Hedgehog Care
Housing: Careful consideration should be given to the size of accommodations for your new hedgehog. Although they are small animals, they do need a lot of room to move around. When choosing a cage for your hedgehog there are several things to keep in mind. It should be the largest you can fit in the space available. We use 106 gallon Sterilite totes. The large plastic bottom (wire side and top) guinea pig cages are also a great cage for your hedgehog.
You can use fabric liners cut to fit your cage bottom. If you sew, a good liner can be made of two layers of corduroy or twill with a layer of fleece in between. Make sure there is no loose threads that could catch on a hedgehog nail. Never use terry cloth towels since their nails get caught in the cloth loops. If you decide you would prefer to use wood shavings, make sure they do not smell of perfume and do not use cedar. Some good wood shaving options are aspen and pine. We have also used pine pellets in the past. Carefresh is an excellent option also.
Water and Food: Water can be disbursed by a water bottle or water dishes. We started off with water dishes as we had read that hedgehogs can harm their teeth on water bottles. We did notice that most breeders use water bottles though and is easier to keep sanitary in their cages, so we switched to using mainly water bottles for our hedgehogs. Be sure to give fresh water daily and change out the water in the water bottles daily to prevent bacteria from building up. Cat food works great for hedgehogs, make sure they are high in protein and try to stay at no more than 20% fat. We use a mixture of Goodlife Real Chicken and Brown Rice and Purina Naturals for our hedgehogs. We have also used Purina One Indoor Advantage and Iams Weight Control cat foods and Spike's Ultra hedgehog food in the past and really liked them. Other good brands of cat food are Blue, Evo, and Earthborn. If you are changing food, be sure to mix the old food with the new food gradually to make the transition to the new food.
Accessories: Wheels are a wonderful way for your hedgehog to exercise. Wheels need scrubbed daily or at least every other day. Bucket wheels are great for hedgehogs and wipe out easily. We recommend purchasing the bucket wheels online through Carolina Storm.
Litter Boxes: Many hedgehogs will go in one spot anyways, a flat plastic pan or cake pan can be use or you can buy from your local pet store. To encourage your hedgehog to use the litter box place their droppings in the litter pain or put the litter pan in the area your hedgehog frequently goes. We have personally never litter trained our hedgehogs but some do go in one corner of the cage.
Toys: Cat balls, ferret toys, toilet paper tubes cut in half lengthwise all make good toys for your hedgehog. 4 inch PVC is great for your hedgehog to climb in.
Critter Balls: Many hedgehogs love them and will keep your hedgehog safe from other pets, the only downside is hedgehogs poop when they run so they will probably be dirty when you take them out. You will want to get the large chinchilla size ball. They will also need supervised when using critter balls as their nails can get caught in the air vent holes of the ball.
Beds: All of my hedgehogs use Igloos. Snuggle sacks work great as well. The large igloos are the ideal size.
SOCIALIZING YOUR HEDGEHOG
So you have a new hedgehog and s/he is a sharp-quilled, tight ball of hissing, popping, and clicking attitude?? Don’t despair, this happens ALL the time and doesn’t mean that your pet will act like this forever. Even if a breeder socializes your hedgehog, s/he is used to them and their surroundings. Hedgehogs usually act defensively out of fear. Give your hedgehog time to adjust. Daily handling is important. Let s/he sit on your lap while you watch TV or work on your computer. Make sure they have something they can hide under. Keep your hand available, but let the hedgehog make the first move. Talk softly to the hedgehog and try to offer a favorite treat like a mealworm. You can also take an old T-shirt that you’ve worn or sleep with in with your hedgehog so they can learn to associate your scent with security. Above all BE PATIENT. There are the occasional hedgehogs that prefer not to be snuggled and will, at best, put up with being picked up. This doesn’t mean that they still won’t make a wonderful companion. You need to respect their boundaries and not push them. If you are nervous your hedgehog will feel it and be nervous as well. Be calm at all times when holding your new pet.
Light and Temperature: KEEP YOUR HEDGEHOG WARM! Anything below 72 degrees can put your hedgehog into hibernation which leads to lethargy, unwillingness to eat or drink, cause illness and even death. If your home is not maintained above 72 degrees at all times, we do recommend using a ceramic heat emitter for their cage. Hedgehogs are nocturnal and will be awake at night. You cannot change their internal clock with lights!
Nail Trimming: Almost all hedgehogs hate it, but you have to trim their nails. There is no set time of how often but watch them as they can curl under and grow into the pads of their feet and cause infection. We trim our hedgehog’s nails about every month or so and do it while we are giving their bath or immediately following the bath. We use Aveeno Skin Relief body wash (contains oatmeal which is soothing to their skin and helps with quilling), and a toothbrush works well for baths. We apply coconut oil (the solid cooking form) to their back/quills after every bath to help moisturize their skin.
COMMON HEALTH CONCERNS
Fatty Liver Disease: symptoms usually not evident until the disease has dangerously progressed, the most obvious being a jaundiced appearance, most evident around the belly. Caused by a diet too high in fat or sudden weight gain or loss.
Mites: Quite common in hedgehogs. They will be scratching a lot and look like they have dry, flaky skin. The dry, flaky looking skin is actually the mites. They will need to see the vet to get treated as soon as possible.
Cancer: Hedgehogs are prone to cancer and there are different kinds. Any unusual behavior is best to take to a vet, always check your hedgehog over for lumps, bumps, discolorations, bleeding, loss of appetite, or anything “different” than the normal that cause you concerns. Cancers can spread rapidly and can be caused by genetics, foods, or surroundings.
Breeding: Best to not breed. If you do decide to breed please find a mentor and a vet beforehand. There are so many things that could go wrong with breeding and not many vets know about them. You can easily lose your beloved pet by breeding. USDA licensing may be required to breed as well. Please check your state laws as every area is different for the amount of females breeding.
Allergies: If you use aerosol sprays, have perfume on, or even the bedding could cause a hedgehog’s skin to turn red. Try to find the source as soon as possible.
HELPFUL WEBSITES