Advanced Hedgehog Care

If you look in your hedgehog's cage, and (s)he is isn't in there, keep in mind that there are several ways to deal with the problem. First, put some water near the cage where the hedgehog can find it. Then take some paper lunch bags, and put food or treats inside, and place them in strategic places around your home- somewhere the hedgehog would walk by it frequently. When you hear the hedgehog rustling in the bag, you can find it and put it back in its cage. This works best if you stay up for a night, because hedgehogs are, for the most part, nocturnal. If you don't catch it within the first day, be sure to leave out the food so your pet doesn't starve.

Hedgehogs nails always grow, and need to be clipped regularly. If the hedgehog's nails haven't been clipped in a while, and are poking the bottom of its foot, then it is best to let a veterinarian clip. You can also do this if you are worried about cutting your pet, but it's more expensive, and you have to commute to wherever your veterinarian is. Doing it at home works well after giving the hedgehog a bath, unless it is too upset. This is best done with two people. One person holds the hedgehog so its hind legs hang down, and the other gently holds on to the leg and clips the nail. Be sure to clip only the part of the nail that points down, so you don't cut the "quick" of the nail. This is the top part of the nail, which is pink and will bleed if cut. Just in case, it's better to have some cornstarch or a simmilar substance nearby to stop the bleeding.

Hedgehogs sometimes need baths, even though they are generally clean animals. I give mine a bath whenever it self annoints with something that's really disgusting (like a wild mushroom), or gets dirty some other way. Giving a bath is best done by filling a tub with 2-3 inches of warm water. Some hedgehogs like to swim, so with them I fill the bath so the deep end is 5 inches deep, and the shallow end deep enough to let them stand. However, not all hedgehogs enjoy baths.

After you have the bath filled, you take a toothbrush, put some tear-free baby shampoo on it, and scrub the hedgehogs legs, feet, stomach, and between the quills. Be careful not to scrub the face- you might poke out an eye with a bristle, and neither you nor the hedgehog would be feeling that great after. After, take the hedgehog and rap it in a towel to dry it. Some hedgehogs like hairdryers, and others don't. Keep your hedgehog warm until it dries, and then put it back in its cage, if you so wish.