HEDGEHOG CARE GUIDE

HOUSING

The larger the enclosure the better for your hedgehog. Hedgehogs are very active animals and need space to explore. A large clear sterilite plastic tote works great as a safe enclosure. The larger the size the better! We would recommend the 200 qt size. Plastic totes may not be the most appealing cage to look at but they are inexpensive, have a solid bottom, are easy to clean and sanitize, and one of the safest cage options. If you are going to use the lid on the plastic tote, you will need to alter the lid to provide proper ventilation. Hedgehogs NEED well ventilated cages to prevent respiratory illness. Cutting out the middle section of the lid and zip-tying a piece of hardware cloth works perfectly.

Another acceptable cage is the Critter Nation Cage or similar with a coroplast base to prevent climbing. All cages with bars such as the Mid West cage and C&C cages will need to be altered with coroplast so that your hedgie can't climb and injure itself. The coroplast should be at least 8-10" tall. Cages with levels aren't recommended. Hedgehogs aren't equipped to climb up steep ramps. Hedgehogs are clumsy, have poor eyesight and could fall and injure themselves.

BEDDING

Acceptable choices are: Aspen shavings - Pine shavings - Carefesh/ or similar paper bedding - fleece fabric.

DO NOT USE CEDAR. Cedar shavings are TOXIC.

HEATING

Hedgehogs MUST have a constant heat source. Without a heat source hedgehogs will attempt to hibernate, which is fatal if left untreated.

They must be kept at an ambient temperature of 74-80 degrees at all times year round.

1.) Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE)

A CHE is a bulb that screws into a dome lamp. It does not produce light. Regular heat bulbs produce light and will disrupt the hedgehogs natural sleep cycle. When using A CHE, you will also need a ceramic dome (plastic dome lamps are not rated for a CHE). You will also need a probe thermometer and a THERMOSTAT/TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER to control the temperature. NEVER use a heat lamp without a thermostat/temperature controller. It's vital to control the temperature so your enclosure doesn't become too cold OR too warm.

2.) The other heating option is to heat an entire small room to the appropriate temperature using an electric heater with a thermostat. When using an electric heater, you will need digital thermometers to make sure that both the room and cage are staying at the correct temperature. An excellent option to heat a room is to use an infrared heater such as the HEAT STORM INFARED WALL HEATER. It has a built in thermostat and works wonderfully and is very safe. The heater can be purchased from Amazon or Home Depot.

3.) Another heating option is to use a heating pad, set on low and placed UNDER the cage at one end (to allow room for your hedgie to move away from the heat source) Some heating pads have automatic shut-offs, so make sure to reset it to stay ON. You will need to monitor the temperature with a digital thermometer to make sure the cage is at the proper temp. Never use a heating pad at a high heat setting, it will burn your hedgies feet/tummy and could be a fire hazard. This is the heating pad we recommend, it’s high quality and very safe: PETNF PET HEATING PAD.

INSIDE THE CAGE

You will need a place for your hedgie to hide and feel safe. Large plastic igloos make great hides. You can purchase fleece snuggle sacks, tunnels and igloo covers for your hedgie on Etsy or Amazon. Hollypet Small Animal Beds on Amazon are great. You'll need dishes for food and water. Use heavy dishes as hedgies will tip over light ones. A quality water bottle is also acceptable. Make sure clean water is always available.

TOYS

Hedgehogs love toys and clutter! PVC Tunnels (4" minimum), fleece forests, foraging mats, stuffed cat toys (catnip is fine), crinkle balls, crinkle disks, rubber duckies, pom poms, solid plastic balls, tea bag covers with mint tea, etc.

WHEEL

You'll need a exercise wheel! Hedgehogs can run ALL night long! Without a wheel they will get very bored, destructive and overweight. Silent Spinners are NOT acceptable. They are known to cause injuries! The Silent Spinner has a crack down the middle of the wheel and has been known to pinch off toes. Wire mesh and Bared wheels should also be avoided. The wheel should be large sized and have a solid running space.

Acceptable wheel choices are:

CAROLINA BUCKET WHEEL

KAYTEE COMFORT WHEEL (Giant 12" size)

FULL CHEEKS SMALL PET SILENT EXERCISE WHEEL (12" size)

Your hedgehog will poop and pee while running so wheel cleanings will be a regular chore. It’s a good idea to place a small litter tray near the wheel, many hedgehogs will use a litter tray to defecate in. You can use 100 % natural Kiln dried wood pellets or Yesterday News cat litter in the tray. DO NOT use clay or clumping cat litter! This can stick to their genitals, and some hedgies have been known to eat it.

FOOD

What you decide to feed to your hedgehog is very important. Choosing the correct diet will help your hedgehog live a long healthy life. Foods marketed for hedgehogs are extremely poor quality. The ONLY hedgehog marketed food we recommend is Hedgehog Precision. Hedgehog Precision is an insect based kibble that was designed just for hedgehogs. It is not available in stores but can be purchased from their website.

If you choose to not feed Hedgehog Precision, choose a high quality dry cat kibble. Dry cat food kibble is easily found in stores. We recommend mixing at least two quality kibbles together. There are some things to keep in mind when choosing your hedgehogs food: Check the ingredients! Meat should always be the first ingredient. You want foods with more animal proteins and less plant proteins. We recommend poultry meats, avoid fish.

Grains. Some grains are beneficial to a hedgehogs diet because they provide more fiber. Try to choose foods with a maximum of 16% fat. Too much fat in their diet can lead to obesity. Kibble size is important too! Some cat foods have very large kibbles that may be hard for a hedgehog to eat. Small kibbles seem to be easiest for them to chew.

Remember that your hedgehog will only eat 1-2 TBS per day, so the foods you choose will last much longer than feeding a cat or dog. In addition to the Hedgehog Precision and/or cat kibble. All hedgehogs are insectivores and need to be supplemented with live bugs in their diet. Mealworms, wax worms, Dubia roaches, crickets etc. Some hedgehogs love an occasional frozen pinkie mouse as well. Scrambled unseasoned eggs can also be fed as a treat.

Hedgehogs do not need vegetables and fruits added to their diets. Hedgehogs lack a cecum and cannot properly break down fruits and veggies like other animals can. NEVER feed chocolate, grapes, raisins, onion, avocado, mushrooms, dairy, citrus fruits or nuts to hedgehogs as they can be fatal.

BATHING

Bathing your hedgehog should only be done when needed. Too many baths can lead to dry skin. Bathe in a shallow bath of warm water. If needed you can bathe with an unscented, gentle, baby soap. A good one is Aveeno Oatmeal baby soap. You can use a small soft toothbrush to lightly brush the quills and nails. Foot baths can be done when a full bath isn't needed. Fill the bath with enough water to just cover the feet and lightly brush their feet with a soft toothbrush.

Nails will need to be clipped! Using small cat nail clippers or cuticle clippers, place your hedgehog on a table or counter and pull out the legs from underneath and trim the nails. Be very careful not to cut the quick (the pink colored blood vessel!)

Some hedgehogs refuse to cooperate for nail clipping. For the uncooperative hedgies, you can trim their nails while they are in the bath. They can't ball up in the bath, so it will be easier to trim the nails. You can also ask your veterinarian to do it if you’re uncomfortable clipping nails.

BONDING

Huffing puffing and popping when you bring your hedgehog home is completely normal. The hedgehogs natural defense is to intimidate predators with their popping and grunting and rolling into a ball. It's what hedgehogs do! Try not to be intimidated by your hedgehog. Be confident when handling your new hedgehog. If the huffs and puffs are causing you to not handle your hedgehog, the hedgehog will continue to act this way.

Handle your hedgehog often. Gently scoop your hedgehog up from underneath their belly. Move him or her from hand to hand to get it used to being handled. Hold them face down in your hands. Handling them on their back will likely slow the bonding process because they feel most vulnerable on their backs. Put your hedgehog in a bonding pouch and place it on your lap when you watch TV, its a great way for your hedgehog to get used to your smells and voice.

KIDS AND HEDGEHOGS

Hedgehogs can make great pets for children BUT It will all depend on the children in question and how their parents educate and supervise them. African Pygmy Hedgehogs are small creatures and can easily be injured by rough handling. Often kids don’t know their own strength so injuries caused by small hands are common. Kids can also get hurt themselves if the hedgehog suddenly pokes their hands with their sharp quills.

It is a good idea to wait until your child is at least 10 before you bring a hedgehog into your home. Whatever the age of your children you will need to establish a few ground rules and know that they will be obeyed. The most important thing your child needs to understand is that only you or another responsible adult are allowed to open the cage. Until your child is old enough, only you or another adult should pick the hedgehog up. Hedgehogs can suddenly curl up if frightened and be very difficult to hold, you never want to accidentally drop them as they can be seriously injured or killed. You should get your child to sit down and put the hedgehog in your child’s lap so that he or she can stroke and caress it gently. You should do until they are old enough to be able to gently pick up the hedgehog him or herself.

Your hedgehog shouldn’t be allowed to roam freely in your house without close supervision. When the hedgehog is out of its cage and roaming, children should make sure their small toys are not lying around and they shouldn’t give a hedgehog one of their toys to play with unless you have given your permission first.

Please do not leave any child unattended with your hedgehog until they are capable of actually taking care of it themselves. You don’t want a child or a hedgehog to get hurt and the only way to avoid this happening is with supervision and a few rules.

FOR MORE HEDGEHOG TIPS

If you’re on Facebook, there are great hedgehog groups you can ask to join. Lots of great information and tips about caring for hedgehogs:

Hedgehog Snoots
Hedgehog Owners

LASTLY - KEEP HANDS CLEAN

Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after touching, feeding, or caring for your hedgehog or cleaning their habitats to avoid any risk of illness to your pet or to yourself. Young children should be supervised to ensure hands are cleaned.