This exotic pet, the hedgehog, has become increasingly popular among families. The hedgehog has some quirks though, as with most exotic pets. So today we’re sharing some fun facts about pet hedgehogs just to help you learn more about them.
Handling Takes Practice
Pet hedgehogs have some quills, as you can see in the photos. This means it takes some practice to get used to holding these adorable pets. You do need to work with your pet to gain their trust.
Once you gain the trust of your pet hedgehog they will be less apt to point their quills out for protection. They will relax and you can hold them in the palm of your hand rather comfortably.
Hard to Identify Their Mood
Unlike dogs or cats, hedgehogs are difficult to read. You’ll eventually get used to their noises and movements that signal their mood but during the initial stages of being a pet hedgehog owner, it will be hard to determine if your pet is happy, sad, tired, or bothered and should be left alone.
Easy to Feed
Hedgehogs are easy pets to care for. They are more low maintenance than other exotic pets. You can put some food in for them to eat daily but do remember that hedgehogs love to eat. They can gain weight easily and often provide so much entertainment while they’re eating that new hedgehog owners don’t realize that they’re overfeeding their pets.
So while it’s easy to drop some food in and feed your hedgehog, they do need to eat the proper amount of food without going overboard with snacks so that they maintain a healthy weight.
They Are Nocturnal
Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals which means they will be awake when you’re sleeping. This is what makes them a little difficult to enjoy. As a new pet owner, you obviously want to hold and pet our new friend, but hedgehogs may sleep during your normal awake time.
Now that we shared some fun facts about pet hedgehogs, we hope that you’ll feel more confident in knowing if this exotic pet is right for your lifestyle. They may be adorable little creatures, but as with most exotic pets, they have their own set of needs and requirements to meet before bringing a pet hedgehog home.