Hedgehog Care
Congratulations on your new hedgehog! There's so much to learn about caring for these unique pets. Whether you're a first-time owner or an experienced one, this guide will provide the essential information to keep your hedgehog happy and healthy. Feel free to reach out with any questions about their care.
Hedgehogs are exotic pets and need more attention than typical domestic animals. Your purchase includes lifetime breeder support, offering advice and guidance, so don't hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns about your new pet.
Hedgehogs are illegal to own as pets in California, Georgia, Hawaii, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. Some states also require permits to own them. It's your responsibility to ensure you can legally own one. A good starting point is to check local regulations and codes regarding pet ownership in your area.
Species information:
Common Names: African pygmy hedgehog, four-toed hedgehog.
Scientific Name: Atelerix albiventris.
Adult Size: Typically, 6 to 8 inches long, weighing between .5 to 1.5 Pounds.
Lifespan: Average 3 to 5 years, with some living up to 8 years.
Habitat: Native to parts of Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Nutrition:
Pet hedgehogs can be prone to obesity, which is why it is important to evaluate the nutritional content as well as the amount of the food you are feeding them. We find that the best proper diet for a hedgehog is a mix of high-quality cat kibble with the right fat and protein contents. A mix of different cat kibbles provides a good variety of protein to our hedgehogs. Our Coastal Quills Premium Hedgehog Diet Mix provides our hedgehogs with the following protein sources: chicken, salmon, turkey, crickets, and black soldier fly larvae.
Hedgehogs are insectivores and therefore also require insects in their diet. In addition to the dried insects in our kibble mix, we feed our hedgehogs live insects such as mealworms, super worms, Dubia roaches and crickets. We also supplement their diet with frozen thawed pinkies, and unseasoned lean meats and eggs. Hedgehogs cannot digest fruits or veggies. They get the nutrition from plants by eating bugs who have been gut loaded with fruits and veggies instead.
Deviating from our nutritional recommendations will void your baby’s health warranties.
We feed about 2 Tbsp of our high-quality nutritional mix to each hedgehog per evening. Adjust the amount accordingly depending on the body condition of your hedgehog.
Coastal Quills Premium Hedgehog Diet consists of:
Purina Naturals: Indoor with Real Chicken & Turkey (Chicken & Turkey)
Nutrish: Indoor Complete (Chicken with Salmon)
Purina ONE: Tender Selects Blend (Chicken)
Natures Menu: Chicken and Brown Rice (Chicken)
Cat Chow Sensitive Stomach Gentle Dry Cat Food (Turkey)
Dried black soldier fly larvae, probiotic powder, ground flaxseed, and cricket flour
If you are only going to feed your hedgehog a single brand of cat food, we would recommend using the highest quality cat formula you can find, or Hedgehog Precision kibble. Nature's Menu chicken and brown rice or Chicken Soup for the Soul Classic Indoor Cat Dry Food Chicken & Brown Rice would be our choice for a single formula cat food.
Your new baby will currently be eating our Premium hedgehog diet. When purchasing a hedgehog from us, we will provide a free 6 oz sample bag of our mix. The sample should last you about a week so that you can gradually transition them over to whichever mix of adult cat foods you wish to feed. If you purchase a starter cage from us, we will upgrade your food sample to a 2-pound bag that can last up to 3 months.
***Note***
Commercial hedgehog food such as Mazuri, Vita Prima, or Exotic Nutrition brand hedgehog formulas are not an adequate source of nutrition for your hedgehog. The only exception is Hedgehog Precision brand kibble. All other commercial hedgehog foods do not have whole meat as the first ingredient and have too many fillers that hedgehogs cannot digest. Malnutrition from commercial hedgehog food can stunt growth, cause weakened immune system, cause foul smelling stools, and can significantly shorten your pet's lifespan.
Water bowls can greatly contribute to illnesses. Bowls can be spilled causing high humidity and a breeding ground for bacteria they are also easily contaminated with urine and feces causing a high risk of exposure to internal infections. We find that poor oral health in hedgehogs is not directly linked to the use of water bottles, and is frequently due to neurotic behaviors, genetic dental issues, poor early nutrition, or a substance called biofilm that will buildup in unclean bottles and bowls.
Feeding commercial hedgehog food or using a bowl to give water is not advised and voids our health guarantees.
Creating a Cozy Habitat
Hedgehogs thrive in a consistent temperature of 74°F to 78°F. Too hot or too cold and they can either attempt to hibernate or suffer from heatstroke. You can spot a hibernating hedgehog if they're wobbly, sluggish, and cold to the touch. On the other hand, an overheated hedgehog may lie flat on its belly in a "splooting" position. Keep them comfortable with heating equipment like a CHE bulb and a thermostat.
See our heating article with ordering links here! https://share.evernote.com/note/d4f1c62e-f6f6-9aee-9a9f-26f26f75f1b3
Bedding Basics
Kiln dried pine and Aspen bedding are good options. We use and recommend Kiln Dried Flake pine, this allows for natural burrowing behaviors, our hedgehogs have the best start in life, they're expected to have strong noses and good immune systems. Spot cleaning the bedding daily is a must to maintain a healthy environment, and deep clean once every 2 weeks. Do not use cedar bedding, hedgehogs are highly allergic to it. Liner diving will happen if you use fleece and collectively, we see more injuries from fleece cage setups (toenail rips, poor absorption of odors, ingestion of stuffing, hurt teeth, urine burns, fungal infections) throughout the hedgehog community than we do from pine or aspen flakes. Paper bedding, and potty pads will swell in the digestive tract if ingested. Use of fleece, paper, potty pads, and cedar voids our health guarantee.
Emergency Warming & Cooling Methods
During a winter power outage, hand warmers can prevent them from getting too cold. Tuck these warmers into a sock or a snuggle sack. If you don't have hand warmers, your own body heat can do the trick! In the summer, cooling tiles can be placed as well as frozen water bottles. Remember, it is easier to cool or heat a smaller space, so you might want to keep a 15-quart ventilated storage bin handy for such emergencies
Exercise and Fun
Keeping your hedgehog active is important. Bucket wheels or the Kaytee Giant comfort wheel can help them get their daily exercise. They can run up to 6 miles a day, so don't forget to clean the wheels regularly! Hedgehogs enjoy toys like ping pong balls, crinkle balls, mini solo cups and small rubber ducks, sand baths, and dig boxes, too, for additional enrichment. It's important to remember hedgehogs have tiny sharp nails anti pill fleece is the only safe to leave in cage fabric as their nails can get caught in tiny towel loops (try microfiber towels for bath time) Hedgehogs have soft paw pads, sandpaper tracks on wheels are not safe and cause injuries. We ask that you regularly inspect all hedgehog toys and cage items to ensure they're safe and not damaged. a cracked solo cup toy can cause a mouth injury, loose threads can wrap around limbs or get ingested, please check your hedgehogs over regularly for any injuries as they are easier to treat the sooner they're discovered.
Cleaning Tips
Using a good cleaner like dawn dish soap, white vinegar, diluted bleach, or chlorohexidine 2% will keep their space spick and span. Make sure everything's dry before bedding goes back in to prevent bacterial growth and over humidity.
Bathing and Hygiene
A monthly bath with mild soap keeps your hedgehog fresh. Give them time to dry thoroughly with a microfiber towel
before returning them to their home. some hedgehogs can take 45 minutes to get full dry. We like an antifungal and
antimicrobial shampoo at least once every 3 months especially for homes with smaller children and adults with
weakened immune systems to keep your hedgehog squeaky clean!
Bonding Time
Daily socialization is vital for a happy hedgehog. Routine cuddles, positive reinforcement, and your familiar scent can help them bond with you. Be aware that neglect can lead to stress-related behaviors. Always be gentle, consistent, and loving.
