How to Tame a Hedgehog
Ensure you have an African hedgehog, rather than a European one., Make sure you can keep the hedgehog for seven years, which is the average lifespan. , Avoid buying a hedgehog if you have small children or you want a pet you can cuddle with., Look...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Ensure you have an African hedgehog
These are the type that is used as domesticated pets.
It is small and lighter colored than European varieties.
It is illegal in most places to own a European hedgehog.
However, it may also be illegal to own an African hedgehog in your state or country.An African hedgehog is sometimes called a “pygmy hedgehog.” -
Step 2: rather than a European one.
, Chances are it will bite when it is wild and young. , It is likely unhealthy.
Missing patches of quills are a sign of mites and should be treated immediately. , They will also bite if they feel threatened. , Set it on a flat surface with at least two square feet of roaming space.
Ensure that the floor is not made of wire or wood.
Wire is hard to crawl over and wood can be unclean and infested with mites.
Find cages at pet stores that are meant for rabbits or guinea pigs.
You can use an aquarium or plastic tub as long as it has places to enter and exit and some airflow. , Smell is key to taming a hedgehog, since it is their strongest scent.
You can even put an old unwashed t-shirt in or near his cage to help him get familiar with you. , He should be left alone to feel safe and secure in this place before you take him out or let him roam. , Talk to him quietly and stroke him lightly to put him at ease.
You may need to try this several times before he sits still and stops curling up.
Repeat for one month so that he gets used to your voice. , If he associates you with food, he is more likely to accept you as a friend and trainer. , As he becomes tamer he will start to use it for napping, rather than hiding.
Try adding short toilet paper rolls as play things. , Try cat toys without catnip and teach your hedgehog to play with them and you.
They like to crawl and tug them, so they are an excellent way to domesticate a hedgehog further. , Allow him to smell and taste it.
If the hedgehog spits on a new toy, that is a good sign, because they are anointing it with their smell., This will make your hedgehog’s home more desirable and give him plenty of exercise.
If you don’t have paper towel tubes, igloos and tunnels, the animal may hide under furniture or dig into carpets and plants. , This will keep him tame once you have domesticated him. , Consistency is key. , Don’t set the wheel in the area until he is litter trained.
It can be a distraction, since hedgehogs regularly defecate and urinate on their wheels. , Pick up the droppings and place them into a litter pan.
Place the litter pan in that spot, where he is likely to return to do his business. , It should be shallow in front and back with higher sides.
Fill the litter pan with shavings, such as Aspen or Carefresh.Although some people use non-clumping cat litter, other people say this can be harmful to hedgehogs. , The time it takes to litter train a hedgehog depends upon the hedgehog.
It can take a few days or a few years.
Even if your hedgehog is well trained, they don’t always use the litter tray. , Move it if your hedgehog starts using a different spot. , It is natural for them to do this.
They may need a bigger litter pan where they can use a portion for their litter and a portion to roll around. -
Step 3: Make sure you can keep the hedgehog for seven years
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Step 4: which is the average lifespan.
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Step 5: Avoid buying a hedgehog if you have small children or you want a pet you can cuddle with.
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Step 6: Look for signs of tearing or crusting around the eyes
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Step 7: ears and nose.
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Step 8: Recognize normal behaviors
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Step 9: such as hissing and curling.
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Step 10: Buy all of your supplies
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Step 11: including a cage
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Step 12: water bottle
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Step 13: litter pan and bedding in advance.
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Step 14: Set the cage in a place where you frequent
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Step 15: such as a bedroom or a living room.
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Step 16: Place him in his cage for a few days.
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Step 17: Bring him out of the cage
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Step 18: but close to it and place him in your lap.
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Step 19: Feed him mealworms if he is still uncomfortable outside his cage.
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Step 20: Give your hedgehog a hiding space
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Step 21: such as an igloo
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Step 22: where he can hide.
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Step 23: Buy soft toys without internal stuffing.
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Step 24: Introduce a new thing to your hedgehog when there aren’t loud noises.
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Step 25: Consider adding a wheel
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Step 26: PVC piping or ferret tunnels to your system.
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Step 27: Handle your hedgehog every day.
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Step 28: Start litter training right when you bring your hedgehog home.
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Step 29: Place the animal in a clean cage or area.
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Step 30: Watch where your hedgehog decides to go to the bathroom.
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Step 31: Choose a litter pan like those used with ferrets.
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Step 32: Don’t give negative reinforcement
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Step 33: as it is unlikely to work.
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Step 34: Clean the litter pan regularly.
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Step 35: Don’t stop the hedgehog from using the bedding in the litter pan as a dust bath.
Detailed Guide
These are the type that is used as domesticated pets.
It is small and lighter colored than European varieties.
It is illegal in most places to own a European hedgehog.
However, it may also be illegal to own an African hedgehog in your state or country.An African hedgehog is sometimes called a “pygmy hedgehog.”
, Chances are it will bite when it is wild and young. , It is likely unhealthy.
Missing patches of quills are a sign of mites and should be treated immediately. , They will also bite if they feel threatened. , Set it on a flat surface with at least two square feet of roaming space.
Ensure that the floor is not made of wire or wood.
Wire is hard to crawl over and wood can be unclean and infested with mites.
Find cages at pet stores that are meant for rabbits or guinea pigs.
You can use an aquarium or plastic tub as long as it has places to enter and exit and some airflow. , Smell is key to taming a hedgehog, since it is their strongest scent.
You can even put an old unwashed t-shirt in or near his cage to help him get familiar with you. , He should be left alone to feel safe and secure in this place before you take him out or let him roam. , Talk to him quietly and stroke him lightly to put him at ease.
You may need to try this several times before he sits still and stops curling up.
Repeat for one month so that he gets used to your voice. , If he associates you with food, he is more likely to accept you as a friend and trainer. , As he becomes tamer he will start to use it for napping, rather than hiding.
Try adding short toilet paper rolls as play things. , Try cat toys without catnip and teach your hedgehog to play with them and you.
They like to crawl and tug them, so they are an excellent way to domesticate a hedgehog further. , Allow him to smell and taste it.
If the hedgehog spits on a new toy, that is a good sign, because they are anointing it with their smell., This will make your hedgehog’s home more desirable and give him plenty of exercise.
If you don’t have paper towel tubes, igloos and tunnels, the animal may hide under furniture or dig into carpets and plants. , This will keep him tame once you have domesticated him. , Consistency is key. , Don’t set the wheel in the area until he is litter trained.
It can be a distraction, since hedgehogs regularly defecate and urinate on their wheels. , Pick up the droppings and place them into a litter pan.
Place the litter pan in that spot, where he is likely to return to do his business. , It should be shallow in front and back with higher sides.
Fill the litter pan with shavings, such as Aspen or Carefresh.Although some people use non-clumping cat litter, other people say this can be harmful to hedgehogs. , The time it takes to litter train a hedgehog depends upon the hedgehog.
It can take a few days or a few years.
Even if your hedgehog is well trained, they don’t always use the litter tray. , Move it if your hedgehog starts using a different spot. , It is natural for them to do this.
They may need a bigger litter pan where they can use a portion for their litter and a portion to roll around.
About the Author
Douglas Roberts
Enthusiastic about teaching organization techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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