Hedgehog Care
Handling, Bonding, and Socialization
Hedgehogs are incredibly defensive because they are prey animals and rely on that defense to prevent them from becoming prey. The key to a well-socialized hedgehog is to confidently handle your hedgehog everyday for at least 30 minutes without the use of fabrics or clothes. This ensures that your hedgehog is bonding to your scent and will recognize it when you go to pick them up. To pick your hedgehog up, simply scoop them up with both hands on either side of the hedgehog and slowly place one hand underneath it to prevent from dropping it. Carrying the hedgehog around in a bag while you run errands or clean house is also a form of bonding. You can also just have the hedgehog in a snuggle sack sitting in your lap while watching t.v., playing on the computer or tablet, or studying. These are all ways your hedgehog will bond to you. The more your hedgehog goes out with you and experiences new people, places and smells, the more social they will become. Try not to use clothes or any type of fabric to hold your hedgehog with. Doing so will dissipate the bond your hedgehog formed with you(or never bond to you at all), and you will have to start the bonding process from scratch. If you are still a little hesitant when picking up your hedgehog(especially during quilling), you can use a piece of cloth or fabric to pick up your hedgehog but transfer the hedgehog into your hands as quickly as possible. The more you hold and handle your hedgehog, the more the hedgehog and you will get used to it.
Hedgehogs are incredibly defensive because they are prey animals and rely on that defense to prevent them from becoming prey. The key to a well-socialized hedgehog is to confidently handle your hedgehog everyday for at least 30 minutes without the use of fabrics or clothes. This ensures that your hedgehog is bonding to your scent and will recognize it when you go to pick them up. To pick your hedgehog up, simply scoop them up with both hands on either side of the hedgehog and slowly place one hand underneath it to prevent from dropping it. Carrying the hedgehog around in a bag while you run errands or clean house is also a form of bonding. You can also just have the hedgehog in a snuggle sack sitting in your lap while watching t.v., playing on the computer or tablet, or studying. These are all ways your hedgehog will bond to you. The more your hedgehog goes out with you and experiences new people, places and smells, the more social they will become. Try not to use clothes or any type of fabric to hold your hedgehog with. Doing so will dissipate the bond your hedgehog formed with you(or never bond to you at all), and you will have to start the bonding process from scratch. If you are still a little hesitant when picking up your hedgehog(especially during quilling), you can use a piece of cloth or fabric to pick up your hedgehog but transfer the hedgehog into your hands as quickly as possible. The more you hold and handle your hedgehog, the more the hedgehog and you will get used to it.
Temperature
It is VERY important to keep your hedgehog’s cage temperature above 74 degrees. If their body temperature falls below these temperatures they could go into false hibernation and that is incredibly deadly. If you are unable to keep your house/room 74 degrees or warmer then please buy a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) bulb. This bulb emits heat and not light so it will not throw off the hedgehog's day/night cycle(throwing it off could also trigger a hibernation attempt). This lamp/light should be paired with a thermostat and thermometer. The thermostat will prevent the lamp from overheating by turning the lamp off once it has reached it's ideal temperature. The thermometer is to make sure the cage is the right temperature to keep your hedgehog warm enough to be healthy.
It is VERY important to keep your hedgehog’s cage temperature above 74 degrees. If their body temperature falls below these temperatures they could go into false hibernation and that is incredibly deadly. If you are unable to keep your house/room 74 degrees or warmer then please buy a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) bulb. This bulb emits heat and not light so it will not throw off the hedgehog's day/night cycle(throwing it off could also trigger a hibernation attempt). This lamp/light should be paired with a thermostat and thermometer. The thermostat will prevent the lamp from overheating by turning the lamp off once it has reached it's ideal temperature. The thermometer is to make sure the cage is the right temperature to keep your hedgehog warm enough to be healthy.
Bathing
You can give your hedgehog a bath in the sink or bathtub with a small amount of water in it. You can use an old toothbrush or a fingernail brush to clean their quills. Put some baby shampoo or baby bath and gently scrub their quills in the growth direction. I use Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash. Rinse thoroughly and dry. Make sure your hedgehog is completely dry before returning him to his cage. This is also a perfect time to trim your hedgehogs nails. Clip off just the white tip of the nail, careful not to cut their quick.
You can give your hedgehog a bath in the sink or bathtub with a small amount of water in it. You can use an old toothbrush or a fingernail brush to clean their quills. Put some baby shampoo or baby bath and gently scrub their quills in the growth direction. I use Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash. Rinse thoroughly and dry. Make sure your hedgehog is completely dry before returning him to his cage. This is also a perfect time to trim your hedgehogs nails. Clip off just the white tip of the nail, careful not to cut their quick.
Food
I highly recommend Hedgehog Precision mixed with a couple high quality cat foods. Hedgehog Precision is the ONLY food marketed for hedgehogs that is produced specifically for hedgehogs by a well-known and respected breeder. It’s insect based and has ZERO fillers or artificial flavors/coloring.
If you choose to use cat kibble as your staple diet, I suggest using a mix of 2-3 high quality foods. You want the food to have 10-13% fat and 30-35% protein. Make sure meat is the number one ingredient. Also try to avoid corn, wheat, soy, peas and added preservatives as best you can. Grains and rice are acceptable.
We use a mix of 3-4 different high quality cat foods. Wellness core, Only Natural Pet Raw, and Solid Gold Indigo Moon. We also add pinkies, insects and a calcium supplement.
Cat kibble contains l-carnitine(an essential amino acid that carries fatty acid to the correct parts of the body), and taurine(an amino acid that is important for brain and heart health) that the hedgehog kibble does not, that hedgehogs require to be healthy.
If you switch your hedgehog from one food to another, you will want to mix the two foods until they adjust to the new food. I feed my hedgehogs generally 2-3 teaspoons a night. I refill the food bowl every night.
Generally hedgehogs will only eat what they can. If you notice that your hedgehog is getting a little overweight, reduce the amount of food you are giving him/her.
The foods in listed below are just of some of the foods that hedgehogs can eat. They all have the protein and fat percentages required in a hedgehog's diet. These foods can be found and purchased at Wal-mart or your local Pet Stores.
We also recommend feeding LIVE insects a few times a week. Cat treats that can be fed should have the same ingredients and percentages as the food you feed. Live insects include mealworms, crickets, and dubia roaches among others.
Bee pollen is a beneficial nutrient of additional vitamins and minerals as well added to their daily meals.
We try adding wet cat foods as well as freeze dried foods and cooked meats weekly to their meals to provide added nutrients and variety.
I highly recommend Hedgehog Precision mixed with a couple high quality cat foods. Hedgehog Precision is the ONLY food marketed for hedgehogs that is produced specifically for hedgehogs by a well-known and respected breeder. It’s insect based and has ZERO fillers or artificial flavors/coloring.
If you choose to use cat kibble as your staple diet, I suggest using a mix of 2-3 high quality foods. You want the food to have 10-13% fat and 30-35% protein. Make sure meat is the number one ingredient. Also try to avoid corn, wheat, soy, peas and added preservatives as best you can. Grains and rice are acceptable.
We use a mix of 3-4 different high quality cat foods. Wellness core, Only Natural Pet Raw, and Solid Gold Indigo Moon. We also add pinkies, insects and a calcium supplement.
Cat kibble contains l-carnitine(an essential amino acid that carries fatty acid to the correct parts of the body), and taurine(an amino acid that is important for brain and heart health) that the hedgehog kibble does not, that hedgehogs require to be healthy.
If you switch your hedgehog from one food to another, you will want to mix the two foods until they adjust to the new food. I feed my hedgehogs generally 2-3 teaspoons a night. I refill the food bowl every night.
Generally hedgehogs will only eat what they can. If you notice that your hedgehog is getting a little overweight, reduce the amount of food you are giving him/her.
The foods in listed below are just of some of the foods that hedgehogs can eat. They all have the protein and fat percentages required in a hedgehog's diet. These foods can be found and purchased at Wal-mart or your local Pet Stores.
We also recommend feeding LIVE insects a few times a week. Cat treats that can be fed should have the same ingredients and percentages as the food you feed. Live insects include mealworms, crickets, and dubia roaches among others.
Bee pollen is a beneficial nutrient of additional vitamins and minerals as well added to their daily meals.
We try adding wet cat foods as well as freeze dried foods and cooked meats weekly to their meals to provide added nutrients and variety.
Food List of Recommended Cat Kibble
-Adirondack Adult
-American Journey-Any recipe except Salmon(unless you want STINKY POOP!)
-Authority-Sensitive Solutions(Any Authority recipe)
-Blue Buffalo Freedom Indoor
-Blue Buffalo Healthy Living
-Blue Buffalo Indoor Hairball
-Blue Buffalo Indoor Health
-Canidae-Life Stages Indoor
-Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul-Adult Light
-Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul-Senior/Hairball
-Diamond Naturals-Indoor Cat
-Fromm-Gold Mature
-Halo Spot's Stew-Healthy Weight Whitefish & Salmon
-Holistic Select-Indoor Health/Weight Control
-Nutro Natural Choice-Weight Loss
-Nutro Natural Choice-Indoor Chicken & Brown Rice
-Nutro Wholesome Essentials Hairball
-Nutro Wholesome Essentials Indoor
-Purina One Beyond-White Meat & Oatmeal
-Simply Nourish-Indoor Duck
-Simply Nourish-Indoor Chicken & Oatmeal
-Simply Nourish-Turkey & Oatmeal
-Solid Gold-Katz-n-Flocken
-Sportmix Wholesomes-Chicken & Rice
-Wysong Epigen lamb formula
-Adirondack Adult
-American Journey-Any recipe except Salmon(unless you want STINKY POOP!)
-Authority-Sensitive Solutions(Any Authority recipe)
-Blue Buffalo Freedom Indoor
-Blue Buffalo Healthy Living
-Blue Buffalo Indoor Hairball
-Blue Buffalo Indoor Health
-Canidae-Life Stages Indoor
-Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul-Adult Light
-Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul-Senior/Hairball
-Diamond Naturals-Indoor Cat
-Fromm-Gold Mature
-Halo Spot's Stew-Healthy Weight Whitefish & Salmon
-Holistic Select-Indoor Health/Weight Control
-Nutro Natural Choice-Weight Loss
-Nutro Natural Choice-Indoor Chicken & Brown Rice
-Nutro Wholesome Essentials Hairball
-Nutro Wholesome Essentials Indoor
-Purina One Beyond-White Meat & Oatmeal
-Simply Nourish-Indoor Duck
-Simply Nourish-Indoor Chicken & Oatmeal
-Simply Nourish-Turkey & Oatmeal
-Solid Gold-Katz-n-Flocken
-Sportmix Wholesomes-Chicken & Rice
-Wysong Epigen lamb formula
Treats
Any treats given to hedgehogs should be in moderation-no more than a few times a week.
Meats
Chicken, Turkey, Beef(all cooked, NO seasoning)
Fruits
Strawberries, Blueberries, Bananas, and Watermelon
Vegetables
We do not recommend feeding hedgehogs vegetables at all. Hedgehogs do not have a cecum to digest plant matter.
Eggs
Scrambled or hard boiled
DO NOT feed your hedgehog nuts, avacados, or grapes as they are toxic and will kill your hedgehog! Don’t hesitate to email us anytime if you have any questions or concerns.
Any treats given to hedgehogs should be in moderation-no more than a few times a week.
Meats
Chicken, Turkey, Beef(all cooked, NO seasoning)
Fruits
Strawberries, Blueberries, Bananas, and Watermelon
Vegetables
We do not recommend feeding hedgehogs vegetables at all. Hedgehogs do not have a cecum to digest plant matter.
Eggs
Scrambled or hard boiled
DO NOT feed your hedgehog nuts, avacados, or grapes as they are toxic and will kill your hedgehog! Don’t hesitate to email us anytime if you have any questions or concerns.