First Hedgehog

[Advent]

Yea I'm new to it ;) , and i need some pointers.

I have a jumbo plastic storage box with wood chips in the bottom, i have a pvc pipe for her to hide in and a woven thing for her to sleep in.

I have the food bowl and water dispenser (obviously), but i'm not quite sure what to feed her. I have some premium hedgehog food, but what else should i feed her?

Could any of you post pictures of your setups? That would help alot.

I got her last night from a friend that was moving. They poo alot :laugh: .

Thanks

[HannahHedgie11]

Sometimes not all hedgehog food is good for hedgehogs. But you might want to feed her Spike's Delight or something. I've never heard of that kind of food.
My setup has a litter box on one half of the cage and fleece, sleeping hat, food bowl and water on the other side. I don't use any wood chips because sometimes they can irritate the hedgehogs skin or even poke them! ouch! I don't have any pictures of my setup though.
Good luck with your new hedgehog!

[Nancy]

Spikes Delight is not a good food.

A mix of a few good quality cat foods are the best. Here are some links.




http://www.geocities.com/thefullquill/FeedingYourHedgehog.html
http://www.pogstarhedgehogs.com/nutrition/
http://www.freewebs.com/thehedgieden/hedgehogcarelinks.htm

[teela1342]

Yea I'm new to it ;) , and i need some pointers.

I have a jumbo plastic storage box with wood chips in the bottom, i have a pvc pipe for her to hide in and a woven thing for her to sleep in.

I have the food bowl and water dispenser (obviously), but i'm not quite sure what to feed her. I have some premium hedgehog food, but what else should i feed her?

Could any of you post pictures of your setups? That would help alot.

I got her last night from a friend that was moving. They poo alot :laugh: .

Thanks

I am pretty new too, but I can offer the little bit I know. I don't have a picture, but my setup is pretty basic. An exercise wheel is a must. 12 inches is a good size and it needs to be solid, not mesh or with bars like some hamster wheels.

Also, woven fabric is not a great bedding because little feet can get easily tangled. Use something that doesn't fray. I use baby receiving blankets. Most owners here use Vellux blankets since they are warm, fairly inexpensive and don't fray. You can find these at any WalMart type store. They are the industrial blankets that most hotels use.

Food is a mix. No one source is going to meet all your needs. It is can be confusing. They need a high protein, low fat diet. If you want an example, here is Jake's usual menu -

1) 1 spoon of high quality hedgie food
2) 1 spoon of high quality cat food
You are looking for cat food with more than 30% protein and less than 15% fat. Also no corn fillers as the first 5 ingredients
3) a spoon of fruit or veggie baby food
OR some cooked chicken, cooked turkey, or canned tuna
4) fresh fruit or veggie or hard boiled egg

also crickets and mealworms thrown a couple times a week to round it out.

Search some of the older threads for more diet info and brand names to look for and avoid.


Also, temp is a consideration. They need to be kept between 72 and 80 degrees. Too cold and your hedgie may start to hibernate (NOT good), warmer and they may just lay around.


Mmmm . . there is a starting point. Ask more questions! The people here have tons of answers. :)

[Ododad]

Teela, I see you've done your homework! :applause:

[teela1342]

Teela, I see you've done your homework! :applause:


Hey thanks. That means a lot to me. I have the basics down at least! :laugh:

[Love4Hedgies]

Yay for people doing their homework! You can look in my gallery for my set up if you wish. It's my girls', not my boy's. Congtrats on the new hedgie! :)

[horse_chic89]

i'd be careful with shavings, it can give them mites. if you want to continue usings them, i would suggest freezing them, or what i use is just a liner mad from vellux. for litter, i just rip up newspaper!

[Ododad]

Hey thanks. That means a lot to me. I have the basics down at least! :laugh:
The only thing is the canned tuna. Some hedgies are allergic to fish and fish products.

We need more responable people like you who research and study before getting an exotic animal, or any animal for that matter.
Your really doing a good job, keep it up!

[Ododad]

i'd be careful with shavings, it can give them mites. if you want to continue usings them, i would suggest freezing them, or what i use is just a liner mad from vellux. for litter, i just rip up newspaper!
True. I have changed to Aspen which is a hardwood instead of Pine, which is a softwood and I freeze my shavings too.