Ok, first of all, I totally want a porcupine now! I didn't know they made sounds! That's so adorable!

Having watched animal experts like Jack Hannah and @JeffAnimalGuy on talk shows, you actually can pet them...carefully. Their underside (the belly) is very soft. As for the quills, you can sort of pet them, but you've got to pet them from front to back, or you'll get stuck. But supposedly, they're good pets.