My name is Nicole and I’ve been breeding hedgehogs since 2000. I took a short hiatus to have our second child, and after she was old enough to afford me the time, I dove right back in to my beloved hobby. I think hedgehogs are one of the most adorable creatures on the planet and I truly enjoy caring for them.

Our family includes myself, my husband Mark, our two daughters Alyssa and Emily, and many pets plus the hedgehogs!

Alyssa is my helper with the hedgehogs and helps to socialize the babies so that they are as friendly and tame as possible before going to their new homes. She also helps to feed and water the hedgehogs and give them clean shavings. She is very proud of the part she plays in caring for our quilly friends.   

Why Hedgehogs? 

I enjoy animals of all shapes and sizes and the more unique, the more fascinating I find them. 

I met my first hedgehog when I was 16 in a pet store; I fell in love with them immediately and read as much as I could about hedgehogs. It wasn’t until I was married that I was able to finally own one of my own. I adopted an old, blind, grumpy, female with a lame leg and a tendency to bite. I named her Moxie. She lived with us for about a year before she passed away. Through that time she taught me a lot and she also was able to trust me and became much easier to handle and even showed me some affection.  

When I was ready for another hedgehog, I couldn’t find any locally. So I had to have a hedgehog shipped. I thought that other people would probably be interested in having hedgehogs so I decided why not get a pair and start breeding. After my first litter was born, I decided this was something I really wanted to pursue and Prickly Pair Hedgehogs was born.