Hedgehogs! Do they make good pets?
Cats and dogs are the most common pets in the world, but they are not the only animals that make good pets. Although they are a lot more unusual than other animals, hedgehogs are a relatively recent addition to animals considered as pets.
The most common type of hedgehog kept as a pet originally came from African pygmy hedgehogs, and are now considered domesticated. Hedgehogs can make good pets, but they aren’t a good choice for everyone. Here are a few things you need to know before getting a hedgehog as a pet.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal
Hedgehogs prefer to sleep during the day and be active at night. They can get surprisingly loud at night, squeaking and rattling away on an exercise wheel, crunching their food, and other noises. If you plan to keep their cage in your room, you may find your sleep disrupted while your pet plays.
It’s best to plan on a location for your hedgehog’s cage that won’t disrupt your sleep or your pet’s play time.
Hedgehog’s need an appropriate diet
Hedgehog’s are insectivores, and typically eat a wide variety of different insects, as well as some plants. They need a diet designed for their needs, as well as supplements of mealworms, fruits and vegetables, and other fresh snacks.
If your hedgehog doesn’t get the appropriate diet, he could get sick or die. Luckily, there are plenty of prefabricated diets available to help make preparing a diet easier.
Hedgehogs need gentle treatment
Hedgehogs don’t like rough handling, and will respond to anything they think of as threatening by rolling into a ball. When they do this, their feet and head are hidden away inside the ball, and their spines stand out so that they are very prickly.
When the hedgehog is rolled in a ball like this, they can’t be unrolled. Only time, or perhaps gentle coaxing handling, will convince them to unroll.
If you can provide gentle handling, a quality diet, and regular veterinary care a hedgehog can be a good pet. If you’re not sure, try meeting with a breeder to interact with one and ask questions first, so you don’t end up committing to a pet you’re not able to meet the needs of.