You’ve Read What You Need To House A Hedgehog, But What Else Should You Know? (Here are the most essential hedgehog basics!)
Bringing home your new hedgehog is very exciting! It can also be somewhat nerve-wracking if you aren’t sure what to expect. So here is some info to help everyone get comfortable when your hedgehog comes home!
Scent!
Hedgehogs cannot see well, and rely tremendously on their sense of smell. A great way for your hedgehog to get familiar with you, is to sleep in a t-shirt, or maybe even with a snuggle bag, so it has your smell all over it, and place it in their cage. This helps them learn who you are and eventually realize that you are not a threat to them.
Handling!
Handle your hedgehog daily. Bonding time with your hedgehog is very important, especially when they first come home. Even on days that you don’t have a lot of time, 10-15 minutes is better than nothing! The more time you spend with them, the better! Speak calmly to them and hold them in your lap or close to your chest so that they feel secure. If you aren’t sure how to pick them up, I advise using two hands, palms up, one on each side of your hedgehog, and scooping them up from underneath. If it makes you feel better to use a barrier like oven mitts at first, do it! However, the sooner you can pick them up without them, the better, because they will become more used to you and your scent. You will get used to and learn their behavior, just as they will learn yours.
Odd Noises!
If your hedgehog is curled up in a ball making noises, (like hissing, huffing, puffing, popping) and/or jumping when they do so, they are probably scared, and they are trying to defend themselves. Hedgehogs are prey animals, and this (along with their quills) is their only line of defense. It does not mean that they are actually mean/angry/grumpy. It’s their way of saying, “Leave me alone!” However, if you want your hedgehog to get used to you, you shouldn’t necessarily leave them alone. If you don’t let them scare you off, and speak to them/pick them up gently, spend some quiet time with them, watch tv with them, hold them in their snuggle bag, offer them treats, eventually (hopefully) they will learn you can be trusted. (Which is the most awesome feeling!)
Quilling!
Baby hedgehogs will go through phases called “quilling”. This means they will shed some baby quills and new quills will be coming in. Sometimes, this does make them a bit grumpy and uncomfortable, which is normal. They may not eat as much. This usually happens when they are 6-8 weeks old, when they’re 3-4 months old, and even possibly between 6 months and a year old. It is very similar to human babies teething. You can still handle them, just be gentle. Try to avoid “petting” them and instead, just let them explore. If you peek through their quills, you’ll see the new quills coming through their skin. Some babies even change colors during this process. I have noticed that quilling seems to be the roughest on lighter colored babies. The good news is that eventually, it does pass. Sometimes you may not even notice any difference in their behavior at all, but if you do, this could be a major factor.
Poop!
Hedgehogs, especially babies, can poop a lot. A LOT. It is a good idea to have paper towels or baby wipes (not bleach wipes!) around while handling, in case you happen to get christened by your hedgehog. They also tend to poop while they run in their wheel. You will want to wipe down their wheel daily with baby wipes, so that it does not dry up and cake on. I personally wash wheels out with Dawn Powerwash, because if any of it is hard to remove, it does a great job. They will also poop any and everywhere in their cage, so make sure to clean their food bowls frequently, and change/clean their entire cage out weekly.
Self-Anointing!
Hedgehogs are quirky pets and have quirky behaviors. One of those is called SELF-ANOINTING. If your hedgehog smells or tastes something new or different to them, they may react by producing frothy saliva, twisting their bodies into strange positions, and smearing it all over their quills. Scientists don’t really know why they do it, but some theories are scent masking to hide from predators, and/or sensory exploration. They do not have rabies, and they are not having a seizure. As abnormal as it looks, it is totally normal hedgehog behavior that can be very amusing to watch!
(Watch a quick video of it here!)
WASH YOUR HANDS!!
Hedgehogs are not typically prone to biting. If they do, it could be that you smell interesting. It is always wise to wash your hands both before and after handling your hedgehog. If you just ate barbecue and didn’t wash your hands afterward, your hedgehog is probably going to smell that barbecue sauce, and may decide to see if it is you that smells so delicious! Fragrance-free soap is your best go-to. It is especially important to wash your hands after handling them, because hedgehogs, as mentioned above, can poop a lot. They can carry Salmonella in their poop, even if they look healthy and clean, which can spread to their bodies and enclosure. You can get sick from touching them and then touching your mouth or face and swallowing those germs, so handwashing after handling them is essential. Also, as tempting as it is, do not kiss your hedgehog’s face. This is also why it is important to keep their enclosures and wheels clean! This is not limited to hedgehogs, either, by the way- reptiles, amphibians, chickens, rodents, farm animals, dogs, and cats can also carry it, so handwashing is always important!
Bathing!
That said, I don’t advise bathing your hedgehog TOO often because they have very dry skin. Once a month, probably at most, but you can give them a little foot bath as often as needed, in about an inch of water, if they have “poop boots”. For bathing, I use either Dawn, or Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Body Wash & Shampoo with Oat Extract. I put a couple of inches of warm water (not HOT though) in the sink, gently run them under the water and set them in the sink, as I put the soap on a toothbrush (that no one uses!) and in my hands. I lather up my hands and clean their underbelly, and use the toothbrush for their quills, gently scrubbing them. AVOID getting soap/water in their eyes! You can then rinse them off, wrap them up in a towel, and I use the hair dryer on “warm” at a distance of at least 6-8 inches (so not right on them) to blow dry their fur and quills before returning them to their cage. Also, pro tip: bath time is the best time to trim nails! You will also notice they tend to chill out a lot during baths, so it's an easy way to bond and handle them.
Dry Skin!
Hedgehogs tend to get even drier skin in the winter when everyone has their heaters on! (Yes they need to be warm, but it still dries them out!) A humidifier is a great way to help their skin during winter months! IF your hedgehog has dry, flaky skin, and flakes on their face, are scratching a lot, and quills are falling out (beyond normal quilling) your hedgehog could have mites. Hedgehog mites are basically invisible and you usually won’t see them moving around. This will require a vet visit, where they will perform a skin scrape to diagnose it, but it is typically an easy fix. They can pick them up from contaminated bedding, food, etc. This is a good reason to get your hedgehog out every day, so you can be sure none of the above is happening before it gets out of control. If it goes untreated, it can be fatal.
In Conclusion!
I tried to keep this short, but these are the most essential things to know about caring for your new hedgehog! As always, if you have any other questions, you are always welcome to reach out for more information!