Northern Plains Hedgehogs

When you bring you new hedgehog home, place him or her in their new cage and let them have absolute privacy for at least a day (24 hours). You may pick him up and hold him once or twice for a few minutes the first day. But remember, it will probably be more like a week or longer before he really begins to feel at home.

It is good to have a soft blanket to lay them on in your lap, this will help protect your hands when they get scared and will also allow them to walk on you and not make a huge mess.  We like to use fleece as their toenails do not get caught on it like towels. It is recommended that after day three, you try to spend at least a half hour holding them, or handling them so they get use to you.

Be patient with your new hedgehog, some will adapt sooner then others and once they do you will have a wonderful pet.  Also wear an old tee shirt (so it smells like you) and place it in your hedgehog’s cage.  This will allow him/her to get to know your scent sooner.  They will more then likely self anoint on it. This is a behavior where they will foam at the mouth and place it on their quills.  So don’t panic if this happens, they will do it a lot when investigating new things.

Baby hedgehogs need quite a bit of sleep the first month after they come home with you, so don't be too concerned if he sleeps a lot at first. They may also be VERY cranky during their third month due to quilling, but I assure you things will get better.  Just imagine them like babies that are teething.  You will find quills in their cage and places that they run around, make sure you pick these up as they can be sharp if stepped on.  They will get adult quills (much less sharp) around 5-6 months and from there on out it gets better.  Once your hedgehog knows you and learns to trust you, you should be able to pet it with out causing him/her to hiss and ball.

Green poop…This is not something to be alarmed about.  Hedgehogs will have a green poop when they are introduced into a new environment.  They tend to have them when they are stressed and a new home is a big change for them.  This will pass after a few days when they have adjusted.

Cages:  We recommend the Ferret Nation 142 cages.  Extra large "Sterilite storage containers" also work well as cages.  A favorite of many is called the "My First Pet" cage or the "Super Pet" cage.  We do not like these as you can not fit very much in them.  A good rule of thumb is to make sure the cage is 2 x 2 feet at least and has plenty of ventilation.

BEDDING:  Never use Cedar bedding! The aromatic oils in cedar can cause respiratory problems for many small pets, even hedgehogs.  Wood type beddings that are safe for small pets are "kiln dried pine shavings" or "aspen, in shavings or pellets". You can also use many types of commercial bedding like CareFresh or Yesterday's News.  Some people like to make liners out of fleece, flannel, or cotton type materials.  These can be washed and replaced as needed, which will lower your costs on bedding materials.  We use fleece liners that we make ourselves.   It works very well and to clean them, just throw them in the washer and put a new one in.

FOOD BOWL:  When picking out a food bowl make sure it is nice and heavy. Hedgehogs that get bored love to spill over and waste food to play with the food bowl. Small ceramic ones sold at the pet store work very well.  

WATER:  It is personal preference whether you want to use a water bottle or a water dish.  There are pros and cons to both.   Water bottles are good since they stay clean and off the floor, however the hedgehog has to tilt its head to drink which can cause other problems.  Water bowls are good to use as you can monitor how much they drink and they can be changed every day.  Downfalls would be if you use shavings, they will soak up the water, and some hedgehogs will play in the water.  We prefer to use bowls since we like to keep an eye on how much they drink and how often.

HIDING PLACE:  There are many things that you can purchase for your hedgehog to hind in such as igloos, wooden boxes, pvc tubes, and even ice cream pails work for a quick fix.  We use igloos and make hedgie bags out of fleece for them to burrow and sleep in.  Some even prefer just to have a small fleece blanket to cuddle with.   

LITTER BOX:  Some hedgehogs will use a litter box if you provide it with one.  Although this can take lots of time and patience on your part.  If you plan to litterbox train, then you should make sure the material in the litter box is different from the rest of their bedding. This will help them associate the litter box with where to go the bathroom.  To start the training, you will need to clean up and collect as much poop as possible from their bedding.  Place the poop inside their litter box.  This will help give them the idea that they are supposed to go potty in the litter box.  You must do this several times per day and be sure to keep their poop picked out of their bedding material.  Some hedgies will catch on rather quickly (within a week) and other will take longer.  If your hedgie is not litter box trained within one month, then it is time to give up and let them poop wherever they wish.  There are many different types of litter to use.  Be sure to choose one that is "hedgie friendly".

TOYS: Wheels are a great way to get exercise for your hedgehog.  Make sure they have a solid plastic running surface. If you get a wheel that is not solid, a hedgie could get their legs stuck inside the wire holes and possibly break their legs.  Be sure to purchase a wheel large enough (12" diameter), so that your baby hedgie will not outgrow it.  Other great toys are baby toys, toilet paper rolls cut down the side, tunnels, and anything that will provoke their curiosity.  Typically a hedgehog will be intrigued by any CAT toy you provide them to play with.   A playpen for small pets is also a must if you are going to have them out of their cages.  Another option for this would be a small, plastic kiddie pool.  They are inexpensive and easy to clean.  This allows them to run around but not find those small hiding places around your house.

There are many debates on what to feed your hedgehog.  NEVER purchase prepacked hedghog food from the petstore.  It is a reformulated guinea pig food, and does not provide adequate nutrition for a hedghog.  There's also many ingredients in the prepackaged food that a hedgie cannot digest properly.

We recommend a good quality cat food that is high in protein and low in fat. Make sure that the first ingredient in the cat food is a meat product.   We feed a combination of three different cat foods, not only to give them a variety, but to also make sure they get enough protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, plus it gives the picky ones something different.

       Wellness Indoor               Blue Buffalo Weight                  Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck

This is supplemented by a variety of other foods such as vegetables, mealworms and crickets, cooked meats, fruits and vegetables.  However none of these should be fed as anything more than a treat 3 or 4 times a week.  The cat food should be the staple.

Treats that you can give them:

             Meal worms, Silk worms, Crickets (live or freeze dried)

             Fresh fruits and veggies (no citrus fruit)

             Lean cooked meats (hamburger, steak, chicken, etc)

             Baby foods

             Cottage Cheese and Eggs

Treats should be given in small portions.  Be sure to remove any left over food or treats so your hedgie is not eating spoiled foods.

Your hedgehog will more than likely need a bath some time or another in its life.  We usually bathes once a month or once every other month, but anymore could result in your hedgehog getting dry skin.  Place your hedgie in the kitchen sink, bathtub, or other area you wish to bath them in.  Fill the bottom with warm water (about an inch or two deep).  Take a small cup to pour water over its back.  Do not wash their head or face, in order to make sure you don't get water in their eyes or ears.  Use the toothbrush to scrub their quills and belly.  Once you are done bathing them, be sure to rinse them thoroughly.  Have a warm fleece towel ready to wrap them up.  You will need to hold them iuntil they are dry, to prevent them from getting sick.  This will also be a good time to trim your hedgehogs toenails. Just be sure not to get to close to the quick.  You may have to have someone help you for this, one to hold the hedgehog, and one to do the trimming.  Grab the hedgehog above the joint, not to hard, but firm enough to where they can not pull it away.  Hedgehog toenails are light, so you will be able to see the quick (pink area) in the light.  Clip right before this.  

Dry skin, itching, and quill loss can be signs of a mites. If you think your hedgehog may have mites, it is important for you to get to the vet right away. Your vet will do a simple skin scraping (it doesn't hurt the hedgehog) and look for mites under the microscope. If your hedgehog has mites, we recommend using Revolution; the same thing used on cats and dogs. Revolution is a one time treatment, and will last for 30 days (which outlasts the lifecycle of the mites). Your vet can give you the correct dosage.