By: Maya Song
Hedgehogs are considered to be exotic pets, thus the care for them needs to be understood before purchasing one. A pet hedgehog’s life span is usually 4-6 years but they can live up to over 8 years. Most hedgehogs are nocturnal so when you’re awake they’ll most likely be sleeping but there are a few species of hedgehogs that are diurnal.
Can hedgehogs even be house pets? While most of the United States thinks that is completely fine, the few states and areas that disagree are: Georgia, Hawaii, California, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and the five boroughs of New York City. Even though hedgehogs are not native to North America they have been becoming more popular as pets.
If you keep a pet hedgehog you need to make sure they have plenty of things to do to occupy themselves such as toys; items like balls, stuffed animals, and small cars are very common. Hedgehogs are naturally very curious animals and love to explore, so things like tunnels and tubes would also be a good idea. It must also be kept in mind that hedgehogs need exercise so a pet exercise wheel is highly recommended.
The hedgehog’s diet is very large so you need to be making sure everything you give your hedgehog is safe and healthy for them. A few examples of food for your hedgehog would be things like: cat food, dog food, meats, mice, insects, caterpillars, mealworms, earthworms, eggs, bananas, cherries, watermelon, fruit, berry, peaches, kiwi, vegetables, apple, broccoli, leafy greens, pears, and papaya. These foods are examples of what to feed your hedgehog on a daily basis. It is recommended that hedgehogs eat at least once a day with 3-4 teaspoons per serving.
If you choose to own a hedgehog you must be prepared in order to be successful. Making sure that the hedgehog has items to occupy itself with, food to eat, and making sure that it’s legal to own it should be considered. That being said, they are adorable, and worth the effort.
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