Hedgehog Care: A Practical Guide
African pygmy hedgehogs are insectivore-leaning omnivores kept as solitary pets. They are rewarding but come with two signature diseases and two avoidable hazards.
Housing and Bedding
Hedgehogs need room to roam and a warm, draft-free enclosure. Bedding choice matters: aromatic or very dusty bedding is a recognized respiratory irritant, so skip cedar/pine and heavily fragranced products in favor of paper or fleece substrates.
Diet
A cat-food-style or specialist insectivore diet with controlled fat works better than mealworm-only feeding, which is too fatty. Obesity is the gateway to many secondary problems.
Health Watch
- Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS) — a progressive cerebellar degeneration causing worsening incoordination and tremor; supportive care is the mainstay.
- Gastrointestinal lymphosarcoma — a common hedgehog cancer presenting with weight loss and lethargy.
- Gastrointestinal obstruction — hedgehogs chew and swallow non-food items (rubber, meat, carpet fibers, hair); foreign bodies cause acute blockage and need prompt care.
- Bedding-related respiratory disease — dusty, aromatic substrate is a preventable trigger.
Watch for wobbling, spinning, appetite loss, or a sudden lack of feces, and keep the diet lean and the bedding clean.