Our hedgehogs have their own room in the house. However, our hedgehogs are not limited to this room or to their cages. We make sure to provide as much socialization as possible, which includes daily handling and frequent trips outside with us - to stores, running errands, etc. Our hedgehogs are each cuddled, played with, and spoiled as much as if they were the only hedgehog in our lives. We love them each as individuals and are attentive to their specific needs.

We take great pride in the hedgehog room and have customized it as much as possible to be the best hedgie home that we can provide.

The Hedgehog Room

The shelves have plenty of space for cages and there is also a small walk-in closet used to store supplies. There is no window, which makes the room ideal for keeping our herd warm all through the year. Three light sources (including one overhead and one on a 12-hour timer) keep the room well lit during daytime hours, and it is completely dark at night. There is also an air purifier.

A small radio is left on during daylight hours, because frequent noise helps with socialization. Everyone in our household has access to the hedgehog room and the hedgehogs are used to different people coming in and out. (The exception is when females are close to giving birth or have new babies. At this time, the room is kept more quiet and no one else is allowed in the hedgehog room.)

The room is temperature controlled with a built-in heater and thermostat, and monitored with several thermometers situated around the room. We have two space heaters that can be powered by a generator if the power goes out.

In our experience, hedgehogs are more able to adapt to subtle temperature changes if they're used to regular fluctuation - instead of keeping the room at a very precise temperature, we keep it between 70 and 80 degrees. The temperature also differs based on which level of the shelves a bin is placed on, and we regularly rearrange the position of the bins for that reason.

Each cage includes a bucket wheel, litter tray, food dish, water bottle/bowl, and a sleeping bag. The hedgehogs that enjoy toys get one or two in the cage. Some of them have an extra hiding/sleeping spot as well.

We prefer to use fleece liners rather than shavings, and the liners are spot-cleaned daily. We do cleaning on rotation, which means between 5 and 8 bins per day so that each one gets cleaned roughly every 3 days. This includes a full spray down of the bin, a fresh liner and bag, and cleaning the wheel and tray, as well as any other items (toys, etc) that need it.

The hedgehog room is completely hedgie-safe, and some of them like to explore while their cages are being cleaned. There is also a large playpen that is used for supervised interaction between same-sex hedgehogs and socialization of babies.

As per the USDA requirements, each cage is labeled with identifying information about that hedgehog. All food containers are sealed and labeled.

We provide our hedgehogs with a mix of 6-7 high quality cat foods. The mix is occasionally adjusted according to how well it suits our herd, and the mix differs slightly for males and females. (Females and hedgehogs under 3 months are given about 1-2% more fat than males.) Each hedgehog is given about 1.5 tb of this mix daily. Adjustments are made to the content and amount according to any specific needs.

In addition to kibble, our hedgehogs receive small amounts of fresh produce and meat at least once a week. They are regularly given live mealworms, superworms, and dubia roaches from our colonies.