Bedding for pet hedgehogs is one of the first things you need to consider before bringing home your new friend. We all want something soft and comfortable to sleep on, don’t we? Well, your hedgehog is no different. Get the best bedding, and your spikey companion will happy one!
When you are choosing bedding for pet hedgehogs, keep these important things in mind:
1. Comfort
2. Smell
3. Dryness
4. Safety
5. Price
Not every hedgehog is the same, and bedding that one hedgehog loves might not please another. It’s kind of like how you may prefer a really soft pillow, while your best friend likes a pillow with more firmness to it. You may have to experiment with a few different types of bedding if your pet doesn’t seem to like the first thing you try.
That said, most hedgehog owners find that corncob bedding is the best for their pets, for a number of reasons.
First of all, cedar and pine shavings can start to take on a bad odor after only a few days in the cage. This type of bedding also holds moisture and get get moldy pretty easily. It’s also a bit scratchy, so most hedgehogs find it difficult to sleep on (there are exceptions, though, and you just might have the rare hedgehog who loves this type of bedding).
Newspaper shavings are also scratchy and uncomfortable, and provide no cushioning for your pet.
Corncob bedding is the bedding of choice for the majority of discerning hedgehogs for several reasons:
1. Your hedgehog can easily move corncob bedding around, which makes them happy, since they enjoy burrowing.
2. It conforms to their body shape, kind of like a beanbag chair.
3. It absorbs odors really well.
4. It’s absorbent and mold-resistant.
5. It is organic and safe to use, even if it happens to get into their food or water.
6. It’s non-toxic, so it won’t hurt your pet if it gets into his food or water dish.
You can also add a little bit of betonite clay cat litter to the bedding for extra odor absorption, if your pet’s cage gets particularly smelly. Make sure it’s real betonite clay, and not a synthetic substance, because anything else could be toxic to your hedgehog.
When you’ve got the right bedding for pet hedgehogs, you’ll have a well-cared for pet who’s healthy and happy. He’ll enjoy spending time in his cage more, and get more rest. As a result, he’ll be more energetic and playful when he comes out to spend time with you!
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
hi person who created this website! i havea question about the hedgehog care. do you really have to keep your tempature in the house over 70 degrees?!? thats kind of hard for me because i live in a place where it’s kinda warm a lot.
It is better to be higher then 70 then lower. They are most worried about it getting too cold and them then hibernating. That can then kill them if they go into hibernation while being an indoor pet..
how can it kill them if they go into hibernation? how often do you need to change the bedding in the hedgehog cage???
You say that corn cob bedding is the better type of bedding for hedgehogs but when I looked it up on another website it said that it could get stuck in the males privates. Is that true?
I want to know wat is the right temp for them?(in farenhite)
I heard u need to clip their nails how would u do this?
I’ve also read that about the corn cob bedding. So maybe not a good idea. I will be adopting a pet hedgehog in May and I’m thinking of using either Aspen chips or maybe a fleece-type blanket with a litter box, too.
Your hedgy needs to have temperature above 75 degrees F. The reason why it’s bad for them to go into hibernation, because they are African pigmy hedgy. They need to have warm temperature at all times and day light for at least 12 hours. I live in the basement that was impossible for me. So I got a heating pad and put it under the cage where your hedgy sleeps, make sure it’s on the lowest temperature not to burn your hedgehog and make sure it’s only in one side of the cage. So if it’s going to get too hot, your hedgy can go to another side of the cage. For the light I just used fluorescent tube light, I put it right on top of the cage and after 12 hours of day light I turn it off for the night. Make sure it is day light and not too bright. Make sure the light bulb doesn’t heat up the whole cage. If you’re hedgy will not have warm temp. Or light for 12 hours it will hibernate and die in 72 hours.
what are good toys for a 7 week ols hegie?
I heard that cedar can kill them!