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The experience that most people have with hedgehogs is through the character of Miss Tiggywinkle, a popular character featured in the Beatrix Potter stories. Hedgehogs in the last couple of years have become some of the most desired pets in the exotic animal trade. But what exactly is a hedgehog?
Hedgehogs are about the size of a large hamster, although some species can get a bit larger. All hedgehogs are covered on the back with spines. They have sharp narrow faces with small eyes. Their faces and their underbellies are covered in fur. The spines are for their protection. When another animal or human being poses a threat, they roll up into a ball of spines which deters most animals from bothering them.
There are no hedgehogs native to North America. While there is a European hedgehog, the African Pygmy Hedgehog is the type you will find as a pet.
Hedgehogs can sometimes be found in a pet store or through a local breeder. They range in price from about $60 and up depending on the color of the hedgehog. There is the most common color, which is salt and pepper. The salt and pepper hedgehog has brown spines with white tips. Hedgehogs have many more colors though including an albino variety, and rare colors such as snowflake and apricot. If you want a rare color be prepared to end up going to a breeder and paying a minimum of $100, if not more.
Now that you have your hedgehog, how do you care for it? The first thing you need to be concerned with it is taming your hedgehog. Hedgehogs are not a domesticated animal and therefore need to be tamed so that you can handle them. The best way to do this is to spend some quality time with your pet hedgehog. Hold the hedgehog and even if it rolls itself into a ball, continue to hold it. The hedgehog will soon adjust and realize that you are not a threat and will slowly begin to unroll itself. You will need to do this everyday. If you get out of the habit of repeating this ritual your hedgehog will go back to being unhandleable. In your first attempts at handling your hedgehog it is recommended that you invest in a pair of gloves so the spines don’t hurt your hands. These animals are nocturnal, so you will be doing the majority of your bonding in the evening hours.
Hedgehogs have small brains but their senses are extremely well developed, especially their olfactory sense (smell). They will get used to your scent more quickly than anything else. Combining the hedgehog's olfactory sense with its keen hearing makes the hedgehog an extremely good hunter. If your hedgehog decides that you would be a tasty bite to eat, by the way, it is important not to wiggle free. A hedgehog has an instinct that if the prey is still wiggling, they will latch down even harder.
Hedgehogs are insectivores by nature. This means exactly what you think it means, they thrive on a main diet of insects. So be prepared to feed your hedgehogs insects such as mealworms and crickets. You should only feed them insects that you buy at a pet store; feeding them insects from your backyard can expose them to parasites. To ensure they are getting a proper diet with enough protein, hedgehogs should have a base of either specialized hedgehog food or kitten food every night. It should range from thirty to forty pieces of kitten food in addition to mealworms or crickets. It is important to feed them kitten food instead of cat food (if you don't use the specialized hedgehog diet) because kitten food is higher in protein. Hedgehogs can have a bit of fruit in their diet, but use it sparingly. They are especially fond of bananas.
Housing is an important consideration when buying a hedgehog. They are extremely active animals and need to have a rather large cage. They cannot be house trained so having the run of the house is usually not much of an option. There are two cages that work out well. A pet taxi that you would normally have for a small to medium size dog works well, as well as an aquarium, preferably a twenty gallon long size. Some pet owners have a small cage for the hedgehog but have a big play area. Hedgehogs do well in a toddler’s swimming pool (with no water of course) as a playground.
Hedgehogs like to burrow, so it is important to take into consideration bedding for your new pet. Pine bedding they sell in pet stores is not a good thing for these animals since they are prone to respiratory diseases. If you want to use bedding like that you should buy the aspen variety that does not contain any of the harmful pine oils that you find in pine bedding. It is important to change this bedding often because it is unhealthy for your animal if you don’t, but also if you don’t change this bedding a hedgehog can get create an awful odor pretty quickly. The least expensive bedding that works extremely well is shredded paper. Hedgehops love to play in the shredded paper because they are burrowing animals so the shredded paper encourages them to burrow. Hedgehogs also like to have a sense of security and they prefer to have some sort of sleeping quarters. A cardboard box works well, or use a piece of PVC piping for this purpose.
It is very important to keep your hedgehog cage away from drafts. When a hedgehog gets cold it will go into a hibernation. What is recommended is that you invest in a heating pad which you can purchase at your local pharmacy and place it under one half of the cage. Do not put the hedgehog directly on the heating pad. If you ever come across a hedgehog that has gone into a hibernation, it is important to get it warm as soon as possible. Holding it in your hands in a warm room usually does the trick.
Hedgehogs are solitary animals and do not live in groups. In fact they usually only come together during mating. If you do decide to have several hedgehogs, each hedgehog must have its own separate cage. Hedgehogs tend to be on the territorial side and will attack intruders that come into their territory.
For the mot part hedgehogs do not get along well with other animals. Your dog will think it’s a new play toy and when it goes to play with it, the hedgehog will roll itself into a ball, showing the dog that things aren’t always what they seem.
There are some behaviors that are the in the sole possession of the hedgehog. The sounds that a hedgehog makes are small chirping noises and hissing. The most peculiar behavior exhibited by these animals is something that is called self-anointing. When a hedgehog comes into contact with an unfamiliar scent or taste it creates a great deal of saliva, and it will splay its legs and use its tongue to coat its spines with the foaming salivia. It is a behavior that is very strange indeed.
Hedgehogs generally do not need vaccinations. It is important to find a veterinarian in your area that is familiar with these animals in case the animal falls ill. Hedgehogs are small animals and when they get sick it is important to get them to the vet as soon as possible. It is important to observe your hedgehog on a daily basis and note peculiar behavior or missed meals. Every couple of weeks you will have to trim your hedgehog's nails. This is usually easiest with baby nail cutting scissors. You want to make sure you leave the first toenail a bit longer and you don’t want to cut the nails too short. If you are unsure it is best to contact your veterinarian. Hedgehogs live generally between three to five years so it is best to find a veterinarian that is knowledgeable of the animals. Hedgehogs can get infections and being such a small animal they can get very sick very quickly.
Now that you know the basics of hedgehog care you are ready to venture out and become a new owner of a hedgehog. They are neat creatures and a wonderful addition to your family.
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