Cats, dogs, guinea pigs, your children have probably asked for it all. Well, do not be surprised if they ask for a hedgehog in the near future. Sure, owning and caring for a pet will teach your child about life and responsibility, but if you don’t know how to care for the pet yourself how can you expect your child to? You probably know the basics of caring for a cat or dog. Well, hedgehogs are different and need a special kind of care. Below, you are going to learn some amazing tips and information that will help you help your child better care for that new hedgehog.
Choosing A Healthy Hedgehog
Before you can start properly caring for that new hedgehog, you are going to have to purchase it. This will most likely take place at the local pet store. You might want to do a little studying up on the basis species because some just do not make great house pets. That being said, you can usually look at the litter and make a good decision. You want to make sure that you opt for one that is roaming around curiously. Look for one with bright eyes and full of adventure.
If you are considering one that is lethargic or tires there is a good chance that it won’t make a great pet. There is even a better chance that there might be something wrong with it. If the eyes do not look bright, clean, or clear, you will probably want to save yourself the trouble and move on. There is no denying that hedgehogs make great pets, but choosing the wrong one really can be more trouble than it is worth.
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Proper Housing
If you are choosing a hedgehog that is curious and full of energy then you are going to want to provide him or her with the room to burn that energy off. You want to make sure that the cage you are choosing is large enough to give your new hedgehog adequate roaming room. However, you want to be extremely cautious when it comes to securing the perimeter and doors. Hedgehogs will want to escape when they see the first clear sign.
In addition to this, do not forget to include a small box inside that cage, so that your new pet will have a place to hide and sleep during the dry. You can check out this hedgehog care guide, but you will discover that most species of hedgehogs their cage room temperature. Make sure to provide plenty of ventilation.
Proper Feeding
Hedgehogs are going to need proper nutrition to thrive. Most hedgehogs will be fine with insects or worms, but rice and meat will work as well. Some of these creatures will even go for a low-fat cat or dog food if you find yourself in a pinch or just have some extra cat or dog food laying around. Whatever the situation is, you want to make sure that you are feeding your new buddy at least once or twice a day.
Most experts would recommend keeping the food right outside the hedgehog’s sleeping quarters. This will provide this will quick access when they get hungry.
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Provide A Clean Living Environment
Providing a home for your hedgehog won’t be enough. You are going to need to make sure that you keep the living environment clean. You will want to tackle this at least once a week. When undertaking the task of cleaning the cage, you want to make sure that you are removing any old remnants of food as well as feces. Make sure that your hedgehogs hide box is clean also.
It also might be imperative to bathe the creature as well. However, if your hedgehog does not respond well to baths, you might want to delay the process as long as possible so as not to induce any unwanted trauma. In addition to this, hedgehogs can be very dangerous and hard to handle when they are upset.
Be Sure To Give Them Space
Hedgehogs make excellent pets, but there is no denying that they are a bit anti-social. This is especially true during the getting to know you stage. Hedgehogs will be apprehensive to interact with you at first and mishandling or over handling them could potentially lead to mistrust. Be sure to give your new buddy his or her alone time.
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