Hedgehog Care Guide
Introduction
So you got yourself a brand new hedgehog! A hedgehog can make the
perfect pet, as long as they are cared for properly, (which I have no doubt
you will!) Hedgehogs are mammals, and you would be surprised that they are
not closely related to porcupines. Hedgehogs are considered insectivores,
along with moles and shrews (they are not rodents.) Hedgehogs are nocturnal
animals, and have an average lifespan of 4 to 6 years. African Pygmy
Hedgehogs (the kind you adopted) are not found in the wild, they are a
hybrid of two different types of wild hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are solitary
animals, they don’t like the share their space with another hedgie. Hedgehogs are defensive creatures, and use
their two main muscles to roll into a ball when scared. Hedgehogs may be timid, however with time, you and your
hedgehog will form a strong bond. I
Housing
Hedgehogs may be small creatures, but they require a good amount of space. A
hedgehog’s cage must be a minimum of 4 sq. ft. There are many different types of
cage setups: guinea pig cage, ferret nation, Midwest cage, C&C cage and
(atleast 105 qt) Sterlite tote (from Walmart or somewhere). To the right are
examples of the C&C cage (top) and a tote cage. The main
thing is that the cage should NOT have a wire base. This will
cause injuries for your hedgie. Tanks and aquariums aren’t a
great choice, either. They have limited ventilation that will
cause respiratory issues.
There are many different options for bedding. At Heart
Mountain Hedgehogs, we use fleece liners. Other options
include aspen bedding or CareFresh (recycled paper).
Please don’t use cedar or pine bedding, these are known to
cause respiratory issues.
Your hedgehog is also going to need a house to sleep in, a food bowl (or two), a water bottle or water bowl,
some toys to play with and a wheel. The wheel is EXTEREMLY important. Hedgehogs run on average 5 to 10 miles
a night. A wheel is essential. The wheel needs to be at least 11”. The LARGE comfort wheel or silent spinner sold at
pet stores will work, but tends to be a bit noisy. I personally recommend a Carolina Storm Bucket Wheel. These
can be purchased online and they cost a little bit more but are worth it. They are silent and a lot easier to clean.
Wire or mesh wheels shouldn’t be used, your hedgie can get their little toes stuck and injured. This wheel also has
the option of a litter box that fits directly under the wheel, making clean up so much easier. Hedgehogs can be
litter box trained, most prefer to use the restroom in one certain spot. And running naturally makes them poop, so
below the wheel is a perfect spot.
Though hedgehogs need a large cage, they do not like a lot of open space. So it’s safe to 2/3 of the cage filled
with “stuff.” Like toys, extra hides, fleece blankets, toilet paper tubes, crinkle balls, cat toys… basically anything
hedgehog friendly. Some even have a large playpen for their hedgehog when out of their cage. You can also
purchase a large critter ball for your hedgehog to run in. Some hedgehogs won’t run, but others will speed
around your house.
Heating
Unlike wild hedgehogs, our cuties are not built to hibernate. So it is important to keep their cage between 72 to 80
degrees. 70 degrees or lower can cause a hedgehogs body to attempt hibernation. If a hedgehog hibernates,
there is little chance they will ever wake up. There are many options for heating: central heating, space heaters
or CHEs (ceramic heat emitters. Heating pads or heating rocks should be avoided. Reptile heating lamps should
also be avoided. They emit light which will mess with your hedgehog’s sleep schedule.
Diet
A lot of research on the internet says to use commercial hedgehog food, but in fact the best kind of food is cat
food. Commercial hedgehog food isn’t designed specifically for pygmy hedgehogs and
contains a lot of filler ingredients. I use a mixture of Kirkland’s, The Good Life, and Blue Buffalo
with my hogs. Feel free to play around with the flavors. Some things to look for in your brand of
cat food:

A meat or meat meal as the first one or two ingredients

28-35% protein

15% fat MAX
Most hedgehogs will eat about 2 teaspoons of food a day. Some hedgehogs will
eat when they want, so being “free fed” is acceptable. Others may seem to eat too
much, and monitoring their food amounts will be important.
In addition, hedgehogs should also have insects in their diet. Crickets and
mealworms are some of their favorites, either alive or dry. Superworms are also a big
hit. There is some talk that superworms are dangerous to animals, but this in fact is
false. Unlike reptiles, hedgehogs chew up the worms, not swallow them whole.
Therefore superworms are already dead when ingested. Wild insects should
probably be avoided since you don’t really know what chemicals they could have
interacted with. Hedgehogs can also have a mixture of fruits and vegetables, cooked (unseasoned) meats, baby
food and wet cat food. We give our hedgies wet cat food a couple times a week as a treat.
Bonding with your Hedgie
Hedgehogs should definitely be handed once a day, for at least 30 minutes. This way you can bond with your
hedgehog. Once you have a bond, you will notice your hedgehog being much less defensive and grumpy. This
bond may take some time, but it is definitely worth it. You can do many activities with your hedgie, including
sitting watching tv or reading with your hog in your lap. Any kind of interaction will help with the bond. Gloves
should be avoided because they tend to hinder the bonding. Hedgehogs are very perceptive, if they feel like
you are scared they won’t be comfortable with you. Confidence is key. Especially in a new environment,
hedgehogs will be cautious. Just ignore these negative behaviors and keep handing your hedgehog.
“Manhandling” your hedgehog, (playing with ears, feet, nose, and stomach) will help create a bond and your
hedgehog will gain trust for you. Just because a hedgehog is nocturnal doesn’t mean you can only play with
them at night. Feel free to take your hedgie out while you are watching TV. They may be a little grumpy when
woken up, but any bonding is good. As long as they basically remain nocturnal, your hedgehog will be receptive
during the day for some cuddles.
You should also take your hedgehog out of the house for different activities. This introduces them to new sounds
and stimuli. By keeping the hedgie in the cuddle sack provided or another comfortable bag with a flat bottom. I
like to bring a hog whenever I run errands.
Bathing
Sometimes you will need to give your hedgehog a bath. To do so, fill up a since or small bucket with several
inches of warm water. (Not too hot and not too cold). Shampoos should be avoided, a great option for soap
would be Alveeno baby wash, unscented. A toothbrush can also be used to wash the dirt off of your hedgehog’s
quills. Never brush against the quills! Some hedgehogs love baths and swimming, whiles others do not. But the
more they get used to them, the more they will like water. After a bath, your hedgehog should be completely
dried off before being put back into the cage. A damp hedgehog could try to hibernate.
Hedgehogs will also need to have their nails trimmed from time to time. A great time for a nail trim is right after a
bath when they are relaxed. Using just a regular human nail clippers will work. Make sure not to cut too far down.
If the nail does start bleeding, use corn starch to stop the bleeding.
Misc. Facts
Hedgehogs do something called anointing, where they lick or bite something that they think tastes/smells good
and then they spit frothy saliva onto their quills with that smell. No one is really sure why they do it, but it’s
absolutely hilarious to watch. (YouTube it if you are interested!!)
Adoption specifics
At Heart Mountain Hedgehogs, we want our hedgehogs to have the best
homes. If for some reason your hedgehog isn’t working out, please return
the hog to us. We do have a return policy, from 1-30 days of purchase we
will refund 50% of the price. From 30-60 days we will refund 25% of
hedgehog price. This does not include cage setups. We raise our babies
with love, and handle them for at least 45 minutes a day. We pride
ourselves on health and temperament of our babies. It would break my
heart to have my babies in a strange home or bad situation.
Contact Info
Email: heartmthedgies@gmail.com
Phone: (262)-623-4150 or (920-209-1676)
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