# Soon to be hedgehog owner.



## Levi Stout (Jul 27, 2010)

Hi, i'm getting a hedgehog in a little while and i was wondering how often i should play with a 6-8 week old baby hedgie, should i let it sleep or interact with it a lot :?: 
Please help meeeeeeee.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Hello and Welcome to HHC  
I like to handle my babies at least 15-30 minutes a day,twice a day when I have the extra time. Most people only have one hedgie so they can give their hog more time than I can....I have a house full :lol:


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## Levi Stout (Jul 27, 2010)

Thank you  
Would it be better to get two or just one?


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

Hedgehogs are solitary creatures by nature, so you should (almost) never house two together. There are very rare exceptions, like sometimes sisters can stay together, or a mother and one of her daughters, but often, even then it's a bad idea.


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## Levi Stout (Jul 27, 2010)

alright, thank you. 

anything else i should know?


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

Somethings off the top of my head
They need 12-14 hours of light a day
The temperature needs to be around 75 (give or take a few degrees depending on the hedgie, hibernation attempts can kill)
They should have a premium cat food mix (see the recommended food sticky in the diet section)
Fleece tends to be the preferred bedding
Water bowls are better then water bottles in my opinion
You'll want a cage with an absolute minimum of 2 square feet after the accessories are put in but most tend to be closer to 4 sq feet and up.
Wire topped, plastic bottom cages seem to be a fav with nothing that can be climbed on since hedgies do not have good eye sight and can fall

You'll definitely want to read and research on the forum for more info, this is just some of the basics. Lizardgirl's book in the care section is a must read in my opinion and has the most up to date information.

Grats on your soon to be new hedgie, just make sure to do lots of reading and researching cause there is always new things to learn


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## Levi Stout (Jul 27, 2010)

Thank you  
And do they have like heating blankets for like in the winter if it's a really cold night?


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

There is a lot of different heating methods depending on cages but it seems like the top two would be some people use a space heater to heat the entire area to the right temperature and others use a CHE set up. The space heater one is easy but there is more detailed info about the CHE set up because you will want to make sure to get the right bulbs and fixtures. Also with a CHE set up its important to have a thermostat attached also and a thermometer to make sure the temp is what its supposed to be. 

You'll probably want to stay clear of a heating blanket (some situations may call for one) in general because it will only heat the ground and not the air and can cause them to catch a draft that can cause a hibernation attempt. You can get things like a Snugglesafe disk (they need to be covered) or hand warmers (need to be covered also so the hedgie can't get at them) as a back up just in case of an emergency power outage but will want to make sure to have an everyday heating/cooling set up planned out and set up before the baby comes home  .


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## Levi Stout (Jul 27, 2010)

K 

What's too hot and what's not hot enough?


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

You should really read the stickies that they have on each of the sections on the forum... it informs you about the appropriate temp. requirements, etc

but ideal temperature for a hedgie is 73-80 I believe.

Usually it will not get "too hot" for a hedgie, but if you feel that it is too hot, you could always put a couple of ice cubes in there water, and give them a ceramic tile inside their cage for them to splat on


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Welcome to HHC! Yes, definitely read the stickies, read the book in my siggie, do searches on any questions you have, and ask away anything you can't find the answer to!


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

these are wonderful forums to get help from.  

what do you plan to feed your hoglet?


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## tie-dye hedgie (Dec 19, 2009)

Welcome to HHC! My advice would be, read EVERY topic you can find on these forums and know as much as you can BEFORE you get a hedgie.


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## Levi Stout (Jul 27, 2010)

Thanks for you help guys


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