The Basics Articles on basic care and considerations for new or prospective owners

Hedgehogs are adorable and fascinating animals that have become increasingly popular as pets. In this article we will provide you with a basic care sheet that gives you all of the essential information you need to get started with a pet hedgehog. This care sheet will help you take care of your new pet so that you can relax and enjoy the experience of having a new pet hedgehog.

HOUSING:

There are many options for cages when it comes to pet hedgehogs. A metal or plastic guinea pig cage can work well, though you may have to modify the cage by using about 10" of acrylic or cardboard to cover side wires to prevent climbing. Other popular options include modified sterlite containers, Zen Habitats, Critter Nation cages with the ramp and extra level removed, or custom "c&c" cages. It is important that the cage has at least 4 square feet of floor space as hedgies love to run. The cage bottom should be solid, with no wire grates that little hedgehog feet can fall through and get hurt on.

A hide area is a place where your hedgehog can hide, feel safe, and relax. It can be a wooden box, a 6" PVC pipe or ferret tube, a snuggle sack, plastic igloo, half log, or any other appropriate shelter that your hedgehog can fit in or under when it needs to sleep or feel secure.

Pet hedgehogs come from a warm environment and need to stay warm, but not too hot. Generally, 70F to 85F is a good range. When you obtain your hedgehog, ask what temperature range it has been kept at because that will be its comfort zone. If your house is not at a temperature that will be comfortable for your hedgehog, you will need to provide a heat source. Use of a ceramic heat element attached to a thermostat is the most popular option. Do not use a heat rock because it will not raise the ambient temperature and can cause burns.

Hedgehogs are solitary animals who prefer to live alone. Males and females should be housed separately. Males should not be housed with other males because they are territorial and disputes can quickly turn fatal. Females should not be kept with males because if a female has babies while there are other hedgehogs in the cage, it will cause her stress and she or the other hedgehog are likely to eat the babies. In captivity, some female hedgehogs will accept (or even crave) the companionship of other hedgehogs, but don't necessarily assume this is the case.

Hedgehogs can have lethal roommate disputes, so if you decide to try to house two female hedgehogs together, be sure to observe them closely for at least the first 24 to 48 hours, and always monitor for any signs that they might need separation. Hedgehogs can emit a bloodcurdling scream when upset or hurt, but they can also get into fairly quiet tussles, so be careful. It is truly not worth the risk to house males or mixed gender hedgehogs together.

BEDDING:

Hedgehogs need a soft, odor absorbent bedding on the floor of their enclosure. We generally use a one to two inch layer of kiln dried pine, aspen, or paper bedding on the floor of their home. Cedar should not be used because the aromatic oils can cause respiratory illness or death in small animals and corn cob bedding mildews quickly. It's important to keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfect hedgehog bedding so you will want to experiment to see what works best for you and your hedgehog.

While some people report great results with fleece bedding, it can be easily shredded if your hedgehog is busy and likes to dig. These shreds can get wrapped around a leg, cutting off circulation. Fleece is not odor absorbent so it requires frequent washing. If you have a hedgie that cannot use the wood or paper bedding, a safer alternative is to make a liner that sandwiches several layers of fleece or similarly absorbent material between two layers of flannel, with all edges enclosed. The cage liners will need to be removed and washed every one to two days.

TOYS:

Hedgehogs need lots of exercise as they tend to become obese with inactivity. An 11" diameter or larger running wheel with a solid surface gives hedgie a comfortable place to exercise. Wire wheels or plastic wheels with a seam that can come apart are dangerous for hedgehogs.

Most hedgehogs are curious and love toys that they can push, chew, or manipulate. Some of the things ours have enjoyed include solid rubber balls, small toy cars, large plastic toy trucks, toilet paper tubes, cat toys, and mint chews. I've even seen a hedgie spend half the night pulling a price tag off of a plastic flower pot! Be creative, but always think safe.

DIET:

Diet is an area where there is considerable controversy. We still don't know exactly what a hedgehog needs, but there have been preliminary studies by Dr. Graffam, when she worked with hedgehogs at the Bronx Zoo. Information presented at the 1998 Go Hog Wild Hedgehog Show and Seminar indicated that hedgehogs need a diet that consists of good quality protein (around 30%) and is low in fat (around 10%, not more than 15%). A fiber content of approximately 15% is optimal. The best source of fiber for hedgehogs is chitin, which they obtain from beetles in the wild.

Dr. Graffam's study found that no single commercial food fully met the optimal nutritional requirements for hedgehogs. While some of the hedgehog foods on the market meet most of their needs, others are inadequate. Similarly, many commercial cat or dog foods also meet most of their needs, but require supplementation. Most dog foods are too large for hedgehogs to eat, hence the popularity of cat food as the base diet.

To summarize: choose carefully so that your hedgehog gets a diet that has good quality protein, is low in fat, and provides fiber. A diet that is too high in fat and protein risks damaging the kidneys and liver, reducing the lifespan.

Hedgehogs need 70 to 100 calories per day, which works out to about 1 to 3 Tbsp. of food. They seldom overeat on the base diet of dry kibble, but if given access to a preferred treat, many hedgehogs will gorge. If your hedgie appears to be obese (not able to roll in a ball due to weight), limiting access tohigher fat foods and increasing availability of good quality protein and fiber sources can help. Hiding pieces of food for hedgie to forage and providing live insects (dubia roaches, crickets- not mealworms) for your hedgehog to hunt can also help.

I give my hedgehogs access to kibble at all times, with a pinch of cricket powder or chitin powder sprinkled on top for fiber. I offer treats (up to 1/2 tsp per day), especially treats with fiber in them (cooked veggies, chopped fruit) or good quality protein (scrambled or boiled egg, cooked chicken, earthworms) or both (dubia roaches, crickets). When choosing a cat food, remember that the filler that isn't so great for a cat (corn, rice) provides fiber for a hedgehog. Foods that may be premium for a cat may cause fatty liver or kidney disease in a hedgehog. Brands of cat foods that I use with my hedgehogs include Purina One Adult Cat With Chicken, Purina Indoor Cat, Purina Sensitive Stomach, Rachel Ray Nutrish Adult Cat With Chicken, and Iams Adult Cat Hairball Control Formula.

HANDLING:

The more you handle your hedgehog, the more it will get used to you. However, if your hedgehog appears extremely stressed, give it a break or give it quiet lap time in a snuggle sack. Here are some tips to help you handle your hedgehog:

* Approach your hedgehog slowly and quietly to gain its trust. Do not try to touch its head or face and do not put it on its back.

* Pick up your hedgehog from underneath to avoid the quills. You shouldn't need gloves to pick it up, even if it is scared, since you can slide your fingers underneath to distribute the weight.

* If you are afraid of being prickled, then you can use fabric gloves. Take a pair of gloves and tuck them under your pillow for a couple of nights, or put them in your shirt for a while, so that they smell like you. You want your hedgehog to associate your smell with being picked up safely.

The article at http://hedgehogvalley.com/hatesme is an important reading for all prospective hedgehog owners. .

ONE LAST NOTE:

Don't be surprised if your hedgehog starts shedding a lot of quills when it is between about 8 and 16 weeks of age. This is a normal process known as "quilling." The hedgehog is shedding baby spines and you should be able to see new adults spines pushing through the skin. Just like we shed hairs, your hedgehog will shed quills throughout its life, but it slows down considerably after this early quilling phase.

To be on the safe side, you may want to check for mites or fleas. Signs of mites include crustiness around the quills, dry and flaky looking skin, and bald patches in the quills. Fleas and mites can be treated effectively and easily by your vet. When adolescent hedgies are "quilling" they may be grumpy, but should return to normal temperament after the adult quills have grown in.

Contact us

All information on this web site is copyright of Hedgehog Valley. You may view/print the web pages for your personal use. You may also provide a link to these pages without prior approval. No one is allowed to re-post the information from Hedgehog Valley Web Site, including pictures, to any other web site, without the approval of Hedgehog Valley. Copyright 2002

This page last updated by Tig on 07/22/23