Louie

Hedgies make great pets are pretty easy to take care of. He is cute as pie and since he has gotten to know us, he hardly ever raises his quills to us. He is pretty mellow unlike hamsters and chinchillas. He likes to cuddle and will fall asleep in your lap or hand. Since Louie is young he isn't very active. It is very rewarding getting your hedgie to trust you since they are distrustful by nature. When he is scared or nervous he will raise his quills. When he is really scared he will curl up into a ball.

Hedgies need a lot of exercise to stop boredom and also so they don't become obese. They love to run on a wheel but you have to have a wheel designed for a hedgie. Hamster wheels don't work because hedgies feet are too small and will get caught between the wire. They also love their toys. Louie has a bunch of toys but so far his favorite is a toilet paper tube! He also likes to run around in the lawn - of course we have to be there to watch him or he might disappear! They are burrowers by nature so they love to find hiding spots. In his cage he likes to sleep in a "hedgie bag" which is a mini sleeping bag made out of fleece. They are nocturnal animals and he gets up at about 7:00 at night.

Louie eats a combination of high quality cat food and hedgie food. Hedgie food is just pellets specially designed for them. For treats we give him fruit, cooked chicken, mealworms & crickets.
They can only have very little of these treats as they have a tendency to be obese. A few mealworms 2 or 3 times a week is plenty.

Louie enjoys time outside when the weather is nice.
Of course I can't leave him unattended but he usually only wants to play for 15-20 mins and then he wants a nap!