Long-time hedgehog wanter, soon-to-be first-time owner!

[Evangeli]

Afternoon, I've wanted to have a hedgehog of my own after meeting a friend's several years ago, and until recently, my living arrangements prevented me from housing one. But that's changed, and I put down a deposit at a local breeder last week. In about ten days, I'll have a hedgehog of my own!

I have been studying hedgehog videos, media, and articles for the past couple months, and have drawn up a list and plan in my head of what to buy. So far I am at:

• - Large plastic bin, with large holes cut in the lid. (Which I will leave off unless it becomes colder)
  - Carefresh Bio bedding.
  - Exotic Nutrition Hedgehog Complete.
  - A small can of mealworms.
  - Sandy Trimmer wheel.
  - I'll buy a hide, but want to see if my guy will use a small square of blanket.
  - Water bowl.
  - Maybe look at the climbing gear or toys they have when I go pick him up.
  - Fresh shirt to sleep in a few days before I pick him up; get him used to my smell from the start.
  - And a small heat-fan I already own. (It doesn't get too hot)

Am I on the right track? I want this little mofo to be the happiest a hedgehog can be.
Many thanks.

[Christemo]

Welcome!

You'll want to change some things on your list. Just know that a lot of articles and videos online are actually wrong. We've been working on getting them taken down for quite some time now.

Bin:
If you go with a bin, you'll want it to be as large as possible and that lid will need to be on 24/7.

Bedding:
Fleece works best for bedding. Carefresh is really dusty and can cause some major respiratory issues.

Food:
You should avoid hedgehog food like the plague. I just rescued a hedgehog that was on strictly that food and he was deathly skinny, even at 6 months. There is no nutritional value at all in hedgehog food, and it's just marketed to hedgehog owners to make a few extra bucks. There's a bunch of foods out there that owners feed, but I use Blue Buffalo Weight Control dry cat food mixed with the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Duck, and I sprinkle some Royal Canin BabyCat on the younger hog's food for fat content.

Mealworms:
Canned mealworms are fine, but they STINK. Go with live if you can.

Wheel:
That is a horrible wheel for ANY animal. Because it's enclosed, they'll be breathing in their own fumes from their excitement. Check out the Carolina Storm Wheel. They're quiet, and SUPER easy to clean. Silent Spinners are a big no-no and Comfort Wheels are loud as heck.

Hide:
Pick up a plastic igloo (the large size, not the jumbo). If you use fleece, cut up some fleece strips and place them in the hut for them to dig.

Water Bowl:
Yay! Keep him on a bowl. Bottles are terrible.

Climbing Gear:
NO. Hedgehogs can get VERY badly hurt when they climb and we try to curb it as much as possible.

Heat:
You'll want a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) and a hood rated for a CHE.


Please, please, please read this book cover to cover before you pick up your hedgehog. It's free and a FANTASTIC source of correct info.

http://www.westcoasthedgehogs.com/files ... index.html

[Evangeli]

Originally Posted by Christemo

......

Thank you so much for your input, I've revised my list heavily and looked up everything needed.

Where do you get your fleece from? Online, or a local store?

And is that Cat Food you recommend available at usual retailers? (PetSmart, Petco, etc.)

-Evan

[Christemo]

You can pick up the fleece at Joanns or some Walmarts sell it.

And yeah, you can get that cat food at Petsmart or Petco.