Caring for your Hedgehog

Food: purina kitten chow or high grade kitten food

Water: 

a small bowl and drip bottle.. make sure it’s not spring loaded.. (it’s very important to use both until you are sure they’ve learned how to use the water bottle) NO TAP WATER!! (Only filtered or bottled water)

Handling: 

When you first take home your new hedgehog, it’s important to give them a few days to adapt to their new environment. They have poor eyesight, but a very strong sense of smell and hearing. While your hedgehog is adapting to their new home, put an old T-shirt in their cage that you have worn for a couple of days without washing so they can become familiar with your scent. You should also speak to them in a quiet tone frequently so they can learn your voice. Once they recognize your scent, they won’t be as afraid for you to handle them. Once they start adapting and appear more calm, you can begin handling them. 

Before picking up your new hedgehog, speak to them softly and let them smell your hand first. Then you can pick them up slowly from underneath, using a scooping motion. It’s important to let them know you are there so they don’t get spooked or perceive you as a threat. Always pet them in the direction of their quills, never against their quills!! It will hurt you and them!

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Bath:

Bathe them as needed in luke warm water. You can use a small bin or a sink. Only a few inches of water is needed. Use a soft bristled toothbrush to wash them in the direction of their quills. I recommend using a non-scented baby shampoo. Aveeno has a baby shampoo with oatmeal that helps prevent dry skin. 

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Nails:

You may need to trim your hedgehogs nails from time to time. Be sure not to cut them too short (don't cut in the quick of the nail)

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Treats: Our hedgehogs favorite treats are mealworms. You can get live or dried.  You can order a large bag of dried mealworms on amazon for very cheap!! Only give a few per day to prevent weight gain. They contain a lot of calories!!