Hedgehog Shopping List

Hedgehog Shopping List

Below is shopping list of items that we recommend buying for your hedgehog:
(Note: These items can be purchased at stores other than the ones listed, but we have found these stores to have the best prices and are found in the most areas in the United States.)

Required Items: (You do not need the exact items listed below, but something comparable is required to properly house and care for a hedgehog...And obviously only one full size cage is needed...)

In the box	Large Wire Cage* - This is the largest of the Super Pets brand cages. It is sold at PetsMart and many other pet stores. The cage is 40.5" long and is the cage that we recommend the most if your budget and space allow. As you can see in this picture there is plenty of room for a hide house, food dish, and exercise wheel. This gives a single hedgehog plenty of room for exercise and to have a separate potty area. If you purchase 2 females and intend to keep them together, this would be the size you would need. Any smaller would be too small!
In the box	Medium Wire Cage* - This is another cage option - the Medium Super Pets brand cage and is 30" long. This is a good size for a single hedgehog, although if your budget and space allows we recommend the larger cage shown above. It is also sold by PetsMart and many other pet stores. This cage has room for a wheel, but the space is a little tighter than the larger cage shown above.
Not pictured	*Storage Container* *Cage -** If a wire cage is out of your price range then a good alternative is a Sterilite or Rubbermaid type of storage container. The size needed is at least 30" long and at least 13" deep to accommodate an exercise wheel. To give proper ventilation the top may be cut out and window screen hot glued to fit the opening. But the lid may be left off completely as long as the container is deep enough to prevent the hedgehog from climbing out (with a hiding house inside that depth would need to be at least 10" above the height of the house). Also, if you own cats, dogs, small children, or other pets that are allowed to roam in the house then a lid would be needed.
	Hiding Place* - The product pictured is called an "Igloo" and is sold at PetsMart and many other pet stores. This is the medium sized one that would fit an adult guinea pig. Do not buy the smaller ones that are for hamsters, a hedgehog may fit in the small size as a baby, but will quickly out grow it. There is also an oval, rabbit sized one, but we have found that hedgehogs do not like this size because it is too spacious and does not give that closed-in feeling that they prefer. Another very inexpensive option would be just to use a shoe box without the lid, turned upside down, and with a hole cut in the side for the hedgehog to enter...You just need to change it out every month or so as it becomes dirty.
	Water Bottle - The one pictured is a rabbit sized water bottle that was bought at PetsMart. Smaller ones can be used as well. We like ones that are fairly see-through so that the water level and the cleanliness of the bottle can be seen easily. When using water bottles always remember to tighten the lid very tight to prevent dripping which would saturate the bedding. We have owned and bred hundreds of hedgehogs over the years and have never had one break their teeth on a water bottle as some other breeders suggest can happen. These breeders recommend using water dishes. If you use a water dish it must be cleaned and refilled more than 3 times during the night since they are so active and will walk right through their dishes tracking droppings or bedding into the dish and, thus, contaminating the water. The chances of the dish being spilled early in the night and the hedgehog having no water the rest of the night are also very high.
	Food Dish - The one pictured is 2" tall and 4" wide. It was bought at PetsMart and can be found in the small animal section or the cat sections of the store. The food dish does need to be heavy enough to prevent the hedgehog from repeatedly tipping it and wasting their food. If the dish is too deep the hedgehog can not reach the food. We have found that all plastic types of food dishes are too easily tipped and food is wasted, so it is best to start with a heavy crock type dish from the start.
	Exercise Wheel - The one pictured is a brand called the Comfort Wheel. PetsMart sells this brand, as well as, many other pet stores. They come in an assortment of colors and sizes. The size needed for hedgehogs is 12 inches in diameter and can be found in the chinchilla section at PetsMart. Many people mistakenly buy the smaller, hamster sized ones which are much too small for an adult hedgehog. We like this brand because it has a grooved surface, are extremely easy to clean, and do not warp like the bucket wheels do. They also do not squeak like an all metal wheel will, although, they do make a "whoring" sound similar to a clothes drier...It can be disruptive to light sleepers and for that reason we do not recommend housing a hedgehog in a bedroom since they are nocturnal and like to run the most at night. There is a new type of "flying saucer" wheel that is supposed to be silent, but we have found that it is too stiff and does not "run" well for a hedgehog...A larger, stronger animal like a chinchilla would be better suited for it (although it is plastic and would be chewed up in a matter of a week). Also, the wheel can not be attached to the cage so it moves around the cage too much while the hedgehog is trying to run on it. Our hedgehogs that run non-stop on their Comfort Wheels gave up within minutes trying to use it. We do not recommend the Bucket Wheels since they are very hard to clean and provide no gripping surface for the hedgehog to run on...Out of the hundreds of hedgehogs we have owned we have never had any rub their feet raw on the Comfort Wheel's gripping surface, but we have had several hedgehogs develop leg problems from not being able to run well on the Bucket Wheels...We also feel that the Comfort Wheel is very safe for hedgehogs and can easily be taken off the stand and fastened to a wire cage with the clips that come with the wheel...It also can easily be attached to a Plastic Container cage with some modifications made to the side of the container (please e-mail for descriptions on how to do this...pictures and instructions coming soon)...
Not pictured	Bedding - We prefer kiln dried wood/pine shavings (NOT CEDAR), but other good options include recycled newspaper products, such as CareFresh and Yesterday's News. Aspen is also another good choice and it does not need to be kiln dried. Do not buy pine wood shavings or compressed pine pellets for cat litter that have not been kiln dried. The pine oils are acidic and over time will cause lung damage in your pet leading to possibly fatal results.
	Food - We have been feeding Purina One Cat Food - Chicken & Rice Formula as the primary diet for our hedgehogs for the past 6 years with excellent results. (Always supplement any pre-made diet with fresh veggies and small amounts of fruit and mealworms to provide variety to the pet's diet...See our Hedgehog General Care page for further information about feeding hedgehogs properly.)
	Travel Carrier - The one pictured is a small Rubbermaid container that we drilled holes into (top picture with the lid on and bottom picture without lid shown with a hedgehog inside for size comparison). A larger shoe box with air holes punched into it will work just fine as well. Also, cat carriers or other small animal carriers that most pet stores sell will work great, too. It is a good idea to keep something on hand at all times in case of emergency when you might need to transport your pet to a vet quickly. It is also handy to keep something around to put your pet into while cleaning the cage.
Not pictured	Thermometer - Should be used to keep track of the temperature near your hedgehog's cage. Since house temperatures vary by location it is always a good idea to use a thermometer at the cage site at all times. We like the digital kinds that keep track of the high and low temperature for a 24 hour period of time. A floating fish thermometer can be used temporarily to take a reading inside the cage where the hedgehog sleeps, but should never be left in the cage because the glass can break and mercury can spill out.
	Small Animal Heating Pad - This is only required if the place you are planning to keep your hedgehog does not stay at least 74 degrees at all times (72 degrees is a minimum temperature requirement, but hedgehogs do best when kept between 74 - 78 degrees). This item is available on PetsMart's WEBSITE ONLY and not in stores. The 25-watt 9" x 12" heated pad can be used inside the hedgehog's cage or under it depending on how cold your house is kept. The pad is thermostatically controlled, durable and easy to clean and comes with a 5'6" cord with steel chew-guard.

Optional Items:

	Small Animal Play Pen - A secure way to let your hedgehog explore and get some exercise. Especially good if there are younger children in the household who would be better off just watching the hedgehog scurry around rather than actually handle them. This play pen can be set up on the floor temporarily or left in a corner of the room. There are many different kinds on the market. Make sure the one you purchase has vertical bars most of the way up to prevent climbing. Some brands have many horizontal bars which would be a perfect ladder for an adventurous little hedgehog.
	Cat Toys - The toys with bells inside are fun for hedgehogs to push around. However, never leave ones with holes or slits in them inside the hedgehogs cage or anytime the hedgehog is not directly being supervised by an adult. Their legs or jaws can become caught in them resulting quickly in their circulation being cut off and amputation of the limb or surgery to repair damage may need to be done. There are some solid balls and other types of toys that would be suitable to leave inside the cage, just be sure to examine anything you leave inside the cage carefully for durability and small parts that could be a choking hazard as well
	PVC Tube - Another option for housing or to use in a play area. We do not use these in our cages since the hedgehogs seem to prefer the igloos when both are put in the cage. But they like to crawl through them while in the play area. It also can be more difficult to pick up a nervous hedgehog out of the tube without just "dumping" him out causing him to become more upset obviously.
	Stuff Sack - This a great place for a hedgehog to hang out while you hold them to watch TV, etc. But never leave cloth materials inside the hedgehog's cage since their little legs can easily become entangled in loose threads resulting in circulation being cut off and amputation of the limb may be necessary. A towel can also be used while holding your pet to provide a safe feeling place for them to take a nap while you hold them.
Not pictured	Small Food Scale - Helpful to keep track of a hedgehog's weight as they grow and to determine if an adult hedgehog is loosing or gaining weight. Try to find a scale that measures in grams since this is the a more accurate way for small animals like hedgehogs to be weighed.

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