2008 Woodie Awards
No dogs allowed? No problem for students with unique pets
Victoria Vlisides
Issue date: 1/23/08 Section: Lifestyle
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"I'm allergic to cats and dogs, so I could never have a 'normal' pet,'" junior Greg Gosdeck said.
Instead he has Pina, who isn't the typical pet. She's not fury and she requires a heat lamp and has quills. But according to Gosdeck, there's nothing cuter than his baby African Pygmy Hedgehog.
"It's the perfect college pet," Gosdeck said. "If you don't feel like dealing with her, you don't have to."
Gosdeck has been a proud hedgehog owner for two months.
"I've always wanted one; it was like an impulse thing," Gosdeck said.
The most frequent question asked about Piña is if she is named Sonic, in reference to the video game. He didn't pick Sonic because that's cliché, Gosdeck said.
"If you've ever seen a pineapple-[it's] kinda pokey," Gosdeck said on why he named his creature "Piña," as in a piña colada.
Piña is really relaxed, Gosdeck said, partly because he and his roommates play with her often. They even have a gerbil ball for her to roll around in.
"If we do party, she does too," Gosdeck said.
Piña eats crickets and cat food about once a week. She resides in a glass aquarium covered in recycled newspaper. A heat lamp is atop the aquarium to keep her in an environment around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Even though Piña is docilely mannered, her quills can get in the way sometimes.
"You have to be careful when you have a sweatshirt on because she will climb up the sleeve," Gosdeck said. "When you try to get her out, her quills will stick you in the arm."
Junior Kiara Haseleu and sophomore Owen Billing wouldn't consider a hedgehog an odd pet. They'd just mention their 13 types of other pets, one of which is a boa constrictor named George.
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