Tag: pet care

Summer venture tips

It’s the height of summer and it’s time to take your hedgehog on a bona fide adventure on the town or maybe a jaunt to the countryside!

Follow these tips and tricks to help you and your hedgehog have a great time.

Bring the backpack

An out and about bag is essential for taking your hedgehog downtown or on a country drive. You can use a small bag or backpack outfitted for your ball of quills. Just make sure it isn’t air-tight. Use a bonding sack to line the bag so your hedgehog has something familiar to snuggle in. Pack food for snacks and baby wipes for cleaning up messes in a separate pouch.

You can wear your hedgehog on your back as you travel out and about. No one will even know until you bring her out; they might become suspicious if you have a hedgehog patch, however.

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I’m going on an adventure in my out and about bag!

Take a pic real quick

If you want pictures, they are best to take right away when you take your hedgehog out of its bag. Your hedgehog will be in a slight ball and be sniffing the air to get used to its surroundings before it uncurls and wants to either go back into its bag, crawl all over your arms or explore the great outdoors. You will have a short window to take a picture of your ball of quills before it uncurls and strangers start noticing its cuteness.

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If you’re going to take a picture of me with this fluffy cotton candy, you better do it quickly before that kid sees me.

Manage the strangers

Inevitably, when you take your hedgehog out of its bag, strangers around you will ooo, aww and ask questions. They will ask to pet your hedgehog. It is good to socialize your hedgehog, so let people know they can pet your hedgehog on the bottom of its back but to avoid the face area. Too many strange people poking at the forehead is a sure way to get your hedgehog to curl into a tight ball. Make sure you talk sweetly to your hedgehog as it meets new people to let it know you are still there. Make sure you tell strangers they should wash their hands afterward.

Let em have their way

If your hedgehog is scrambling a lot, let them down to the ground to go to the bathroom. Sometimes hedgehogs need to go soon after they wake up. Or maybe they want to explore. Or go back in their bag because there are too many exuberant strangers. It’s your job to discern when your hedgehog has had enough and say sorry, but you can’t pet my hedgehog today to the next stranger you see along the way.

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Let me down so I can get some ice cream, please!

Sara Marie Moore is a journalist and happy hedgehog owner. She had her first hedgehog in fourth grade long before the current hedgehog craze.

 

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Things to bring for your hedgehog’s road trip

Yes, you can take your hedgehog to the family cabin, camping or even pet-friendly hotels.

 

Ginger went on her first weekend road trip before she was even fully grown. After the trip, I noticed she was more used to me and huffed and puffed less. Taking your hedgehog on a road trip can help your hedgehog bond with you.

 

Here’s what you’ll need to make the adventure as stress-free as possible:

 

Travel bag: Bring your hedgehog in the car in a portable travel bag. I use a small bag with a ventilation hole that I buckle into the back seat. Remember, put your ball of quills in the back seat, not up front where an air bag could damage their little body. Hedgehogs are content to burrow in these bags for hours without making a peep. I also put her favorite snuggle sack in the bag to make it even comfier.

 

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Buckle your ball of quills in the back seat, not the front seat. Air bags can hurt your hedgehog’s fragile body just like a baby.

 

Baby wipes: You will want these along to clean up your hedgehog after they take a pit stop. Yes, when you get out of the car to stretch and go to the bathroom you should also let your hedgehog run around on the grass. They will likely go to the bathroom, too. If it is during the day time, make sure to let them out every few hours as hedgehogs often get up during the day at some point to go to the bathroom and have a snack in their cage. Be patient as they may need to get used to the surroundings before going to the bathroom or eating.

 

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Your hedgehog can take a rest area break just like you.

 

Food, snacks, water: Bring along a sufficient supply of food and water for the trip and keep a small amount accessible in the car to offer to your hedgehog along the way.

 

Portable cage: You’ll want to have a cage that is not too small and not too big; at least about 18 inches wide and long for weekend road trips and larger for week-long trips. You will also want it to be tall enough to fit your hedgehog’s wheel if you are going for more than one night. Collapsible kennels for dogs or cats work well. Make sure you can completely secure the opening or sew on snaps like I did to this cat tent. Have your hedgehog test out the kennel or tent for at least one day a few days before your trip so they can get used to it and so you know there are no issues with the cage.

 

Wheel: When Ginger went on her first road trip, she was not fully grown so she could still use her smaller baby wheel on the trip. Once your hedgehog is fully grown, you should bring their wheel along if at all possible to help them keep their energy up. Hedgehogs will not die without a wheel for a week, however. I had a hedgehog in the ‘90s when no one knew about wheels for hedgehogs. Hokey Pokey lived a full hedgehog life although I am sure he would have been more fit and happy with a wheel.

 

Sleeping hut: Don’t forget to bring their favorite sleeping hut or pouch to put in their cage at night so they can burrow in it and feel like they are at home.

 

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Ginger’s first camping set up included a small tent, her strawberry sleeping hut, small wheel, small litter tray and food and water bowls. 

 

Food and water bowls: If you only use a water bottle, you will have to find a portable cage it can be attached to. But now might be a good time to train your hedgehog to also drink from a water dish. I personally use both in her cage at home in case she spills her dish or the water bottle leaks. Side note: If you do use a water bottle, make sure the ball and spout are large enough so that your hedgehog can get enough water out and also not get its tongue stuck in the spout. Hedgehogs love water. Try one with a 16mm diameter. 

 

Small litter tray: I abandoned the litter tray after the first night on our road trip because her weekend cage was just too small for her not to create a litter trail to her food and water bowls. I think she enjoyed just going on her wheel. 🙂

 

Thermometer, emergency blanket, hand warmers: Bring along the thermometer you use to monitor your hedgehog’s room temperature at home. If you don’t have one, get one that tells you the high and low temperature over 24 hours. If the temperature drops below 72 degrees and your hedgehog’s face or tummy feels chilled, you will need to cuddle them or wrap them in a blanket surrounded by an emergency blanket or hand warmers until they are again fully warm to the touch. When a hedgehog’s tummy turns cold, they could be attempting to hibernate, which is dangerous for their health. Before you travel, check the weather to determine whether it is wise to bring your hedgehog along if you are not able to control the temperature of your lodging.

When I brought Ginger camping at my parent’s farm for one day she slept in her little tent during the day (her night) when it was warm but I put it in the cabin overnight (her day) because the temperature was going to drop too low.

 

Camera: You’ll want to capture lots of memories with your ball of quills on your road trip! Take shots at scenic areas and don’t be afraid to pull over just for a photo shoot break.

 

One more thing: Enjoy the journey!

 

 

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Going on a road trip with your hedgehog can bring you to new places in your relationship with your ball of quills.

 

 

Sara Marie Moore is a journalist and happy hedgehog owner. She had her first hedgehog in fourth grade long before the current hedgehog craze. 

 

 

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Should you feed your spiky friend hedgehog food or cat food?

“What is the difference between hedgehog food and cat food?” I asked the vet.

“Cat food is made for cats and hedgehog food is made for hedgehogs,” he answered in a demeaning tone. Wow, what a non-answer, I thought. (I was asking about the nutrition values and ingredients, not the obvious label on the front of the bag.)

I pressed him because I am a journalist by trade. Is it the protein content, I asked? He mumbled something about vitamins and what hedgehogs eat in the wild. I let him move on.

But I didn’t move on. In Ginger’s appointment notes, the vet wrote that I should try supplementing Ginger’s cat food with some hedgehog food. But I still didn’t know why. I’ve heard multiple times from breeders and hedgehog owners that they recommend cat food over hedgehog food. If this exotic pet vet thinks he knows so much, I needed to know why.

So, I did some research on the nutritional analyses of several hedgehog foods compared with the kitten food recommended by my breeder.

 

Blue Wilderness Kitten food:

40 percent crude protein

20 percent crude fat

3.5 percent fiber

10 percent moisture

Vitamins: A, B, C, D, E, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus.

Notable ingredients include poultry, peas, dried egg, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsley, kelp, cranberries, blueberries, apples, spinach, blackberries, pomegranate, pumpkin, barley and chicory root.

Yum, that sounds good! Hedgehogs love eggs, berries and fruit and I imagine they would love digging for root vegetables in the wild.

 

Mazuri Hedgehog Diet food:

28 percent crude protein

12 percent crude fat

13 percent crude fiber

12 percent moisture

Vitamins: A, B, C, D, E, K, calcium

Notable ingredients include poultry, soybean hulls, wheat, beet pulp, brown rice, dried egg, animal fat, apple and fish meal.

Soy, wheat, rice and fish. Huh. Weird. Do hedgehogs really eat that in the wild?

 

Ultra-Blend Select Nutrient Rich Hedgehog Diet food:

30 percent crude protein

8 percent crude fat

5 percent crude fiber

10 percent moisture

Vitamins: A, B, D, E, calcium, phosphorus

Notable ingredients include poultry, corn and wheat.

Sounds like whoever made this spent lots of time on a farm, out in the corn and wheat fields with their chickens …. and hedgehog.

 

Sunseed Vita Prima hedgehog food:

38 percent crude protein

8 percent crude fat

9 percent crude fiber

14 percent moisture

Vitamins: A, B, C, D, E, calcium, phosphorus

Notable ingredients include poultry, wheat, soy, fish, beet pulp, mealworms, flax seed and kelp.

Oooo, throw in some mealworms, then it is definitely what hedgehogs eat in the wild.

 

Exotic Nutrition Hedgehog Complete food:

35 percent crude protein

14 percent crude fat

17.5 percent crude fiber

Vitamins: A, B, D, E, calcium, phosphorus, selenium

Notable ingredients include bloodmeal, soy, corn, molasses, beet pulp and mealworms.

What is bloodmeal? It is the first ingredient. Oh, Wikipedia said it is a dry powder made from blood, used in animal feed. It is often made from the leftover blood when cattle and pigs are slaughtered. Excuse me? Not to mention molasses.

 

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Ginger the hedgehog recommends Blue Wilderness kitten food. It is made without corn, soy or wheat and contains foods hedgehogs may eat in the wild, such as berries and root vegetables.

 

So, I think the Blue Wilderness kitten food is the best choice for my hedgeghog. Berries, fruits, eggs, pumpkin and sweet potatoes sound much more natural for hedgehogs than soy, corn, wheat, rice and bloodmeal.

However, it does appear that most “hedgehog” foods include higher fiber and lower fat content than kitten food. Hmmm, I have noticed a few rather large hedgehogs on Instagram. It would make sense that hedgehogs eat a rather low-fat, high-fiber diet in the wild. They eat lots of crunchy fiber from insects and fruits.

My goal will be to increase my hedgehog’s fiber intake without taking away her apparently natural and nutritious kitten food. I plan to supplement her diet with more fruits. She also loves dried mealworms. And dried mealworms have three times more fiber than live ones, according to mealwormcare.org.

This hedgehog trail mix also sounds delicious for when we go on adventures:

Sunseed Vita Prima Wigglers and Berries:

Ingredients: mealworms, corn, celery, millet, bell pepper, strawberries, egg, wheat, oats and oil.

Happy eating, hedgies!

 

Sara Marie Moore is a journalist and happy hedgehog owner. She had her first hedgehog in fourth grade long before the current hedgehog craze. 

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Hedgehog bath time basics, plus ducky

Just don’t forget the rubber ducky. Seriously.

For many hedgehogs, bath time can prove to be unenjoyable. They feel out in the open; hedgehogs are burrowing creatures and being in any open area can produce the need to hide.

It helps to have an object the hedgehog can push around and attempt to hide behind in the tub. Hence rubber ducky. Duckies can also provide a valuable distraction for your hedgie while getting washed.

It is necessary to fully bathe your hedgehog at least once a month. I have heard of some hedgehog owners who bathe their hedgehog weekly and some who bathe monthly.

Those who bathe monthly usually suggest doing so because hedgehogs can get dry skin and water can dry it out more. However, if your hedgehog is like most hedgehogs, it runs in the poop it leaves on its wheel. Sometimes it even apparently rolls around in the poop in its litter box and can get it in its quills. Leaving dried poop on your hedgehog for weeks is a bad idea.

I personally would recommend a bi-weekly bath with the right ingredients to keep your hedgehog’s skin supple.

For a full bath, you will need a toothbrush, all-natural soap and coconut oil, melted. Also, have a towel on hand just for your hedgie.

 

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You can brush your hedgehog with a toothbrush to clean its quills.

 

Here’s how you can bathe your hedgehog:

  1. Fill a sink about two inches with warm water. Your hedgehog will have a much more enjoyable bath if the water is warm, but not hot.

 

  1. Put a bar of soap or liquid soap in the water. I personally use an all-natural, organic oatmeal soap I bought at a natural foods store for $2. The brand is Sappo Hill Soapworks. Oatmeal apparently can help keep a hedgehog’s skin dry. Swish the toothbrush around in the soapy water and gently brush your hedgehog’s quills.

 

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All-natural oatmeal soap is a good cleanser for hedgehogs.

 

  1. I have found that oatmeal soap is not enough to keep my hedgehog’s skin from becoming dry, even if it is not bathed often. After washing, rinse your hedgehog off with a bit of warm water from the tap. Then refill the sink and add about a tablespoon of coconut oil to the bath. Swish the toothbrush around in the oily water and brush your hedgehog’s quills again. Another advantage to using coconut oil on a hedgehog’s skin is that it is antifungal and can be a natural prevention tool against ringworm.

 

  1. Rinse your hedgehog off with the toothbrush and warm water.

 

  1. Wrap your hedgie up in a towel and snuggle with it for at least an hour while it dries. Letting the oil soak into the hedgie’s skin while it rests in the towel will ensure its skin stays supple until it’s time for its next bath.

 

Intermittent “poopy boots” wading baths will also likely be needed before your hedgehog’s next full bath.

To clean just its feet, I usually put my hedgehog in about half an inch of water in the bathroom sink when it has collected quite a bit of poop on its feet. I let her run around in the water for a minute or two. Her scrambling and the water softens the poop and then I wipe each “poopy boot” with a paper towel.

There are many ways to bathe a hedgehog. This is what I have found works for mine. Comment below on how you bathe your hedgehog!

 

Sara Marie Moore is a journalist and happy hedgehog owner. She had her first hedgehog in fourth grade long before the current hedgehog craze. 

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No fear: Bonding with your hedgehog

To bond with your hedgehog, first put away all fear that your hedgehog will not open up to you.

Hedgehogs seem to be naturally nervous creatures. It’s why they sometimes begin to furrow, make huffing noises and puff out their spines.

Hedgehogs are near-sighted so they cannot clearly see what is in front of them until it is very close. They mostly discern their world through smell, sound and touch.

Hedgehogs can sense fear and anxiety in a person’s voice or manner of touch. When a hedgehog senses fear in a person as they touch them (perhaps because they are afraid of being poked), it is more likely to react with nervousness — huffing and puffing.

It is best to approach a hedgehog with no anxiety about hedgehogs yourself. This boils down to two basic anxieties to be addressed.

First, make sure you have resolved in yourself that being a caretaker of a hedgehog is about the hedgehog and not about you. While having a pet can certainly be fulfilling, it is also full of downsides and sacrifices. Having a pet hedgehog can be especially trying for those who buy a pet just because they want the affection of an animal.

Hedgehogs need a lot of unconditional love to open up to you. If you are overly anxious for your pet to respond to you in a friendly, fulfilling way, your hedgehog may sense your anxiety when you are around it. Relax and decide to tame your hedgehog for its own benefit — because having a human friend is fun.

Second, you should take charge of your hedgehog’s anxiety. This means that when your hedgehog reacts to you with huffing and puffing you should not become anxious yourself. This can lead to a cycle of anxious hedgehog, anxious owner, anxious hedgehog….

Instead, speak to your hedgehog in a calming manner. Don’t react to its huffing and puffing with reprimands or by being overly sympathetic. Just let your hedgehog know there is nothing to fear. Don’t let your hedgehog’s feelings of nervousness control your feelings. You are a happy hedgehog owner.

It is best to try to pet your hedgehog in a way that calms its natural tendency to anxiety. Try this:

Place your hedgehog on your hand stomach side down and let it uncurl. Don’t pet your hedgehog unexpectedly on its back. Instead, let it smell your fingers and then begin to rub its nose, up to its forehead quills and then to its back. Don’t be timid when you pet your hedgehog, but do be gentle.

It is also important to spend a lot of time cuddling your hedgehog in a snuggle sack or carrying it around in your pocket so it gets to know your smell and voice.

 

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To give your hedgehog a quill kiss, start nose to nose with your hedgehog.

Someday, you may even be able to give your hedgehog a nosey quill kiss. Put your nose next to theirs and rub it up their face the same way you would if you were petting them with a finger, but end with a kiss on their forehead quills.

Animals can sense your demeanor and your confidence. Be confident about holding and petting your hedgehog and you will help to put them at ease and open up.

 

 

Sara Marie Moore is a journalist and happy hedgehog owner. She had her first hedgehog in fourth grade long before the current hedgehog craze. 

 

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