Having a hedgehog as a pet is a unique thing on its own. Not only are they just marvelous creatures, but they also gained a good reputation for being excellent pets as well.  To have a hedgehog as your pet, it is also crucial to know about their proper take care guide. Therefore to write this article How to take care of a hedgehog is necessary. They don’t have a usual diet like our healthy pets do like cats and dogs. After all, there is nothing ordinary about having a hedgehog as a pet.

If you are thinking of having a hedgehog as pets, you can check my previous article as well How long do the pet hedgehogs live?. We all want a massive amount of time with our pets, and that is why it is essential to know how long they are going to live.

After that, you are well-acknowledged about their life. It is also essential to know what their requirements are? A proper care guide is necessary to learn.

If you don’t take care of the hedgehog up to the mark, then it will create problems for you in the long run like diseases, stress, and gut issues as well. Just to make it very clear for you, we came with this topic: how to take care of a hedgehog?

Ten steps method to take care of your hedgehog

When you talk about the care guide, it includes everything from diet, cleaning your pet, ensuring enough exercise, and all of the business-related to your pet.

Being a hedgehog owner, you may initially find everything tight. Having a hedgehog is quite expensive. The essential things that will cost you include a large enclosure and the costly vet bills.

As most areas of the world lack professional vet hedgehogs, therefore, the few ones which you will find maybe more massive in the pocket. For better understanding about how to take care of a hedgehog? Stick to this article. But the best part is that when you have set up everything, it will be going to stay in the long run.

Get the hedgehog from the legal and professional breeder:

This point is necessary because, in some parts of the world, having a hedgehog is illegal. So, before starting gathering the supplies, it is needed to research whether the hedgehog is legal in your area or not. 

States like Arizona, California, and many others have declared hedgehog as illegal pets. It does not matter that if you are living in these states or not, the research is necessary.

Collect all the necessary supplements :

Before you bring a hedgehog to your home, you must be loaded with all the necessary tools. The tools that you will require include an enclosure, bowls for water and the food, a wheel for the exercise, a sleeping hut that should contain something warm, bedding, a toothbrush for the quills, and a body wash that is hedgehog friendly. All of these tools are extremely vital for the proper care of your pet and also by the passage of time you will understand how to take care of a hedgehog?

Enclosure ensures that your pet is intact within a safe place and is not roaming around in your area. It also provides separation from any other pets you may have. Hedgehogs though may have quills, but their toes and feet are very fragile. It is recommended to have a durable bottom enclosure. Hedgehogs love to move around; therefore, a prominent cabinet is a must.

Food and water bowls are supposed to be massive for a hedgehog. Hedgehogs prefer to step up on the pot while eating; therefore, a more sustainable pan prevents flipping.

The bedding should be soft enough.  The strong immune system is very crucial to maintain. Of all the things that are needed to maintain health, sleeping is the most important one. It is an important part that tells you how to take care of a hedgehog? You can use either fleece lining, and paper bedding, which is available in many shops that can serve the purpose. Never use any wood bedding cause it causes respiratory issues and can also get easily stuck in sensitive areas.

Small huts with fleece lining and any other thing that ensures that the hedgehog is warm and friendly are enough. You have to avoid those in which the toes of the hedgehog can get stuck. The loops and strings in the material can cut off the blood supply to the toes. 

Cleaning and grooming of the hedgehogs are also very vital. For hygiene purposes, you must have clippers, toothbrushes, and hedgehog-friendly body wash. 

Monitor the symptoms of diseases :

Some hedgehogs, especially which are brought from the store, can quickly develop diseases because of their previous environments. Take suggestions from the vet about how to take care of a hedgehog?

While you select your hedgehog at the store, make sure he is in good condition and is not weak or clumsy. 

The common signs which indicate that your hedgehog is not in good condition are :

• Secretion of unnecessary filth on the fur and quills
• Injuries or blisters that may get ignored by the breeder. 
• Clumsiness or slow response 
• Swollen or red eyes
• Marble-like structures near armpit and inability to roll up. 
• Foul colored droppings, e.g. Green
• Weird behaviors like constant scratching. 

Proper take care of the hedgehogs:

Exercise is essential for the hedgehog. Hedgehogs love to run on the bike. If you place a wheel in their enclosure, they will move enough so that they won’t become obese. 

Hedgehogs like to feed upon cats and dog food.  Maintaining the diet of your pet is another major point in telling you how to take care of a hedgehog? Make sure that the food does not contain high levels of sugars and fats. They must become obese. 

You have to know which foods are fatal to the hedgehogs. These foods include grapes, avocado, chocolate, seeds, nuts, dairy or junk products, and any citrus fruit. 

Make contact with your hedgehog daily:

Handling the hedgehogs will make it used to humans. This process will make them more interactive. Social hedgehogs are less likely to raise their quills, and also they don’t bite anyone. 

You can place your old t-shirt within the sleeping hut of the hedgehog so that they may get used to it with maximum exposure.

Keep changing the bedding :

Ensuring clean bedding will prevent the hedgehog from catching any kind of disease. It also prevents the foul smell, therefore, to keep nice and clean bedding is necessary. 

As the hedgehog has maximum exposure with the bedding, so if it’s not clean, it can result in skin diseases. 

Making him handsome:

Use your clippers and keep their nails trimmed. Bath them once a day to ensure maximum cleanliness.  Does grooming play a vital role that provides the good health of your pet and informs us about how to take care of a hedgehog?

Use a body wash to scrub the quills with a toothbrush brush. Place a dot of the body wash in the bush and start rubbing on the feathers. 

Are hedgehogs easy to take care of? 

It is evident that hedgehogs are not rodents, but as far as their care is concerned, they are quite similar. How to take care of the hedgehogs? To say it easy will not do justice; however, keeping it properly will result in some good results. 

As hedgehogs are shy and solitary animals, so they prefer to be alone, so don’t try to rush them. It will also save you bucks. By giving proper attention and care to your pet, its lifespan surprisingly increases, all of these points and facts continuously telling us how to take care of a hedgehog?

Hedgehogs can live for up to 3-6 years and a maximum of 8-10 years. So make a long time commitment if you are thinking of having one. 

They are nocturnal, so they are not like ordinary pets. Nocturnal means that when you are about to sleep, it’s your hedgehog time to wake up.

If they aren’t appropriately handled, their quills can poke especially, children. Though they are not poisonous, their feathers can still pinch. 

They don’t usually bite. On rare occasions, they may eat. 

Questions and Answers 

How to take care of a hedgehog pet? 

Hedgehogs are not natural creatures. They have to be provided with a big enclosure, a beautiful sleeping hut, proper bathing, elegant bedding, and also a diet that provides complete nutrition to the hedgehog. 

How to take care of a hedgehog? 

The following are the main things to take care of while having a hedgehog as a pet :

• To provide enough space.
• To ensure the maximum exercise. 
• Proper screening of any illness symptoms 
• Bath them once. 
• Cleaning of their quills 

How to take care of a hedgehog baby? 

You can give them dry or wet cat food to keep things simple for them. It is okay that you remove the baby hedgehogs after seven weeks. It is also essential that you separate the males and the females to avoid any kind of mating. They reach their sexual maturity at the age of two months.

How to take care of a hedgehog which is sick? 

If the hedgehog is showing signs of sickness, it should be kept on a heating pad to keep them nice and warm. Do not feed them the usual might because it can resume the infection. A cat or dog food containing meat is a perfect one. You can also add bran as fiber to improve digestion.