Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Move over, Frappuccino – hedgehogs are coming!


Greetings all!

Imagine going to Starbucks but instead of getting a coffee or a tea, you actually get a little hedgehog to pet! I read that this is exactly what is happening at Harry Harajuku Hedgehog Cafe in Tokyo (http://www.harinezumicafe-harajuku.com/english/).

For ~$13 (1,400 yen), you can play with your own adorable squiggly living pincushion for about 30 minutes. If half an hour is not enough for you, hedgehogs are for sale so you can take your new friend home.

I came across this video of hedgehog bath, which  I think children and grown-ups alike will enjoy! It definitely put a smile on my face!


Will you go to a Hedgehog Café? Drop me a line - I would love to hear from you!

8 comments:

  1. That is cute but I will stick to beverages, and getting coffee at Starbucks 😊

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    1. One day, you will find a hedgehog on your doorstep and then... :)

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  2. Haha i absolutely loved your blog today made my day!

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    1. Thank you! This is great to hear! Hope you keep on reading!

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  3. First we got cats, then we have these cute tingly creatures! I am curious about when we could have giraffes in a treetop coffee shop!

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    1. Giraffes will be so cool!!! We will need a bigger sink to wash them :)

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  4. How cute! And a very relaxing idea. I wonder if hedgehogs purr like cats? Baby bears do, which I just learned this week.

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    1. What an interesting question! I googled what sounds hedgehogs make - and according to Michigan Hedgehog Owners Group's website (http://www.mihog.org/anatomy/sounds.phtml), hedgehogs shuffle when exploring. What you want to hear is whistling and purring (your hedgehog is happy and content) and what you want to avoid is clicking and hissing (which translates to “Leave me alone!”).

      This last bit brings me to a concern that several of my readers raised – how are the living conditions at the Hedgehog Café? BBC ran an article in 2016 and seemed to conclude that the Café hedgehogs were treated well, except for the concern that they are nocturnal animals and the Café is open during the day (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36108964). I also came across several tourist accounts, where cafe visitors were not convinced the Hedgehog Café is so great for hedgehogs. This made me think about zoos and having pets in general – how do we ensure that creatures in our care are happy and healthy? I do not have an answer. But perhaps if you ever visit the Hedgehog café in Tokyo, do your small part and be kind to your hedgehog – make it whistle and purr!

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