A Place for Hedgies, Hoggies, and all manner of Spikey things

Here’s the breakdown. There are many different species of wild hedgehogs, like the common European hedgehog, see below (from wiki):  

The domesticated hedgehog, the ones most commonly sold as pets, are African Pygmy Hedgehogs which are sometimes also called Four-toed Hedgehogs, see below (also from wiki).  

These guys are actually pretty different from their larger cousins and wild counterparts, mostly due to breeding and the environment from which they first came from. We’ll be getting more into that in other posts.

 Isn’t it illegal to keep hedgehogs as pets?

Now, this one’s a bit of a tough one to explain. The answer is both ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. For those of us who live in the USA, hedgehogs may or may not be legal in your state to keep as a pet. Sometimes, specific cities or towns have their own rules regarding hedgehog ownership. For example, it is illegal to have a domesticated hedgehog as a pet in NYC, but it is perfectly legal in the rest of the state. 

By general rule of thumb, most species, aside from the African Pygmy Hedgehog, are illegal to keep. Always double check to make sure you know the law where you live.

For those of us elsewhere in the world, same rules apply. I had a friend who moved to England who was so upset to hear that you couldn’t keep hedgehogs as pets there, at least until she realized that this rule pertained only to keeping their native species as pets. Domesticated hedgehogs are, generally, also perfectly legal there.

Remember, if you’re not sure, always check first.

Where do you even get hedgehogs?

This answer has actually changed for me over the years. It used to be far more uncommon to see them, even in exotic pet stores. Now, I see them all the time. 

However, I will stand by the claim that getting a hedgehog from a reputable breeder is always the best decision.

Hedgehogs can have genetic disorders that come from inbreeding. Exotic stores and other places don’t usually care too much about where the animal came from, or what conditions it was living in, only that it sells. It’s, unfortunately, a similar scenario to what you find with dog breeds and puppy mills.

Finding the right breeder might be a bit hard, but usually worth it in the end.

What is a hedgehog anyways? Aren’t they rodents?

Despite some similar features, similar stature, and the offhand remarks from a evil scientist with a very long mustache, hedgehogs are not actually rodents. Nor are they related to the porcupine, who is a rodent. Also, echidnas are also very much their own thing, and are more closely related to the platypus than they are to hedgehogs. So, no, Sonic and Knuckles are not related.

Hedgehogs actually belong to the Erinaceidea family, part of the order Eulipotyphla which includes creature like moles and shrews.

As such, they are actually very different from taking care of a guinea pig or hamster.

What do hedgehogs eat?

A good question I get all time is about diet. I’ll go into specifics in a different post but, in short, hedgehogs eat meat. They are mostly insectivores, but are opportunistic to other options. They don’t really eat all that much vegetation, and there are a lot of foods they simply cannot have.

Don’t hedgehogs hibernate?

Another good question I get is this one. Some wild hedgehogs hibernate. This is to help slow down their metabolism and allow them to get through harsh winters. Like other animals that hibernate, these hedgehog will go out of their way to make sure they fatten up from their winter sleep.

Domesticated hedgehogs do not hibernate, or should not. They do not behave like their wild cousins and will not survive hibernation. These are temperature sensitive creatures, and cannot be allowed to get too cold. This is really important and will be, again, covered in it’s own post.

What do you need to take care of a hedgehog?

To start, all animals require love, attention, and affection. You need to have the time to take care of your pet, before you even consider having one.

That said, there’s quite a bit to cover with care requirements, versus my personal preferences. I already briefly talked about food, but I’ll just say that cat food has always worked well with me, though I also have a supplement hedgehog mix and bugs for them as well. Stay tuned for more details to come.

In brief, hedgehogs need enough space to run around and dig. They are diggers and will hid under whatever bedding you decide to put down for them. 

They’re not really messy, per say. In fact, a lot of my experience has been of hedgehogs who were very neat and had a place for everything. However, this is just a personality quirk, and every one will have it’s own preference. Always keep the cage clean, they’ll thank you for it.

Hedgehogs should have a variety of toys to play with, especially while you are away or asleep. Everyone’s seen the hedgehog with a toilet roll on its head but, not only do they destroy them right away, only the babies can really play with them. Bigger hedgehogs will just get stuck. Hamster toys are way too small for them, even the babies, so I always stick to toys specifically meant for them or cat toys. They love their little stuffed animals.

There’s a lot more to say on this subject, which is one of the reasons I started this blog.

Are hedgehogs nocturnal?   

Yes! They are nocturnal, but, depending on how you interact with your little one, you can dictate when they get up and play. Naturally, they’ll want to sleep for most of the day and will hide in a nice shaded spot or under the bedding. If you make a daily routine of picking them up and playing with them during the daytime, however, they’ll quickly adapt to what you want. So, don’t worry about not being able to play with them when you want. They’re actually very accommodating, once they figure out your schedule.

Are hedgehogs spiky? And how do you play with them if they are?

They are spiky, but not the way you might think. A lot of people, and I do mean a lot, have worried about petting my hedgehogs because they didn’t want spikes in their hands, like porcupines are known to do.

Technically, hedgehog have spines, while porcupines have quills.

Unlike porcupines, hedgehog spines are not barbed. They do not easily come out, and are not meant to. If a hedgehog loses a large number of spines, then it is likely very ill. Babies will lose baby quills to replace with adult ones, but that’s about it.

So, when you pet a hedgehog, the spines will remain on the hedgehog. As for how spiky and what it feels like, that’s matter of opinion.

Personally, I liken them to a pine tree. You never notice how spiky it is so long as you pet in the right direction, and the hedgehog is not upset. When they get upset, the bristle their spines as a way to ward off predators. I pet my little ones all the time without any special protection or gloves, and I think it’s better that way. I know some who recommend soft gloves, and I have some for family members who are concerned, but I have never needed them.

Do they collect rings and fight off Eggmen?

I will neither confirm, nor deny this. The only thing I can speak for is that, at the very least, none of my hedgehogs have ever been blue.

(However, they have all been named after spiky characters from a particular gaming series so...)