Hedgie Hut

Cages:
    Aquariums:    30 gallon size or larger make good homes.  They are easy to clean and are easy to see through.  Providing good ventilation can be a problem.  They are also very heavy to move.

    **Sterilite/Rubbermaid Storage Containers:    My personal choice (Rubbermaid 94 qts.). They are light weight, easy to clean and extremely inexpensive.  Make sure they have about 2 square feet.

    Rabbit Cages:    They are usually the correct size for a hedgehog, but make sure they have a solid bottom.  They could get hurt trying to climb up the sides of the cage.

    Ferret Cages:    Great ventilation, right size for a hedgehog, lots of floor space with ramps, and easy to clean.  Again, the hedgehog could fall off one of the ramps and get hurt, and make sure the wire bars are spaced no more than 1/2 inch apart so they don’t try to get stuck.  Sometimes these cages are difficult to transport.

    Place your cage in a well lit area where it can get 12 hours of daylight.  If you live in Alaska or other places that cannot, artificial lighting is alright.  This is because they might start hibernating because they think the days are getting shorter.  Also, the cage is not in an area where it gets a draft.  Make sure it is between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit (18-27 degrees Celsius).  You hedgehog can hibernate if it’s too cold and die in about 72 hours.  If you need, place an electric heating pad in a corner under the cage on low.  That way if it gets too hot, the hedgehog can move.  You don’t want to burn them.
    The sides will need to be at least 12 " tall. You can use several different things for enclosures. Any commercially made enclosure that is suitable for ferrets, guinea pigs or rabbits will usually be okay for hedgehogs. The floor must not be wire (they need a solid floor) and make sure that they are large enough. If they have a wire cage, be sure that the bars are close together and that they are fully enclosed. A hedgehog can climb the side to escape an open top, or squeeze through bars.

Pine or aspen shavings:      Hedgehogs love to burrow in it.  Hopefully, you and your hedgehog are not allergic to it.  Easy way to clean out the cage once a week.  Do not buy cedar or anything that contains aromatic oils, it may cause respiratory problems.

Newspaper shreds:      Cheap, fun to burrow in, but may not be as absorbent, and they could get caught in it.

Carefresh:      Safe material if they don’t eat it.  Some will eat it others won’t.  Could cause blockage if ingested.

**Cage liners:      My recommended route with litter training. Cheap, non-allergenic, easy to clean.  It’s like changing a cage diaper once a week.  But some hedgehogs like to sleep under it.  Provide a litter box with Good Mews (my personal favorite, very cheap) or Yesterday’s News.  Please do not provide clumping litter for your hedgehog, as it may get stuck in some more "uncomfortable" places.

**Hedgie Bags:  What is a hedgie bag?  All of my hedgehogs, except for one, sleep and burrow in their hedgie bag.  It's their hidding place and home in their cage.  These hedgie bags are especially designed for staying easily accessible for hedgehogs to snuggle in and to stay warm.  Each hedgie bag has no loose threads or unfinished edges for them to get caught in.  All these bags are made with a cotton or flannel outer layer and a polar fleece inside layer.  If you are interested in buying one, please check them out at the online store.

**Good Mews:  Recycled newspaper pellets.  Absorbant and traps in odor.  Can be used with litter box or as the primary bedding.  Please DO NOT use Yesterday's News! Dangerous Objects Found In Yesterday's News Litter

Water bottle:  Water stays clean and readily available if they know how.  Some hedgehogs have chip their teeth trying to drink out of it.  One of mine can’t get enough water out of it at a time.

**Water dish:  Easy to get to if they know how to drink out of a dish.  They stay hydrated easier.  Water may get dirty, hedgehog may tip it over, babies could drown in it.  I use a water feeder actually.  It has an 8 oz bottle attached upside down that has a filter and goes into a shallow dish (made by Lixit).


Food dish:  Should be about 3 to 6 inches and heavy so the hedgehog can’t tip it over.  Small ceramic crocks are good.

Food:
        Hedgehogs are insectivores.  That means they naturally eat insects.  Insects consist of mostly protein and fat.  However, since your hedgehog is not in the wild, it is probably not a good idea to feed them a lot of fat.  The only time I feed my hedgehogs insects are for a treat for snack.  I feed them mealworms and freeze dried crickets that have been fortified with calcium.  I only give them a couple a day.  You hedgehog can eat fruit and vegetables too!  It's not a good idea to give them nuts and raisins because it may be difficult for them to digest.  The majority of there diet should consist of high quality cat food (low in fat, high in protein, about 15% fiber) and plenty of water.  We provide a sample of our food mix and recommend that you mix it 50/50 with your new food for the first week, then 25/75 with your food for the rest of the time until it’s gone.  This helps hedgie adjust to the new foods.  Our mix is Purina ONE: Advanced Weight Management and Hairball Control and Purina ONE: Chicken and Rice.  An adult hedgehog will eat 1 to 3 Tbsp of food per day.
    If you would like to find out what the best hedgehog food is, please go to the following website by Pogstar.  It is an excellent resource.  If you do feed your hedgehog fresh fruits and vegetables, please be sure to not leave it with them all day, only allow a seperate dish of fruits and vegetables (and even cottage cheese!) and allow them have it for a couple hours.  We do not want them to spoil and have your hedgehog get a tummy ache .  A diet with dry cat food is good for them to get their gums and teeth exercise, but if you hedgehog looses their teeth, soft foods, may be the way you need to go.  Usually dry food is given to hedgehogs when they are weaning at about 6 to 8 weeks old.

Do not feed them Vitakraft Hedgehog Food:
    This brand of food is horrible. It has been known to cause problems to hedgehogs.  This blend of so called healthy hedgehog food is more fit for a guinea pig to hamsters then a hedgehog. It says on the box that it is a complete diet. This is far from the truth. Hedgehogs need meat and protien. This food does not provide any, if not very little. Also it has raisens that can get stuck in the roof of the mouth and cause infections. it could also choke them. This food is mostly made up of nuts and grains. Hedgehogs in the wild normally eat insects, lizards, eggs, small animals, some fruit or some veggies here and there. Almost never do they eat grains and nuts. And you should not feed them nuts.  This product out of 10 would get a 1. If you like to have an unhealthy pet, feed it to you hedgehog. If not, I would recommend a high quality cat food like Pro-Plan Weight Management and Hairball Control for a good product that won't break your wallet.  The highest recommended is in the above paragraph that is linked to a hedgehog food review website.

Something to hide in:
    This is very important because of the hedgehog's personality.  They are scared of most anything and get stressed out easily.  You want to provide them with a safe place to hide.  You could use a hedgie bag (what I use for all of mine), and plastic guinea pig or ferret igloo, or anything else you can think of creatively.  Some people like to use large PVC pipe tubing pieces or corner segments to let their hedgehogs live or play in.

Wheel:
    Most people don't realize how much energy a hedgehog actually has because they rarely see them up during the day.  Well, since they are nocturnal, they do most of their work at night.  In the wild, they cover tremendous distances.  I was convinced of this when I let one of my girls have the wheel while I was watching a movie late at night.  She ran for 3 hours straight.  When choosing a wheel, it is very important to get one that is at least 11 inches in diameter, even though they may start out little, hedgehogs still grow.  But 11 - 12 inches is the recommended size.  Next, you need to make sure that the wheel has a flat, surface, no holes or bar gaps.  They need to have a solid bottom.  This is because hedgehogs are not like mice and rats, they can get their feet and nails stuck in the little openings of the wheel.  The wheel, in my opinion, is the best way for your hedgehog to get the exercise it needs.

Ball:
    Sometimes it's nice for your hedgie to go exploring.  To make sure you know where it is and to ensure it's safety, get a clear or transparent ball it can run around in.  Depending on how determined your hedgehog is to explore will determine where it will and can go.  Only one of my hedgehogs can run on carpet because she is determined to push the ball even if it doesn't run as well as lenolium or hardwood.

Toilet Paper tube:
    Save your old toilet paper tubes because hedgehogs love looking in them and trying to crawl through.  They'll get it stuck on their heads and it's the funniest thing I've ever seen!  They'll dance with it trying to get it off, but once they get it off, they'll put it on again.  Be careful not to let them have it unsupervised. Some hedgies have been know to get seriously stuck and hurt when left with them alone.  And others may be more interested in eating them.

Any other toys:
    Cat ball with bells inside, teenie beanie babies with tags cut off, etc.  Be creative and think of things that may be safe.  Remember, they can end up eating anything.

    Since hedgehogs need at least 72 degrees Ferenheit to stay healthy, it's important to prepare yourself for winter.  Since we live in Alaska, it's extremely important to know how to keep our hedgehogs warm.  With increasing gal prices, our heating bills will be expensive and to keep the costs down, we keep our heat low.
    Probably the #1 thing that kills baby hedgehogs is hibernation.  Hedgehogs come from a warm climate and need heat.  If your house is under about 72 degrees, it is part of the cage can be a lifesaver.  DO NOT use a reptile rock as they can develop hot spots that can burn an animal and do not raise the ambient temperature.  You will know your hedgie is trying to hibernate if s/he seems cranky and won’t put the quills down or won’t come out of a ball, is cool to the touch, isn’t eating/drinking or showing unusual signs of activity, or may seem wobbly if walking around.  I stick hedgie under my shirt to warm up.  If no change within half and hour of providing heat source, call the vet as that rules out hibernation.

    Which method of general heating should I use?

• Space Heater:  I have a space heater in my room, it's a Holmes 1 Touch Fan Heater with a built in thermastat.  Since my room is small, I keep the space heater set at 70 or 75 degrees and it kicks on automatically when the temperture drops in the room.  My room is the warmest room in the house.  The rest of the house is about 65 degrees.  Make sure you place the space heater near the floor, especially if you hedgehog is near the floor.  Heat rises and we want to make sure the hedgehogs are warm.  It's usually cooler near the floor and so your hedgehog could be colder than 70 degrees.  If you only have 1 hedgehog, place the space heater near the hedgehog, but not directly blowing on the cage.  You need to make sure that it doesn't get too hot.

• Heating Lamp:  Some people prefer the red or nonlight admitting heating bulbs.  These are usually used for reptiles.  Make sure that you place the bulb only in one area of the cage, so the hedgehog can move if it gets too warm.  And you need to make sure that the bulb doesn't get hotter than about 80 degrees because they are usually very warm for reptiles.  If it has a light, your hedgehog most likely won't like it and will stay in hiding most of the time because it's always daylight to them.  Make sure you follow general safety precautions with the product.  We don't want any electrical or any fire at all.

• Electric Heating Pad:  I actually have ordered enough for each of my hedgehogs.  These are great if you have a very low temperature one and it has no auto shut-off.  Most new ones have auto shut-offs.  So check the package to make sure.  Again, place it in only one section of the cage, whether half or a corner.  I know most heating pads are large, you'll have to fold it or have part of it sticking out.  Do not put it directly in the cage.  You'll want to put it under the cage and maybe put a towel or two between the pad and cage.  Again, we don't want it too warm for the hedgehogs that they get burnt.  And again, follow the safety precautions with the package.

    Emergency Heating Options - you always want a back up plan in case the power or heat goes out.  Living in Alaska            is hard because sometimes it snows, and depending where you live, you may loose power for weeks.

• Reuseable Handwarmer:  These pads are about the size of a large hand and they get very hot.  They have a gel inside them and a disc that you snap.  Once you snap these, they will cause a chemical reacation and crystalize the gel and get very warm.  These are sometimes found in camping or outdoor stores.  About $10.  You need to make sure that you wrap it with a towel or polar fleece because they get very hot.  They last at least an hour.  Also, you hedgehog might want to chew on it.  I would diffinetly only use this under supervision or put it in a thick bag that they can't get to.  However, I use them and they were made from non-toxic and safe materials.  Even the inside heating gel is non-toxic.  Check it out on my online store section.
  

• Hand and Feet Warmers One-time Use:  These are also chemical based, but only last for a short while and don't get as hot as the above.  Usually, you find these in ski shops.  I would diffinetly only use this under supervision or put it in a thick bag that they can't get to.  You don't want your hedgehog to get sick from eating it.

• Snuggle Safe Disks:  There are “snuggle safe disks” that can be microwaved and placed in the cage as a heat source that are really nice too.
  

Lighting - You hedgehog still needs about 12 hours of light even though they are nocturnal.  The lack of light causes them to hibernate because they think it's winter, but they are not designed to be outside of Africa in a house somewhere to hibernate.  Any regular room light or sunlight is fine.  I would not suggest every having a black light or a red light in the room.  They may cause your hedgehog to be ill.

Bath Time:    Oh, you can give him a bath as often as you want.  But I just give mine a bath whenever they get dirty.  I usually just let them walk in shallow water if they have poopy feet, so it's a "half" bath.  Some of my hedgehogs get baths maybe once a month because they usually stay clean unless they have annointed themselves a lot or have poop on.
    When giving your hedgie a bath, it can be as often as you like or it likes.  Some hedgehogs love baths, and others are trying to climb out the whole time.  I recommend giving your hedgie a bath in the sink in shallow warm water, never hot.  It should be about 1-2 inches in depth, just below hedgie's chin.  You don't want it to drown.  Suprisingly, hedgehogs can't raise their quills well when their quills are wet.  So if you have a moody hedgehog, it's can't really hurt you in the bath.  If it's never been in a bath, it might try to ball up, but quickly realize that it can't because it gets water in it's nose.  I do not recommend using any soap for hedgie.  I only use the water that it's in to bath it.

Here's what you'll need:

• towel
• toothbrush
• Aveeno Oatmeal Bath(optional for dry skin treatment) available in single packets under Online Store
  

Nail Trimming:   
You will need:

• Cat nail trimmer
• cornstarch in case of bleeding if you cut too deep
  

    I recommend giving your hedgie a bath in the sink in shallow warm water.  Let hedgie walk around.  Gently grab a hold of one of hedgie's feet inbetween your fingers and clip the nails with the other hand while it is in the bath.  Be careful and gentle because they pop their ankles easily because they pull hard.  Don't let those fragile legs get hurt. It takes a while to clip their nails, but with practice, fast reflexes, and excellent timing, you'll get a hang of it.  Sometimes, when you first get them out of their bath and they trying to escape, you can quickly get in there and clip a nail or two.  But be careful not to cut too low.  I usually leave a little white left on their nails.  Or even when your drying them off with a towel and they're hiding in the towel with one leg sticking out, they don't notice.  It's kind of like a game, different for each hedgie.  The front ones are the most difficult, but those are rarely cut because they usually don't get that long.  Maybe once a month.
    It's normal for your hedgie to smell the clippers and ball up.  It might not want it's nails clipped.  So you got to work with your hedgehog and find out what works for it.  If you hedgehog gets cut and starts to bleed, you need to be careful.  The are small and can lose a lot of blood.  So if that happens, dip it's foot in a little cornstarch.  It helps coagulate it.  Don't brush the cornstarch off or clean it off, it will come off in time.  If you do, it might start the bleeding process again. Good luck!

    Here's an idea for you to have some quiet time with your hedgehog. Not only will it be nice and relaxing and you and your friend, but you will also be creating an excellent environment for bonding with your hedgehog. Taking some time to sit back and have tea with you hedgehog. I know this may seem crazy idea, but it works, especially for those really huffy hedgehogs. Make a pot of tea and even take out a book if you please. Put her hedgehog on your lap. If you have an active hedgehog, you might want to sit in a couch so it has room to move. By having tea with your hedgehog, you will not only be spending quality time with your hedgehog, but you will also be improving your own quality of life by enabling yourselve to relax and drink a healthy calorie free beverage.  Spend every other day taking about 30 minutes and you will see a huge improvement in your hedgehog as well as your own personal life.

To buy some excellent quality tea go to www.sippingstreams.com. 1 teaspooon of tea makes 1 cup. You can resteep the leave over up to 4 times. And 1 oz of loose leaf tea brews up to 40 cups.

I have been reading about Frebreeze and it's affects on animals.  It's just a word of caution.  With all products, please use as directed and do your own indepth research.  Here is what one person wrote on the Hedgehog Welfare Society forum:

"Please don't use Febreeze around any animals at all. My friend has 2
little kids that got their hands on the Febreeze and they sprayed it
on the dog. The Febreeze ate through the dogs eyelid and there was
major surgery to fix it. Another lady I work with was using Febreeze
on her dog's bed to make it smell better. The dog would rub his face
on the bed at night and he ended up going blind. He wasn't an old dog
either, so the vet figured it was probably the Febreeze."

Here is a letter from Febreeze:

"Thanks for your message about the safety of Febreze.

"With all the rumors on the net, we understand your concern and appreciate the
opportunity to reassure you of Febreze's safety.

"The information circulating through the pet community is simply not true. Used as
directed, Febreze is safe around your pets and on fabrics with which your dogs
or cats come into contact. Staff veterinarians, scientists, doctors and safety experts
reviewed the safety data of each ingredient in Febreze as well as the finished formula.

"The nation's leading authority on pet safety, The American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has investigated these rumors and confirmed Febreze's
safety. They have publicly stated, "Veterinary toxicologists at the ASPCA National
Animal Poison Center are conducting an on-going investigation into claims that use of
Febreze in the home caused the death of several pets. All information reviewed to date
suggests that there is no evidence that Febreze represents any risk to pets when used
according to label instructions. Presently, the center considers the product safe to use
in households with pets. As with any cleaning product, the center recommends that
birds be removed from the room until the product application has dried and the area
has been ventilated."

"You can visit the ASPCA at http://www.napcc.aspca.org and you can get more
information on our website at http://www.febreze.com/pet.html

"We hope you'll share this information and our reassurances with other concerned
individuals. Thanks again for getting in touch with us."

Barb
USA Febreze Team

There have been many rumors concerning febreeze and its ingredient zinc chloride.  The National Animal Poison Control Center notes they have not been able to establish a link with febreeze and deliturious effects on animals. (www.napcc.aspca.org ;   800 - 548 - 2423)

Here are also some other articles:
Other Product Alerts

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This is a post that I found on a forum that recently expressed concern about litter made from Walnut Hull:

    Recently my lil girl hedgie Milty crossed the rainbow bridge.  The  vet thought it was upper respiratory, but after 3 days of anitobiotcs  she passed.  I had mentioned to the vet that she had been eating  her litter which was made from walnut hulls.  I took this out as  soon as I noticed it (the day before the vet visit).  She  continued to pass these tiny hulls in her stool (lots of them!) up  until she passed.

 My grandmother told me that if you put walnut hulls in water and a dog  drinks it it can kill them (shes 80 plus...so take that with a grain of  salt).  So I started searching.  The only thing I could find  was this clip from a website
http://www.parrotparrot.com/birdhealth/alerts.htm - theres a link on  the left for alerts and toxins. It states:

     Bedding and Cage Litter
 Do not use walnut shell litter  or corn cob litter for the bottom of your birds' cages. If they ingest these  materials they can die. There have been reports of sudden deaths among macaws,  amazons, and other parrots, including a baby senegal. In the case of the baby senegal, the  owner thought the parents could not reach the bedding through the grating on  the bottom of the cage.  They must have been able to reach it and fed the  walnut shells to the baby. In documented cases, necropsy showed bleeding in the  bowel and accumulation of the bedding in the gizzard. Also, do not use cedar  bedding. It is hazardous to birds. Pine bedding shows the fewest problems, but  make absolutely sure your bird is not eating it.  Carefresh supposedly is  okay if ingested, but has to be changed regularly even if it appears dry as it  can harbor bacteria.
   I pass this on in search of answers, but feel the walnut hulls  definitely played a role in her passing.  Most importantly, please  use this as a CAUTION and avoid walnut hull litter...there are just too  many other options out there to take a chance!

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Tea Tree oil is TOXIC to animals and there's been another hedgehog death due to Tea Tree oil. So make sure your hedgehog and other small animal products don't contain tea tree oil.

A lady's husband was diagnosed with ringworm and the vet suspected the quill loss and bald patches on the hedgehogs were also ringworm. The vet prescribed an anti-fungal.

On the advice of numerous internet websites who suggested Tea Tree Oil as a natural cure for mites and ringworm, she decided to use tea tree oil on the girls.

The next morning the smallest girl was lethargic and unresponsive. They rushed her to the vet who said it was toxic reaction to the tea tree oil and to push fluids but otherwise there wasn't much that could be done.

The little girl willingly took water and some baby food but died overnight.

Hedgehog Wobbly Syndrome is a terrible neurological disease. There is not much know about it, but it comes quickly and takes your hedgehog quickly.
The hedgehog starts to wobble a little and has a hard time moving and eating. And it slowly starves and quickly passes away. There is not a lot of know reasons why hedgehog wobbly syndrome happens. But it seems like it's more hereditary than contagious.

Here is a video of what it looks like.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=A9775BB6D46E7F43