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Care
What kind of pet does a hedgehog make?
Hedgehogs are not soft and cuddly, but are very interesting pet. The first thing most people notice about hedgehogs is their quills or spines can be very sharp. If the hedgehog or hedgie is happy, then the quills will be in a less painful position when you touch them (and yes, at that time, you can pet them, front to back only). If they are scared (anyone or anything new can scare them), the quills stick out and may puncture the skin. Once a hedgie gets to know someone, you can use your bare hands to scoop him up from below. The hedgehog quills are modified hairs. Unlike a porcupine, hedgehogs cannot throw their spines. The stomach of a hedgehog has soft, normal fur.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal. That means they sleep all day unlike most small pets, like guinea pigs, which are diurnal or sleep at night. Because of this, be sure to keep the hedgehog in an area where it is quite (but not totally dark) during the day. Also keep them where they will not keep you awake at night while they play. But, it should be someplace warm (72-75º)
Housing
Everyone has different opinions regarding housing. A hedgehog needs to a cage with at least 2 square feet of floor space with a hiding place, water bottle or dish and food dish. Hedgies should also have a wheel to run in.
Some people use plastic or wire cages (like for guinea pigs) without wire in the bottom. Others use 20 gallon (long) aquariums for a cage, which can be heavy to move for cleaning.. You can also use Sterilite or Rubbermaid containers (28 gallon), which are very easy to clean and are very inexpensive. We use both aquariums and Rubbermaid containers.
Rubbermaid cage
Small Animal Kingdom Deluxe Extra Large, Small Animal Home with Stand from Petco (DO NOT USE THE RAMP OR LOFT)
Bedding
You need something in the cage as bedding or a liner. There are many kinds of bedding...aspen, pine, cellsorb and liners. Don't use ceder because of the aromatic oils can cause respitory problems and even kill your hedgehog.
We use kiln-dried pine as bedding for moms and babies. It works well on odor, but can be messy when you pick up your hedgie. You tend to scoop up bedding when you pick her up. We use liners for all the other hedgehogs.
Some people use vellux liners in the cage. Those have to be changed everyday and do nothing to help with odor.
Handling
Authored by Gail Dick www.critterconnection.cc
Scoop your hedgehog up from underneath and gently rub your hands over its back from head to tail. The more confident you are with your hedgehog, the more secure the hedgehog will feel with you.
If you hesitate and jerk your hands away from the hedgehog when picking it up it will sense that you are scared and in return it will flinch and huff because it will become scared.
DO NOT provoke your hedgehog to huff or hiss by touching its tines. This encourages the hedgehog to react this way every time a human hand comes near it.
If you are a little nervous picking up your hedgie you can use a kitty litter scoop to gently lift it up out of its cage.
When picking up your hedgehog – don’t hesitate: JUST DO IT! Hedgehogs bond through scent so it is important to get the hedgehog used to your scent.
It is common for people to notice a personality change in their hedgehog once it reaches its new home. This is generally due to the stressors of changing its environment and having a new person take care of it. Please be patient and keep working with your new pet.
Young hedgehogs will go through a quilling process, which is equivalent to teething in children. It affects each hedgehog differently but most tend to be more huffy or grumpy. Quilling can start as early as six to seven weeks and last until about 12 weeks.
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