Basic Hedgehog Care

People frequently ask me about the care of hedgehogs: Here are some tips that I've learned over the years.

Bedding: First and foremost, never use cedar shavings for any small pet. They are very aromatic and can cause damage or death to your hedgehog. I always use either pine shavings, aspen shavings or recycled paper bedding. Those are all easy to clean and the hedgehog does good with it.

Food: There is no solid rule for feeding a hedgehog that I have found. In the wild they are insectivores and insects tend to be high in fat and protein. However, if you think about a hedgehog in the wild, I'm fairly confident that they don't eat too many bugs... That being said, I like to feed my hedgehog cat or kitten food and supplement with a weekly treat of bugs. I look for a food that is high in protein but low in fat since we will be feeding ours on a daily basis and not on a "whenever it can catch a bug" basis. Usually the senior cat food mixed with the kitten food or almost any high quality cat food works. I prefer to feed mine brands that the ingredient list doesn't start with corn. Mealworms or crickets are a weekly addition to their diet. Fruits or vegetables can be given, however they might self anoint or spit it out. They tend to be picky little critters.

Water: Always provide clean water to your hedgehog. Most hedgehog will have learned to drink from a water bottle but some drink from a bowl. Find out from the breeder what your baby has been drinking from.

Dry skin: Frequently especially in the winter time the hedgehogs are prone to dry skin. The best think I have found to take care of this problem and help with other potential problems is to apply about a tablespoon of mineral oil to their backs about once every other week or once a month at the least. They don't like it very much and will huff and hiss and run around and wiggle and get that oil all in the dry pores of their skin. They also ingest a little which is fine since it helps keep their bowels moving along just nicely. It doesn't leave them greasy for very long at all and is so much more beneficial to them than a bath.

Hedgehogs are active little guys especially for having such short legs. They can run pretty fast when they get going and the love to climb! Make sure there aren't any second levels on their cage where they can get hung or caught. Give them a large, solid, plastic wheel and they will think they are in heaven.

Despite having a relatively short lifespan, these adorable little pets will give you much amusement and fun if you give them good care.