Hedgehogs Are Tiny, Low Maintenance, Adorable, And Downright Entertaining, Making Them Perfect Household Pets: Here’s How To Care For One

Traditional pets, like cats and dogs, are always adorable. However, some individuals prefer to keep more exotic, unusual animals in their homes, such as hedgehogs. You’ve probably met very few people who can say they are the proud owner of a hedgehog.

If you’re looking to nurture and befriend a new pet without any fur to trigger your allergies, consider adopting a hedgehog! These small, spiny mammals are laid-back, relatively low-maintenance, and a great source of entertainment.

Here is some important information you should know about caring for a pet hedgehog.

Choose The Right Species

There are 17 different species of hedgehogs, and not all of them are suitable for an indoor lifestyle. The African pygmy hedgehog is the most common species to keep as a pet since it’s smaller and tends to have a calmer temperament than other hedgehogs. The average lifespan of pet hedgehogs is four to six years.

Before buying your pet hedgehog, make sure to do your research. A lot of amateur breeders attempt to domesticate hedgehogs without the proper techniques or training. Spend some time looking into the lineage of potential pet hedgehogs to determine if any wild hedgehogs were captured in recent generations.

Diet And Habitat

Hedgehogs enjoy eating insects, plants, and roots. To keep your pet healthy, feed it a high-quality, balanced diet. Fresh fruits, veggies, mealworms, and crickets are some of their favorite foods. It is recommended that only one to two insects per day be offered to prevent overfeeding.

At one point, it was a common practice to feed pet hedgehogs dry cat food. However, it is now considered outdated and should be removed from their diets.

Soho A studio – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual hedgehog

Keep your hedgehog in a large, flat-bottomed cage equipped with a litter box, sleeping space, feeding area, and an exercise wheel so it can stay active.

The ideal temperature range for a hedgehog is 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not put the enclosure in direct sunlight or drafty areas so it doesn’t become too hot or cold.

Hedgehogs are excellent climbers, which means you’ll need to ensure their cage is tall enough to prevent them from making an escape. The enclosure should be at least two to three feet, but in this case, bigger is always better so they can have ample space to roam around. Include tunnels, toys, and small balls that will keep your hedgehog occupied.

Sleeping Schedule

Hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures, and it’s important to accommodate their sleeping schedule. Your hedgehog will mostly be awake while you’re asleep, so you’ll only get a few hours to spend with it.

That does not mean you should ever force your hedgehog to stay awake during the day. Keep the lights dim for your hedgehog so it can get some high-quality rest. You might also want to place the cage in a location where it won’t disrupt your own sleep.

Behaviors

In order to communicate, hedgehogs will make different noises to indicate their stress levels. Usually, hissing and snorting means they are grumpy or uncomfortable. If they make these noises, it’s best to leave them alone for a while.

A hedgehog’s quills will also tell you how it’s feeling. Whenever hedgehogs are frightened, they transform into a ball of spikes. Their quills will flatten when they’re calm, which is when you can try to pick it up and hold it.

Additionally, hedgehogs love to rub scents all over themselves. This unusual behavior is called anointing, and it involves licking an object vigorously to create a smelly froth, then contorting their bodies to spread the spit on their quills. Scientists believe that the purpose of anointing is for hedgehogs to camouflage their scent.

If you catch your hedgehog doing this, there’s no need to be alarmed. After a day or so, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently scrub your hedgehog’s quills to get rid of the smell.

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