Pygmy hedgehog

Pygmy hedgehog
Natalia Cieplinska
October 31, 2015
i
About
The African pygmy hedgehog can
grow to be around six to nine inches
long. It is a solitary animal and it
lives up to 5-6 years. Hedgehogs are
very active animals. Every hedgehog
require a large cage even though he
is small. They will need some time
outside of cage to run around and
explore but since they are nocturnal, it’s not easy to provide them a
few hours of running outside of cage
every night. A hedgehog is fun to
watch, quiet, not aggressive, and is
fairly easy to care for. It is a clean
Figure 1: Igielka the hedgehog
animal and does not smell badly. A
hedgehog can be a wonderful addition for someone who wants a unique and
entertaining pet. They have soft, furry bellies and a coat of rough quills
on their back. They roll up in a ball to protect themselves when they are
frightened or annoyed, and can prickle when in this mode. Hedgehogs are
intell igent and each has its own personality.
Is a Hedgehog for me?
• You will need to clean their habitats daily with complete scrubbing
done weekly. Not all hedgehogs will litter train perfectly.
• You will get poked. Even the best hedgehogs have off days.
• A hedgehog who is not friendly to begin with will require a lot of
patience and respect to re-socialize.
• Not all veterinarians are familiar with hedgehogs, so it may be difficult
or expensive to secure good veterinary care.
House
A lone African pygmy hedgehog will
need a cage at least three feet by
1.5ft, but bigger is better. You
should not use a cage with a wire
floor, or alternatively cover any wire
flooring, as it might damage your little hedgehog’s paws. Take care that
the spacing of the wire on the walls is
small enough that your hedgie won’t
Figure 2: Igielka in her house
get his head stuck between the barsor be able to escape! Multi level
cages and those with horizontal bars should be avoided, because hedgehogs
are not great climbers and could fall and injure themselves. African pygmy
hedgehogs are sensitive to cold and changes in temperature, so you will need
to heat the cage by means of a heat pad. Perfect temperature is between 23
degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius. A thermometer should be put in a
safe place in the cage, to make sure that the temperature remains constant
and at a suitable level. You will need to provide a sturdy ceramic food bowl
for your hedgehog’s meals, and clean and remove any uneaten food daily. A
water bowl that cannot easily be knocked over is advised for drinking. A
nesting box with a small opening should be provided for your hedgehog to
hide and sleep in during the day. An exercise wheel should be provided, but
this should be made of solid metal or plastic and not mesh or wires. You
have to be sure there are no holes in your exercise wheel because hedgehogs
can hurt their paws while running. You will also need to provide toys and
entertainment for your hedgie, in the form of plastic cat balls to chase and
roll about, rags to burrow in, cardboard boxes and tubes to play in, and
other pet safe toys.
Feeding
African pygmy hedgehogs require a balanced diet. A good quality dry cat
food which is high in protein is one of the commonly fed staples. Balanced
and varied diet can be achieved with supplemental feeding of meat based
(not fish) cat food from tins or pouches, boiled or scrambled egg, and lean
cooked chicken, lamb or mince. Hedgehogs are insectivores, which means
that their diet in the wild is composed mainly of insects. In order to promote
natural feeding and cater for all of their dietary requirements, you can include
mealworms, crickets, wax worms and silk worms in their regular feeding
routine. It’s important to take care of your hedgehog weight, too many
insects in their diet will make them fat. You can also try to feed your
hedgehog with fruits and vegetables, but remember that one hedgehog can
have different taste than the other.
Suggested Nutritional Requirements
Protein Fat
22%
5%
Fiber
15%
References
[1] http://www.hedgehogclub.com/care.html
[2] http://www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/the-african-pygmyhedgehog.html
[3] http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/info.shtml