How to properly pick up a hedgehog?
Turn your hands palms up and place them on either side of the hedgehog. If necessary, you can carefully drive the hedgehog into the corner of the cage and most likely it will go on its own. Gently place your palms under your African hedgehog. You can even dig up some bedding for a little hand if you're worried about getting pricked.
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Probably every hedgehog owner has encountered a similar problem. You bought a hedgehog from a good nursery, they showed you how calmly it behaves in your arms, does not curl up, does not snort. And now you are at home, and the picture is exactly the opposite.
Why does a hedgehog snort and curl up, and how to tame it ? I don’t think there’s any need to explain the stress an animal experiences when it was taken away from its mother, taken somewhere, and now it can’t even smell the smell of its friend. Of course he is stressed, hence this behavior. The baby needs to be given time to adapt. But that doesn't mean you should leave him alone. It’s a big mistake to wait and put off its adaptation until “later.” What to do?
Chat with a hedgehog. Out of 5 hedgehogs, I only have one girl who never curls up into a ball and fearlessly goes to explore the world and other animals. The rest are still more cautious; we had to find an approach to them.
So, regardless of the hedgehog’s behavior, take him out of the cage. Yes, at first you can do this with a glove. They took it out, put it on the bed, table, it doesn’t matter. By the way, I noticed that if a hedgehog is accustomed to being handled, then when you put it on your bare palm, it immediately turns around. Even the most snorting male of my pack always turned around when I put him in my palm during the period of adaptation. By the way, today this is the most tame baby.
And so, you put the hedgehog on the surface, wait 30-50 seconds and voila, he is already starting to stick out his curious nose. Slowly he begins to draw in unfamiliar smells. Wait until he turns around completely and stands on his paws. Now he is convinced that he is not in danger, and he can let him smell his hand. Here I can’t imagine what exactly your hedgehog will do, but there are two options - either he will remember the smell by throwing saliva on his back, or he will turn away... well, let him, you still have time to get to know each other. Take your hedgehog out every evening and let him sleep during the day. Gradually, after about a week, you will not even notice that your hedgehog has become completely tame. It does not fold when you reach out to it and take it. After you take the hedgehog out of the cage, offer him his usual food. Let him know that your hands are not dangerous, they bring affection and, of course, yummy food.
"Attention! When communicating with a hedgehog during the period of getting used to a new home, remove other animals, exclude loud sounds (gradually, during adaptation, you need to introduce the necessary sounds - TV, radio, raising your voice when talking, barking a dog, etc.) "
In addition, I would also like to recommend a proven option for very modest people, whom no matter how you caress them, but they do mischief by raising their withers - get a special bag, at about 7 pm put the hedgehog in it, and carry this bag with you everywhere, around the apartment, of course. When you go to eat, put it next to the plate, sit at the computer, put it on your lap, let him listen to the sound of the keys, watch TV, put the treasured pouch on your stomach. Within 2-3 days, the hedgehog’s behavior will change and at least he will stop sticking out his needles. Of course, this is an option only for responsible people. Otherwise, God forbid, you forget the bag and the hedgehog falls from a height.
Remember that it is very important to buy a hedgehog from a nursery, because it is the duty of a good breeder, who values the reputation of his nursery, to accustom the hedgehog to handling and communicating with people in general. If your hedgehog was handled by the breeder, then the period of adaptation to the new place of residence will not last more than 2 weeks.
In our nursery there are never more than 2 litters at the same time. This means that each baby is given the proper time, which means that when he gets to a new home, the hedgehog will be absolutely tame.
How to tame a hedgehog (a little video)
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Play soft music
Hedgehogs are music lovers and love to listen to calm, rhythmic sounds. Pleasant and quiet music will calm your hedgehog, almost lulling it to sleep. If your pet likes the melody, you may even hear a measured purr from him, very similar to a cat’s purr.
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Having music in the background will also help your hedgehog adjust to his new environment. When there is a constant stream of music around him, the animal will not be so amazed by new sounds, because in the forest he constantly hears the noise of trees, the singing of birds, and the movement of various representatives of the fauna. But if the hedgehog has time to get used to silence, he will be much more afraid of sudden noises.
However, too much noise in the first few days of being in your home can be shocking and unnerving for your hedgehog. At first, let him have only one sound source. For example, when you are talking to a hedgehog, there should be no music or TV in the background. If the TV is on, try not to say anything in parallel with it.
Hibernation
Remember that the hedgehog hibernates in winter - you should not disturb it at this time of year. In its natural habitat, before hibernation, the hedgehog will accumulate fat in the summer so that winter hibernation goes well. You should monitor your pet and ensure that its weight gain is less than 800 grams before the winter period.
It happens that prickly inhabitants can succumb to hibernation at home. In this case, their temperature drops to +1.8°, and the heart beats much slower. However, you can get your prickly friend out of this state by wrapping him in a towel and placing him near a warm bottle of water.
Feeding
As the main component of nutrition, you can use food or canned food for cats and dogs that does not contain foods high in starch (for example, potatoes or corn).
However, the diet may contain cooked meat and fish dishes, fresh vegetables and fruits.
You need to choose lean types of meat:
- lamb,
- chicken,
- turkey
- duck.
This meat is steamed without adding salt or spices.
Most fish are safe for hedgehogs to eat, but lean fish such as salmon are preferred. The bones are first removed, and the fish fillet is prepared in the same way as meat dishes.
From vegetables you can:
- carrot,
- broccoli,
- zucchini,
- Jerusalem artichoke,
- green bean,
- cucumber,
- pumpkin,
- pepper,
- asparagus.
Acceptable from the fruit and berry set:
- strawberry,
- watermelon,
- peach,
- cherries (pits removed first),
- raspberries,
- apricot,
- blueberry,
- pear,
- cranberry,
- melon,
- bananas,
- blueberry.
You can eat boiled eggs.
A domestic hedgehog can easily eat greens: parsley, spinach, watercress, seaweed.
Various insects would be a good addition to complementary foods: grasshoppers, bedbugs, silkworm pupae, mealworms and earthworms, cockroaches, crickets, zoophobes. You can diversify your diet with maggots, bloodworms and larvae. You can also diversify the menu with small amphibians and other invertebrate animals.
It is strictly forbidden to:
- foods high in starch,
- bakery products,
- dried fruits,
- nightshades,
- tropical fruits,
- grapes and raisins,
- nuts,
- seeds,
- fatty meats,
- cow's milk,
- onion and garlic.
Do I need to drink?
We have sorted out the question of what to feed the African hedgehog, now we need to decide whether to give the hedgehog something to drink? In addition to solid food, this pet's diet must also include water. The liquid can be poured into a small bowl, lid or saucer, or you can also use automatic drinking bowls with a ball for rodents. However, before purchasing a hedgehog, check with the owner what kind of drinking container the animal is accustomed to. If a hedgehog is accustomed, for example, to drinking from a bowl, and you attach a drinking bowl to the cage, then he will not understand where to get the water from.
In some cases, it is necessary to add vitamins and minerals to the diet.
It is enough to feed adults and young animals once a day in the dark. For young hedgehogs, food needs to be chopped.
If the female died or abandoned her offspring, then feeding the African pygmy hedgehog is very problematic. Hedgehog milk has a unique composition, and newborns are very small and have a weak sucking reflex, so they can simply be fed from a pipette.
Comfort the hedgehog if he is angry
Straightened quills, hissing, fidgeting, aggressive biting, shaking body and, finally, curling up into a ball are signs that a hedgehog is afraid, nervous or angry. At such moments, you should always be his comforter. You can rock the hedgehog slightly, like a small child, stroke it, talk to it affectionately, or just put it in the house and leave it alone.
Care
Caring for a pet hedgehog is not difficult. Care activities include choosing the right diet, bathing and controlling the appearance of parasites. Also, domestic hedgehogs can be trained, which will help to perfectly organize their leisure time.
African domestic hedgehogs can not only be washed, but also need to be done; some animals are very fond of this procedure, especially if they are accustomed to it from childhood, but many have an extremely negative attitude towards it. Hedgehogs are washed no more than 2 times a month, and as rarely as possible in the cold season, since the needles take a very long time to dry, and at this time the animal can catch a cold. They bathe hedgehogs in a basin, pouring about five liters of water into it; the water temperature should not be more than 35 degrees. The needles can be cleaned with a special shampoo and a soft toothbrush.
It is very important to avoid getting water on the face when bathing. After bathing, it is recommended to wrap the hedgehog in a towel and let it dry on its own.
It is recommended to wash bowls regularly after eating. For this, it is best to use laundry soap. If the animal shows signs of illness, then you should not self-medicate, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.
What to do if an African hedgehog bites - peculiarities of hedgehog behavior
African hedgehogs are unique pets. You've probably come across touching photographs of these charming creatures on the Internet. Today, African hedgehogs are increasingly gaining popularity as pets.
This variety of hedgehogs is more suitable than others as pets, since individuals of this breed, although they differ in character, are generally calm and friendly in nature.
However, hedgehogs can still bite. Moreover, this can become a pet’s habit, so it is important to respond correctly to this behavior of the animal. How to understand what caused the animal to bite its owner, and what to do?
Feeding
You shouldn’t think too much about what the African hedgehog eats. Premium cat food is perfect for him. It is natural and does not contain any flavors or other harmful additives. It is also necessary to ensure that the food does not contain starchy ingredients, such as corn or potatoes.
Since cat food is largely multi-component, it is good if it has a meat base. It could be chicken, beef or turkey. But don't forget about fruits and vegetables.
In addition to meat and plant products, sometimes you need to pamper hedgehogs with such unusual gifts as crickets, grasshoppers and zoophobes.
“Give” the hedgehog something with your own scent
Hedgehogs rely on their sense of smell more than they do on sight and hearing, and therefore your scent, accompanying the hedgehog wherever he feels calm, will allow the pet to get used to you very quickly. Take one of your old clothes - a T-shirt, sweater or shirt, wear it for a while (at least a few days), and then put it in your hedgehog's cage or house. If his house is too small for this, choose an item that you were going to throw away, and after wearing it, cut a piece of a suitable size. The most important thing is that there are no threads sticking out of this thing, otherwise the hedgehog might eat them.
After a few days, the hedgehog will understand that you smell the same as his calm and safe sleep, and therefore will strive to be near you during the day.
If you don't have something suitable, just take a piece of fleece, wool or some old blanket or blanket and sleep with it for a few nights. The item will also become saturated with your scent.
Diseases
Hedgehogs are prone to many diseases, including cancer and Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS). Some symptoms of WHS resemble those of multiple sclerosis in humans, so the condition in animals can be compared to what patients with multiple sclerosis experience. These include the inability to move normally, tremors of the limbs, staggering when walking, etc. A possible cause of WHS is a genetic defect that allows the virus to attack the hedgehog’s nervous system.
The nose can exhibit a variety of alarming symptoms, especially respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia. In many cases, the form of pneumonia that affects hedgehogs is bacterial in nature. When acted quickly, antibiotics can have a very positive effect. Observable signs include blisters, excessive mucus production, or persistent sneezing.
Be careful when using perfume
Be careful, because if you change your perfume or cologne, the hedgehog may simply not recognize you. It may well be that the animal will like your new smell - then it may begin to foam at the mouth and smear saliva on its needles. Don’t be alarmed, this is a normal reaction for hedgehogs - in the wild, these animals prick berries, fruits and mushrooms on their needles to saturate the needles and their body with their juice. Firstly, this is how they get rid of their smell and throw predators off the scent, secondly, the acid of the natural juice kills small insects on their body, and thirdly, they are simply pleased to feel a similar aroma from themselves.
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But if the hedgehog doesn't like your new perfume, he may get angry, bite you, or hide in some kind of shelter.
Act depending on what character your particular hedgehog has
- Couch potato. Hedgehogs of this type love to sleep for days on end, love to be touched and will climb onto your lap. Answer them with mutual affection and pay a lot of attention.
- Researcher. This hedgehog, on the contrary, will not want to cuddle or sit on your lap; he will wander around the apartment all the time, sniffing corners and exploring his new environment. You can learn to play with such hedgehogs, for example, using a small soft ball.
- Shy. Some hedgehogs are very shy. They are not very social and are happiest when left alone in their house or cage.
- Vicious. If your hedgehog prefers to be left alone in his cage, he may be grumpy. When you hold him, he will most likely fuss or hiss at you. But this kind of character can change if you are patient and try to make friends with him.
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How to behave if a hedgehog bites you
To “educate” your pet, it is important to respond correctly to its actions. Firstly, if a hedgehog bites, never show retaliatory aggression, from which the animal will probably suffer.
Frightened, you may throw the hedgehog aside, which can play a fatal role in the life of a fragile and defenseless creature. You cannot beat or hit the hedgehog, even lightly, as this will make the pet fear you.
You should also not shout at the animal - it will get used to your verbal reaction and may begin to bite you to achieve it. And, of course, this can scare the animal. Show self-control.
It’s also not a good idea to put a hedgehog in a cage immediately after being bitten. Then the animal will get used to the fact that such behavior goes unpunished, and will not understand that biting is forbidden. Don't be angry or offended by your pet, and don't forget to pick it up regularly.
If you train your pet with some kind of treat, the stubborn animal may bite you to take it away. In this case, do not give the hedgehog goodies: he will take it as encouragement for his action.
There is no question of depriving your pet of food or water as punishment. The animal must receive sufficient amounts of all nutrients to remain healthy.
His diet requires a lot of protein, grains, and there should always be clean water in the drinking bowl for drinking. Don't forget to keep order in the cage. All this affects the animal’s well-being, and therefore its psychological state.
