Hedgehogs are exceptional animals that are easy to care for and friendly if properly socialized. Their natural habitat is the forest, grassland, and scrub. In the wild, hedgehogs spend most of their time searching for food. In captivity, they prove to be curious animals who spend an abundance of time exploring their environment.

Housing
A large glass or plastic aquarium, or a homemade cage works well to house your little friend. Be sure the walls and flooring of the cage are smooth to prevent the animal from climbing out. Wire cages should be avoided at all costs. Wiring allows their little feet to slip through, causing injury to the hedgehog. Ample floor space is a plus. This allows for a large amount of play room and helps prevent obesity in your little friend. The best place to keep the cage is in a warm room. A good range of temperature for a hedgehog is 72-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Cleaning the enclosure on a weekly basis helps control unwanted odors, making it a good pet to house indoors.

Accessories
The bedding should be nontoxic, absorbent, and relatively dust free so their noses won’t get irritated. Avoid cedar wood shavings as they have been the cause of respiratory infections in hedgehogs. Shredded newspaper works well and is most cost efficient. Our hospital, however, recommends a product called Carefresh, a newspaper-based bedding that is soft, absorbent, and easy to clean. These animals need a shelter, or a hide box in their cage. By offering a critter log, plastic pot on its side, a kleenex or shoe box, or another form of shelter, you are offering your pet a place of security and a place to sleep.

Hedgehogs require extensive amounts of exercise to avoid obesity. This is easily achieved due to their curious and inquisitive nature. Hedgehogs love to push, chew, and manipulate toys, such as small toy cars, balls, or even paper towel rolls. Another good thing to have in the cage is an exercise wheel. Again, be sure it has a solid base so your critter’s feet won’t get caught in any holes.

Feeding
Unfortunately, the exact nutrition requirements for a hedgehog is unknown. A diet in the wild consists of insects such as beetles, earthworms, slugs, flies, bees, grasshoppers, and crickets. Using this information, commercial hedgehog diets have been created to adjust to their dietary needs in captivity. If a commercial hedgehog diet is unavailable, it can be substituted with a high quality, reduced calorie, cat food. This can be offered with small amounts of mixed fruits and vegetables. As a treat, hedgehogs will go "hog wild" for live insects, like crickets, mealworms, or earthworms. If your hedgehog becomes overweight, limit the quantity of food and treats given, and increase exercise.

Handling
The quills on the hedgehog are stiff to the touch. The quills are used for protection when the animal rolls up in a tight ball. When attempting to handle your pet, approach it slowly and quietly. Avoid the quills by lifting the animal from the underneath, where the fur is soft, and hold your pet cupped in both holds. By handling each day for a few minutes, your animal will become socialized and will be easier for everyone to handle.

Mites
Mites are an external parasite that feed off your hedgehog and burrow deeply in the skin. Mites can be extremely debilitating on your hedge if they go untreated. You will probably notice loss of quills, or dry patches of skin. Ask your vet to perform a microscopic skin scraping to determine if there are any signs of mites on your hedgehog.

Respiratory Infection
Respiratory infections are common

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