Hi, I'm a proud hedgie owner. Check out
www.chins-n-quills.com for tons of information (its a lot like this website but for hedgehogs and chinchillas).
Here are some basics:
They need a fairly large cage, at least 2'x2' or around that. I have a 2x2 grid C&C with upper level. Fleece liners work the best. They need to have a wheel (comfort or bucket wheel)- with solid surface so they don't hurt their feet. They run a lot, and are nocturnal so the wheels can be loud and annoying when you're trying to sleep (if kept in bedroom). Temperature is super important. They need to be kept at 72-78 degrees F or they will try to hibernate and will die. They eat a mixture of cat food - blue spa select, innova, wellness, etc are good brands. its also good to mix foods together. Baby hedgies can eat kitten food, whereas adults can eat adult cat food, or lite if they are chunky. They also need to eat live or freeze dried mealworms, crickets, etc. They can also eat certain fruits and cooked veggies, like cooked carrots, peas, watermelon, berries, bananas, apples without seeds, etc. There are a lot of foods that are not safe for hedgies, so I would go to chins-n-quills and hedgehogcentral.com for information about safe and unsafe foods. And since they are nocturnal, you don't see them too often. They need to be held and cuddled often so they get used to you. They can be very shy and huffy if not socialized properly. They need daily foot baths because they will poop while running on their wheel and get really gross feet. They can also get very dry skin and mites can be a problem, esp if shavings or even carefresh are used.
hedgies make great pets, and shouldn't be pets for younger kids. They have special needs, and unlike fuzzy guinea pigs, have sharp quills that can hurt, especially at first. another good sight is
Hedgehog Central. make sure your friend does not get one from a petstore. they will usually have health issues, be very shy and not friendly, and can be expensive. breeders are the way to go, as they breed for the better of the species and handle them from a very young age so they are very friendly. hedgehogs are hard to find at rescues, which is a good thing, although there are still many who need homes, so if you could find one in need of a home, that would be the best way for your friend to get one. this is a bit long, and I hope I helped give you some useful information to pass onto your friend. PM me with any questions you have. I am also a rescue contact for the Hedgehog Welfare Society. You should check out their site too. Lots of good info.
07-14-08, 09:54 am
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