# New hedgehog owner advice



## Alexandraboo (Sep 11, 2010)

I am buying a 2 and a half year old hedgehog from a lady who has no time for him, he comes with his cage and all his things for 150. She was asking 200 but I haggled it lower because he is older.
Im just wondering what I may or may not be in for, I have only ever handled one once, although I am very very good with animals, and have owned other small animals such as rats in the past.

Any advice you have would be great thanks.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

I would start by reading the stickies in each section. Also LG's book is a must read for any new owner  here is a link;
http://www.hedgehogbook.webs.com/


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## Alexandraboo (Sep 11, 2010)

Awesome, can anyone tell me the life span of these awesome little guys? 
I thought asking 100 for an older one was a bit much, but he should be well socialized and perhaps calmer? he is apparently very friendly.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Alexandraboo said:


> Awesome, can anyone tell me the life span of these awesome little guys?
> I thought asking 100 for an older one was a bit much, but he should be well socialized and perhaps calmer? he is apparently very friendly.


The average life expectancy of a hedgie is 4-6 years, I believe... but there have been many cases of hedgies living well past that age ;D


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## Alexandraboo (Sep 11, 2010)

awesome! I was worried he may be really old and running out of time, I just know I will get very attached very quickly. I just absolutely adore them already! and I just held one a couple of times! Im very excited, My little Walter will arrive tomorrow at 9 am. I hope he doesnt know his name, I would really love to name him Walter


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

As they say, "You can call a hedgie by any name & he still won't come". 
I'm sure it won't bother him a bit to be called Walter. As long as he gets to eat & run he will be happy.  I'm excited for you.


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## raven13131 (May 31, 2010)

I have a male Albino hedgehog who has been with me for about 3 months already he is around 11 months old now. I call him Sonic or sometimes Gonk!  From my experience, they are one of the most charming creatures that I have ever owned. Congratulations on getting Walter!  Just feel free to ask questions. I'll bee glad to help you to the best of my abilities!  Keep us updated with Walter!


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

you are in for a wonderful experience, if i may say so.


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## Alexandraboo (Sep 11, 2010)

Ive had some strange animals, but I see a hedgehog as a very wild animal, I know they have been tamed for some time, but not for thousands of years like cats or dogs, even rats have been tamed for hundreds. I don't know much about their background but I am all for learning anything and everything there is that I need to know about being a good hedgehog mother! 

I have a couple of more questions, Can a hedgehog eat cat food, and be supplemented with fruit and veggies, and possibly some grains, like cheerios. Should I be feeding him low fat meats aside from cat food? what should a diet plan be like. I know that I cannot find hedgehog food around here, the only pet stores we have are pets unlimited p.js pets owned. and I do not support puppy mills, or their mass breeding, and do not shop there. 

I would like my hedgie to be as healthy as possible and live a really long happy life. I really do love all animals, and would like to make him as happy as I can in whatever ways I can.

I do have a cat, she is a small cat still a kitten, is there issues with cats and hedgehogs? can they co exist? or must I separate her from him as soon as he arrives.
Im just hoping he is tame enough to work with, I really wouldnt be turned off by him being cranky or hard to deal with though, he is who he is.  I just hope for a nice little guy. and from what I hear he is pretty tame.


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## raven13131 (May 31, 2010)

Your hedgehog can eat cat food. But, the protein in the cat food can't be more than30% and the fat content should be less than 12%. You can also supplement the cat food with certain fruits and vegetables. I'm not quite sure what vegetables and fruits in particular. But, I heard that some hedgies love cillantro.  I'm not sure about the grains. But, since they are insectivores, most people give them mealworms. But, only give these worms as a treat since they are high in fat. I personally try to avoid mealworms only because I don't wanna have to hand feed the worms.  

When it comes to your cat, I suggest separating them onl because the hedgie might get stressed out or scared. Plus, the cat might get hurt as well since hedgies will ball up into a spike to protect itself.

Hedgies can most of the time be tamed. But, it will take a lot of time and patience since hedgies tend to hiss and ball up when it isn't familiar with you yet. They take quite a while to warm up to people. They don't usually bite unless your hand smells like food. But, just wash your hands before handling the hedgie and it shouldn't be a problem. I suggest you hold him or put him on your lap every night for about 15 minutes everyday. That should help you guys bond. Oh and put an old shirt that you have worn in his cage. This helps him ge to know your scent. This is very helpful and important since they have a better sense of smell than a sense of sight. If you have a hard time handling him because he spikes up, lift him up from underneath since his belly does not have spikes. Or you could use a fleece blanket from his cage to carry him. I hope that I was able to help you out a bit. If you got anymore questions I'll be glad to help out.


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## Alexandraboo (Sep 11, 2010)

Thanks so much raven, that helped me a lot. He should be arriving here any minute, im so excited! Im currently warming up my apartment since I know it should be between 25-27 degres in here for him.I just hope he likes me and his new home.


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## Alexandraboo (Sep 11, 2010)

Post update!!
Walter has arrived! He is soo cute, and acts like a huffy puffy grumpy old man, isnt hard to handle though, he hasnt puffed up yet at all,  what a cute little guy! I gotta get him some toys though!


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Congrats on your new baby ;D

As for the cats question, I have two cats.
One is scared to death by my hedgie, so when I let Kashi explore and he usually will automatically go for the darkest place because he wants to sleep, he will start running full throttle towards my cat, who happens to be all back in color :lol: My cat will become terrified and run away hahaha :lol:
The other one is an orange tabby who is a lot less of a scaredy cat. He has never tried to attack the hedgie or anything like that, but he has tried "petting" Kashi like I do :lol: He'll place one paw over the hedgies back and stare at him intently, and usually it's followed by a loud purr and he'll just roll right over on his back :lol:

But yeah, you may have different experiences with different cats, and also your hedgehog as well 

When my Kashi first came, he had never smelled a cat before so he'd spike up and start growling, but after a few days he realized they didn't mean any harm at all (and I also would constantly be smelling of cat as well since I don't bother with the whole "washing hands before handling hedgie" thing as long as they are clean). Nowadays Kashi is completely fearless and won't even raise his visor quills at them ;D


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

Alexandraboo said:


> Ive had some strange animals, but I see a hedgehog as a very wild animal, I know they have been tamed for some time, but not for thousands of years like cats or dogs, even rats have been tamed for hundreds. I don't know much about their background but I am all for learning anything and everything there is that I need to know about being a good hedgehog mother!
> 
> I have a couple of more questions, Can a hedgehog eat cat food, and be supplemented with fruit and veggies, and possibly some grains, like cheerios. Should I be feeding him low fat meats aside from cat food? what should a diet plan be like. I know that I cannot find hedgehog food around here, the only pet stores we have are pets unlimited p.js pets owned. and I do not support puppy mills, or their mass breeding, and do not shop there.
> 
> ...


grain can be a fine supplement, as they need fiber. just get unsweetened cheerios or multi-grain cereal.


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## EryBee (May 23, 2010)

Don't be afraid to experiment with a variety of treats (as long as they are hedgehog safe foods, of course). It may take some time to figure out what Walter likes, or is even willing to accept.


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## Alexandraboo (Sep 11, 2010)

Thanks for all the advice everyone.  He is so interesting to watch, all grumpy like an old man  I am working on getting his cage a little better for him since his cage now is very very dull and blah. just a few rocks his litter pan and his food and water, no toys or anything. poor thing. I know I need to get him a wheel, but in the meantime ill let him run for a couple hours each night.


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## Alexandraboo (Sep 11, 2010)

Another Update, sorry for being annoying. 
I have chaanged the cage around and added a large shelf about the size of 1 third of the length of the cage, which is a super pet cage, its fairly big, about the size of a rabbit starter kit cage.

I cut out thick cardboard and made a side for the shelf, so he wouldnt fall off, because I noticed he likes to jump off things, and he falls on his back and cant get up hahah (not from a long distance, maybe a few inches) I also put a side on the cardboard ladder I made so he wont fall off that. I am going to get him a wheel as soon as I can, like I said. 

Walter is now very content and enjoying his kitty food I gave him. I was wondering, is wet cat food off limits in small bits, when I feed the cat some wet cat food I would just give him maybe a spoon full in his bowl? is this too fattening? He is the most interesting animal to watch! I am so surprised at how awesome these little guys are, even if they are cranky little guys  

Again, thanks for all the advice and support!


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

Alexandraboo said:


> Another Update, sorry for being annoying.
> I have chaanged the cage around and added a large shelf about the size of 1 third of the length of the cage, which is a super pet cage, its fairly big, about the size of a rabbit starter kit cage.
> 
> I cut out thick cardboard and made a side for the shelf, so he wouldnt fall off, because I noticed he likes to jump off things, and he falls on his back and cant get up hahah (not from a long distance, maybe a few inches) I also put a side on the cardboard ladder I made so he wont fall off that. I am going to get him a wheel as soon as I can, like I said.
> ...


you are not annoying at all.

as for wet cat food, i've heard that it's fine as an occasional treat (but still check the protein and fat levels to be on the safe side). Harvey was on Iams for a while when he was sick, per his vet's recommendation. so sometimes it's even recommended if a hedgie is sick (god forbid!) and i do think it's fine as a treat every once in a while.


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## Alexandraboo (Sep 11, 2010)

alright  I just gave him some banana and dry cat food. He seems to like banana.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Both my hedgies like banana too. Just tried it last week. 
My only caution to you would be not to try too many things at one time. Their tummy's can get upset easily & it's best to introduce new foods slowly. It's very hard to do, I know. I wanted them to taste everything! I can't wait to learn everything about them, including what treats they like. But just go slow. Not too many new things at once. You have plenty of time.
We just tried plain scrambled eggs yesterday. Cholla wouldn't touch them, but Zoey loved them. Could only give her a couple bites though, because I didn't want her to get a sick tummy.
I'm excited for you to find out everything about Walter. And to share it with us.


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## raven13131 (May 31, 2010)

Congratulations Alexandraboo!!! Walter seems like a sweet hedgie. My Sonic( or Gonk) is still a grumply ball of spikes sometimes. But, I figured that he would uncurl and stop hissing once he figures out that even if he hisses at me he still ends on my palm no matter what.  Sonic tends to like crawling from my hand to my other hand. You are so right about them falling off things.  Sonic likes walking and exploring on my hand that I have to quickly catch him everytime because he doesn't seem to mind falling off my hands.  He is such an explorer. Anyway, I'm pretty sure Walter will become more and more of sweetheart as he gets to know you. What's his color? My sonic is an Albino.  You should post some pics! I would love to see Walter! Keep us posted!


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## Alexandraboo (Sep 11, 2010)

He is biting and quite upset at the fact of coming out of the cage, very poppy and quilly. I dont know if im doing it wrong, but he never seems to be awake, always sleeping. I am kinda worried, he has ate, and is eating fine, but seems a little clumsy and his back legs look a little bit floppy. Not too floppy he still kicks them and walks fine, but just enough to worry me. I wonder if its maybe his age, he is an older hedgie, so perhaps he is just slowing down a little.


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## Olympia (Aug 4, 2010)

About him always sleeping, do you mean during nighttime as well as daytime? Hedgehogs are nocturnal so it's normal for them to sleep all day and wake up at night. Mine both usually wake up between 8:30 PM an 9:30 PM and spend a big part of the night awake. What time did you get him out of his cage? If it's during daytime, it's normal that he's upset, it's the middle of the night for him.  Plus, you just got him so he'll need some time to get used to you.


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## Alexandraboo (Sep 11, 2010)

Well he slept a good part of the night too last night, I got him out last night around 9:30 and had him out for a good couple hours, even when I set him on the floor he just finds a spot to sleep. I took him out for a few minutes today but he was very very cranky so I put him back rather quickly. Ill let him sleep until he gets up tonight and then try taking him out for play time. hopefully he will get used to me and his schedule, im sure the other people who had him diddnt do much with him at all.


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## erica582 (Oct 1, 2010)

Hi Alexandra,

I was just reading your posts as I was interested in the food question you asked. But now I am interested Walter, how is he doing now that it's almost been a month??


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