Hedgehogs

Thinking About Getting A Hedgehog?

If you are thinking about getting a hedgehog there are many things to consider. Hedgehogs are exotic animals and require daily care. Read this article through and think about everything it has to say before you go off and buy a hedgehog.

Hedgehogs have quills! If you are thinking about getting a hedgehog you should already know that, but I thought I’d remind you. Regardless of the quills, a responsible hedgehog owner will handle their hedgehog daily. Do not get a hedgehog if you don’t want to get poked (it won’t happen very often, and usually doesn’t hurt too bad, but it will happen and--though very rarely--can break the skin.)

Hedgehogs need a constant temperature of 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit (depending on the hedgehog). If their temperature requirements are not met, a hedgehog will get sick and may go into hibernation which will cause them to go into a comma or even die if they are not warmed up within about 45 minutes. They must have it warm! If you don’t want to have your house this warm you will need to either get a space heater for the hedgehog’s room (any cage can use one of these as a way of heating) or get a ceramic heat emitter system like used with reptiles (for wire cages). If you are unable to meet these temperature requirements, do not get a hedgehog!

Hedgehogs will at some time need vet care. You will need to find a vet that does exotics and has hedgehog experience long before your hedgehog needs a vet’s attention. You should find a vet for your hedgehog even before you get a hedgehog. Another thing to consider is that vets can be very expensive. You should have at least $250 set aside for your hedgehog’s vet care if needed. Please do not assume your hedgehog will live its whole life perfectly healthy because this is imposable. Hedgehogs are very good at hiding health problems so when they show signs of illness they usually need vet care as soon as possible! If you are unable to find a vet and have $250 set aside for vet care, do not get a hedgehog!

Hedgehogs are nocturnal! Do not get a hedgehog thinking you can change its schedule because you cannot! You can play with your hedgehog during the day, but it will most likely want to sleep. As soon as you put your hedgehog back into its cage it will run to it hiding place and fall asleep. They will not be running around in their cage during the day like some small animals. Hedgehogs will be up and about at night making lots of noise as it runs on its wheel, eats, drinks, plays with toys, extra during the night. If you want a pet that you can watch during daylight hours, do not get a hedgehog!

Hedgehogs are insectivores and therefore need bugs! Although in captivity hedgehogs eat hedgehog quality cat food and/or some hedgehog foods they still need some bugs. In the wild, bugs are the main part of a hedgehog’s diet. If you don’t like the thought of feeding live bugs you can try to feed freeze dried bugs. Freeze dried bugs aren’t appealing to all hedgehogs however. Some hedgehogs will refuse to eat any bugs unless they are alive. If your hedgehog has a taste for live bugs you can try to teach it about a treat bowel and put bugs in a third bowel during the night for your hedgehog. These methods will not work with all hedgehogs. If you are uncomfortable with handling and feeding your hedgehog live bugs, do not get a hedgehog!

Hedgehogs don’t do tricks! They don’t come when called, they don’t roll over, and they don’t do any tricks! If you want a pet that can be trained to do interesting things get a dog instead of a hedgehog!

Hedgehogs need a wheel and most will poop and pee all over it, making it your responsibility to clean it every morning. Every hedgehog does this and there is no way of teaching them to not. There will very, very, very rarely ever be an exception to this. I have a hedgehog that does not make a mess of it, but he is the exception. Assume that your hedgehog will make a horrible mess of his/her wheel. I would guess that about 97% of all hedgehogs make a mess of their wheel. If you don’t want to or do not have the time to clean a wheel that is caked in hedgehog poop and pee, do not get a hedgehog!

Hedgehogs have teeth; anything with teeth has the potential to bite. Some hedgehogs have a bad habit of biting. There are things you can do to stop and prevent biting, but there is never a guarantee. If you would get rid of your hedgehog or stop letting it have time out of its cage instead of working with it to teach it not to bite if it became a biter, do not get a hedgehog!

Some hedgehogs are cuddly and will snuggle with you, some hedgehogs will only want to crawl all over you, and some will not be very friendly regardless of your efforts. You have to consider all of these personalities before getting a hedgehog. You never really know what you will end up with. Every hedgehog is different and we have to accept them for what they are. If you would consider getting rid of your hedgehog if it didn’t have the personality you wanted, do not get a hedgehog!

Hedgehogs need 12 hours of light year round. If they don’t have 12 hours of light it can throw off their sense of time and season. Without 12 hours of light they may get confused about the time and not be sure when to wake up or more extreme go into hibernation causing them to go into a comma or die. If you can’t provide 12 hours of light for your hedgehog year round, don’t get a hedgehog.

Most hedgehogs need footbaths daily. It is your job to make sure it happens. Hedgehogs that run on their wheel in their poop and pee will get what is called “poopy boots”. This is when poop is caked on their feet and in between their toes. When they get poopy boots they need a foot bath. A foot bath is a very simple bath. All you have to do is fill a bathtub or sink with 1-2 inches of lukewarm water. You then let your hedgehog walk around in the water for a little while (under close supervision) to help soften the crap caked on your hedgehog’s feet. Then you take a toothbrush and gently scrub your hedgehog’s foot pads clean. After all of the feet are clean you take your hedgehog out of the water and wrap him/her in a towel. After your hedgehog is completely dry (it may take a while for your hedgehog to dry) you can put it back in its cage. If you don’t want to or don’t have time to give a footbath every day if necessary, do not get a hedgehog!

Hedgehogs have nails that need to be trimmed. If you don’t trim their nails they will grow long and start to curl under eventually growing into their footpads. Hedgehog nails are hard to trim because they will most likely not even want you touching their feet. If you do not want to or do not have time to work with a hedgehog to trim its nails, do not get a hedgehog!

Hedgehogs need a clean cage that is 2 feet squared at the bare minimum. You should provide your hedgehog with a cage that is at the very least 2 feet squared, 3 or 4 feet squared is best. You will need to clean the cage once a week or more depending on the hedgehog and the bedding.

If you have read through all of the text above and still think a hedgehog might be the pet for you, now you need to research, research, and research. The more you know about hedgehogs, the better care you will be able to provide for one. Please read through the articles at this site and learn as much as you can.