http://hedgehogcentral.com/about.shtml Hedgehog Central has such a good overview of information for educating everyone about these wonderful animals.
Information page:
Housing:
Wire cage with large (deep) flat bottom (they can climb and fall off of things which could hurt your hedgehog)
Glass aquarium
Rubbermade or other brand container (this is recommended for easier cleaning and more ventilation)
*THE KEY is ventilation so the cage does not have an ammonia smell
*Cedar bedding is NOT good for hedgies and can cause health problems please do not use this as bedding!!
Bedding: Have you wanted bedding that is really absorbent? We are really loving Cel-'Sorb right now. The only downfall I would say is the small white fluffs from the packed paper that can get on your hedgie and toys. They don't seem to mind though, just me!
Toys:
PVC
pipes 4”
Toilet
Paper roll (with toilet paper off)
Carolina storm wheel
Bells (with-out the openings)
Food:
Perina One Adult Chicken and
Rice
Crickets
Meal
Worms
Soft
Carrots
Hard
Boiled Eggs
*Any snacks like crickets, etc, should be done in moderation.
**Grapes are harmful to your pet, please do not feed them this
Information about hedgehogs:
Temps need to stay around 72-80 degrees, any less may trigger a hibernation state
which can be fatal for hedgies.
Try a space heater to be cost efficiant!
Planned to be poked, if you are afraid at first you can wear garden
gloves.
Hedgies are nocturnal; you can try to work with them during the day, however most play is at night
Hedgies may bite, is unlikely though that they do. *Hints to help with biting: change hand sanitizer/lotions, do not hold your hedgie after you smoke, and watch for food smells on your hands
**Self Anointing: Self anointing is when a hedgehog may lick or
bite the object, then will foam around the mouth and continuously lick their
body. When they do this they are trying to camouflage their scent with their
surroundings. This in the wild would help protect them from predators.
You can trim and bathe your hedgehog, they are GREAT swimmers!!
Pokey Pal's breeds for temperament, not specific colors or gender. We will try to accommodate to the best of our
abilities for specific color requests, however you may have to wait if a particular color/gender is wanted.
Our policy:
The wait list:
We do recommend on being added to our wait list. This will insure you will have
a hedgehog available after we breed. Due to outside circumstances, as well as,
not always knowing after we breed our mothers are pregnant you may have to wait
a breeding cycle or two. IF you are on the waiting list, you are FIRST to
receive your new baby. Hedgehogs can have one-eight babies and we want to make
sure you get one.
Our hedgehogs are pedigreed, which you will have a copy when you go home with your
baby, and a bag of starter food.
We have done TONS of research in breeding and taking care of hedgehogs. We are here
to help with any questions you may have please always feel welcome to talk to us
with what ever issue you may come across.
Temperaments:
Extremely Friendly: May or may not roll into a ball , pop, or hiss.
This is very rare.
Very Friendly: Will hiss, or raise spines, however after a moments he/she will uncoil
from the ball position
Friendly:
Will hiss, pop, or raise spines, however after a few minutes he/she should
uncoil from the ball position
Grumpy:
may take a few minutes to hours to get him/her to uncoil, stop hissing, and
popping
*Your temperaments will also be a factor on how much you play with your baby. The more
socialization he/she has the more comfortable they will be (we recommend at
least an hour a day). You can get one though that naturally “shy” or “grumpy”
please continue to work with your hedgie and make them feel welcome in your
home. We work with the babies every day to get the best temperament we
can!
Handling
Your baby/Hedgehog:
Like babies, hedgehogs can get scared. If you feel like your having trouble picking
them up, pull bedding around your hands and lift them from the bottom of their
ball. Until you feel comfortable you can always wear gloves. Please hold your hedgehog at least an ½ hour to an hour a day. You can also put an old rag or cloth in the area your hedgie sleeps to help the bonding
process.
Wire cage with large (deep) flat bottom (they can climb and fall off of things which could hurt your hedgehog)
Glass aquarium
Rubbermade or other brand container (this is recommended for easier cleaning and more ventilation)
*THE KEY is ventilation so the cage does not have an ammonia smell
*Cedar bedding is NOT good for hedgies and can cause health problems please do not use this as bedding!!
Bedding: Have you wanted bedding that is really absorbent? We are really loving Cel-'Sorb right now. The only downfall I would say is the small white fluffs from the packed paper that can get on your hedgie and toys. They don't seem to mind though, just me!
Toys:
PVC
pipes 4”
Toilet
Paper roll (with toilet paper off)
Carolina storm wheel
Bells (with-out the openings)
Food:
Perina One Adult Chicken and
Rice
Crickets
Meal
Worms
Soft
Carrots
Hard
Boiled Eggs
*Any snacks like crickets, etc, should be done in moderation.
**Grapes are harmful to your pet, please do not feed them this
Information about hedgehogs:
Temps need to stay around 72-80 degrees, any less may trigger a hibernation state
which can be fatal for hedgies.
Try a space heater to be cost efficiant!
Planned to be poked, if you are afraid at first you can wear garden
gloves.
Hedgies are nocturnal; you can try to work with them during the day, however most play is at night
Hedgies may bite, is unlikely though that they do. *Hints to help with biting: change hand sanitizer/lotions, do not hold your hedgie after you smoke, and watch for food smells on your hands
**Self Anointing: Self anointing is when a hedgehog may lick or
bite the object, then will foam around the mouth and continuously lick their
body. When they do this they are trying to camouflage their scent with their
surroundings. This in the wild would help protect them from predators.
You can trim and bathe your hedgehog, they are GREAT swimmers!!
Pokey Pal's breeds for temperament, not specific colors or gender. We will try to accommodate to the best of our
abilities for specific color requests, however you may have to wait if a particular color/gender is wanted.
Our policy:
The wait list:
We do recommend on being added to our wait list. This will insure you will have
a hedgehog available after we breed. Due to outside circumstances, as well as,
not always knowing after we breed our mothers are pregnant you may have to wait
a breeding cycle or two. IF you are on the waiting list, you are FIRST to
receive your new baby. Hedgehogs can have one-eight babies and we want to make
sure you get one.
Our hedgehogs are pedigreed, which you will have a copy when you go home with your
baby, and a bag of starter food.
We have done TONS of research in breeding and taking care of hedgehogs. We are here
to help with any questions you may have please always feel welcome to talk to us
with what ever issue you may come across.
Temperaments:
Extremely Friendly: May or may not roll into a ball , pop, or hiss.
This is very rare.
Very Friendly: Will hiss, or raise spines, however after a moments he/she will uncoil
from the ball position
Friendly:
Will hiss, pop, or raise spines, however after a few minutes he/she should
uncoil from the ball position
Grumpy:
may take a few minutes to hours to get him/her to uncoil, stop hissing, and
popping
*Your temperaments will also be a factor on how much you play with your baby. The more
socialization he/she has the more comfortable they will be (we recommend at
least an hour a day). You can get one though that naturally “shy” or “grumpy”
please continue to work with your hedgie and make them feel welcome in your
home. We work with the babies every day to get the best temperament we
can!
Handling
Your baby/Hedgehog:
Like babies, hedgehogs can get scared. If you feel like your having trouble picking
them up, pull bedding around your hands and lift them from the bottom of their
ball. Until you feel comfortable you can always wear gloves. Please hold your hedgehog at least an ½ hour to an hour a day. You can also put an old rag or cloth in the area your hedgie sleeps to help the bonding
process.