2013 at 3:25 pm

    @WereBear: I know I want to be fed and watered.

  117. 117.

    The Other Chuck

    August 14, 2013 at 3:25 pm

    The problem with guinea pigs:

    squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! …. and so on

    And while you’re trying to sleep: squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! … and on and on

  118. 118.

    PsiFighter37

    August 14, 2013 at 3:27 pm

    @cckids: So the full story goes something like this…

    a) Did the down-and-back 6-mile trek on Bright Angel yesterday in the middle of the afternoon in 4 hours. Holy shit, that was incredibly crushing
    b) Drove back to Flagstaff for dinner at the Lumberyard brewpub (they make some very solidly fine beers at a price that makes me weep as a resident NYCer). Passed out while drinking sometime in the 10 PM hour
    c) Woke up at 3 AM, showered, checked out of Flagstaff, drove to the GC by 5 AM. Saw a few shooting stars on the way. Caught the sunrise
    d) After hanging out until around 6:15 AM or so, we hopped in the car and drove to Zion. Time change (+1hr), stopping at a Sonic for breakfast in Tuba City (this was a good choice even if it added 30 minutes, as we’d have run out of gas otherwise – there’s basically nothing after this until the Utah border). Had some awesome views from the East Rim along the way
    e) Got to Zion around 1:30 PM. Wolfed down some tacos in Springdale, then caught the bus to do 3 trail hikes. Recommended time 4 hours combined, did it in 2.5. Got back to the car around 5:30 PM after shuttle ride, legs thoroughly shot at this point.
    f) Drove back to Vegas, arriving around 7:30 PM local time (stopped along the way to reload on water). Hit the In-N-Out on UNLV’s campus, then raced to the Great American Cookie Company at the Premium Outlet because my buddy wanted a Double Doozie.
    g) Returned the rental (a friggin’ sweet Mustang convertible) and got through security by 8:45 PM. In the airline club downing a few before the flight. It actually left on time, flight took 4 hours, arrived at Newark at 5:30 AM local time. Hopped onto NJ Transit and back I am in the Big Apple.

    It was an incredibly exhausting day – I had to drive when my buddy started dozing off when we left the Canyon, and I slept a decent portion of the drive back to Vegas from Zion – but man, what a thrill to see that much in a 24-hour period.

    Also, too, in short – we were at the South Rim…just making it an even longer trip.

  119. 119.

    Jerzy Russian

    August 14, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    @IowaOldLady:

    In the continuing saga of home ownership, workmen are ripping out the front of my house. Money is flying out the resulting hole.

    For us, it is a hole in the side by the kitchen. I wish money would come in through that hole, but it appears that the flow direction is strictly outbound.

  120. 120.

    kindness

    August 14, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    Re: pets on the food chain thingy. We got a new kitten in May. Behind my house are farm fields so we get all the usual critters. Only smart cats stay around as the adventurous ones end up gettin ‘et by coyotes. Anyway we got a kitten in May and it’s just this last week or two we stopped worrying about her getting eaten by the owls that live in the tree next door. Normally we’d leave the rear garage door open with the security door (both have big pet doors in them) open so the kids could go in and out into the back yard during the night. Well we had to keep it closed so little Suki didn’t become Owl feed. Well, she eventually figured it out watching her bretheren critters use it so now we can leave the door open and cool down the garage & kitchen (attached don’tcha know) at night. Now I just have to hope she learns about the coyotes from our side of the fence as our other cat has.

  121. 121.

    cckids

    August 14, 2013 at 3:30 pm

    @dmsilev:

    What a horrible person she is.

    Indeed. She also seems to believe (very, very wrongly), that all states are like Oregon & pay parents of disabled children to care for them. Most do not. Especially if that child is an adult.
    She’s built most of that column around a problem that is very limited in scope & most likely will be given a waiver so it won’t happen anyway.

  122. 122.

    cckids

    August 14, 2013 at 3:32 pm

    @PsiFighter37: Wow. I’m impressed! Was Angel’s Landing one of your Zion hikes? Its my favorite, I’ve got to get back to it this fall if at all possible.

  123. 123.

    Ben Cisco

    August 14, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    The idea that progressives might abandon their unicorn ranch on Gumdrop Mountain and engage in some Old Politics mud-wrestling is hard to process,

    Wait for it…wait for it…

  124. 124.

    PsiFighter37

    August 14, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    @cckids: Unfortunately not – our legs were absolutely crushed from the Canyon hike the previous day, so we did the 3 (Kenyata, Upper Emerald, Lower Emerald) that were all together. The one that really worked the legs was the Upper Emerald – we were (foolishly) wearing sandals, so a lot of rock-hopping and balancing…probably explains why my calves are killing me today.

  125. 125.

    cckids

    August 14, 2013 at 3:53 pm

    @PsiFighter37: Yes, I cannot imagine doing Bright Angel + Angels Landing on back-to-back days, way too much climbing. Upper Em. Pools is fun, though would be a challenge with sandals.

    You must have young legs!

  126. 126.

    Frankensteinbeck

    August 14, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    Do not get a hedgehog. I’ve cared for them. They’re adorable, but terrible pets for children. They’re not very active, easily intimidated, can only be played with very quietly, and those quills may look silly, but they are actually sharp. The little bugger is covered in needles and will bounce around so it’s impossible to touch him carefully.

    @raven:
    Hard to care for, very fragile, illegal almost everywhere, but oooohmygod are they cute and fun and active pets. Do not get unless you are willing to give it constant attention.

    @Roger Moore:
    I had a pet rat. Best pet I ever had. You do have to keep really on top of keeping them and their cage clean, or they stink to high heaven, but unlike ferrets if you DO keep them clean, no stink. And the advantages? Hard to hurt, tremendously friendly, each one has an individual personality, intelligent and playful. Best not to keep only one, unless you’re ready to give it lots of attention. They get lonely. Major disadvantage: Sticks its nose inside yours at exactly 3AM every morning to eat your mucus.

  127. 127.

    Betty Cracker

    August 14, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    @The Other Chuck: Our guinea pig was fairly quiet. I had to house him in my home office (the kid was really too young at the time to properly look after a pet — don’t know what we were thinking), and sometimes I’d talk to him, and he’d squeak back. But that was a dumb move on my part, because he learned to squeak whenever he heard my voice, which became awkward when I had to have a conference call. Usually a carrot would shut him up long enough for me to get through a call. But not always.

  128. 128.

    PsiFighter37

    August 14, 2013 at 4:00 pm

    @cckids: That was more stupidity (our shoes were filled with loads of red dirt from Bright Angel, and since we had to fly later in the day, we didn’t want to be super-dusty flying out of McCarran) on our part then any kind of intelligent planning.

    And maybe 27 is still young, but I feel a hell of a lot older than I did a couple years ago.

  129. 129.

    gbear

    August 14, 2013 at 4:06 pm

    @PsiFighter37: 27 is young. Heck, 54 is young. You’ve got a lot of being young still ahead of you.

  130. 130.

    jl

    August 14, 2013 at 4:07 pm

    Hedgehog! Hedgehog! Hedgehog! Hedgehog! Hedgehog!

    It’s going to be a a cage most of the time and will poop there, right.

    And, Cracker’s analogy is flawed, and ‘outside cat’ that is in the house so seldom that you don’t have to set up indoor cat poop facilities is so outside, well, that cat is not ‘your’ cat in a conventional sense, IMHO. It’s a cat that comes to your house for free grub and a petting or two, from time to time.

    Edit: And think of Betty Cracker’s wonderful hedgehog pics, maybe even a hedgehop livecam!

  131. 131.

    cckids

    August 14, 2013 at 4:07 pm

    @PsiFighter37: I was thinking that until I hit 48 or so & blew my knee out skiing.

    You never know how much you’ll miss your knees until you can’t count on them anymore.

    I still hike, I am just s l o w.

  132. 132.

    jl

    August 14, 2013 at 4:12 pm

    How about an echidna, the forgotten marsupial?

    I see on yahoo there is a news story about an orphaned echidna someplace.

    Some front poster have time to research and put up an Echidna Pet Bleg? Wait ’till Crocker’s kid sees that.

  133. 133.

    Garbo

    August 14, 2013 at 4:13 pm

    Multiple long-time ferret owner here. I actually don’t recommend them as casual pets. Not all smell, it depends on the ferret. If they produce a lot of ear wax, they are also likely to smell. Also, because of the way they are bred, they are prone to health problems that can be muy expensive. They can be litterbox trained up to a point, but poop is too excellent a form of expression to always leave in the box. They are exceptionally smart, curious and determined, so unless you are prepared to ferret-proof your house, don’t do it. All that said, I can’t imagine my life without their supervision. But I’m all in, as I think ferret parents should be.

  134. 134.

    Garbo

    August 14, 2013 at 4:14 pm

    Multiple long-time ferret owner here. I actually don’t recommend them as casual pets. Not all smell, it depends on the ferret. If they produce a lot of ear wax, they are also likely to smell. Also, because of the way they are bred, they are prone to health problems that can be muy expensive. They can be litterbox trained up to a point, but poop is too excellent a form of expression to always leave in the box. They are exceptionally smart, curious and determined, so unless you are prepared to ferret-proof your house, don’t do it. All that said, I can’t imagine my life without their presence and supervision. But I’m all in, as I think ferret owners should be.

  135. 135.

    Steeplejack

    August 14, 2013 at 4:15 pm

    I am positively giddy with the weather here in NoVa—currently sunny, breezy and 72°, with highs for the rest of the week predicted in the high 70s. Amazing. It feels like a mild autumn day—in Marin County, CA.

    I did have to fire up the housecat’s heating pad under her microfleece throw. She is old and likes to be warm.

  136. 136.

    Steeplejack

    August 14, 2013 at 4:18 pm

    @IowaOldLady:

    I thought that’s what boats are for. But I see you live in a landlocked state. Carry on.

  137. 137.

    Mnemosyne

    August 14, 2013 at 4:19 pm

    @cckids:

    As any writing teacher can tell you, it’s not the idea that’s important, it’s the execution. Ideas are a dime a dozen, but the person who can actual craft it into a coherent narrative is very rare.

  138. 138.

    Tone In DC

    August 14, 2013 at 4:24 pm

    Just don’t get the kid a snakehead.
    Those things are NASTY.

  139. 139.

    burnspbesq

    August 14, 2013 at 4:42 pm

    FT: Bosnia & Herzegovina 3-4 United States. Whoa! US was down two-nil at the half, but Klinsi made a couple of subsitutions, changed the formation, and the US offense went nuts. Hat trick for Jozy and one for Eddie Johnson. John Anthony Brooks and Aron Johannsson made their senior debuts, and both looked really promising.

    America fuck yeah! Take down the number 13 team in the world on their home field.

    Next up, a road WCQ in Costa Rica on 9/6, then Mexico in Columbus on 9/10.

  140. 140.

    InternetDragons

    August 14, 2013 at 4:45 pm

    Hedgehogs are very cute to look at. In reality, they are pretty boring (mostly nocturnal and not really active in an interesting way), and are not affectionate.

    I would ask what your kiddo wants/expects from her pet. If she wants something to play with (or wants a pet that takes even a remote interest in her existence) a Hedgehog ain’t it.

    Sugar Gliders are adorable, fragile, and illegal to have as pets in most states (rightfully so). I’d like to see them illegal everywhere; they don’t do well as pets.

    As a kid in a family with multiple generations of large- and small-animal veterinarians, I think I eventually had every legally possible small pet (and a few that were illegal).

    The best, most affectionate, cleanest, most intelligent, and funniest small pets I had of all were lab rats (not including cats/dogs here as that isn’t the kind of pet your daughter wants atm).

    They are SO much brighter and nicer than hamsters/gerbils, and they make hedgehogs look like the boring little souls they are. I’ve considered having a couple around even now in my adult life. They are that sweet.

  141. 141.

    TriassicSands

    August 14, 2013 at 4:53 pm

    My general rule is “no pets that poop in the house,” which pretty much rules out everything but dogs (and outdoor cats, I guess).

    To be fair, that rule also excludes people, and since cats are reliable litter box users — analogous to a human toilet — if you allow people, then it only seems fair that indoor cats should also be allowed.

    Your rule also rules out dogs during their house training stage, which pretty much rules out dogs. Your rules are a mess, no pun intended.

  142. 142.

    Betty Cracker

    August 14, 2013 at 4:57 pm

    @InternetDragons: I’m not sure why she’s on this hedgehog kick, aside from the obvious fact that they’re cute. Maybe because it would be a pet that would be 100% hers? We have two dogs that we are crazy about (and vice versa), plus seven chickens.

    I like the chickens, and the chickens like the fact that I bring them goodies, but they aren’t really all that affectionate with me or anyone else. They’ll occasionally perch on me if I sit down among them, and they allow me to pet them. But they’re not companions in the same way dogs are. At least they’re fun to watch — hilarious, occasionally. And then there are the eggs…

  143. 143.

    Betty Cracker

    August 14, 2013 at 5:02 pm

    @TriassicSands: Litter boxes are analogous to toilets? I disagree. Well, maybe those self-cleaning litter boxes, if they actually work. But cats aren’t an option because my hubby has an irrational prejudice against them. I like cats and had several growing up and in my single days. Hated those damn litter boxes, though.

  144. 144.

    M31

    August 14, 2013 at 5:03 pm

    Had rats for a number of years. They are smart, interactive, and cool pets. Downsides: you have to get several (they are social animals and get depressed if alone), vets are expensive (and they tend to need vet care), and the poor things die of old age or cancer between the ages of 2 and 3. You also have to give them stimulating stuff to do, like out-of-cage playtime for at least an hour a day (I’d just pile stuff on the bed and let them crawl over everything, including me. Fun.)

    One of our rats who was a lab rat had the best personality of any pet I ever had. RIP “Pete”, you were the best *sniff*

    Our last died this summer :-( so I actually have a bunch of cages and whatnot, if anyone is near DC/Baltimore and wants a nice rat set up for cheap let me know.

  145. 145.

    InternetDragons

    August 14, 2013 at 5:07 pm

    Well, as a kid in an eternally multi-pet household, I LOVED having pets that were without question “mine”. Though with all those vets around, I also had to be damned sure they always had fresh water, food, and clean cages. It was good for me, no question.

    I went through a few of the campaigns your daughter has engaged in – asking for inappropriate pets, or getting entranced with pets that in reality would not have given me much pleasure, and which probably shouldn’t be allowed as pets anyway.

    You kinda hate to crush that enthusiasm in a kid, but really, hedgehogs just aren’t any fun for a youngster who probably wants something that is capable of liking her, can show affection, and be her very own little buddy. As opposed to a spiny, nocturnal, mealworm-chomping lump =P

  146. 146.

    JustRuss

    August 14, 2013 at 5:17 pm

    I’d take her to the shelter and let her play with some kittens for a while. Probably won’t leave empty handed.

  147. 147.

    LanceThruster

    August 14, 2013 at 5:44 pm

    @M31:

    You’ve confirmed what I’ve heard about rats as pets. Sounds like you have had some good ones. While I understand the need for it, I’m saddened that we have a vivarium where I work for medical studies.

    Greater good and all that I guess.

  148. 148.

    LanceThruster

    August 14, 2013 at 5:51 pm

    Oh, and duck news you can use.

  149. 149.

    kindness

    August 14, 2013 at 6:07 pm

    Why don’t you just get the kids one of those toads that if you lick them you trip hard for days? What could go wrong?

  150. 150.

    BeezusQ

    August 14, 2013 at 6:14 pm

    Female Mammal Topic…
    Excellent (and scary/sad) article for all to read:

    http://www.alternet.org/print/gender/womens-free-speech-under-attack

    The Shocking Ways that Women’s Free Speech Is Under Attack
    Women who are in the least bit outspoken are subject to threats of rape, racist and sexist epithets, and deeply offensive trolling. How did it get this bad?

  151. 151.

    Older

    August 14, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    A few words in favor of rats: They are like tiny dogs in their personalities. They like to be with their human, and travel well in pockets of reasonable size. They can learn their names (or what we call them anyway) and will come when called. They can do simple tricks, and quite complicated ones if you want to spend the time on training. Yes, they smell when not kept clean, but hey, who doesn’t?

    They are sociable and need a cage mate. We had rats in the house as long as we had children in the house (a very long time indeed). Our kids ran a rat rescue as well as raising them to sell or give away, and they always refused to place just one.

    As to life span, it’s true they don’t live a long time, but ours tended to live longer than three years. Except the partial albinos, the champagne and red colors with the red eyes. They never lived as long. We often had them out of the cage, even though we usually had cats. If the kittens meet adult rats who negotiate from a position of strength, they tend to grow up respecting the rats as fellow members of the household.

    They are susceptible to tumors and cancers. Especially of the lungs, but we had one who lost a leg to cancer. (Via a veterinary intervention, I hasten to add). Most city vets nowadays will treat rats.

    An aide to allowing the ratties out is a hamster ball, so called, although some rats don’t want to go out. We had a silver one (called “Silver” of course) who hated to be out of the cage. We’d put her in the ball, and she’d roll it to right under where her cage was situated and just sit there staring up at Home, piteously. So we stopped torturing her.

    We have no pets now, and it’s kind of a relief, but we do talk about getting more rats.

    By the way, the difference between tame rats and wild ones is roughly the difference between dogs and wolves. I have had wild rats in cages and they were never tameable, nor were their half-wild offspring. I admire the little critters when I see them, but I don’t want them on the place. As it happens, we have raccoons, so we have no rats in the yard or under the house. OTOH, we have raccoons, which is all right as long as you don’t want chickens.

  152. 152.

    WereBear

    August 14, 2013 at 6:25 pm

    @Betty Cracker: We and our cats have the same needs, but not the same ways.

    I did time in the litter mines… 10+ cats at a time in my rescue, and this was before CLUMPING LITTER. (The horror!)

    But now, the Litter Robot is a miracle of science, and I recc it unreservedly. We wound up with two, and four cats, and now the litter is a matter of a few minutes a day, and no smell.

    Awesome.

  153. 153.

    kindness

    August 14, 2013 at 6:27 pm

    @LanceThruster: Dander? Why would one vacuum a duck?

  154. 154.

    Wil

    August 14, 2013 at 6:36 pm

    Rats, without a doubt.

    They don’t smell…actually they do, their fur smells great…like cats, they spend a ridiculous amount of time cleaning themselves. The only ‘smell’ is dependent on how clean their cage is kept…you would smell too if you lived in a box and had to poop in a corner.

    Once you go rat, you never go back when it comes to small animal pets.

    Intelligent, personable, and they don’t bite (if you’re ever bitten by a pet rat, you’ve done something very, very wrong). Hamsters, OTOH, will give you a severe bite simply because they are in a bad mood and you looked at them funny.

    Like others have said, you can’t get just one. It’s cruel to the rat, which will live a lonely, depressing life. Get two or three…it’s about the same amount of work as one anyway.

  155. 155.

    Long Tooth

    August 14, 2013 at 6:52 pm

    @Older: Years ago in a Dear Abbey column, a woman wrote in to ask how she could grow closer to her husband. Abbey counseled that she take an interest in, and share in his favorite hobby. The woman then wrote back to say that wouldn’t work, because she didn’t like shooting rats at the local dump.

  156. 156.

    Kathy

    August 14, 2013 at 6:58 pm

    Hedgehogs carry salmonella – not a good idea!

  157. 157.

    NickT

    August 14, 2013 at 7:09 pm

    @Kathy:

    Just tell them to drop Ella off first and then come on over.

  158. 158.

    Anonymous

    August 14, 2013 at 7:35 pm

    Check hedgehog life spans. I know nothing about them, but if they’re as long-lived as guinea pigs and some other small furry things, they could be a big commitment. Will the kid be moving to college in the hedgehog’s lifetime? Will you be open to caring for it if she gets bored of it?

  159. 159.

    Anonymous

    August 14, 2013 at 7:39 pm

    @M31: There is a DMV area small animal rescue called Small Angels Rescue that’s pretty amazing, if you’re looking to give rat stuff away/foster rats.

  160. 160.

    bcinaz

    August 14, 2013 at 8:00 pm

    Hello Betty

    this is for you!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HjATD1imGc

  161. 161.

    M31

    August 14, 2013 at 9:16 pm

    Oh yes, Small Angels is where I got some of my rats, which were all rescues. I’m planning to donate everything to them since the rat phase seems to be over.

  162. 162.

    Msskwesq

    August 14, 2013 at 10:18 pm

    My niece had several hedgehogs as a rescue project and they were just adorable! Very good pets. Let her do it, Betty!

  163. 163.

    Central Planning

    August 15, 2013 at 9:31 am

    My son had a hedgehog for a couple years. They are not long-lived animals (3-5 years IIRC). She was pretty cute, and while they just eat and poop, the poop doesn’t smell too bad unless it you let it build up in the cage.

    They are also nocturnal. Depending on how well you sleep (and if there’s a wheel in the cage) that might be an issue.

  164. 164.

    LanceThruster

    August 15, 2013 at 11:10 am

    @kindness:

    It had no explanation but it looked as if the duck pretty much knew the drill.

  165. 165.

    Electricgrendel

    August 15, 2013 at 3:25 pm

    Hedgehogs are an incredible amount of work, it seems. Changing the lining of the 4 square foot cage every day seems like the sort of thing that quickly becomes the responsibility of the parent. I’d vote nay.

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