Hedgehog advice?

Ok, they are nothing like rodents. Seriously, nothing like them.

They don't chew and they do need 1 level cages b/c they have terrible sight. Is it incredibly dangerous if they fall...not in my experience, but the problem arises if they fall and get their leg caught or they don't process they are falling and face plant into something hard. They also can't use wheels that are designed for rodents. I prefer the Giant Comfort Wheel, but there are others, the important thing is it's solid so their toes and nails can't get caught (you can even make your own "bucket wheel").

And I don't know what you've read for diet, but it is important they are fed high quality, low fat cat food. I have personally used Blue Buffalo Indoor and Innova Weight Management with great success.

Is your friend a professional breeder or no? I myself was a hobby breeder for a few years, but I spent a small fortune on breeder quality hedgehogs to ensure the most healthy hedgehogs. Did you friend spend the money on their breeder pair or buy two off say craigslist or another similar site? That can have an impact on not only temperament, but health.

The best way to pick a happy hedgehog is to see which one is the friendliest and curls up the least when handled. I can speak from experience, you want to pick them up and not let your friend be the only one. I won't lie, I knew exactly how to pick all the babies up, even the slightly grumpy ones without them freaking out. It would help you know which is most likely to bond quickly by picking it up yourself. They don't know you and can be shy to new people, if they don't curl up upon first meeting you then you've got a good one.

Hedgehogs need large tubes, I use 5inch round PVC tubing from Lowes for my hedgehogs. I prefer it because it gives them the perfect space to sleep and hide it and it's easy to clean (I do soak in bleach water when first getting it to kill off anything from the store, then rinse and let dry).

I have not been able to completely remove the nocturnal behavior, but almost all of mine are fine being played with by 5pm and a few I've had enjoyed being up as early as 3pm, but none liked mornings and all liked to run on wheels at night.

They can go outside assuming you don't use any weed or insect killer on the grass. A lot of people will invest in a small kiddie pool so they can have plenty of room to run without getting in the grass or risking them get loose by mistake.

Before you go to pick you hedgehog up, wear a shirt for a couple nights so it gets covered in your scent. Place the shirt in the cage so your new hedgehog can curl inside it and still get use to your smell without having to always be around it. Just to let you know, they can take 1-2 weeks to bond if they have been handled and well socialized, but some can take as long as a month or two. Most don't take that long, but each hedgehog has it's own personality. They are also solitary and should never be housed together (even if they have been raised together or you want to breed).

Another note, don't use the balls to let them run in. Not only are most not large enough, but hedgehogs just don't do well with them and most reputable breeders don't recommend them. Toilet paper tubes with a slit cut so they don't get their head stuck and the birdies used for badminton make good toys. some also like playing with small balls used for cats. It's important to never use tea tree oils around them (commonly found in natural cleaning supplies and beauty supplies) b/c they are really allergic to them. They also don't tolerate temps below 70, but 74-78 are the most ideal temperatures.

My cages are simple, but effective and can house 1 full grown adult. I get the largest storage buckets from target (110qt), 1 PVC tube 5inch round and about 6-8inch long, 1 Giant comfort wheel, and a food/water dish. If you want to provide more space you can buy two buckets and connect them with PVC tubing (one for playing/eating and the other for sleeping). I don't like to use water bottles and don't recommend them, I use cat dishes that are both food and water.

I know you have been looking at websites, but if you haven't seen this one it's great and has a lot of information - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/

Good luck with your new pet.