Hedgehog Care

For a more detailed care guide

please click here!

I know this is a lot of information... You can chose to read it or not, but if you contact me asking about hedgehog care, I will refer you to this page. I wrote this page to help you understand how to care for a hedgehog and if a hedgehog is best for you. I won't reiterate or shorten it for you in an email...

I will just refer you to this page to review :)

WHAT IS AN AFRICAN PYGMY HEDGEHOG?

The African Pygmy Hedgehog is an exotic pet, about 6-8" long, and between 225 grams and 700 grams in weight. They have soft fur on their bellies and face, and hard, pointy spines, or quills, on the top portion of their body. They have a special muscle that runs along their back that allows them to tighten themselves into a ball if they are frightened or threatened. They can also cross their spines as a form of protection. They come in a variety of colors from white to black, and their spines are banded - meaning they have multiple stripes on each spine. They have 5 toes on their front feet and 4 on their back. They are not rodents, but instead, part of the family Erinaceidae. Hedgehogs' life span is 3-9 years, but generally, live to 4-5 years.

DO THEY BITE?

They CAN bite, but they are not known to bite. You will almost always know before your hedgehog decides to bite you if you pay attention to the signs. Usually, they will lick you first, then after a lick (or five) they can bite and proceed to anoint.

WILL THEY GET ALONG WITH MY DOG/CAT/CHILD?

Hedgehogs are solitary animals and should not be housed with other animals - including other hedgehogs.

Dogs and cats may see your hedgehog as prey. It is not advisable to leave your other pets alone with your hedgehog while he is out of the cage. If you do own a cat or dog, make sure the cage you choose is secure and your dog/cat cannot get in.

Your children may not be used to what a hedgehog feels like and could be frightened by the hedgehog if it suddenly goes into a ball and pricks your child. Please use caution when letting young children (under 7) handle hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are living animals and should be treated carefully; young children may swat or throw your hedgehog when frightened. Hedgehogs can live for 5 or so years - they are not disposable and if your child wants one, it may become your pet when your child tires of it. Please consider this before purchasing one.

BONDING/ CAN YOU PLAY WITH THEM?

They are similar to hamsters or guinea pigs - you can pet them, they have personalities, and they are fun to watch, but you can't really teach them to fetch or sit like a dog. They will bond with their owners and get to know your scent. Depending on the hedgehog's personality, some would rather chill out with you, while others would like to explore! The picture to the right has some great tips on how to bond with your hedgehog

HOW DO I BATHE MY HEDGEHOG?

Hedgehogs are clean animals and do not need baths often.

Sometimes bedding, dirt, or other matter may become lodged in their quills and will need a bath. You will need towels, a toothbrush, and a sink. The shampoo isn’t always necessary and can dry out the skin. When purchasing shampoo, go with mild or baby/puppy/kitten shampoo. This will help avoid dry skin. Fill your sink with about an inch of warm water. Do not fill the sink too deep and make sure the water is lukewarm. Place your pet in the sink and wet his back with warm water. Try to avoid getting water near their eyes, ears, and face.

Take the toothbrush and gently comb his quills from front to back. Once the bath is complete, remove your hedgehog and place him in a towel. Gently dry him and try to remove as much water as possible. You want your pet to be completely dry before returning him to his cage. If your hedgehog isn't completely dry, this can cause fungus to grow on your hedgehog's skin.

Please note: Hedgehogs create very little if any, dander and are nearly hypoallergenic to humans. They do not need baths to rid themselves of dander like dogs. If you think your hedgehog is giving you allergies, try changing your bedding to paper or fleece.

ANOINTING

Anointing is a hedgehog's way of trying to smell like its surroundings. Hedgehogs will chew or lick anything that smells new to them... INCLUDING YOU! If they start to lick you, be warned, they might bite you just out of curiosity! Once they are sure they have the taste in their mouth, they will make a foamy, spitball, and perform yoga to place it on their back.

QUILLING

Quilling is the time when a young hedgehog starts to shed their baby quills and replace them with their adult quills. Quilling normally starts between 5 weeks-12 weeks old. They will have several other quilling processes over their lifetime.

During this time, you may notice several changes in your hedgehog. One of these changes is that you are going to start to see a lot of quills being lost. Keep in mind that it is common for an adult hedgehog to occasionally lose a quill or two, but during quilling, your hedgehog may lose a dozen quills in one sitting. If you look closely at your hedgehogs' skin you will notice new quills poking through their skin. This will cause their skin to become tender and sore. Your hedgehog may have never balled up before this time, and now he will not uncurl and hisses and pops constantly. It is also common for a hedgehog to not eat as much during this time as well. Do not be alarmed; hedgehogs normally go back to their previous attitudes after the quilling ends. But make sure that you still handle your hedgehog during this time as some hedgehogs that were not handled during quilling continued to be huffy afterward.

Behavior during quilling:

One might compare teething in human babies to quilling in hedgehogs
Some hedgehogs show no discomfort during quilling while others might become very grouchy.
Hedgehogs that are uncomfortable might huff and puff more and relax less.
Instead of attempting to “pet” your hedgehog simply hold him/her or allow him/her to crawl over you and explore.
You don’t want to avoid handling your pet during the quilling process, but you certainly don’t want to increase their agitation by petting them if their behavior indicates they are uncomfortable.
The good news is that with consistent handling the grouchiness will get better. Quilling can last about two weeks to a month. A way to ease their pain is a warm bath. Just remember that this will pass, and you need to be patient with your baby during this time.

WHAT DO I NEED? (Check out the pictures below too!!)

Do not use wire or grated bottoms or cages with levels.

Keep in mind: Hedgehogs are known to be escape artists!

Cage: Wire-bottom cages are dangerous, and hedgehogs can get hurt if their legs get stuck in the holes. I recommend using a cage that is no smaller than 30" x 18" x 16" and does not have multiple stories. You can use a large storage container such as a 105 - 200 quart storage unit. Use something with solid flooring. During Christmas time you can get Christmas tree totes that are perfect for a hedgehog!

What do we recommend? Personally, we like the storage totes. They are easy to clean and sanitize. The bigger the cage the better! If you are handy and want to custom-make a cage, research C&C cages.

Here are a few links to some cages we approve!

Midwest Habitat
Kaytee Habitat
Ferplast Cage - I would recommend taking the ramp part-out
Christmas Tree Tote - Obviously take off the top :)
200 qt Storage Tote - take off the top

Shavings: This is your preference, but do not use cedar shavings. Cedar shavings have been known to cause respiratory problems in hedgehogs. Try not to get a bedding with scents. It can irritate your hedgehog's eyes and lungs.

What do we recommend? We personally use white paper bedding. White bedding helps us see any issues that may arise in the hedgehogs stool or urine. Click here to see the type we like best.

Fleece Liners: Fleece is a great option for your hedgehog! You can get non-pill fleece at Walmart or any kind of craft store!

Hut: Get a plastic hut or fleece for your hedgehog to hide and sleep in. Something that can be washed and sanitized. This is a must since they are nocturnal and need a dark place to sleep during the day.

What do we recommend? Click here to see what we use.

Water: You may use a ceramic dish or a water bottle! Your hedgehog will be used to a water bottle, but they can easily switch to a bowl.

What do we recommend? To see what we use, click here

Wheel: Wire wheels catch on toenails and will tear them off, even causing nerve damage to a hedgehog's feet in the process. Only use solid, plastic wheels like Comfort Wheels. There are many wheels available from the Comfort Wheels to the Silent Spinners to the Carolina Storm Wheels so research your wheels and make sure they fit your and your pet's needs. The wheel must be at least 12". It will look big, but your baby will grow into it!

What do we recommend? To see what we use click here

Litter box: Some hedgehogs take to the litter box, while others do not. Tonto used the litter box and Minnie would not. It just depends on your hedgehog. If you choose to use a litter box, get a ferret corner litter box and use non-clumping litter, preferably unscented litter. You can buy some cheap litter from the grocery store. We use Tidy cat's non-clumping litter (yellow bag).

What do we recommend? Click here to see what kind of litter we recommend!

Heat source: You MUST have a way to keep your hedgehog area between at least 76 to 80 F. This can be accomplished with a heat lamp, a small animal heating pad, or a space heater. I highly recommend having a thermostat gauge to regulate the temperature. This gauge will cut the heating device off or on when it reaches a certain temperature to ensure that your hedgehog never gets too hold or cold. Hedgehogs can go into hibernation if they get too cold and this can be fatal!! For more information on heat sources, click here and review pages 46-51.

Heating pads can be safe, BUT they can cause burns if they get too hot! We recommend a heating lamp with a ceramic bulb over a heating pad or space heater.

What do we recommend?

We recommend getting these three components for a heating source! Click on the links below for each component!

1. Thermostat Controller - Link

2. Heat Lamp - Link

3. Black Ceramic Heat Bulb - Link We recommend black- nonlight emitting bulbs instead of light bulbs because it is important that your hedgehog has an appropriate

If you have any questions about what was said above, please contact us! We are here to help! :)

FOOD

Hedgehogs are insectivores. Cat food has the right amount of nutrients they need to be healthy and happy. You are roughly looking for at least 20-30% protein, no more than 15% fat, and at least 2% fiber.

We are currently feeding Purina All natural cat food and hand grind crickets and mealworms into a powered that we sprinkle on top. You can buy Cricket or Chitin powder if you prefer to not feed live insects or if your hedgehog is a picky eater! Insects are a very important source of nutrition for hedgehogs. Please add insects somehow into our hedgehog's diet.

You can mix 2-3 high-quality cat foods together to create a more complex diet. We don't just because we haven't found the best mix for our herd yet and Purina All Natural has worked very well for our herd for years. We are working on our own mix of several cat foods though!

You could also use...

- 4Health

- Innova

- Blue Buffalo

- Wellness Core

- Royal Canin

- Natural Balance etc...

For your pet hedgehog, you want to provide a well-balanced diet that is high in protein. How much you should feed him depends on his activity and metabolism. If you notice your hedgehog is becoming fat, cut back on his portions. If you notice he eats all his food and is lean, adds more. Also, you can feed insects as treats.

DO THEY GET SICK?

Yes, every animal can get sick! But they are relatively healthy little guys if they are acquired from a reputable place.

The most common issue here is mites, which are tiny, tiny bugs. Your hedgehog would start losing fur and quills if he had mites. You might also see them in the bath. If this happens, you should take him to the vet for some medication. This is contagious to other hedgehogs, and possibly other animals like birds or small animals. It's very common here in Texas because of the warm climate, to obtain mites from bedding at pet stores. This is an easy fix with some medication from a vet!

They can get an upper respiratory infection - which would be signified by a lot of sneezing and snot. This would require antibiotics, again from your vet. It is highly contagious to other hedgehogs if your hedgehog has this.

Other things to watch out for would be diarrhea, constipation, not eating or drinking, and blood coming from anywhere. They bleed a lot when they bleed, and often if they cut themselves, they are fine once you find them and the mess is worse than the injury. If they continue to bleed, you should take them to the vet.