Meet Mr. Green: Charlottetown school shows off prickly class pet

If you step into the Montessori School of Charlottetown these days, you might be surprised by the newest and most prickly addition to the classroom.

This past spring, the Montessori School of Charlottetown purchased its own pet hedgehog through a local breeder. His name is Mr. Green.

According to school administration, since he scurried into the classroom, he's proved to be popular among staff and students alike.

"Our students have fallen in love with him. They take huge responsibility and care for his well-being," said Wraychel Horne, the school's executive director.

A pet that teaches 'empathy'

Horne said a large part of the Montessori curriculum involves teaching students practical skills. Class pets are often brought in to help students learn about how to handle responsibility.

"Most Montessori schools try to have something from the aquatics family, a mammal, maybe a reptile in each classroom," she said, adding it was one of her students that suggested a hedgehog.

"When we looked at cost and nocturnal habits and allergies all the needs of our students and the ability to learn from him things like empathy it turned out to be a good match this spring to bring into our community."

Each day, a particular student is assigned to pet duty. This means attending to all of Mr. Green's needs, including feeding him, bathing him and exercising him. The Montessori students wrote a complete care manual for Mr. Green.

Eight-year-old June Horne, who is a student at the school and also Wraychel Horne's daughter, said she is fond of Mr. Green because he is a "friend that is not a human being."

"I have two dogs at home and they're completely different than a little rodent in your classroom," she said.

"He does teach you empathy and basically everything you need to know about practical life and how to care for it, not just snuggling it."

School 'conscientious' about student safety

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are risks associated with pet hedgehogs, including the fact that they can be carriers of diseases such as salmonella.

Wraychel Horne said school staff are aware of the risks and are careful to create a safe environment.

• Pet hedgehogs source of salmonella

"We made sure that one of the very first things we did with Mr. Green was a field trip to the vet," she said.

"We had a full class visit with all the students with the vet going over care and handling both for our precaution and for his."

Horne added that if students want to play with Mr. Green, they are required to wash their hands both before and after.

"We're very conscientious that he's kept clean and safe as much as we are."

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