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All about Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs make a fun and intriguing pet, although not many people know a lot about them.

An intro to Hedgehogs as pets

Hedgehogs, contrary to popular belief, are not rodents. They are small insectivorous mammals. They ARE prickly, having a back covered with quills. Their quills aren't like those of porcupines that are barbed and will become lodged in an unsuspecting hand, they are rather hollow pointed hairs. When scared or threatened, hedgie will curl into a ball, and "huff", making an unpleasant hissing like sound.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal, meaning that they sleep during the day and are active at night. The best time to play with your hedgie is late in the evening when you both are awake.

What does hedgie like to play with?
Small balls, "blankies" that are hedgehog sized, anything they can push around or burrow under really. Hedgehog toys are inexpensive, and often times, unexpected. From my herd I have discovered that a toilet paper tube cut up the side so hedgie can't get it's head stuck are great fun, a large well cleaned margarine container with a "door" cut in it makes an interesting mode of transportation to wander around the floor in, and sometimes burrowing into the leg of an old pair of jeans is great fun.
Toys you might buy are pieces of PVC pipe to go tubing in, and I would highly recommend a large (10' diameter or larger) solid plastic wheel to run on. Hedgies, just like people, need exercise or they get fat, which is bad for their health.

Hedgies are like people?!
Yes, in more ways than you would expect! Hedgies get dirty, and need to be bathed. This requires a shallow bathing place, like the kitchen sink, an old toothbrush to clean carefully between hedgie's quills, baby shampoo (only hypoallergenic because hedgie has sensitive skin) and a few juggling skills. Hedgie will probably scramble to get out of the sink while you lather him up, and will likely use his bath water as a toilet more than once before bath-time is over. NEVER EVER use tea tree oil on your hedgie, as it is toxic to them.
Sometimes, when hedgie isn't actively running around on a rough surface often, his or her nails will get long. Trimming little hedgie nails isn't easy, but having those little nails curl into hedgie toes is very painful and can cause infection. People nail cutters work fine, while you carefully trim away the extra nail avoiding the vein that runs in the center of it.

What else do hedgies require?
A good sized cage (at least 3 by 3 feet of running space) with a solid bottom that hedgies tiny feet can't go through. Bedding will make hedgie comfy and keep him or her warm while s/he sleeps. Good bedding is kiln-dried pine, cloth, recycled paper such as yesterdays news or Carefresh bedding, or kiln-dried aspen. NEVER use cedar or corn cob bedding as this can cause respiratory infections in hedgies, and avoid putting any material in the cage with loose threads hedgie can get wrapped round his or her legs or quills.
A nice sleeping lodge is always welcome in a hedgie cage, a safe dark place for hedgie to sleep will make him or her feel more secure.
Hedgie food is the easy part. Any high protein, low fat cat kibble you can buy from a vets will work perfectly, although you can buy commercial varieties of hedgehog food in some pet stores.

What is a nice treat for my hedgie?
Hedgies love nothing more than a good mealworm or cricket. Whether or not you choose to feed your hedgehog live insects is up to you, but they love them. Never use wild insects however, since these can carry parasites that may infect your pet.
Other than bugs, my hedgies have enjoyed commercial cat treats, bits of hard cheese, the occasional chew on a piece of fruit, and fresh cooked meat (only cooked! raw meats also carry bacteria like salmonella that can transfer to your pet) WITHOUT any seasonings.
There are a few things to avoid, including bread and baked goods which can rise in hedgie stomachs and hurt them, and soft dairy products such as yogurt and milk, as these too carry potentially harmful bacteria for hedgie. 

Do you have any first-time hedgie owner tips?
Yep! A few things that I learned the hard way that can help out a new hedgehog owner. Try to be conscious of how you smell. Hedgies have poor eyesight and great sense of smell. If all hedgie can smell is your cologne, he might be a little scared of you. Also, if your hands smell like something tasty, hedgie will think it is food. Scented lotions, handsoaps, and that bit of finger-lickin good chicken stuck under your fingernails might encourage even the nicest hedgie to take a bite.
Wake up a sleeping hedgie, and he will not be happy. Usually, they huff and quill up. This doesn't mean hedgie doesn't like you, it means you scared him, and he's upset you disturbed his sleep.
Handle hedgie often. The more you get him used to being handled by you, the more comfortable he will be.
Hedgehogs don't have great depth perception. This means, if you leave hedgie running about on the dining table and don't pay attention, hedgie may misjudge how far it is to the ground and take a long hard fall to the floor.
Carpet is bad. The cleanest hedgehogs, while running around playing, will pee or poop after a while, and it is a whole lot easier to clean up off a hard surface. Also, sometimes a bit of carpet thread may wind around hedgies toes or leg and cut off circulation, potentially leading to an emergency vets visit, and maybe even the loss of a limb.
Know the vets in your area. Give them a call and see if they take hedgehogs. You might be surprised at how hard it is to find a vet that is knowledgable about hedgies, and when an emergency arises, you'll be glad you did.
Wheels with cross bars (also called spool wheels) can be painful. Many hedgies have a habit or sticking their head out while running on their wheel, or deciding to jump off while its still moving. I had one of my hedgehogs get a severe injury this way.


Other resources

This webpage is only a drop in the bucket full of educational hedgehog websites out there. Here are a few of my favorite websites.

http://www.hedgehogclub.com/

http://hedgehogbreederalliance.org/

http://hedgehogcentral.com/

info@ourcompany.com

Scotian Hedgies * Halifax * Nova Scotia *