If you’re familiar with what hedgehogs look like, you’ll agree that their unique cuteness alone might make you want one. Keeping hedgehogs as pets can be a great experience. They are wonderful creatures and very entertaining. It is best to adopt them when they are 6-8 weeks old and have already been weaned. When choosing, look for people with clear, bright eyes, a well-rounded body who show great energy and alertness.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures, which means that they are awake most of the time during the night. They spend the day sleeping. If handled correctly and when their feathers are not raised, they are very cuddly and friendly. The quills are a defense mechanism that goes up when they feel threatened. But they are known to have a good temperament. Most domestic hedgehogs live in cages or aquariums, but with supervision, you can occasionally release them and run around the house after they’ve been litter-trained. Litter training hedgehogs is surprisingly easy.
If you plan to adopt one, you need to be prepared for the responsibilities that come with caring for one. It may be good to keep in mind that if you are allergic to cats, hedgehog may not be for you. The typical care of a small pet takes time and effort. You will have to clean the pet’s cage, feed it and spend time with it. You will need to provide for their needs on a regular basis, such as food, a cage, a litter box, and more. It is basically the same as keeping hedgehogs as pets. They like human affection. They are also wonderful swimmers. Give them a shallow pool and they will enjoy swimming in it. They go crazy to hide their heads, a game time they enjoy very much. You can give them toilet paper tubes for this. The exercise wheel is something they enjoy too, so put one in a cage for your pet to enjoy.
To help keep them from getting bored with the food you give them, treat your hedgehogs to their favorite bananas once in a while, like twice a week. You can also use bugs since they are generally insectivorous. They feed on snails and worms and insects found in gardens. However, don’t let them loose in your garden if you use insecticides on your plants. Plant insecticides can seriously harm plants. It’s best to be careful when buying pet store foods made specifically for hedgehogs. These cute balls of fun are prone to parasites. Milk and other forms of dairy products should never be part of their diet because they cannot be tolerated.
For those who want to keep hedgehogs as pets, they should know that to help the animal enjoy playtime, additional space should be provided in the cage. Put partitions inside to make room for sleeping time or nesting needs and some areas for activity time. If you plan to have more than one hedgehog, be sure to provide separate rooms. They like their own space as they are very territorial in nature. An additional member in their marked area could result in fights that could damage them. You should get one as young as possible and then slowly introduce the new partner without stress.
Being calm animals, these creatures are ideal pets for people who live in apartments. As they are small, all you have to provide is a spacious enough cage as they move around a lot. They make a snorting noise when they breathe and growl or chirp from time to time when they are scared or upset. Other than that, they are calm and peaceful. If you are the quiet type and like the company of a pet, then adopting a pet hedgehog or two may be ideal for you.