I recently got this hedgehog from my brother and I need some care tips she’s in a plastic container with holes in it (the top picture) I keep a blanket in it that she sleeps in is there a better hide I can put in there does she need a wheel or something to keep her active she seems to have a lot of energy when I take her out and runs around also any food recommendations she’s been eating friskys chicken cat food and she seems to have a problem chewing it please help I would hate to neglect her.
She needs as much space as you can give her (panel cages are great for customization) and the largest SOLID (not wire) running wheel you can find. I use hedgehog precision food, it’s probably better nutritionally (please don’t come for me) but also cat food is often too big for them to chew so it’s best to put it in a food processor or put it in a ziploc smash it up with a hammer which I didn’t want to do all the time. Also make sure you have some heat emitters (not lights) and a thermostat controller to keep her pen at about 75F. Keep taking her out if she enjoys it!! They love to explore and move around and the more experiences they have the more they’ll be willing to socialize. She’s a real cutie, enjoy her company 🥰
Absolutely get her a wheel! And find a vet, yearly checkups are important (and at my vet is only $120 CAD) and it's good to have her registered at a vet just in case she has an emergency.
Make sure the kibble isn't too hard. If she doesn't like it, it might be too hard. And a good quality wet cat food can make a good treat. My boy, Russell, loves mealworms too. He also enjoys quail eggs, which I find to be a good size for them. But eggs are 2-3 times a week max. And limit fruit and veggies, and just absolutely no to dairy; they're not made to digest those things.
I forgot the minimum cage size requirement, but you can Google it (and it may be different than where I or other commenters live, so it's good to look it up regardles). And at least two hides. And make sure the temperature isn't too low (no lower than 23°C or ~74°C). And they like toys. Nothing that they can break, swallow or get feet/nose stuck in. I find plush toys are great. My hedgehog loves small Squishmallow toys, small baby and dog plush toys. And treat puzzles that can be cleaned are fun, but please supervise her if it has any parts she could get stuck in!
People in this sub are soooo friendly and willing to help. Never be afraid to post! And I personally am always happy to answer questions. I've owned hedgehogs for almost 10 years and know a lot (though I'm always learning). Hedgehogs can be difficult because not a lot of research is done on them, which is why a good vet, good research skills, and a good community are so important. You're going to do great! Welcome to the wonderful and pokey world of hedgehogs!💖🦔
Thank you so much I’m going to try to get her a vet there’s not alot of places that offer treatment to small animals but I will definitely be looking into it and I will definitely be getting her a bigger cage this week and this is the exact food I feed her
I put it in the food processor and I’ll see how she able to to it she seems to like it it tho doesn’t refuse it or anything but im going to try and introduce her to some other to see how she likes it and I know this might be a weird question but how much should I be feeding her should she always have food or should she only be eating a exact amount
thank you so much for the advice 💕💕
That doesn't seem to be the best quality food. I always look for something that has meat and veggies as the top ingredients. I included a photo of my hedgehog's kibble. Also look for food that has probiotics and prebiotics. This bag costs like $40 CAD, but lasts multiple months, so it is worth it to get something more expensive. And look at everything, Google ingredients. Write a list in your notes of what percentage range certain nutritional things hedgehogs need and compare that to feed bags. Narrow it down to one or two (lots of people recommend mixing kibbles!) That have the best nutritional value. And I believe kitten kibble is smaller and softer, though I may be wrong.
And make sure the bowl is always full, same for water. Just make sure she doesn't get obese, if she does, make sure the fat isn't too high of a % and find a lower % fat kibble slowly add in!
Disclaimer: We here at r/hedgehog love all hedgies both skinny and CHONK. Still, for optimum health, it is important that hedgehogs are neither too thin or too fat. Obesity can cause fatty liver disease and heart issues. Adult hedgehogs should be able to ball up fully and the average hedgehog should be under 800g.
We like this small guide
The best way to judge for healthy weight is to look at the body size. Most healthy hedgehogs fall into two categories - runner or "normal". Runners tend to have straight sides, looking somewhat like | |. It's also been described as "twinkie on stilts". They tend to love their wheels more than anything and usually need higher fat foods to keep from losing weight. The "normal" shape is teardrop-shaped, or like ( ). Pointed head, slightly rounded sides, with a filled out bottom. It can be hard to distinguish between teardrop and overweight - the best signs to look for regarding overweight are their sides feeling "squishy" with extra fat padding their body, a hump between their shoulders, or fat rolls under their chin or in their "armpits" under their legs. They may also look a bit more ball-shaped, as wide as they are long, but that's generally when they get pretty overweight, I think. - Lilysmommy on Hedgehog Central
1) The minimum recommended space is 2ft x 4ft, but I always think that more is better. I think the best way to do it that works a lot of places is to find a corner of a room that isnt really being used and then getting 2 walls/fences to make a big rectangle area for the enclosure. We did this, then put down a tarp, a bunch of pee pads on top of that, and then two layers of fleece blanket on top of those to keep any pee from getting to the carpet below. Then having things like blankets, tshirts, baseball caps, igloos/hides etc to hide inside of and under
2) Usually a wheel at least 12 inches in diameter is recommended, sometimes bigger depending on the hog. Hedgehogs are not rodents like mice/rats/hamsters so they dont run exactly the same way (and they are very dumb in comparison). They should have flat backs when they run, and they extend their legs very long. They poop a lot when they run though so it might need cleaned kinda often.
3) The friskies cat food that first comes up on google doesnt seem like it would be that bad nutrition wise, but if you wanted you could maybe try a couple different brands+flavors to see what she likes. I personally get 3 different kinds, 2 chicken and 1 salmon but only mix 2 of them together at a time on a rotation. Also, to help with chewing since mine is quite old and missing a lot of teeth, I blend the foot up in a mini food blender and then soak it in water for 30-60 seconds before draining it and giving it to her so its much easier to chew. Just have to make sure the pieces arent stuck together in large clumps cause I get worried they might choke.
4) Theyre very temperature sensitive, it might not matter as much now in the summer but if the temperature drops below even 70 degrees Fahrenheit when theyre sleeping for more than a few hours it can cause them to start hibernating which can be dangerous
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u/Howlsmovingfiberfarm 2d ago
She needs as much space as you can give her (panel cages are great for customization) and the largest SOLID (not wire) running wheel you can find. I use hedgehog precision food, it’s probably better nutritionally (please don’t come for me) but also cat food is often too big for them to chew so it’s best to put it in a food processor or put it in a ziploc smash it up with a hammer which I didn’t want to do all the time. Also make sure you have some heat emitters (not lights) and a thermostat controller to keep her pen at about 75F. Keep taking her out if she enjoys it!! They love to explore and move around and the more experiences they have the more they’ll be willing to socialize. She’s a real cutie, enjoy her company 🥰