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Health Care |
Breeding |
Introduction to The African Pygmy Hedgehog
A few years ago, I was surfing on the Internet and was stopped dead by the
cutest little face I had ever seen. Stopping to read the caption, I had my first
introduction to the African Pygmy Hedgehog.
Hedgehogs are small mammals of the Insectivora order. They range in size from 6 to 9 inches and in weight from about 10 ounces to 1 ½ pounds. Their upper bodies are covered with spines, which are actually modified hairs. They shed a few daily just as we shed our hair. Unlike porcupines, who are no relations to hedgehogs whatsoever, there are no barbs on hedgehog spines. Their underbelly is covered with a surprisingly soft long fur.
Hedgehogs have bright button eyes and a nose that is always curiously sniffing about. They have 36 teeth in a mouth that always seems to look like it’s grinning. Biting is seldom a problem with pet hedgehogs as they are not an aggressive animal. When threatened, they use their powerful muscles to roll up tightly in a ball. When rolled this way, they are protected by their erected spines and most enemies will think twice before attempting a bite.
Hedgehogs can now be found with a great variety of spine color - albinos, chocolate chips, apricot and salt & pepper to name a few. Bear in mind, the more exotic the color the more you will pay for your pet.
One of their funniest traits is called self-anointing. When the hedgehog comes across a new scent or taste, they will hyper-salivate, producing a foam which they try to rub onto their spines. They twist and contort into the funniest positions and sometimes actually fall over as they try to reach their backs with the foam. New owners are often upset by this display, thinking that their new pet is either mad, rabid or sick!!! No-one is sure why they do this anointing but it is thought that they may be trying to cover up their own scent as a means of protection from predators.
In the wild they are found throughout Central Africa where they have a home range of anywhere from 200 to over 300 yards. Though they may be small, they still need a fair bit of space to run around in. Supervised play time in the bathroom or in an empty child’s wading pool daily is great exercise for your hedgehog, and is entertaining for you.
Being a solitary animal, they can live a very happy life as an only hedgehog
as long as they get enough attention from their people daily. There are owners
who have a couple females living together in a large cage but most times two
males will start fighting, even after living together peacefully for a few
months.
They were introduced to North America as a domesticated pet approximately 15 years ago and quickly caught on as an unique, easy to care for pet. They don’t need to be walked daily, nor will they claw up your favorite chair. You also don’t need to "stoop and scoop" your yard. Most people who are allergic to cats or dogs are able to tolerate handling hedgehogs. They also make good pets for apartment dwellers since they don’t take up much room, aren’t noisy and don’t smell.
Even with these good points, hedgehogs are not suitable pets for everyone. They aren’t soft and cuddly like a chinchilla, nor will they follow you around the house like a dog. They spend a large part of the day asleep and are at their liveliest when most of us are heading off to bed. They will get used to waking up and playing during the day though. All of mine usually get up during the day for a snack and then some play time. If you wake them, they will be a bit huffy for a few minutes but will soon settle down for some socializing.
As with any animal, large or small, young children should never handle them without proper supervision. As a pet, hedgehog are more suited to a teenager or adult. If owned by a younger child, a parent needs to oversee all aspects of care to be sure their needs are being met.
You can expect to have your pet hedgehog with you for at least 3 - 4 years, and there have been some cases where they have lived to 6 or 7. So, it is a commitment that can’t be taken lightly when deciding if a hedgehog should join your family.
Feeding your new pet is fairly easy. There are now some commercial hedgehog foods available in pet stores or through mail order. Before this, hedgies have done well on a diet of cat food. Serve all food at room temperature. Try to find food with a protein level of at least 22% and a fat level of not more than 10%. They also need fibre - approximately 15%. This will need to be supplemented by insects, grains like a few pieces of bran flakes if your hedgie will eat them, fruit and veggies. Here are the basics of a hedgehogs diet:
Dry cat food Give the regular formula until they are around 5 months and then switch to the lite formula. Hedgehogs need protein but not a lot of fat. Keep a bowl of this in the cage for them to snack on..
Moist cat food Mix a can of moist cat food with 3/4 of a jar of pureed baby food fruit. Make sure there is no added starch or sugars in it. Freeze this in an ice cube tray and then put them in a storage container. One cube will do one hedgehog a few days. Add approx. ½ tsp. bran and a few drops of olive oil to the mix.
Vegetables Should be added to this mix too. Do not use canned veggies as the sodium content is too high. Either fresh or frozen are great. Experiment to see what your hedgie likes. They seem to all have their own tastes. Mine LOVE corn and eat sweet potato, broccoli and cauliflower.
Insects Remember that they are insectivores. Do not feed them insects from your garden as they may be contaminated with insecticides which could harm your hedgie. Most pets stores carry ‘farm raised insects’. If you are squeamish about feeding live bugs, you can get freeze dried or just put your container in the freezer. Unthaw only what you are going to use at one time.
Treats A bit of unseasoned chicken, scrambled eggs, plain pasta noodles are always enjoyed. Do not feed your pet raw meat or eggs.
Fresh Water Change the water in the bottle every second day. Please use bottled water if you have a water softener in your home, and stick with the same brand of water.
