The "in" pet

Forget about labradoodles and pugaliers there's a new designer pet on the market - African pygmy hedgehogs.

Metro.co.uk reported the cross between Algerian and white-bellied hedgehogs were fetching as much as £150 ($320) each and expectant owners were waitng up to a year for them to become available.

Breeder Bonnie Martin told Metro.co.uk the hedgehogs were incredibly cute and could fit in the palm of your hand.

"They are just as cute as a hamster or a guinea pig but they have the added 'wow' and novelty factor," she said. "They are a very easy pet to handle and cheaper to maintain than a cat."

The website reported wildlife hospital worker Les Stocker as saying the domestication of hedgehogs was "absolutely appalling".