The path to Instagram fame: hedgehog edition

What is the quirkiest pet you’ve ever heard of? Maybe it’s a hedgehog. Sophomore Heidi Bock got her 5-month-old hedgehog in February. Walnutt, favorably called Wally, is slowing becoming more popular on Instagram through the account @wally.hog. Bock was inspired to get a pet hedgehog by her favorite children’s author Jan Brett who included a hedgehog in all of her books. Bock said she named her first hedgehog Hedgie after the character. If hedgehogs are not handled enough when they’re little, they will be grumpy, which is what happened with her first hedgehog, Bock said. Hedgehogs are easy to take care of because they’re nocturnal so they sleep all day, she said. Wally loves to run on his wheel at night. “I really want to get a pedometer for him because he runs so much and I would like to know how many miles he runs at night,” Bock said. Wally is troublesome because he will flip over all of his items in his cage, she said.

“Hedgehogs are cute and everyone should have one.”

Heidi Bock

Since cat food has the same nutritional value as hedgehog food, Bock feeds him cat food. Bock hopes to have a photoshoot with another fellow Western pet on Instagram that goes by @veryfatrabbit who has over 69,000 followers. Being Instagram famous can provide promotions for pet food, cage supplies and bedding. When it comes to taking pictures of Wally, Bock is still looking for her niche. Something she wants to try is using small prop setups. Bock said her grandma is making outfits for Wally to wear in his pictures. Bock’s grandma is also making a small bag to put him in so Bock can take Wally with her easily. Even though endorsements exist, Bock isn’t looking to get anything out of Wally being Instagram famous. She said she wants everyone to love Wally just as much as she does. “Hedgehogs are cute and everyone should have one,” Bock said. Read more: Peculiar Pets

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