by Brenda Nelson

Created on: November 14, 2009

If you have been considering getting a pet hedgehog it is important that you can provide the best care for your pet, that means getting the right supplies. The following is a list on proper hedgehog supplies, many of which you can, and should, acquire before getting your pet.

-Food

Hedgehogs really should only have hedgehog food. Failing that a good quality kitten food will be alright. The problem here being that most consumers cannot distinguish good kitten food from bad. As a general rule the better foods are not sold in grocery or department stores, nor do they have commercials for their food. The food should not contain corn in any if the first places on the ingredient list, the first one should always be a meat source, such as chicken meal, and there should not be by-products of any kind in the food. Often better foods are sold in specialty pet supply stores, at pet groomers, and livestock feed stores.

-Treats

In the wild hedgehogs feast on insects, eggs, and similar. As pets they enjoy these as daily treats. You can purchase live, or dead, crickets and mealworms. On the whole dead crickets are preferred, as live ones can escape most hedgehog cages. Dead or alive meal worms are fine. Never feed too many live insects, two or three a day is plenty.

-Caging

Although many people keep hedgehogs in glass tanks, empty aquariums, this is not the ideal. These enclosures offer poor air circulation, and are often smaller than a hedgehog should have for a living space. Rather it is better to invest in a large guinea pig or rabbit cage, one that is at least 30 inches long and 18 inches wide.

-Exercise Equipment

Your hedgehog would normally travel a few miles every night if it were living wild. Since your small cage does not offer that much room you must provide ways for it to meet its natural needs for exercise. One way is by providing a large wheel in its cage. Pick one that has a solid running surface so their feet cannot be caught. Try to find a wheel that is silent because your pet will be running most of the night and a noisy wheel may keep you awake.

Additionally a hedgehog will love the chance to roll around in a exercise ball. Select one that is large, as for ferrets, and plan on putting your hedgehog in it for 1-2 hours every evening before bed.

-Food and Water

Most hedgehogs drink from bowls although a few will use water bottles if taught early enough. You will want to make sure the bowls for food and water are solid and will not tip. Ceramic bowls are better than plastic as plastic can harbor bacteria.

-Bedding

Never use cedar shavings, aspen is best, but pine will do. Some people find the shavings get stuck on their animals spikes so prefer using sand even a special cage liner which can be removed and washed.

-Litter Box and Litter

Most hedgehogs can be litter trained. Use non-scented clumping cat litter for best results. Put the litter box in a corner and try to put some feces in there too. Put water in one corner of the cage, food the other two and hopefully your pet will pick up on using the litter box regularly after only a week or two.

-Toys

You may buy other structures, such as wooden bridges for your pets cage, they may enjoy small dog toys, especially rope toys, but usually spend their time rooting around their cage.

-Minerals and Salt

These are usually unnecessary as a good food would contain all the correct nutrients for your animal.

-Other

The only other things you may want are gloves to handle your hedgehog until you are use to holding it, a book on care, and a camera for picture taking!

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