hedgehog care

shopping list

Listed below are the bare necessities for owning a hedgehog. These are the bare minimum for your hedgehog’s quality of life.

Cage

The cage should be at least 6 square feet in size, the bigger the better. It must have a solid floor, not wire flooring (like some rabbit cages). Also avoid unsealed wood, as it is difficult to clean completely and can harbor mites. We recommend large plastic storage tubs. They are easy to clean and inexpensive.

Bedding

You can use particulate or fabric bedding. Particulate would include wood shavings/pellets, such as aspen or kiln-dried pine, or recycled paper products such as CareFresh or Yesterday’s News. Avoid corn cob bedding, and never use cedar wood products. Fabric liners are made of fleece, corduroy, flannel, or other safe materials. Liners may be preferred because they are washable, and they can last for a very long time.

Wheel

Whether you use a commercially made or custom made wheel, it should have a solid running surface, no crossbars, and be at least 12” in diameter.

Hiding Place

This can be as simple as a shoebox with a hole in the side, plastic igloo, or sleeping sack. Your hedgehog just needs room to sleep and feel secure. If you use a box or igloo you still need to provide a blanket or bag to hide in as well.

Food Dish

The dish should be somewhat shallow and heavy so it doesn’t tip. Hard plastic, ceramic and glass all work well.

Water Dish or Bottle

You can use a dish or bottle to provide water. In general dishes are preferred and hedgehogs will drink more and are more comfortable with bowls, but if you are using particulate bedding it may be easier to use a bottle. You want something you can easily clean and refill often.

Heat Source

Ceramic heat emitters and space heaters are the most popular choices for keeping your hedgie’s cage warm. Ceramic heat emitters look like a flat light bulb and screw into a light fixture. They produce only heat and no light. They should be hooked up to a thermostat so they turn on and off to regulate temperature. Space heaters heat the whole room. Heating pads alone don’t provide enough heat. You will also need a digital thermometer to check the cage temperature.

Food

The average price for a 2-3lb bag of great quality cat food is around $10-$20, though if you are mixing several foods remember to consider the cost of each bag. See the expanded food section below for more information.

Vet Fund

Make sure you have money saved for emergency vet visits before getting a hedgie. You never know when something might go wrong. Make sure this is money that you will not spend on anything else!

Dietary Needs

cat Kibble

  • Small pieces no larger than pea sized, smaller is preferred. You can crush or cut up larger pieces if necessary.

  • Guaranteed analysis of less than 35% protein, less than 15% fat, and at least 2% fiber.

  • High quality ingredients, with meat as the first ingredient. Avoid corn, vague descriptions (such as “animal by-products”), any by-products, as well as BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin, which are all linked to cancer.

Safe Insects to Feed

Pretty much any insect that is quarter-sized or smaller and bred for reptile or other pet food is fine to offer as a supplement. Bugs raised for bait are not a good idea because they likely aren’t kept in sanitary conditions and could make your hedgie very sick. The insects listed below, if raised for pet food, are safe to feed hedgies. All values are on dry matter basis.

Insect  / Protein / Fat

  • Mealworm larvae / 52.7% / 32.8%

  • Mealworm pupae / 54.6% / 30.8%

  • Mealworm beetle / 63.7% / 18.4%

  • Crickets / 64.9% / 13.8%

  • Earthworms / 62.2% / 17.7%

  • Wax worms / 42.4% / 46.4%

  • Silk worms / 64.0% / 10.0%

  • Phoenix worms / 48.4% / 26.8%

  • Horn worms / 61.0% / 21.7%

  • Hissing roaches / 74.4% / 14.1%

  • Dubia roaches / 91.7% / 17.4%

Treats

Here is a list of some acceptable treats to offer:

  • Unseasoned meats: (baked, boiled, browned or roasted) beef, chicken, duck, lamb, turkey, fish, etc.

  • Fruits: apple, banana, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherry, cranberries, honeydew, kiwi, papaya, peach, pear, plum, pumpkin, raspberries, squash, strawberry, watermelon

  • Veggies: asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, carrot, celery, cilantro, corn, cucumber, green beans, green pepper, peas, spinach, sprouts, sweet potato, turnip, zucchini, leafy greens

  • Unseasoned eggs: scrambled, hard boiled, etc. (it’s recommended they be cooked)

  • Baby food: all flavors should be fine, Gerber Baby meat sticks and sweet potatoes are popular

  • Wet cat food: choose one without by-products or unhealthy preservatives and feed in moderation, they are usually very high in protein and fat

  • Cottage cheese and non-sugary yogurt: hedgies are lactose intolerant, but some like this in very small amounts.

  • Insects: as covered above

Some treats that are unacceptable to offer are:

  • Anything citrus: oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, pineapple, etc.

  • Most dried fruits: these can be choked on, and can get caught in the roof of the mouth or stuck in the teeth

  • Raisins: besides the fact that they are dried fruit, grapes and raisins are toxic even in very small amounts.

  • Avocados: toxicity unknown

  • Onions, garlic, chives: these contain poisonous sulfur compounds that are dangerous in large amounts – it’s safest to avoid them

  • Rhubarb leaves: they’re not good for dogs, so it’s safe to guess they aren’t good for hedgies either

  • Human junk food: these are high in fat, salt, preservatives, and many other things bad for hedgies.

  • Chocolate: same as for human junk food.

  • Peanuts and other legumes: these can get caught in the roof of the mouth and are easily choked on.

  • Pits and seeds: these can be toxic (depending on the fruit) and are a choking hazard. Hedgies are not rodents, they aren’t made to gnaw open seeds.

Things To Remember

Temperature

To keep hedgehogs from attempting hibernation, they must be kept at warm temperatures. The entire cage should be kept at 73°-78°F (23°-25°C) constantly, avoiding fluctuation as much as possible. You will need a space heater, ceramic heat emitter, or other type of heating setup to keep the cage at this temperature. Hibernation is very dangerous (fatal if not caught early enough), can lower your hedgie’s immune system, as well as make additional attempts more likely.

Solitary Animals

Hedgehogs do not need or crave companions. Males should never be housed together.  They are territorial and almost never get along. Even supervised playtime is dangerous.  Male-female pairings is also unacceptable. The female would constantly become pregnant and the parents will kill and eat the babies. This is horrible for her reproductive system and can make her very sick, not to mention it risks her life every time she gives birth.

Never assume because two hedgehogs got along for one day, or even weeks, that they won’t harm each other if housed together. Hedgies that have gotten along for years can suddenly turn on each other and can kill the other. Likewise it’s common for girls to get along outside of the cage, but fight when they have to share a cage. If you want an animal you can house multiple of together, a hedgehog is probably not for you.

Trimming Nails

It’s important that you are capable and comfortable with trimming your hedgehog’s nails. When they get too long, they can easily snag on things, cause a hedgie to stop wheeling because of the discomfort, or even curl into the pads of the feet. The best thing to use to trim nails is human baby nail clippers. If you cut the quick, use quickstop, cornstarch, or flour to stop the bleeding. If you are having difficulty with a squirmy or scared hedgie, you can place the hedgehog in a warm bath and trim their nails while they’re relaxed.

Expenses

Another major thing to consider before looking into getting any pet is if you can afford one. Hedgehogs can be very expensive to keep, and vet bills can quickly add up. You should always have money saved for vet bills (a few hundred is sufficient) and be prepared to spend it. The initial cost of getting a hedgehog can be quite high as well, with the supplies adding up to around $450 and $150-$250 for the hedgehog. You should never assume you won’t have to pay for vet care. If you don’t want to spend money on vet bills, a hedgehog is definitely not for you.

Veterinary Care

You need to make sure you have a good vet before acquiring a hedgehog. Call around to see if there is an experienced exotic vet or other small animal clinic. Not all clinics that say they will see hedgehogs will actually be able to help with anything at all. Good vets are hard to find and unfortunately, many veterinarians still rely on dangerous, outdated material.

Illegal States

In some places, hedgehogs are not legal to own. If you live in any of the following states (updated July 2016) you are prohibited from owning a hedgehog: California, Georgia, Hawaii, and the five boroughs of New York City.  For the animal’s sake, please do not try to keep one. When found, they are confiscated and oftentimes euthanized, and there’s a good chance you’ll be fined. It is also difficult to find vet care in these places.  In some areas hedgehogs are legal to own, but require a permit.  And some places only make it illegal to import hedgehogs into the state.  Please check for any local laws before getting a hedgehog.