All of my friends knew this was coming: an article about hedgehogs. As you've probably guessed, I own an adorably cute hedgehog. His name is Walnutt, or Wally for short. I also had a hedgehog in high school for a couple years, but he passed just before coming to college. Hedgehogs have become increasingly popular pets throughout the last couple years -- as they should be; they are amazingly wonderful creatures. I’ve loved both of my hedgehogs very much, even with their vastly differing personalities.
My first hedgehog, Hedgie (original, I know) was a little on the grumpy side because I got him from a place where he wasn’t well handled, but I loved him all the way down to his angriest quill. And then there’s Wally, sweet Wally. He has a very nice temperament and enjoys cuddling with me at night. With this vast experiences in hedgehog owning, I’d like to talk about some of the truths about owning a hedgehog, and possibly answer some questions people may have about them.
First thing's first: hedgehogs are spikey. Like a cactus. I have encountered many people who have asked if they are pokey. The answer is yes, very. I would best describe them as living cacti, literally. If I were to roll Wally into a ball (yes they roll into adorable balls, also) and throw him at someone’s face, it would definitely do some damage. So while they make great pets, they can also be a form of defense if need be. Win-win.
When hedgehogs get angry or nervous (which is common -- they a naturally cautious creatures), all of their quills stick out and they roll into a ball of defense. Both my dog and my cat have no interest in attempting to mess with Wally when he is upset -- he pretty much runs the house. And the best part is that under all those defensive quills, they have very soft bellies. So furry, so soft. It’s wonderful and extremely cute. The best is when we are snuggling and he lays his fuzzy belly on my belly, one of the most wonderful feelings ever. A nice equal part of spikey and furry.
Oh yeah, and hedgehogs are nocturnal. You can always play and interact with them during the day -- they’ll be awake and alert -- but they will do all of their activities at night and sleep during the day. This is nice because they won’t miss you during the day while you’re at school or work, they’ll just be sleeping away.
Hedgehogs are also very easy to take care of. You might be wondering what they eat. Well, they eat cat food. Surprised? Most are. Apparently hedgehogs need the same nutrients that cats need (fat content must be less than 9 percent, though -- they are tiny and can get fat easily). It’s actually really convenient, not too expensive and they don’t eat that much. Hedgehogs also love mealworms, dried or living. It’s like crack for them. But don’t feed them too much or they’ll bloat up and be a fat hedgehog balloon. Some hedgehogs also like to sample other foods too, like corn, eggs and apples -- honestly, they'll probably eat anything as long as it’s “natural.” Not all hedgehogs are interested in other foods, though. For example, Hedgie loved mangoes and chicken, while Wally really only likes mealworms, no matter how many different kinds of food I offer him.
As for homes, they live in cages, like most rodents, and have a few different options for bedding. If you use wood shavings (most do, including myself), you have to use aspen wood shavings as hedgehogs can be easily irritated by other types of wood, and can even have bad allergic reactions to them. Wood shavings are easy, cheap, and environmentally friendly, but there are still some cons. For example, it creates dust that could cause respiratory problems. If you clean the cage of dust, the hedgehog should be perfectly fine. There are also alternatives, such a pellets. Fabric pellets are absorbent but don’t cover the cage bottom well, aren’t as cheap, and aren't necessarily environmentally friendly. Liners are another option -- fleece fabric covers the bottom, but you have to spend a lot more time cleaning the cage (pretty much every day so it’s not smelly), but there's no dust and they're reusable.
If you clean their cage once a week (with wood shavings), they really don’t smell. And there are lots of fun things to put in their cage! Hedgehogs require warm environments, so some people need to purchase a heat pad for their hedgie to cuddle on. But if you have a warm house or live in a warm climate, it’s not always necessary. Another important thing to note: all hedgehogs love their wheels -- like, love love. I desperately want to put an odometer on Wally's wheel to see how many miles he runs a night. He seriously runs all night and only stops to drink some water and munch on some food. But there are some other things in his cage he loves, too. He has a little cave, some play balls, a mini-Kong toy with mealworms in it, mini-stuffed hedgehogs, a bed, a blanket and a toilet paper roll. Hedgehogs love toilet rolls -- they often get it stuck on their heads, which is cute and fun for everyone. They also like pipes they can run through. Basically tubes of any kind are fun to play with.
And they need baths. But, surprise, that's also adorable. Fill a small contained area with warm water, and using either olive oil or oatmeal powder, you wash them with a toothbrush. It’s almost too cute to handle. Some hedgehogs like baths more than others, and most will try to scramble away from you, but it's still cute and you get to wrap them like a burrito in a towel and shed yet another a tear of cuteness. Unfortunately, baths don’t need to be frequent -- maybe once a month or more depending on how dirty they get.
Overall, hedgehogs are amazing pets that I highly recommend anyone adopt. They are quilly and soft, grumpy and sweet, and perfect companions to make you smile just a little bit more every day.
Pro tip: for extra daily happiness, follow Wally on Instagram: @wally.hog.
