If you have a hedgehog or want to have one, you should know how to take care of a hedgehog. In this article we tell you everything you need to have a happy hedgehog.
What is a hedgehog?
When we talk about having a pet hedgehog, we are referring exactly to the breed commonly called hedgehog. As you can imagine, there are many other variants of hedgehogs. But, in this article, we are going to focus on the hedgehog.
Hedgehogs are a species of mammals that have the peculiarity of having their entire body covered with spikes. Although it is not a fact that is usually known, hedgehogs are mainly nocturnal species. That is, they develop their lives normally at night. Still, depending on the subspecies, they can be more or less active during the day. They usually sleep most of the day, when they are in their natural habitat, in holes in the ground or in the grass.
Hedgehogs communicate with a wide variety of sounds and growls. In addition, they are extremely sensitive to noise and sudden movements. When this happens, they form a ball with the spikes out to protect themselves from possible attackers.
How to take care of a hedgehog?
Before explaining what care is necessary to keep a hedgehog at home, it is necessary to know something: not in all countries it is legal to have a hedgehog as a pet. For this reason, you must make sure that where you live you can have a hedgehog in your house without any legal penalty.
Get information on the internet or go to an organization specialized in exotic animals. When you are confirmed that it is legal to have a hedgehog in your home, ask if you need to fill out an application or something of the sort.
Once all legal transactions are covered, make sure you find a good hedgehog breeder. Do not trust too much those who advertise online and find out as much as possible. In addition, if your hedgehog has had a good caretaker, you have greater security regarding the state of his health from him. And, another important aspect, if it has been well cared for, it is less likely that you will find a sick or aggressive hedgehog.
Instructions for caring for a hedgehog
- The first step to take is to find a good stay for our hedgehog. It is best to live in a cage. Hedgehogs are quite active animals and like to wander around to investigate their surroundings. For this reason, the best thing you can do is buy a very large cage where he can be comfortable and roam freely. According to experts, the territory used by a hedgehog in its natural habitat is usually between 200 and 300 meters in diameter. Keep this in mind when choosing your home. You can talk to the clerk to advise you the best one for your pet. You have to keep in mind that hedgehogs climb a lot, so the roof must be completely covered. Also make sure that the cage has good ventilation. Another aspect of the cage to take into account is that the floor must be smooth, since if it is made of bars, the legs will be trapped. You can cover the ground with wood chips to make your hedgehog happy. Finally, furnish the cage well. Put toys, feeders and drinkers. The more activities he can do inside the cage, the better.
- Temperature. The temperature of the cage should always be between 22º and 27ºfor your hedgehog to feel good. If it gets colder, it could go into hibernation and die. And if, on the other hand, it is warmer, you could become stressed and suffer a lot.
- Hedgehogs are insectivorous animals, that is, their diet consists mainly of eating insects. Since it is not possible to maintain this diet when it is in a human home, we must give it a variety of foods so that it continues to have all the nutrients necessary for its survival. If you’re lucky enough to find a specific hedgehog feed, give him that. If you have not been able to find it or it is too expensive, there are other options. Although it may seem strange, dog food and, specifically, special croquettes for cats serve perfectly as food. The bad thing is that they have very low fiber content, so it will have to be given through other foods. You must complete your diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs and chicken. Also, if you can, give him earthworms and mealworms. But be careful, don’t feed him too much. These animals tend to get fat easily.
- Water. Apart from the food, there should be a water dispenser in your hedgehog’s cage. You have to make sure that your hedgehog knows how to drink from the dispenser. If he doesn’t know, train him to learn. If you don’t want to bother him learning it, you can always put out a bowl full of water for him to drink. But it should be heavy enough that it won’t tip over. Whether you choose one way or another, you should change the water daily. And it must be fresh and clean.
- Environment As we have mentioned before, it is important that your hedgehog lives in a quiet place. Move the cage away from all sources of noise around your house. You should also keep in mind that, being nocturnal animals, they are not usually used to intense light. Therefore, place it in a place where it does not get excessive light, both solar and artificial. Don’t leave it in the dark either.
- We have also said before that it is important for hedgehogs to maintain high activity. The more toys you have at your disposal, the better for them. The toys must be big enough so that they cannot be swallowed. Ideally, they should be able to bite, touch, sniff, nuzzle, tip over, and push toys. You can give him rubber balls, figurines (not very small ones), pieces of cardboard, objects that sound like bells and anything else you can think of that the hedgehog can handle.
- Hedgehogs are social animals, so they will like contact very much. Pick up your hedgehog frequently, pet it and play with it. Experts advise that you spend at least 30-40 minutes a day with him. Especially the first few times, when he still doesn’t know you or trust you, approach him slowly. Take it slowly and calmly from the bottom. Then grab it with both hands and hold it close to you. You must be like this for a while, especially at the beginning, so that it is done to you. Play with him all you want.
- You should clean the feeder daily and the water container as well. This is done so that dirt does not accumulate that could later harm your animal. If you’ve put a wheel on it to turn, you’ll need to clean that too. The soil will suffice if you change it once a week. But do not let it pass, since its waste will accumulate. You should also wash your hedgehog regularly. To wash it, take the hedgehog out of the cage and put it in a bowl of warm water. Please note that the water cannot touch his nose or ears. In the water you can put a dog cleaner, but make it soft. Take a brush and clean the spines and legs. When you’re done, take it out of the water and dry it with a towel gently. Don’t rub it roughly. Until it is dry, do not put it back in the cage. Another aspect of your cleaning that you should take into account is the nails. When you see that they are very long, cut them. To do this, grab the paw with one hand and cut the nails one by one with small scissors. Be careful not to cut them too much.
- Shedding of spines if you see the thorns falling out, don’t worry, it’s normal. It occurs between the first 6 and 8 weeks. Just let it happens and that’s it.
