A hedgehog may be an unusual pet, but for Fan Weng Soon, it was precisely this uniqueness that drew him to one.
He first saw a hedgehog for sale in a pet shop and was very intrigued by the prospect. Unable to shake the thought, he embarked on a hunt and eventually discovered Ting Tong.
“Ting Tong is a female who is now three years and two months old,” Fan tells FMT proudly.
“She enjoys eating a particular brand of cat kibble. I have tried feeding her other brands but she didn’t seem to like it. She would sniff at it and turn away, as if it were poison,” he laughs.
“I don’t feed her too much, though, because she ends up spilling leftover food all over the floor and playing with it instead of eating it.”
Hedgehogs are generally nocturnal animals. According to Fan, Ting Tong is very active at night, sleeps during the day, and particularly enjoys snoozing in the afternoons when the weather is hot.
“Ting Tong has a cage, but it isn’t inside the house. The cage needs to be sufficiently large, so it makes more sense to keep it outside.
“It is very important for hedgehogs to have enough space to move and run about,” Fan adds, explaining that hedgehogs need to remain active and get enough exercise so they do not become overweight or depressed.
Fan also ensures Ting Tong has enough toys to keep her preoccupied, and often finds his prickly pal in her cage entertaining herself.
When it comes to her character, Fan reveals that although Ting Tong is friendly, she is a bit of a loner.
“She doesn’t like to be disturbed by strangers, and she turns into a ball when she receives unwelcome attention,” he says fondly.
Hedgehogs typically roll their bodies into balls as a defence mechanism, causing their quills to point outward so they can hide their faces and limbs from predators.
Fan also shares that Ting Tong has given birth twice, requiring him to do research so he could support his beloved pet as much as possible.
Once her babies reached a suitable age, Fan decided to give them away.
Asked if he would consider getting other animals in future, Fan is not ruling out the possibility. For now, though, he says his spiky sidekick is company enough for him – even though cuddling up to her isn’t the easiest thing to do!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.