r/Hedgehog May 24 '23

Mod Announcement Owning A Hedgehog Reality Check

472 Upvotes

Since hedgehog owners consistently buy hedgehogs without setting reasonable expectations here are some expectations to set. Adapted/expanded from u/ArcadeRivalry's post.

  • Don't believe social media. Every single one I see there are obviously ridiculously posed pictures, maybe it's just me but I refuse to believe one could stay still for that long.
  • Hedgehog are spiked covered prey animals prone to anxiety. While belly rub/cuddle posts get a lot of attention they are the exception due to good breeding/luck not the rule. It is very possible a hedgehog will never be comfortable being handled even after concerted effort.
  • If you want to bond you need to put in a lot of commitment, patience and time to socialize them. I've seen a lot of people in groups I'm in need to re-home a hog before the first year as they can't put the time in. You need at least an hour a day socializing but realistically a lot more for them to be comfortable around you and others. We recommend getting a snuggle sack or putting them in your hoodie pouch to spend time together.
  • You need a specialist vet. A lot of places might not have an exotic animal vet near you. This is vital. So make sure you have to this.
  • It may not be legal to own hedgehogs in your area.
  • You need heating to ensure they don't hibernate.
  • You will likely be spiked, bitten and pooped on. It can be really really disheartening being spiked, hissed at or even bitten when you feel like you've made progress. Huffing and popping are natural, they are scaredy little animals.
  • Hedgehogs salivate frothily on themselves when they like scents, males often have "boy time", they poop a lot, have terrible sight and will bite things that smell yummy/interesting, and require consistent cage cleanings.
  • They are carnivores, while feeding fruits/vegetables can often be done safely, please feed them mainly meat-based foods ( cat food, insects, etc.)
  • Since they have very limited vision they operate mainly on smell and are at risk of falling/walking off elevated areas. It is wise to assume they are making decisions based on what they smell rather than just mainly what they see. They will still try to climb and are prone to hurting themselves climbing horizontal cage bars.
  • It is very likely they will dislike baths and nail trimming. We recommend trimming nails during foot bath time when they can't curl up or just holes in a towel to put their legs through.
  • Hedgehogs should not be housed together. High likelihood of fighting or babies.
  • We recommend heavy water bowls or chicken nipple bottles as ball water bottles can hurt them.

If you know what you are getting into, they are the most wonderful creatures ever and bring many people on this sub joy. If you feel like your hedgehog "hates" you they are just being their grumpy/terrified selves! You may be lucky and form a close bond.


r/Hedgehog Aug 19 '24

Hedgehog Food - What to look for

25 Upvotes

I try to answer as many food posts as I can, and I've made a post before where people could ask questions, but this time I'm going to put my knowledge in a friendly-to-read post for everyone to come to when they want to know if their Hedgehog Food is good for their Hedgies!

There are a *ton* of foods out there for Hedgehogs, and you'll hear a lot of recommendations about cat food, or other various forms of kibble, even live diets. At the end of the day, there are a couple of things that you're looking for and it's really, very quite simple.

I'm not going to tell you to avoid a certain brand or food, because over time, they may change their recipe, instead here is a small list of things that are the main things to look for. If these 4 things match, then you're good to go! Foods that match these criteria are super simple to find, you just have to look. At the end of the post, I'll list what I specifically use as an example.

  • Protein should be somewhere between 26% - 33%. Too much more or less is problematic.

  • Fats for adults (over 6 months) should be between 9%-15%. If your Hedgehog needs to gain some weight (ask your vet FIRST), they can go to 16-20%.

  • Fiber 3%

  • The first three ingredients listed *need* to be a meat or a meat meal. (Chicken meal, Turkey meal, Fish meal, etc.)

Beef and pork are harder to ingest. Meat byproducts don't have enough nutrients to fill out one of the first ingredient spots listed above. People will tell you to 'avoid this' or 'avoid that', as long as you stick to the 4 rules above, you're golden. Everything else is pretty much filler, what you're looking for are the percentages I've listed to ensure they are getting what they need.

This is for their main diet. This isn't considering treats, that's an entirely different ball game. Treats are just that, treats. They shouldn't be enough to alter your Hedgehog's diet. Some Hedgehogs don't even like treats!

When it comes to feeding and how much, I will tell you (from personal experience), I've always allowed mine to free-feed. Most of the time, this is a very safe option. Unless you notice your hog is gaining a ton of weight and they are becoming the size of a softball, they will learn to regulate their own food intake. Sometimes watching their food intake every moment of every day is more anxiety inducing for us than it matters to them. Plus, this ensures they are getting enough, especially if they are avid runners. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the "wait and see" method. Try to trust your Hedgehog, let them do their thing.

As promised, here is the food I personally use:

I and Love and You - Naked Essentials - Grain Free with Chicken and Duck

It's a cat kibble that is perfect size for them. I get it off Amazon.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post! I hope this helps!


r/Hedgehog 2h ago

The vicious beast in their natural habitat! 🤣😍🙌🏻🦔💩💥

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39 Upvotes

r/Hedgehog 13h ago

She loves chicken

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108 Upvotes

Hearing Bijou eating chicken is my new favorite thing, thought someone else would enjoy this too😁


r/Hedgehog 18h ago

Warning: Upsetting Content lost my sweet cleo this week :(

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189 Upvotes

cleo was my baby for nearly six years and i loved her so much :( she has been experiencing some balancing and movement issues in her rear legs for a while now, and recently her back legs were close to a full paralysis. the vet told me she likely had a spinal tumor :( but she lived a happy and healthy life at least, and i hope she's doing well wherever she is now.


r/Hedgehog 20h ago

BEAN ♥︎

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129 Upvotes

r/Hedgehog 7h ago

Question If you're a hedgie owner in an illegal state how secretive are you with it?

12 Upvotes

Do you guys avoid posting photos and telling people or is that not really necessary.


r/Hedgehog 23h ago

She's home!

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197 Upvotes

We are holding off on a final name decision until we get to know her personality a bit more. We are absolutely in love 🥰🦔


r/Hedgehog 5h ago

Question New wheel advice

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone!
My Carolina Storm Bucket Wheel is getting old, and I'm looking to upgrade. Has anyone here tried either of these two models: the Metal Wheel on Stand with Purepaws Sheet (the one that comes with a plastic sheet over the metal wiring to protect their feet) or the Enchanting Pets Silent Wheel? If so, would you recommend them?

I actually owned an Enchanting Pets Silent Wheel before, and while it worked really well for my hedgehog—definitely more stable than the Carolina Storm Bucket Wheel, in my opinion—it unfortunately cracked in two places during cleaning after less than a year of use. Maybe I just got unlucky and should give it another shot, but the Metal Wheel with the Purepaws Sheet also seems like a strong contender.

Thanks in advance for any insights!


r/Hedgehog 1d ago

Someone had a good time outside yesterday 😍💥🦔💩

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370 Upvotes

Fitzythelongearedhedgehog


r/Hedgehog 19h ago

Treat time

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39 Upvotes

Some yummy treats


r/Hedgehog 5h ago

Are mupirocen, Neosporin, or polysporin safe for hedgehogs?

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2 Upvotes

r/Hedgehog 3h ago

how do you all supply water for your hedgies?

1 Upvotes

and what is the water bottle solution in enclosures where they can't hook up to the walls?

My hedgehog uses a water dish for the most part but I like to have a water bottle as back up just in case he empties the dish (walking in it/pooping in it or dragging stuff in it)
recently changed his enclosure so it's bigger but now has smooth walls. I know there are free standing water bottle holders and looking at a few just not sure which is recommended or if there is another solution I'm not thinking of.

thanks!


r/Hedgehog 1d ago

Question Do I need to separate them?

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98 Upvotes

Heard them huffing at each other before I had to leave for work and caught them like this. I ended up leaving them in separate spaces until I got back. Any suggestions?


r/Hedgehog 19h ago

Redecorating

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19 Upvotes

Gumbo moved his house so he could just reach out the front door for wormies -_____-


r/Hedgehog 1d ago

I just came for the Wormies🤣🙌🏻💥🦔💩😍

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59 Upvotes

Fitzythelongearedhedgehog

Garthelongearedhedgehog


r/Hedgehog 1d ago

Made hedgehog cookies & keyrings for my first craft fair

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32 Upvotes

r/Hedgehog 1d ago

I'll just leave this here...

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120 Upvotes

😬 ...🤷‍♀️...😂

Might be my favorite pic, it's so weird to see her like this.


r/Hedgehog 1d ago

Warning: Upsetting Content my poor babygirl was diagnosed with WHS💔

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214 Upvotes

my biggest fear as a hedgehog owner has come true today. I took my babygirl Winifred to the vet and he told me she has Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome. He told me I don’t have to put her down yet, but I’ll know when it’s time. I’m so heartbroken, my sweet baby…


r/Hedgehog 1d ago

Nugget tries her first locust

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134 Upvotes

Sorry for the... weird audio. That is just how I talk to her, even when I'm not filming. Her actual name is only spoken to others, she knows herself as 'the beast', 'little lady' and 'little shit/prick', depending on how much trouble she's in and what mood I'm in.


r/Hedgehog 2d ago

Discussion Is this odd?

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181 Upvotes

When I clean my Pumpies cage I keep the quills I see (when I remember to look). And I was curious if that's an odd thing to do?


r/Hedgehog 1d ago

My wild hedgehog house and feeding area ❤️

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58 Upvotes

r/Hedgehog 2d ago

Bramble is an actual goblin 😂

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151 Upvotes

r/Hedgehog 1d ago

Indica Update!! ❤️

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66 Upvotes

Based off my earlier post, we got quite good news. My baby girl is NOT sick and does not have any cancers. I got her in and they did an exam, based off of that exam, we are now going to schedule a surgery for them to extract 3 teeth from her mouth that are loose and very much hurting her. She always has beginning stages of gingivitis and her upper palette is inflamed. The vet gave me her some pain medication until we can get her scheduled for her surgery. She will now be on a soft food diet until then to ease the pain she must’ve been feeling. Due to not eating, she lost a little bit of weight but they said I caught it quite quick so she did not lose that much and is not in what they call the “danger zone”. She is expected to make a full recovery :) As of now, Indica is very upset that I could do such a thing to her by taking her to the vet and is making that very known, lol. Leaving her to rest for a bit before her first dosage of pain reliever:) Thank you so much for all your kind words and support!!


r/Hedgehog 16h ago

Would This Make a Good Weapon during a Zombie Apocalypse?

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0 Upvotes

r/Hedgehog 2d ago

wish us luck ❤️

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220 Upvotes

indica (2 1/2 years old) started feeling like not eating. overall she seems to be acting quite normal but i am very very worried about her. luckily, by some grace, we were able to get an urgent care visit for her at 3 pm today in a city that averages 3-10 day wait for an exotic vet. i am hoping it is a dental issue and not an illness or cancer. please send us good vibes for her visit!! ❤️


r/Hedgehog 2d ago

Hello, I’m a new hedgehog owner!

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16 Upvotes

I’ve had Sebastian since September from a terrible breeding situation when he was almost 2 months old. I’m also an animal scientist going into vet med, so I’ve done plenty of research but I’m open to anymore information you have!! 😊 This is my set up for him, plus he gets lots of interaction, new stimulations, and lots of floor/exploring time. I guess I’m wondering if I would need a second heat lamp, there’s been times I find him laying on his belly just chilling and unbothered under the one lamp. I’m just curious if it’s not enough the room is never below 75 F in general