BASIC HEDGEHOG CARE
HOUSING:
§ A metal or plastic cage (like those made for
guinea pigs or ferrets) works great, or a 20 gallon or larger aquarium. Large
plastic storage containers also work very well as a hedgehog home. Make sure
that the cage has at least 2 square feet of floor space, and that the cage
bottom and sides have no wire grates that little hedgehog feet can fall through
and get hurt on, or get stuck. Clean the cage at least once a week, and odor
won't be a problem.
§ Hedgehogs like to have a hiding place or cover
to sleep under. Providing such a hiding place will reduce nervousness. Large
half logs, a kleenex box with a hole cut in the side, plastic bowls, or even a
hedgehog sized cloth bag will work well.
§ You will want to place your hedgehog's cage in
a warm area of the house. Hedgehogs need to be kept in a room with a
temperature of 70F to 85F. If a hedgehog gets too cold it will attempt to go
into hibernation. Heating pads can work well in the winter, but make sure that
it doesn't cover the entire cage, so that your hedgehog can escape the heat if
he starts to get too hot. Be careful using heating pads, as hedgies who have
difficulty moving can easily be burned by them.
§ Unless you are attempting to breed hedgehogs,
keep males and females separated. If a female has babies while there are other
hedgehogs in the cage, it is likely to cause her stress and either she or the
other hedgehogs are likely to eat the babies. Also, hedgehogs can get pregnant
when they are as young as 8 weeks old, but this is not healthy for them. A
female hedgehog should not be bred until she is at least 6 months old.
§ In the wild, hedgehogs are solitary animals.
In captivity, some 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 hedgehogs
together, be sure to observe them closely (or at least be within earshot to
separate them in case of fights) for at least the first 24 to 48 hours.
Hedgehogs can emit a bloodcurdling scream when upset or hurt, but they can also
get into fairly quiet tussles, so be careful.
BEDDING:
§ You can use a wide variety of beddings for
your hedgehog. Cloth liners, newspaper, recycled paper products and aspen have
been recommended by many. A little warning about wood beddings, they have been
known to carry mite eggs which could hatch and infest your new pet, wood
beddings also can become lodged in sensitive areas of your hedgehog. Be certain
to inspect your hedgehog daily for redness or swellings.
TOYS:
§ Hedgehogs need lots of exercise, as they tend
to become obese with inactivity (who doesn't? ;). A large wheel (11" in
diameter or so) is recommended. Be sure that the running surface of the wheel
is solid, so that the hedgie is not at risk for slipping and breaking legs. You
can find a listing of hedgehog wheels on the internet at http://www.mihog.org. Wheels made for rodents with metal bars
should in no case be used, as a broken leg may result. Many owners report that
their hedgehogs enjoy anything that they can push or manipulate. Examples of
toys that owners have reported their hedgehog enjoying are: toilet paper tubes,
brightly colored plastic toy trucks, cat balls, and various stuffed animals.
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 at the Bronx Zoo. Information presented at the 1998 Go
Hog Wild Hedgehog Show and Seminar indicated that hedgies need a diet that has
a good amount of protein and is low in fat. A fiber content of approximately
15% (preferably from chitin, but hedgehogs can utilize fiber from plant
sources, too) is optimal. At this time, no single food fully meets the optimal
nutritional requirement for hedgehogs. Many of the hedgehog foods on the market
do a pretty good job of meeting most of the needs, but a good quality
commercial cat food didn't seem much off the mark, either, according to the
statistics given in the presentation. Due to the lack of knowledge
veterinarians and owners will agree that a hedgehog should be fed a mixture of
foods supplemented by insects, fruits, vegetables and cooked meats.
§ There are now a number of good hedgehog foods
on the market. Some examples of good hedgehog foods are Insectivore Fare,
Select Diet, Pretty Pets, 8n1, L'Avian, and others. The use of Vitacraft
hedgehog food is very strongly discouraged, as it appears to have been crafted
for use with the much larger European breed of hedgehogs, and contains some
choking hazards for the smaller African hedgehogs.
HANDLING:
§ The more you handle your hedgehog, the more it
will get accustomed to you.
§ At first, your hedgehog may be scared. It may
ball up or puff air and click its tongue to scare away any potential predator,
including you. Approach your hedgehog slowly and quietly to gain its trust.
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 pricked, then
take a pair of gloves and get them smelling like you (tuck them under your
pillow for a couple of nights, or put them in your shirt for a while) so the
hedgie will associate your smell with being picked up.
§ Hedgehogs deserve the love, attention and
affection that any pet deserves. They may not be cuddly as a kitten, but with
interaction you will discover they have personalities at least as interesting,
if not more.
HEDGEHOGS ON THE NET:
§ There are several active hedgehog mailing list
available at egroups.com. Hedgehog_help is a very large group of owners
consisting of new owners, experienced breeders, and rescues, and is a good
place to turn first for help in caring for your hedgehog. Additional groups
exist devoted to hedgehog caretakers and their interests.
§ A search on the word 'hedgehog' in any search
engine will turn up many different sources of information, some good, some bad.
As we learn more and more about our spiny friends, older information may be
found to be incorrect. Newer sources should contain updated information.
§ For those hedgehog owners located in Michigan
looking for advice on caring for their little companions, visit http://www.mihog.org for information on hedgie friendly vets, places
to buy food and supplies, and much, much more.
ONE LAST NOTE:
§ Don't be surprised if your hedgie starts
shedding a lot of quills when it is about 8 to 12 weeks of age. This is a
normal process, and is known as "quilling." The hedgehog is simply
shedding baby spines and you should be able to see new adults spines pushing
through the skin. To be on the safe side, though, you may want to check for
mites or fleas. Signs of mites include crustiness around the quills and
seriously dry looking skin. Both mites and fleas can be treated effectively
with Revolution drops, available from your vet. When adolescent hedgies are
"quilling" they may be somewhat grumpy, but should return to normal
temperament once the quills are in..
