A healthy hedgehog will live 3-6yrs. Here is a guide to what your hedgehog will need:

Hedgehogs need to live indoors unless outdoor heating is supplied in their cage. There ideal temperature is 65-80f (18-26c), anything below 45f (7.2c) and they may hibernate which is dangerous. They also need an average of 12hrs daylight this can be artificial or natural daylight.

Hedgehogs are a solitary animal and prefer to be on their own, although some females do get along together but males together will fight. The ideal housing for a adult hedgehog is an indoor rabbit cage 36” by 12” as they need plenty of exercise and are on the go all night, it is said that some hedgehogs walk or run on their wheel for a total of 5 miles a night. They will need in their house a nest box a water bottle or bowl, feeding bowl and sawdust which must be dust free as this can clog together and cause problems in their bladder system and with their bottoms as these drag along the floor, The sawdust should not be cedar as the fumes can be highly toxic. Hedgehogs can be litter trained, put a litter box in the corner or the cage where they go to the loo and soon they should be using it. The little box can be filled with dust free sawdust or non clumping cat litter.

Hedgehog feeding

Hedgehogs need a diet that is high in protein and low in fat. Below is a guide to what they eat in categories:

Cooked chicken, chicken based baby food, good quality cat meat chicken based is best and better digested.

Dry cat biscuit chicken based or hedgehog biscuit available at local garden centers and pet stores.

Insects that can be bought from your local pet or reptile shop like mealworms, crickets and wax worms. If you are a little uncertain about giving live food then these can be frozen or bought dried.

Occasional foods are fruit and vegetables of various kinds mine have always had a liking for bananas and melon but try them on others…. low fat yogurt and scrambled egg.

A fresh supply of water is needed at all times.

Hedgehogs should not be feed insects from the garden. They are also presumed lactose intolerant so do not give them cows milk, if you was to have baby hedgehogs then goats milk is best. Peanuts are also a no as these can become lodged in the roof of the mouth.

First offer a full dish daily, once a typical amount eaten is established only give as much as you would expect the hedgehog will eat in a night. An average adult hedgehog weighs 12-18 ounces.

Hedgehog Playtime

Toys, they love these, the best thing and a must have is a wheel they will spend hours running around which is good exercise and stops boredom. The wheel must be plastic and not wire so their so feet don’t get caught up. They also enjoy exploring tubes, tunnels, cat balls and bells. They love to be handled by you too the more you handle them the tamer they will be, getting them out for up to an hour every evening getting them used to you will enable you to be able to stroke them like a dog with their spines laid down.

Hedgehog behavior

Hedgehogs are seldom aggressive, in most cases they only ball up because they are scared. They rarely bite through aggression or fright, I have not been bitten yet! If they start licking your fingers there may be something tasty on them so licking is best stopped to avoid an accidental nip

Self anointing is a very common hedgehog act and its very amusing to watch. When they taste something new like food or an object they build up a frothing lather in their mouth then doing the most amazing contortions they spread the lather on their backs.