So you’ve decided to get a hedgie! Congratulations on deciding to acquire a pet that’s not only fun and personable, but pretty low maintenance compared to other pet choices.
That being said, just because hedgehogs are lower maintenance than other pets, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be prepared to bring one home. This includes doing your research on basic hedgehog care, common hedgie ails and illnesses, common traits and personalities of a hedgehog, and of course- basic hedgehog care supplies needed to keep your hedgie happy and healthy. That last bit is probably while you’re here, so let’s get started!
Essential Care Supplies List
Cage
Your cage should be at least 4 square feet. Any bigger is great, but any smaller and your hedgie will not have enough room to get all his energies out. Also, avoid any steep ramps with drop offs on the sides because hedgehogs don’t have very good eyesight (they rely mostly on their sense of smell to get around) and they may end up falling and hurting themselves if there are any large drops in their cage.
This cage worked great as Wolfgang’s first cage, and we later switched to this one which he also loves (after we removed the ramp that comes with it). The first one is extremely roomy, but is a little hard to clean. The second is not quite as roomy but much easier to clean.
Bedding
Any recycled/absorbent materials work fine for bedding (shredded paper, pellets, aspen shavings). You can even use a fleece throw blanket or two! However, if you do decide to use a fleece blanket, be sure to also include some kind of bedding somewhere in the cage so that your hedgehog can burrow.
I personally use Kaytee Clean and Cozy, and it works great! Wolfgang loves to burrow in it, it doesn’t smell, and it’s easy to change.
Food (and Water)
Food and water are usually givens for any pet and normal tap water or filtered water is fine for any hedgie, so here we’ll focus on what type of food you should give your hedgehog.
Personally I feed my hedgehog Purina One Adult Cat Food Indoor Advantage. I chose this food simply because it’s the food that the breeder I purchased from feeds all her hedgehogs, which she’s been breeding for years. I trusted her and since I’ve had him (about two years now), Wolfgang has not gotten tired of or gotten sick from this food choice.
That being said, you should do your own research and listen to the advice of your own breeder you decide to buy from- provided that they’re reputable! Something else to consider is that when you take your hedgehog to that special exotic vet, they may try to convince you to buy their expensive food ‘made especially for hedgehogs’. Based on the research I’ve done, I found that this food that they push is not as good for hedgehogs but rather akin to a human eating only fast food for every meal, every day.
(To put some perspective on the situation, it’s not that the veterinarians are trying to push this food just to make money. Rather, they’re often just not educated in the specialty field of hedgehogs so they only know what they’ve been taught.)
Food and water bowls (or a water bottle)
You need something to put your hedgie’s food in- any small mammal (mouse or hamster size) food bowl will work. I use this one, an ergonomic ceramic bowl that’s designed for easy access and to not tip over.
When I first got Wolfgang I had bought a Kaytee clear water bottle, which worked just fine. There’s some speculation that the metal part of these water bottles where the hedgehog puts their mouth on can hurt their teeth, but others say it’s fine. It’s up to you to do your research and decide what’s best for your pet.
Later on, when I moved Wolgang to a large plastic storage bin and I could no longer attach his water bottle to the side of a cage, I ended up just buying him another dish that is the same as his food dish. At first I was paranoid that he wouldn’t know how to drink water from it since he was so used to drinking from the bottle, but he did just fine. One thing that was reassuring was when I came across a forum while researching information on if he would be okay doing this or not, I read that hedgehogs innately know how to find/drink water in that position (versus leaning up to drink from the bottle) because that’s how they do it in the wild.
Treats
Treats for hedgehogs come in many forms, such as certain fruits, veggies, and (most commonly) meal worms. I personally feed Wolfgang these and he LOVES them. I’ve seen other owners feed their hedgehogs fresh, live meal worms and they seem to love those too!
Below is a list of some fruits and veggies that are safe to feed your hedgie as a treat once in a while (Source: https://www.hedgehogworld.com/what-do-hedgehogs-eat/):
Fruits (remove any skins before feeding):
- Watermelons
- Papaya
- Pears
- Cantaloupe
- Peaches
- Plums
- Squash & Pumpkin
- Mangos
- Apples
- Bananas
- Cherries
- Honeydew
- Strawberries
- Cranberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
Veggies:
- Arugula
- Spinach
- Dandelion greens
- Asparagus
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Sweet potatoes
- Radish
- Romaine lettuce
- Turnips
- Green peppers
- Collard greens
Exercise wheel
It is imperative that your hedgehog not only have a wheel to get all of their access energy out (which they have A LOT of- they can run up to 12 miles per night!), but that their wheel is big enough for them.
I made the mistake of getting Wolfgang too small of a wheel when I first got him. I got him a standard hamster sized wheel- it was barely 7 x 7 inches. Luckily, shortly after I got him, I posted a video of him running on it on Instagram and a friendly fellow hedgehog parent informed me that that wheel was much too small for him and over time he could end up hurting his back.
That same day I ordered a Carolina Storm Bucket Wheel and never looked back. It’s plenty large for Wolfgang, easy to clean, and (virtually) completely silent. They’re reasonably priced too, so I definitely recommend!
A hide
Hedgehogs love to burrow in a small spaces, and especially love a good place to hide out in in order to feel safe. There are plenty of store bought hides to choose from- I have two for Wolfgang. This is one of them, and this alligator one– a gift from Jenn to Wolfie- is the other. Whichever kind of hide you decide to buy for your hedgehog, make sure it’s big enough that he can really burrow into it and get comfy.
Toys
There’s a wide range of options to choose from as far as toys go for hedgehogs. Cat toys, ramps, even toilet paper rolls cut down the middle, all make great choices for toys. Note that like many other pets, hedgehogs can get bored. That’s why it’s important to switch up your hedgehog’s toys every so often.
Toothbrush
No, you don’t get to brush your hedgie’s teeth with a little teeny toothbrush! But you do need to buy a cheap, human-sized toothbrush so that when you give your hedgehog baths, you can get between their quills.
Gentle baby body wash
A good body wash for a hedgehog is one that is gentle and with little to no scent. I use this one when I give Wolfgang baths.
Baby nail clippers (or regular)
For clipping your hedgehogs nails, you can use regular adult nail clippers. However, I find that it’s difficult enough to clip Wolfgang’s nails, so I opted for infant nail clippers. They have a special grip to them and have a smaller clipper designed for little nails, so when Wolfgang is thrashing about I’m not afraid that the nail clippers will slip and accidentally cut to close to his quick.
Optional Care Supplies List
Small mammal carrier
Most people may simply opt for a shoe box or other small box for transporting their prickly child, and these work just fine. But I decided to purchase this cute little carrier for Wolfgang, mostly because I wanted to! It was affordably priced, and works great for transporting Wolfie to and from vet appointments!
A special towel
For holding your hedgehog, or after baths to dry him or her, you will need a towel to do so. You can either use a human towel, which would work just fine, or you can purchase a special towel just for your hedgie. This would come especially handy if you’re not comfortable using your good towels to hold a hedgehog who could potentially pee all over it. I opted for this one.
Exercise ball
Some argue that exercise balls aren’t good for hedgehogs, as their nails could get stuck in the holes. However, with proper supervision and a a ball with big enough holes that their nails wouldn’t be at much risk for getting caught, you may opt to purchase an exercise ball to offer a different way to let your hedgie get some exercise and explore their surroundings.