So You Want to Get a Hedgehog, Here's What You'll Need

                             

So You Want to Get a Hedgehog, Here's What You'll Need

By: Kylee Bush

    Hedgehogs can make really great pets. One thing to understand though is even though they're cute, they do not always like to be handled. They have a lot of specific care requirements that need to be taken into consideration. With any pet it is important to do the research required, and owning a hedgehog is no different. The spikes are for real, and they require a lot of patience. Once they bond with you though, the feeling is amazing.

    1. A cage: hedgehogs need a cage and it needs to be fairly large. It should be at least 575 square inches. This is of flat space. Hedgehogs are ground animals and don't do much climbing in the wild, so they need to be able to have a flat area to explore. If the cage is too small the pet may become aggressive with you, due to stress. This is true with any small animal. When taking an animal into your home making it comfortable is important, just like you would do for a human guest. Give it what it needs and it will be happy, and make bonding easier. Another thing to consider is that hedgehogs have poor eye sight. This means that if there are any levels to your cage there should be some sort of railing. Hedgehogs do not have depth perception and will walk right off the ledge. It does not mean your hedgehog is crazy or suicidal, just that it cannot see. Keep your hedgie safe inside its cage by having no levels, or making sure to have railings available for safety purposes.

2. Food: Hedgehogs are insectivores! They have to have insects in their diet. This is not something that can be left out. Just, because the insects may be gross to feed them does not mean you can ignore it. They can also eat cat food, and some human food. Newt enjoys blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, plain scrambled eggs, plain popcorn, and boiled carrots. It is okay to give them treats, but if they're pooping a little too much, I suggest cutting down on the treats. Newts absolutely favorite worms to eat are superworms. They are not very expensive, and they are full of nutrients that are great for hedgehogs. The way I feed them is a little bit different. Instead of putting it in his food bowl I wake him up and release them in different areas of his cage. This gives him the chance to scavenge for them. It is really enriching for the hedgehog to do this, and can be entertaining for the owner. Newt likes to low crawl behind them, and then lunge all at once. It is a little gross, but also really cute when he does this. You can obviously feed them directly, or place it in their bowl, this is something that is optional and a little different.

3. Bedding: Hedgehogs require bedding. I myself use fleece bedding. The breeder I got Newt from told me he had an obsession with fabric. While the other hedgehogs did not really have much of a preference. Newt would drag blankets around, and rub his face all over them. His favorite materials are fleece and flannel. He really is a spikey oddball. There are other bedding options available to hedgehogs, but make sure the bedding is treated for mites. Mites can look like dry skin, but can cause hedgehogs to lose quills. If you are unsure if your hedgehog is losing quills due to quilling or mites I have a trick for that. If one end of the quill has a round ball at the end it means it is do to quilling. If your hedgehog is suffering from dry skin I highly recommend oatmeal baths, or Hedghog and Friends coconut quills. I spray the coconut quills on Newt's food twice a week, and it has helped so much.

4. Heating requirements: hedgehogs require a really warm enclosure. African Pygmy hedgehogs are from warm arid environments. Their cage should range from 72-80 degrees Fahrenheit. This can be done with a heat lamp, a heating pad, or a ceramic heat emitter. There are many different options to fit different budgets. To track the temperature I keep a Zoo Med thermometer on his cage. I have had no issues with accuracy. His bulb is a 60 watt Exo Terra bulb, and his lamp is a Nomoypet clamp lamp. This combo keeps his cage at the proper temperature. The supplies you choose will depend on your homes temperature, and the budget you have for heating the cage. Keeping the cage at the proper temperature is extremely important and can not be ignored, if the cage becomes to cold the hedgehog can go into hibernation. Domestic hedgehogs are not meant to hibernate. Their bodies cannot withstand hibernation, and it can lead to their death. It is not something to be treated lightly.

5. Toys: The most important toy for a hedgehog is a wheel. Not just any wheel will do though. Imagine as a human running with your back super arched and your face straight up. Is it comfortable for you? Probably not. So DO NOT get you hedgehog a tiny wheel. Yes they are tiny animals, but their back should never arch when they run. They need a wheel 11- 12 inches in diameter. It is large and can take up a lot of space, but hedgehogs run a lot. If your hedgehog isn't using its wheel it probably is too small and painful for them to use. Along with the size the wheel cannot be wire. Hedgehogs have very small paws, and weak nails. A wire wheel can rip the nails, or hurt the paws. Make sure the wheel has no holes that will affect the hedgehogs running. Hedgehogs also enjoy to dig, so creating a dig box for your hedgie can be helpful. If you would like me to explain how I made my dig box comment below and I will do a post on making one. Along with dig boxes a lot of hedgehogs enjoy toilet paper rolls. It is important to supervise them during this. They cannot get it off by themselves, so they could starve if you are not their to help them. Do not leave them in their cage with one. As far as any other toys, Newt enjoys cat toys, and small tennis balls to roll around with his nose. 

6. Hides: hedgehogs are nocturnal, so they need a dark place to sleep during the day. I recommend getting what you can afford that will be as dark as possible for the hedgehog. Some hides are translucent which can disrupt the hedgehogs sleeping. I personally enjoy fleece, and wooden hides, and so does Newt. Wooden hides can easily be built, or found at pet stores. Again imagine trying to sleep in a really bright room. It is something that is extremely hard to do. Keep this in mind when picking a hide for you hedgie. Newt has multiple hides to choose from. His dig box is technically a hide, he has a wooden one with a cuddle sack inside, to add even more warmth and darkness, and he always has a fleece hide available as well. Make sure the hedgie has some sort of hide available to him or her that will allow them to get a good days rest.

To recap the basic requirements when getting a hedgehog are a cage, food, bedding, heat, toys, and hides. To start off it is okay to just have a wheel and one hide, and expand on the toys and hides later on. As long as you have the basics for your hedgehog, nobody will think you are a bad hedgehog parent. Please take all my tips seriously, and feel free to comment any questions below, or reach out on IG @hedgehog_namednewt. I try to answer everyone there. Be sure to follow my blog for more in the future, and to follow the IG for cute hedgehog pics daily. Thanks so much for reading!