# care sheet for hedgehogs so far,



## quilson_mc_spike (Dec 27, 2008)

well i have been doing this for about an hour a few months ago and just found it!!, please correct anything that is wrong . not that i think anything in it is incorrect and anything people would like me to add i havent finished it this is merely the start and is only for people who might want help, 

*African pygmy hedgehog care….*​​Hedgehogs are not a pet for all kinds of people, hedgehogs are one of the pets I have owned and the most enjoyable species I have owned. Yes they are harder to care for than the simple domestic rat…but this should not put you off you should do as much research as possible I cannot stress that enough….

African pygmy hedgehogs are an exotic pet not to be poked and prodded at; they need serious handling daily to keep them nice and social if you do decide to buy a hoglet from me I will be sending you a questionnaire to make sure your life-style is suitable for hedgehogs. They are convenient for people who work during the day as they are nocturnal pets. They do enjoy to come out during the day but I would suggest you wake them gently and let them do there ‘business’ because if now it may end up on you!!

*Caging*​​Caging is an important factor as they have to have a suitable sized cage I will be offering you to buy a cage and all the things you need on top of the price of your hoglet. I would suggest wood *shavings *as a substrate no sawdust this will cause respiration difficulties in your hoglet its is also a no, no to use treated wood shavings as these WILL harm your hog… a wheel is a necessity for hogs as in the wild they can wonder as far as 8 miles in the search of food they are also prone to obesity so regular weigh in dates are needed… 

*Accessories *​​Water bowls will need to be deep and they will also need to be ceramic I would also suggest a shallow food bowl (do not worry about any spilt food as they will like to forage for it anyway…) toys like balls with cat bells and something as simple as a toilet roll tube cut length ways (to prevent heads getting stuck)


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

you need to add about foods they can eat............exercise.........and the biggy NO tea tree around them at all its deadly to them


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## quilson_mc_spike (Dec 27, 2008)

Emmaj said:


> you need to add about foods they can eat............exercise.........and the biggy NO tea tree around them at all its deadly to them


yeah i have only started so i will be adding things like food requirments and handling etc, also a guide to what to do when your hoggy is home, and other simple subjects, do you think more detail is needed for the above subjects? x


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## Gina. (Sep 9, 2009)

quilson_mc_spike said:


> yeah i have only started so i will be adding things like food requirments and handling etc, also a guide to what to do when your hoggy is home, and other simple subjects, do you think more detail is needed for the above subjects? x


Maybe just a few other little things like, the size of the wheel (i can imagine someone getting a hamster wheel or something!), and other substrates that can be used, and obviously good/bad foods when you add more


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## hermit crab kid (Jul 5, 2009)

*size of habitat*

What are suitable things that I can use to house a hoglet till its adult?
What size?

Thanks,

HCK


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## quilson_mc_spike (Dec 27, 2008)

hermit crab kid said:


> What are suitable things that I can use to house a hoglet till its adult?
> What size?
> 
> Thanks,
> ...


is this as a bed or for a cage? caging i reccomend zoozones but there are plenty of choice of beds, there are pouches, wooden huts from ebay, i use the chinchilla wooden beds, also i have needed beds in emergancies and used shoe boxes, people have made their own, pigloo's used for guinea pigs sold in [email protected] there really are loads of choices, as for wheels i reccomend 11 inches as this is big enough i use LARGE flying sourcers from ebay they are about £10 and they are great as the hedgehogs spines cannot be backing up onto each other like this /\/\/\/\/\/\ instead of like this / / / / / / / / , Mr Mc Spike


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

hermit crab kid said:


> What are suitable things that I can use to house a hoglet till its adult?
> What size?
> 
> Thanks,
> ...


smallest i would use for a hoglet is 2ft but still you would be better off buying the 3-4ft cage which will last them all their lives 

people use zoozones, indoor rabbit cages, rabbit hutches and viv's too 

its down to what you preffer really


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## quilson_mc_spike (Dec 27, 2008)

Emmaj said:


> smallest i would use for a hoglet is 2ft but still you would be better off buying the 3-4ft cage which will last them all their lives
> 
> people use zoozones, indoor rabbit cages, rabbit hutches and viv's too
> 
> its down to what you preffer really


if vivs are to be used it is ideal to buy fly screen mesh from ebay to add extra ventalation (sp?) or add a few extra vents, but i will find the several threads with pics of peoples viv's and indoor cages, xx


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## Michala (Aug 15, 2009)

This is really useful information, I am looking to get a hedgehog on Saturday as a birthday pressie. Is there anything I should look out for when purchasing?


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

where are you getting your hedgie from ?

if a decent breeder then you should have no problems with babies as most are very well handled and fed on a good diet 

if from a shop then make sure the hedgie has a good weight and dosnt look skinny, make sure there are no wounds on the hedgie 

also take note of what they are kept on and housed in too they should be housed in houses with good ventilation and lots of space to roam around in


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## Michala (Aug 15, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> where are you getting your hedgie from ?
> 
> if a decent breeder then you should have no problems with babies as most are very well handled and fed on a good diet
> 
> ...


I would be getting him from a local reptile shop, they currently have 2 housed together with wood chippings and a large wheel, I handled them both today, one was slightly smaller but the bigger one was quite shy, was making funny noises when I picked him up. They were being fed dry light cat food. They think they are about 5 months old. Does this sound good or bad?


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## Reptileaddict (Jul 30, 2009)

bad!! do you know if they are male or female together? pet shops are notorious for mixing sexes and people are coming away with pregnant hogs but pregnant hogs that may be interbred or are too young - please buy from a good breeder rather than a pet shop - pet shops are notorious for using bad suppliers of these little creatures- the wood chippings arent ideal neither and neither is the ones huffy behaviour!!

try looking on here for more info:

Pygmy Hogs UK - African Pygmy Hedgehog Forum


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Michala said:


> I would be getting him from a local reptile shop, they currently have 2 housed together with wood chippings and a large wheel, I handled them both today, one was slightly smaller but the bigger one was quite shy, was making funny noises when I picked him up. They were being fed dry light cat food. They think they are about 5 months old. Does this sound good or bad?


 
yes do you know what sexes they were that they had intogether ?

the noises are like huffles and hisses they make with plenty of handling and time you may be able to get rid of the shyness 



Reptileaddict said:


> bad!! do you know if they are male or female together? pet shops are notorious for mixing sexes and people are coming away with pregnant hogs but pregnant hogs that may be interbred or are too young - please buy from a good breeder rather than a pet shop - the wood chippings arent ideal neither and so if the ones huffy behaviour!!
> 
> try looking on here for more info:
> 
> Pygmy Hogs UK - African Pygmy Hedgehog Forum


 
i have to agree with you 





where abouts are you as there may be some good breeders close to you ?


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## Michala (Aug 15, 2009)

They are 2 males so I was told. I live in Maidstone, Kent. They said that these 2 are from local breeders because I asked if they were imported.


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## Reptileaddict (Jul 30, 2009)

lucky they arent fighting by now then read this:

Trooper the superhog

this is what happens when males are put together!!

they probably are imported unless you can find the name of the breeder - most breeders esp very ethical ones wont supply to shops so it doesnt sound good and lots of people have been caught out by this


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## Tao (Oct 16, 2009)

have to agree here. please dont buy from a pet shop. how much are they selling them for? Better to research and find out at least the basic things before rushing in and buying just for the sake of a present.


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## quilson_mc_spike (Dec 27, 2008)

this is not the idea of hogs hun, hedgehogs should come from good reputable breeders, i know people travel as far as a 5 hour round trip for their hogs for good breeding and satisfaction, i would agree with all of the above when buying a hedgehog always check for 

bright eyes
teardrop shape from a birds eye view
maybe even ask them to weigh the hog infront of you anything above 300 grams is a good weight if considerably more overweight.
ask about their registration are these hedgehogs registered with the uk's registration? if so their could be lineage so you may find the breeder. but ideally breeder baught make the best pets
ask the breeder about the parent ask to see and handle them, look at their enclosures are they suitable how clean are they? wheels are a good sign of clenliness and health, check their bedding it should be good bedding that wont cause respiritry issues.

i hope this is a help to you on your way to a lifechanging decission


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## qwerty (Aug 8, 2009)

Hedgehog Central


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## nikki_alaska (Apr 10, 2009)

i am only 20 mins away from you (gravesend) if you wish to come and meet my guys, and get to know more about them and get to know them etc before rushing in! 

Have sent a PM


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## spikeacus (Dec 19, 2008)

I am a breeder in Gravesend as well and would you let me know what shop they are from, as this concerns me.

Thanks


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## colinbradbury (Nov 16, 2008)

quilson_mc_spike said:


> well i have been doing this for about an hour a few months ago and just found it!!, please correct anything that is wrong . not that i think anything in it is incorrect and anything people would like me to add i havent finished it this is merely the start and is only for people who might want help,
> 
> 
> *African pygmy hedgehog care….*​
> ...


 
looking good so far mate , feel free to use anything you need off my site , mine needs updateing a bit but they may be a few bits and peices that will be of use to you .

cheers col


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