During the summer seasons, your hedgehog can really benefit from being outside to play. What is this? Hedgehogs are curious creatures so exploring a new environment can be really stimulating and fun. Your hedgehog also needs daily exercise to ensure that he stays fit and healthy.
It must get enough exercise in order to stay healthy and avoid obesity. Playing with your hedgehog and letting it explore out of the cage is an excellent idea for exercise, as well as allowing it to run on its wheel as long as it wants. These are most hedgehogs' favorites toy and do a great job of keeping them active.
We recommend saving it only for supervised playtime. For the best outcome for you and your hedgehog, it is best if free roaming is limited to one room in your home that you can devote to your hedgehog. Free roaming provides highly ample space for your hedgehog to explore and run for exercise.
Though hedgehogs are mainly nocturnal there are times when they can come out during daylight hours. Pregnant females building nests can sometimes be seen during the daytime bustling about with mouthfuls of leave. And nursing mothers may take a break from the nest during the day to go and look for food and water.
Since hedgehogs are solitary animals, they will not get depressed or angry if you do not have loads of time to spend with them. It is important, however, to get your hedgehog out every day to be sure he is not ill or injured.
Hedgehogs may be compact pets, but they still require exercise, a nutritious diet, and regular veterinary care. Not only that, hedgehogs come with a host of requirements that will need to be met in order to keep them happy including a large enclosure with plenty of toys and an exercise wheel so they don't become bored.
Hedgehogs are great for people who have the time to handle their pet daily to socialize it. They do well when housed alone and do not need to be kept with other hedgehogs, but they should be allowed out of their cages at least once a day for exercise and social interaction.
Hedgehogs are mostly awake in the early morning and evening. When awake, they are very active and it's fun to watch them dig, go through tubes, push toys around and run on their exercise wheel. They should get at least an hour every evening out of their cage to explore.
Generally, any hedgehog out during the day is probably in trouble and will need to be picked up and taken to a wildlife rescue centre. You can pick them up using gardening gloves and put them into a cardboard box, although they are good climbers, so you would need to ensure it cannot escape.
You can do this in April, after their hibernation but before hedgehogs start producing hoglets. However, the ideal time is in October before they go into hibernation, and after most of the litter have been weaned.
Hedgehogs can be a fun and low-maintenance pet for your household, but they do need some special care. They have sharp quills that can make handling difficult. Consistent and proper daily handling will help them relax and feel comfortable with you.
During the summer seasons, your hedgehog can really benefit from being outside to play. What is this? Hedgehogs are curious creatures so exploring a new environment can be really stimulating and fun. Your hedgehog also needs daily exercise to ensure that he stays fit and healthy.
Please don't leave them home alone for more than a day
While hedgehogs are content in solitude, they do need to be fed and checked in daily. If you travel a lot or are out of the house often, you should ensure that you have a family member, friend, or neighbor willing to check them daily.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal, meaning they sleep during the day and are active at night. They also make sure to hide themselves away in their nest when they're resting, to avoid disturbance and predation. For these reasons, sleeping and resting aren't behaviours we're likely to see a lot in the garden!
Every hedgehog has a unique personality, but most aren't interested in human affection. Caretakers note that it takes a lot of time and effort to get a hedgehog to tolerate being held. Like porcupines, hedgehogs have sharp, prickly quills that they use to fend off predators.
Like many pocket pets, hedgehogs love to explore mazes and tunnels. This will keep Hedgie active, and offer him mental stimulation. You can buy labyrinths, or make your own out of shoeboxes or PVC pipe. To make your pet's explorations even more fun for him, hide a snack at the end of the tunnel.
Keller says, “With appropriate care and keeping, your hedgehog will live about five years, and some even live longer than eight years.” If you have any questions about hedgehogs, contact your local veterinarian.
Hedgehogs love to play in mazes. You can make your own out of PVC pipe. Make sure to get a size that is large enough for your hedgehog to turn around in, so your little pet doesn't get stuck. You can make the tunnels extra fun by hiding treats in them.
Hedgehogs sleep and hibernate in a specially made nest, if you find them 'sleeping' anywhere else it's likely that they are ill and are in need of help.
Hedgehogs require a moderate amount of maintenance, primarily in keeping their environment clean. But their feeding is fairly straightforward, and they don't require a lot of attention.
Acceptable bedding materials include shredded paper, newspaper, recycled pelleted/absorbable material, and wood shavings, such as aspen or untreated pine. Avoid corncob bedding as it tends to grow mold when wet.
Long-term elevated stress levels, as in humans, can have serious physiological consequences for hedgehogs. The higher level of stress shows that being handled and placed in captivity can cause long-term stress in the animals. This highlights the importance of periods of captivity being as short as possible.
Fill it with lots of hedgehog-safe food and water at sunset, ideally using a hedgehog food bowl and a hedgehog water bowl. Only put out small amounts of food as this is to supplement their diet. Clear away any uneaten food in the morning and refill the dishes each evening so the food and water is always fresh.
A hedgehog's go-to vocal is huffing and puffing, but he's not trying to blow the house down. This sniffing is a normal vocalization he makes while going about his business of exploring. An unhappy hedgehog, on the other hand, will show his disdain with a hiss or a clicking sound.