Archive-name: hedgehog-faq/part4
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Keywords: faq pet hedgehogs

Last-modified: 21 Dec 1995
Version: 2.8

HEDGEHOG FAQ (part 4 of 5) -- HEDGEHOGS AS PETS
Compiled and edited by Brian MacNamara (macnamara@pci.on.ca)
Additions, corrections, and suggestions for this file are welcomed
(in fact, desperately begged for, is probably closer to the truth)!

This document is copyright 1995 by Brian MacNamara.  See section 0.5
for authorship information and redistribution rights.  In short, you
can give it away, but you can't charge for it.

The basic Hedgehog FAQ has five parts, all of which should be available
from wherever you obtained this one.  A complete table of contents for
all five parts is given in part I.

Please note:  I am not a hedgehog expert (in fact I am a relative novice), 
and I did not write, or verify, all the information in this FAQ.  I have 
done my best to include only accurate and useful information, but I cannot 
guarantee the correctness of what is contained in this FAQ, regardless of 
the source, or even that it will not be harmful to you or your hedgehog in 
some way.  For advice from an expert, I recommend you consult the books 
listed in part 2 [2.1], or, especially in the case of a suspected medical 
problem, a veterinarian who is familiar with hedgehogs.

------------------------------

Subject: CONTENTS OF THIS FILE

5. *** Things you'll need ***

   <5.1> What will I need to take care of my new hedgehog?
   <5.2> Do I need a cage?  How should I set it up?
   <5.3> The pet store uses wood shavings as bedding.  Should I?
   <5.4> What kind of litter should I use?
   <5.5> Hedgehog Handling
   <5.6> Any suggestions on toys?

6. *** Basic hedgehog care and training ***

   <6.1> How can I best hedgehogproof my home?
   <6.2> What should I feed my hedgehog?
   <6.3> What are good treats?
   <6.4> I'm having problems litter-training my hedgehog.  What should 
         I be doing?
   <6.5> Any suggestions on bathing, cleaning ears, and clipping nails?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

5. *** Things you'll need ***

------------------------------

Subject: <5.1> What will I need to take care of my new hedgehog?

There are very few things that are essential to keep a pet hedgehog.  
Basically a warm place to live (either a large cage/pen) or room (if
you want to let your hedgehog run free), a food dish (preferably one
that is not easy to tip over), a water bottle, such as for Guinea pigs,
(water dishes can tend to become soiled and baby hedgehogs, can easily 
drown in them, but adults often like them), and last but not least 
something big enough for your hedgehog to hide in as a den.

It is also a good idea to have a shallow litter box or pan (although not
all hedgehogs seem inclined to use them), and some type of bedding (pine
shavings or clean straw).

An exercise wheel [5.6] (big enough for a hedgehog) is also recommended --
especially for hedgehogs that don't have the run of the house.  Hedgehogs
tend to be surprisingly energetic, and need the chance to use this energy.

------------------------------

Subject: <5.2> Do I need a cage?  How should I set it up?

This is largely a matter of choice.  Some hedgehog owners wouldn't dream of
caging their prickly little friends, while most breeders use large cat
carriers to keep their hoards in (one hedgehog, one carrier).

I personally use a large wire cage that was intended for medium to large
dogs as a home for my hedgehog, measuring about 2' wide x 3' deep x 2' high
(frankly I wouldn't put a dog bigger than a Chihuahua in something this 
size, but it claims it's designed for collies and similar!).

You should be careful to make sure the grating in the cage you use leaves
narrow enough holes that your hedgehog can't get out, or even get his head
wedged in between the wires.  Chicken wire is probably not a very safe 
choice.  Hedgehogs will often attempt to escape with an astounding amount
of vigour and can be quite single minded about doing so.  Younger hedgehogs
can easily get out of cages with openings between the wires as small as 
1/2" (1.5 cm) -- trust me on this, Sprocket has earned the middle name
Houdini for just this achievement.

Bedding, such as pine shavings [5.3] is recommended in any cage, and most 
importantly, some sort of place to hide is needed.  

The most frequently recommended den is a section of 4" (or 6" for larger 
hedgehogs) diameter PVC (plastic) plumbing pipe.  You can get this at almost 
any hardware or plumbing store for a couple of dollars.

For a home, or den, what I use are two wicker bread baskets (about 4" x 6" 
and 2-3" deep) tied securely together with a door cut towards one end (about 
3" x 3").  Velcro prefers this over either the PVC pipe home, or a hollow log.

A word of caution about using old socks or cloth with a loose weave to it:

    Don't use anything fabric for them to hide in.  I did have an old sock...
    Koosh liked to climb inside it, but the vet told me of an instance where
    a hedgehog got his leg caught in a thread, tried to get out, only made it
    worse, and the thread ended up slicing through her flesh to the bone.  He
    said he was able to save the leg, though.  --  Kathleen Close

Here are a few suggestion that Nathan Tenny had for housing:
    An adult can live in a ten-gallon aquarium, though things get kind of
    cramped (and with that little space, they really need a wheel [5.6], 
    which in turn eats up a lot of space).  A long 20-gallon tank should 
    be OK, and bigger is better (in the wild, they have home ranges of a 
    few square miles, so more space than that is wasted).
    
Cages at the large end of being suitable for Guinea pigs or rabbits
are likely fine.  Keep in mind that hedgehogs like to explore, and they 
are great escape artists.  They can climb anything they can get their 
claws hooked into, and by rolling into a ball and leaning forward, they 
can manage to get down quite safely from virtually any height that didn't 
need a long ladder to get them up to.

If you are not certain the place you are trying to keep your hedgehog in 
is warm enough to keep him from going into hibernation [7.3], you might 
want to consider placing a heating pad (on its LOWEST setting) under the 
part of the pen where your hedgehog sleeps.  Make sure your hedgehog is 
not going to come directly into contact with the heating pad, and that he 
has the ability to get to an area away from it, should it be too warm for 
him.

Other suggestions from Katherine Long are to use heating elements intended 
for lizards, or those for keeping germinating seeds warm.  These may be
much safer than a standard drugstore type heating pad.

    Ambergris much prefers to sleep under a thick towel rather than in 
    her pipe.  Actually the towel is draped over a half hollow log and 
    the pipe on top of the pad that is on top of the lizard warmer pad.  
    She crawls between the towel and the pad cover, in preference to 
    anywhere else.  -- Katherine Long

Feel free to be inventive when it comes to keeping your hedgehog warm during
the cooler months of the year.  As long as there is a warm area where your
hedgehog's den is, and you haven't created a fire hazard or some other 
pending disaster, you can pretty much use your imagination when it comes
to impromptu heaters.

------------------------------

Subject: <5.3> The pet store uses wood shavings as bedding.  Should I?

Yes you can.  In addition to wood shavings making for a more comfortable 
place to root and burrow around in, many hedgehogs are not overly particular 
as to where they defecate.  Using shavings makes cleaning up after them 
quite a bit easier.

I have seen numerous warnings against using cedar shavings, especially for
baby or young hedgehogs where the strong aroma can actually overpower and
even kill them.  Here are some words of experience from Nathan Tenny:

    We're using pine shavings as a substrate, and all seems well.  DO NOT 
    USE CEDAR; we have known people to lose hedgehogs because of keeping 
    them on cedar shavings.  DO NOT USE CEDAR.  (To the best of our 
    knowledge, pine shavings are safe; if you're concerned about wood 
    shavings, per se, the safest route would be to keep them on blank 
    newsprint.  Aspen shavings, which are thoroughly non-aromatic, 
    should also be perfectly safe.)

I have to admit that when I acquired Velcro at 8 months of age, he came in 
a cat carrier complete with a bedding of cedar shavings and has been none 
the worse for wear from it, although I have used pine shavings ever since.
Everything I have seen strongly urges the use of pine shavings, which, at
least where I buy my pet supplies, are also cheaper than cedar.  The only
possible downside might be that you don't have what many people consider
to be the pleasant cedar scent, and pine maybe slightly more dusty (though 
this last point likely depends more on which brand of each you compare). 

Mike McGary has the following words of wisdom on further advantages of
using Aspen shavings:

    One of the benefits of Aspen shavings is that they are digestible.
    This can prevent problems resulting from eating the bedding (our
    babies have all eaten some bedding).

For those of you who want an alternative to wood shavings, Kathleen Close 
passed along the following idea, courtesy of her veterinarian:

    Use terrarium lining or astroturf.  It's much cheaper in the long run.
    He suggested buying two lengths, washing them about every 3 days, and 
    while one is drying, put the second one in.

------------------------------

Subject: <5.4> What kind of litter should I use?

When it comes to the litter box, the only concern is that you do NOT use
a clumping type litter.  Clumping litter can stick to your hedgehog when
s/he uses the litter box, forming almost a layer of cement, which can 
quickly prevent urination.

Almost any brand of non-clumping type cat litter is relatively safe. 
A clay based litter may be preferable, as most hedgehogs like to dig in 
it, as they would in soft soil or sand. Here again, you should ask the 
expert (your hedgehog) for his/her preference.

It is apparently possible for even non-clumping litter to become caked on,
so you should check your hedgehog frequently.  

    I have seen clay litter clump on one of our hedgehogs.  I let her
    walk around in the tub full of shallow water until it is softened
    enough to remove gently.  -- Mike McGary

------------------------------

Subject: <5.5> Hedgehog Handling

There's an old joke that goes: 

    Question: How do you pick up a hedgehog? 
    Answer:   Carefully!

Actually the original tends to deal more with the mating habits, of our
little friends, but I'm sure you get the point (or would that be points?).

One of the points I have missed in the FAQ is the need for handling pet
hedgehogs to familiarize them with you.  Until now, this section has deal
primarily with the technical side of the rather thorny question of how
to handle a hedgehog, rather than why.

Hedgehogs tend to be very nervous by nature and do not enjoy natures best
eyesight.  As a result, they tend to find their way around using smell as
their primary sense.  When you first get a hedgehog as a pet, it is important
that your new friend come to identify your smell with that of a friend.  The
best way to do this is to spend as much time as you reasonably can (without
over stressing the hedgehog) and gently hold or play with him.  Hedgehogs
that are throughly familiar with their human friends tend to be a lot
friendlier in most cases -- although it depends on the hedgehog as it does
with any animal with a personality (or should that be critterality?).

It is also important to keep up the contact, to maintain the bond.  Spending
some time with your hedgehogs every couple of nights should do the job.  
Clearly, doing so almost daily is better, but reality rarely lets you do
this.

What do you do when you just won't have the chance to spend as much quality
time with the hedgekids as you want, or if you've just got a new hedgehog and
want to do everything possible to help get him used to you?  Here is a tip
from Dave Ehrnstein, who as a fairly large breeder doesn't have the time to
spend with each and every new hedgehog:

    Another way to aquaint them with your scent is to wear an old t-shirt
    for two days, then put it in their cage.  They will nest under it, and
    your scent will become "homey" to them, not threatening.

You should be careful that there are no loose loops of thread on the shirt
that hedgefeet can get caught in and to at least check on the hedgehog daily,
but otherwise this idea will help aquaint your new friend with your smell,
and settle him into his new home.

Now on to the "how do I pick up a pincushion with the points all facing out"
section.

Picking up a hedgehog, or otherwise handing him is difficult, at least
until he gets to know your smell.  Because of this, there is one cardinal
rule about hedgehog handling and that is "never wear gloves."  If you do,
your hedgehog will never become used to you, and your smell.

The recommended way to pick up a hedgehog is with one hand at each side
of him, then bring your hands gently together to cup him.  Never grasp a
hedgehog in a way that could allow any of your fingers to be caught in the
middle should he decide to roll into a ball.  Being in the middle of a 
hedgehog ball is an extremely painful experience -- it's truly astounding
just how strong their muscles are [words of a single, never to be repeated,
unfortunate experience by the editor].

Aside from all the difficulties, it is important to handle your hedgehog
frequently, so that he can become familar with your smell (or keep familar
with it), and hence come to know you as a friend, instead of a large quill-
less hedgehog eating critter.

------------------------------

Subject: <5.6> Any suggestions on toys?

Hedgehogs like to explore, and in spite of appearing to have almost 
nothing in the leg department, their legs are actually quite long (as you 
may be amazed to see during scratching and/or the contortions that accompany
self-anointing [7.1]).  Whether because of their long legs (or maybe that's 
why they are so long...), hedgehogs like to explore and run, and enjoy 
running on wheels.  Here are a few thoughts on this from Nathan Tenny, 
including some rough pointers on making your own:

    They adore exercise wheels, and will run upwards of five miles a 
    night (at a top speed of 12 mph!); their feet get stuck in the 
    regular wire wheels, though, and screen is hard to clean (they 
    seem to like defecating while on the move, which makes sense, I 
    guess).  We've begun making wooden wheels out of popsicle sticks 
    and cross-stitch circles (the 12" size; 10" is just slightly too 
    small).  The axle is a thin dowel, and the spokes are just lengths
    of plywood (1" x 0.5", I think).  Depending on where it's being
    set up, such a wheel can be mounted in a bunch of different ways
    --- hung from the top of the tank [or cage], for instance.

Chuck Stoup recently passed along the following variation on building a wheel
that looks great (I plan to try this method out shortly on a wheel for 
Sprocket):

    Over the weekend I made a hedgehog wheel as described in the hedgehog 
    FAQ.  I made several improvements that I thought I'd share with everyone. 

    On the FAQ the treadmill was made with popsicle sticks.  I picked up some 
    of the plastic grid in the sewing store that is used for yarn rugs and 
    the like.  I cut several strips the width of the treadmill and used a
    string to tie them together so its length was just longer than the
    circumference of the embroidery hoops.  I used 2 9" hoops.  Then I 
    wrapped the plastic mesh around the inner hoops and secured it with the 
    outer hoop and tightened.  Then I cut some sand paper lengthwise just 
    wide enough to fit in the treadmill of the wheel.  I used a hot glue gun 
    to hold the paper down.  Brillo seems to really like it.

    I used sand paper for two reasons.  The first was the author of the FAQ 
    mentioned about this great adhesive quality of hedgehog dung and how 
    they seem to defecate on the run.  I figured sand paper would make an
    excellent surface that I can remove and discard when it gets too dirty. 
    The plastic wont mind getting wet either.  The other reason I used sand
    paper was I figured if Brillo used it she would wear down her nails and 
    I would not have to trim her.

When I asked Chuck about using this information he also sent along the some
more good ideas:

    As you know, I used that plastic mesh for the running surface, but I 
    didn't have spokes that I thought were any good.  At one point I decided 
    that the same plastic mesh would make a good set of spokes.  I cut two 
    pieces shaped like a cross and tied the tips of the cross to the mesh on
    the wheel.  To mount the axle I bought some eye-lets for clothing and 
    swaged them in the center of the mesh as a hub and used a coat hanger as 
    an axle.  Runs very smoothly with no noise.

I'm not sure about using the 9" hoops (ours are 14", and that seems just 
right), but that depends entirely on the size of your hedgehog.  The whole 
idea certainly sounds easier than the popsicle stick method.

From Chris Twedt come more ideas on Do It Yourself hedgehog wheels:

    We bought a Ferret wheel at the local pet shop - they're like hamster
    wheels, only about 10" in diameter instead of 6" (some say ferret
    wheel, some call them rat wheels).  We also got some plastic canvas
    from  a craft shop - the kind used to make needlepoint and
    cross-stitching stuff.  It's flexible plastic with a gridwork of holes
    and comes in a variety of colors (we used black so it wouldn't show
    dirt).  We cut wheel-wide strips of the plastic canvas and sewed them
    inside the wheel, so the hhog would run on it instead of on the wire
    cross-spokes.  Our wheel ended up being 33 canvas squares across, and
    it took 2 1/3 strips to go all the way around the inside.  

    We also took some plastic aquarium tubing (the clear plastic stuff used
    to get air to ornaments and such), slit it open on one side, slipped it
    over the cross supports of the wheel (where the stand goes in), and
    hot-glued it in place to make a little bit of a buffer in case Brillo
    turned her head and got hit by the metal cross supports while she was
    running.

Kathy and Donald Zepp have also allowed me to add their variation on the
do it yourself hedgehog wheel:

    We have made wheels for our herd of 60 Hhogs by weaving plastic gutter
    screen through the metal bars of commercial wheels.  This stuff (designed
    to keep leaves out of gutters) is cheap, easy to work with, easy to clean,
    readily available, and seems to provide perfectly adequate footing.  We
    simply scissor-cut it to length, weave it in & out, and then fasten the
    ends together with a little hot glue.  Quick, cheap, & easy. 

One last variation on the D.I.Y. wheel comes from Ken Steigenberger:

    About the running wheels.  What I do, from the advice of a friend, is 
    cut a length of old jean material and weave it through every third or 
    fourth spoke.  Josie seems to have no problem with this.  I also have 
    three or four extra strips. changing them every two days.  Then all I 
    have to do is wash them on laundry day.


For those of you who do not feel up to tackling the job of constructing
your own, Katherine Long has passed along the following source for 
purchasing the "RoundAbout Playwheel for hedgehogs":

    Balanced Innovations
    20560 SE 159th St.
    Renton, WA  98059

    1-800-738-7869          
    (206) 204-7808

    $23 U.S. each, plus approx. $6 UPS shipping
    discounts available on 6 or more wheels

    They will also make custom size wheels for 15% more.

The prices and address shown were valid as of approximately October 1995.  Jon 
Santarelli, who provided part of the new address/phone number, reported that 
shipping cost to Chicago was $3.55.

Balanced Innovations wheels are also available from the Ain't No Creek Ranch 
[2.8].

All is not wonderful with hedgehog wheels -- there are a couple of serious 
problems that need to be considered.  

(1) It is necessary that the wheel have a solid surface, not just a set of 
    wires running across it as on most wheels for hamsters, gerbils, etc.  
    Without this, your hedgehog will get his legs caught in the wheel, 
    and/or develop sores, or other problems.  Having a solid wheel leads
    us to the next problem.

(2) Hedgehogs tend to leave their droppings all over their wheels:

        There's still one pending problem with the hedgehog wheels I've seen:
        Hedgehogs tend to defecate on the run (reasonable enough), and the 
        wheel eventually gets pretty icky.  If you don't clean it, so does 
        the hedgehog.  Unfortunately, hedgehog feces stick to wood fairly 
        effectively (that's quite the understatement -- I'm thinking of 
        marketing it as a new extra strong glue -- ed.).  A heavy coat of 
        enamel paint makes them easier to clean off, but I'd sure like to 
        find a surface that they'll just wipe away from.  Teflon wheels?

        Here's my fiancee's suggestion: If you live near a glass supply 
        store, you'll find that they sell sheets of a sort of sticky 
        vinyl---intended as masking for people who sandblast glass.
        Anyway, we have one wheel that has strips of this stuff along it, 
        for traction, and she says that the strips are noticeably easier 
        to clean than the plain wheel.  Just a thought.  
        -- Nathan Tenny

    I have tried a number of things with limited success.  Velcro's wheel
    is currently lined with some cheap vinyl placemats (the smooth, shiny,
    padded kind) that have been cut into strips and stuck together with
    anti-slip strips (sort of like self adhesive sandpaper to put on stairs
    and things to keep people from sliding away).  The anti-slip strips are
    there as a vain attempt to help Velcro keep his nails worn down a little.
    Initial indications are that it isn't too slippery, and definitely 
    passes the Velcro approval test (by that, I mean it needs a through
    cleaning most mornings)!

(3) Pad any spokes you have on your wheel.  Hedgehogs have a tendency to
    suddenly look around to the sides and behind while they are running,
    to see how far they've gone.  This almost always results in getting
    hit in the face with a spoke from the wheel.  Unfortunately I know
    of at least one hedgehog who has lost an eye because of this (the
    hedgehog is fine -- it was properly treated by a vet).  The only
    sensible solution I can see is to pad the spokes so that they don't
    cause injuries when they hit, or if you are really inventive, maybe
    design a spokeless wheel, maybe suspended on a roller from the top
    of the cage?

As far as other toys go, hedgehogs do like to climb, even on something
as low as a hollow log turned upside down.  Be careful that your hedgehog
isn't likely to fall and hurt itself.  I would also expect that wire 
frame climbing levels, as are in some cages available for small animals 
would be better off being covered with something to make a solid surface
(to keep busy little hedgehog legs from slipping through and getting
caught).
    
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6. *** Basic hedgehog care and training ***

------------------------------

Subject: <6.1> How can I best hedgehogproof my home?

Simple, make sure there's nothing to climb onto, off of, into, or out of,
nothing that can fall, and finally no kryptonite.  A little too much to
ask, you say?  Oh well, let's try for a more realistic approach based on
what hedgehogs will try to do if allowed to run free.

A free roaming hedgehog will climb anything it can get its claws hooked 
into.  They are also not afraid of jumping off household cliffs (we call
these precipices counters and tables) by simply rolling into a ball and 
leaning forward, using the quills as springs for landing.  That pretty
much means your hedgehog needs run of the floor, and if you have stairs,
you will either have to block them or keep him on the lowest floor.

Next, hedgehogs will get under just about anything they can.  This includes
any piece of furniture that has any more than about a 1" gap between it and
the floor.  The problem here isn't so much the hedgehog getting under there,
but that there may be dust or other things accumulated there that are not
good for your hedgehog.

The best guide is probably to get down to the hedgehog's level and try
to imagine any place your frisky little friend might even consider trying
to get into, and what it would be like.

Beyond keeping these activities in mind, make sure your hedgehog has a warm
place that's easily accessible for a den, as well as access to water and
food.  Hedgehogs will usually prefer to leave their droppings on wood
shavings or a similar bedding, if, that is, you are as successful (or 
rather unsuccessful) as I have been in the litter box training department
(at least with Velcro).

    Although Ambergris has sawdust that she uses 1/2 the time, she also 
    has chosen 2 other spots in her room for droppings.  I put paper 
    towels there.  So far that is working great and she is not tracking 
    saw dust everywhere.  -- Katherine Long

------------------------------

Subject: <6.2> What should I feed my hedgehog?

   Anything he wants, preferably MEALWORMS and CREAM!!!  -- Velcro

Sigh, that's what happens when I ask for the advice of a hedgehog.

Recently, properly developed "hedgehog food" has started to appear on
the market.  It is very likely that this will provide the best diet for
a pet hedgehog, or barring this, possibly "insectivore food" is likely
to be a very good alternative.  

Peyton Creadick kindly sent the following information on the Hedgehog food 
produced by Pretty Bird International Inc.:

     Pretty Bird International Inc.
     Stacy Minnesota 55079

     1-800-356-5020

   The following analysis is for the High energy Breeder Diet which is
   what I keep mine on. It says to keep males on the maintenance diet and
   females on the breeder.  It comes in 8 and 20 lb bags and it is red and 
   smells fruity like all Pretty Bird stuff (UGH!). 

     Crude fat...8%....min
     Crude Protein 32%...min
     Crude fiber 4%...max
     Moisture..10%...max
     
   Ignore the red stool that starts after they have been on it a week or so 
   and the stool colour goes away after a week or so.

   -- Peyton Creadick

Unfortunately, true hedgehog food is not available everywhere, and recently
there have been suggestions that it might not be the best thing, at least on
its own, so the next best thing is to feed your hedgehogs high quality cat, 
kitten, or ferret food, such as Hill's Science Diet, IAMS, or Pro Plan.  Both 
dry and canned food should be provided, as this most closely matches what 
their natural diet would be like.  

Most breeders I have talked to use cat food with very good results, so while 
it may not be the most optimal diet for hedgehogs, now that other options
are coming available, many happy, healthy, long-lived hedgehogs have thrived 
on cat and dog food since the dawn of pet hedgehogs.  

Hedgehogs are insectivores, and as a result are essentially carnivorous, as 
opposed to Guinea pigs, rabbits, and most small rodents, which are generally 
vegetarian.  

    An average adult hedgehog will eat "a couple of teaspoonfuls of dry 
    food in the morning, and the same at night, along with a spoonful of 
    wet food and a vitamin supplement (Vionate)." -- Nathan Tenny

    [Nathan has since suggested that adults get] just wet and dry food 
    in the evening.  The two feeding schedule seems to be useful for
    young animals, but our adults started getting plump on it.
    -- Nathan Tenny

Another diet that has been suggested is to use high quality dog food
(especially frozen varieties), with cottage cheese as a supplement.

Cottage cheese also makes for a good treat on occasion, even if you don't
use it as part of the standard diet.

Here are a couple of comments on diet from Cathy A. Johnson-Delaney, DVM:

    I was very glad to see you mention ferret food, as commercial ferret 
    food is far closer to an insectivore/carnivore diet than feline 
    science diet - either growth or maintenance. I like a modification of 
    the diet used by the San Jose Zoo (published in the Journal of Small 
    Exotic Animal Med) - I substitute Bird of Prey diet with the ferret 
    chow (three different brands).

Here are some more thoughts and suggestions from Nathan Tenny on food
and supplements:

    They should eat fruit, but many don't want to; various fruit-based 
    baby foods seem a little more palatable.  Cottage cheese is a good 
    semi-regular source of calcium, but seems to cause diarrhea if they 
    eat too much too often.  We haven't yet gotten ours to eat crickets, 
    but we're assured that they will if we keep offering them, and they're 
    supposed to be very good for them.  They'll also eat earthworms and 
    pinky mice, and possibly mealworms (though the last are reputed to 
    cause intestinal blockages).

Other sources and hedgehog owners I've heard from frequently offer 
mealworms as treats with no apparent ill effects, but I suspect they 
might not be a good recommendation as the sole source of food for a 
hedgehog.

    Mealworms are used as a treat.  So far she won't eat crickets and 
    earthworms cause anointing.  She will eat the occasional flake of 
    oatmeal which is substrate for the mealworms and will chew and then 
    spit out Kale.  -- Katherine Long

The following thoughts on proper diet for hedgehogs were sent along to me
by Willard B. "Skip" Nelson, DVM.  While I agree with his suggestions, 
including limiting cat food, I would also like to point out that all of the
breeders I've talked with, and heard about have had their herds thrive on
a diet of cat and dog food.  Also, the N.A.H.A. recommends a diet of cat/dog
food.  I think the answer is to aim as close to the ideal as you can, but
know that your hedgehog can do quite well on the basic catfood/dogfood diet,
just watch out that your hedgehog doesn't become a hedgeball.  That said, 
let's take a look at what Dr. Nelson has to offer:

    Zoos have worked for years on insectivore diets and have yet to agree 
    on the best mix, but they do not bother trying to raise, breed or
    maintain hedgehogs on cat food, as is being touted around currently.  
    Indeed, they rarely use more than 20 or 30% cat food, even in small cat 
    diets, but that hasn't stopped the ferret and hedgehog people from 
    trying.  I see obesity as the main problem in cat food diets, but one 
    day we will have more data.  Dr. Anthony Smith recommends a mix of bird 
    of prey diet, diced fruit, vegetables, some dog or cat food, crickets 
    and mealworms.  He notes diets including mice and other exotic 
    ingredients, and cautions feeding proper Calcium Phosphorous ratio of 
    1.2-1.5:1.

    Pet trade magazines attempt to promote cat food, claiming that "although
    insectivorous, the hedgehog could be considered as a carnivore under 
    captive conditions."  What does it do, change its dietary needs when 
    brought into a domestic setting? I doubt it!

    Drs Wallach & Boever describe their  diet including a variety of insects,
    worms, small vertebrates, carrion and small roots and plant material. 
    They recommend zoo diets with a maximum of 30% commercial cat or dog 
    foods.  The rest is meats, insects and mice.

    I recommend an insectivore diet from Reliable Protein, 70-105 Frank 
    Sinatra Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270-2202.  But I don't recommend that 
    clients write for information and then try to decide whether or not to 
    feed it.  The public is being hoodwinked into believing that they are 
    Phd's in nutrition and can read a label list of ingredients or a crude 
    analysis and make meaningful decisions, its much more involved than 
    that, and I don't know who has written any good material on the "pop 
    nutrition" craze to put it into proper perspective.

Dr. Nelson's final comment is even easier to apply to other pets, and even
ourselves.  It's probably best to look for recommendation by a veterinarian
association, when trying to determine quality, rather than trying to second
guess what is good based on what "someone who wants to sell you something"
says.  Also, remember, what's healthy for you, might be really bad for your
pets (and, um, er, vice versa -- just in case it isn't obvious).

One last point, feeding a hedgehog a purely vegetarian diet is nothing short 
of deliberate cruelty.  The proteins and nutrients necessary to keep your 
hedgehog healthy cannot be gotten from a purely vegetarian diet, so please 
don't try it.  

------------------------------

Subject: <6.3> What are good treats?

There are a number of different things that can be given to hedgehogs as
treats -- but all in moderation.  Among the things that hedgehogs like
as treats are occasional small amounts of fresh fruit, and from personal
experience I can tell you that Velcro, my hedgehog, will kill for a mealworm
or a small taste of cream, and loves raisins (but he generally just chews
on them rather than actually eating much).  

Other ideas are crickets, hardboiled egg which is finely chopped, and cottage 
cheese.  Mealworms are available from many pet stores and are also available 
by mail order (at least in the U.S.) from companies like Rainbow Mealworms 
[2.1].

While small amounts of these are great as treats, beware that they should
not given as the mainstay of the diet, nor too often, as they do not provide
all the necessary proteins and nutrients needed to keep your hedgehog 
healthy.

It is also possible for a hedgehog to briefly suffer from diarrhea after
imbibing too much in these treats.  This is generally not harmful, but
indicates that too much of a good thing isn't.  If the condition persists,
consult a veterinarian.

------------------------------

Subject: <6.4> I'm having problems litter-training my hedgehog.  What should 
         I be doing?

I wish I knew the answer to this one!  Velcro insists that one's so called 
master is there for the express purpose of feeding tasty tidbits then 
cleaning up the results wherever he decides to leave them.  As for the
litter box, well that's just a playpen for digging in, isn't it?  On the other
hand, Sprocket seemed to just naturally seek out and use a litter box, so 
there was no training involved.  Now if I could get her to teach Velcro some
manners!

That having been said, the recommended approach (which has not received the 
Velcro stamp of approval, I might add) is to add some of the droppings to
the litter box while cleaning the cage or pen.  The thought is to give the 
hedgehog the idea that the litter box is where this stuff is supposed to go.

In all seriousness, I suspect that hedgehogs which are taught from birth to
use a litter box, will generally do so quite happily, while those that have
not been taught, or didn't receive adequate training while quite young may
not be keen on using the litter box, but persistence may pay off eventually.

For what it is worth, cleaning up hedgehog droppings is not exactly a
difficult or messy task.  In a pen with pine shavings it is simply a matter
of quickly sifting though the shavings with a cat litter scoop to clean up 
the droppings.  Fortunately, there is virtually no odour, and the droppings 
are big enough to clean up easily.

------------------------------

Subject: <6.5> Any suggestions on bathing, cleaning ears, and clipping nails?

Some of the literature I've seen suggests that you should not bathe a
hedgehog unless it is absolutely necessary, because there is a chance
of drowning.  This is especially critical for babies and young animals.
However, I have been told by a couple of hedgehog owners that not only 
is it not a problem to bathe adults, but that they can often enjoy swimming
in a pan or tub of shallow water (preferably on a warm day).

If you do bathe your little friend (say, because your hedgehog got into 
something he shouldn't have), you must make very sure he has a warm dry
place with no draughts to dry off in (after you do your best to dry him
off with a towel first).  As far as shampoo goes, if you really must use 
one, make sure it is formulated for pets, preferably something like ferrets 
or cats.

It is occasionally necessary to clean their ears.  This is best done by a
Q-tip moistened with mineral oil.  It is also preferable to have a patient 
(or is that tolerant) hedgehog.  If you do clean their ears, you must be
very careful.  

Hedgehog nails can get quite long and if your hedgehog doesn't manage to 
wear them down normally, they may need to be clipped.  As with any health 
related concern, the best cure of all is prevention.  It is likely a good 
idea to provide your hedgehog with a rough surface like a flat rock that 
will work like an emery board as he scurries around.  This may not 
guarantee you won't have to clip his nails, but it can certainly help.

Okay, let's say your attempt at a natural manicure doesn't do the job -- how
do you go about doing it the hard way?

    Hedgehogs' nails do, indeed, need to be trimmed occasionally.  The 
    crescent-shaped nail clippers that are used for dogs [and cats] work 
    well.  The hard part, of course, is getting to the nails---you have to 
    seize the hog's foot and hold on for dear life, letting it struggle to 
    its heart's content.  It will put up a terrific fight, but it won't hurt 
    itself.  -- Nathan Tenny

It's a good idea to keep a septic pencil or stick on hand when clipping
hedgehog nails, just in case you accidently cut too close to the quick and
find your little friend bleeding.  These can be found in most drug stores
amongst the shaving supplies.

Now, what you do about doctoring your hands (which, no doubt, have been
severely prickled) is beyond me... :-)  This is probably one of the few
times that justifies wearing gloves while handing your hedgehog, but keep
in mind that you should avoid gloves any other time unless absolutely
necessary [5.5].

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

-- 
My opinions belong to me and my company can't have them!
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