It has come to my attention that there isn't a whole lot of information out there on hedgehogs. Sure, there are some great forums and videos, but it takes a lot of time to glean all the information one needs to know before owning such an awesome creature. Today I am going to give you what I consider to be the most important information (and resources too!) that you WILL ABSOLUTELY need to know before owning a hedgehog.
Ready for a lengthy post? Here we go!
1. Hedgehogs need temperature regulation. If the temperature in their cage is below 70 degrees, they will attempt to hibernate. Hibernation is deadly to hedgehogs! Domesticated hedgies cannot store enough fat to survive a full term of hibernation, and once they have gone more than a few hours with temps lower than 70 degrees, they will not come out of it and will slowly waste away. I really cannot stress how important it is to keep their cages at 72-82 degrees at all times, for the last thing any hedgehog owner wants to do is put down a hedgie due to hibernation. :( Therefore, either have alternate heating (heat lamps, heat pads, etc.) or keep the temp in the room your hedgie lives in at around 76 or higher. Here is a great video on how to STOP a hibernation attempt before it gets too far.
2. Hedgehogs need to eat insects. Ew! Gross! Insects?! How could something so cute eat something so...disgusting?! If you are easily grossed out by insects, hedgehogs might not be the best pet for you. Now, when I say they need insects, I do not mean they have to eat LIVE insects. Although many breeders and owners of hedgies suggest that live insects are better, I personally have not seen a huge difference in my hedgehogs when it comes to what they prefer to eat. Relm and Basch have had both live and freeze dried insects, and they have all been eaten with the same amount of gusto. :) I definitely prefer freeze dried to having a cage of writhing meal worms to gaze at, but this is up to you. In any case, hedgehogs must have insects in their diet to maintain the correct level of vitamins and fat in their little bodies. As for the type of insects, most hedgies like meal worms, crickets, grasshoppers, and even snails! Please be aware that you should NEVER feed them insects from outside, as they may have been contaminated by weed killers or other toxic chemicals that could harm your precious hedge. The brand I feed to Basch is a medley of crickets, meal worms, and grasshoppers, and because you only need to give them 3-5 insects about 2-3 times a week, I have barely made a dent in my jar!
3. Hedgehogs need to have their nails trimmed. It depends on the hedgie, but this can be a HUGE ORDEAL. My first hedgehog, Relm, was a rescue and had a lot of trust issues when it came to humans. When the time rolled around for cutting her nails, it was always a hit or miss on whether I even got one paw done! Luckily, the back claws are the ones you usually need to worry about, and if you can distract your hedge with a toy or treat you may be able to snip a nail. If your hedgie goes on the defensive and rolls into a ball, sometimes it helps to turn them around so they are facing you and then wait until they try to uncurl. They'll start flailing their limbs everywhere and you may be able to grasp one to clip it. Another good tip is to clip the back nails after they have had a bath (yep, they need baths too!) so the nails are nice and pliable. I like to use baby nail clippers when I clip my hedgehog's nails, as they are pretty tiny. Make sure to examine (which can be hard if your spiky critter is in a ball!) their paw for the wick. If you cut too close to the wick, you can make them bleed. Try keeping a small bowl of flour or cornstarch next to you when you clip, just in case you nick a nail. Dip the bleeding paw into the flour/cornstarch and it will stop the bleeding. :)
4. Hedgehogs need baths. Okay, this is one my favorite parts! Hedgehogs need a FOOT bath about once a week to clean the nastiness (poop and who-knows-what-else) off their little paws. You see, hedgies go to the bathroom while running on their wheels, which means they are tramping allllll over their business and getting their feet completely grossified (look, a new word!). The secret of the foot bath is simple. Run some warm water in your bathroom/kitchen sink. Take a towel you have no feelings for and place it on the bottom of the sink. You can use baby shampoo, gentle dog shampoo, or even just plain oatmeal as the soap. Right now, Basch is just 2 months old and therefore I have been using the oatmeal method as it is the most gentle and is very good for a hedgie's skin. Take a toothbrush that has never been used (and make sure that you never use it either after this!) and very gently scrub at the hedgehog's feet until the filth has washed away. As for a full bath, they should have those no more than once a month. You can use that toothbrush on their spikes too! Here is another great video on how to bathe a hedgie.
5. Hedgehogs need high protein food. Unfortunately, as of now there is not a lot of actual hedgehog food on the market right now. So what kind of food should a hedgie eat? Well, interestingly enough, cat food is the best diet we can offer them. Hedgies need a cat food that is at least 30-40% protein and no more than 15% fat. I try to stay away from cat foods with "meal" or "grains" in them, as they often do not contain the right amounts of protein or fat. I recommend Nature's Recipe - Salmon and Potato Grain Free Adult cat food. It is 40% protein, 15% fat, and as the name implies, it is grain free. As long as the cat food has the right percentages, it should be fine! A good tip to keep in mind is to ask your hedgehog breeder what type of food they use or recommend. :)
6. Hedgehogs need a nearby vet, but they do not need vaccines. Actually, a lot of breeders will not sell a hedgehog without knowing if you have a good exotic vet to take your hedgehog to if the need arises. I truly hope that you never have to take a hedgehog to a vet, but it is imperative that you know of a good one to go to just in case. Make sure to Google or call the vets near you to see if they take hedgies as patients. A good thing about hedgehogs is, unlike dogs and cats, they do not need vaccines. Unless your hedge is sick, you will not need to take them to a vet.
7. Hedgehogs need a wheel. This is about as important as keeping them at a warm temperature! Most every hedgehog you will ever meet LOVES to run. And boy, can they run! As I said before, hedgies go to the bathroom as the run, so the wheel also doubles as a litter box. There are tons of wheels out there to choose from, and I will go into greater detail on this in an upcoming post, but I highly recommend Carolina Storm (Hurricane) Wheels. They are easier to clean, they are QUIET, and they are safer for your hedge. I feel like I must warn you if you are interested in a hedgehog as a pet....you have to mentally prepare yourself....to see the NASTIEST WHEEL after your hedgehog has had a night's workout. I mean....man. I was NOT PREPARED for how utterly poopy it would be. Consider yourself warned. :P
8.Hedgehogs need to be handled daily. Sometimes, hedgehogs are not the friendliest of creatures. Relm, my rescue hedge, was of the slightly unfriendly variety. She would hiss, pop, click, and roll into a ball if I so much as thought about touching her. However, I did not let this stop me from picking her up (with a fleece blanket - those quills are sharp!) and holding her in my lap while I watched a show. Over months of time, Relm finally began to realize that her human wasn't about to stop bothering her on a nightly basis, and she stopped the dramatics. She still hissed and hid her face initially, but after a few minutes out of her cage she would start looking around curiously. Sadly, my little Relm died just days before Christmas this year, so I never got to be as close to her as I would have wanted. However, thinking back to that little spike ball of rage, I realized how far we had come just with me handling her everyday. Here is an awesome video I watched just before Relm was brought home, it was a great help to me!
Well, I do believe that is all for now. I will go into greater detail on some of these subjects at a later date, but I hope this is of use to you future hedgehog owners! If you have any questions or any topics you would like me to write about, let me know!
xoxo,
Jo and Basch
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