Avoid slug pellets and pesticides - these can poison hedgehogs and should only be used as a last resort.
Grapes and avocados are toxic to hedgehogs. While some people give crushed peanuts to their hedgies, nuts and raisins are generally considered a choking hazard as they get stuck on the roof of their mouth. Avoid giving your pet hedgehog insects you've caught yourself as they might have digested toxins.
They are sensitive to light and prefer a dim, quiet environment. Their primary method of protection is their ability to roll up into a ball and to erect their spines. They often make a hissing or huffing sound too! Try to avoid excessive noise, needless excitement, and over handling.
Each hedgehog has different tolerances and can actually take an allergy test just like humans can. Us hedgehogs can have allergies to things that we breathe, things that we eat, and things that touch our skin.
Please offer shallow bowls of plain water for hedgehogs - but please do not add any sugar or salt to it as suggested in some tweets, that's lethal for birds who bathe in it and not necessary for hedgehogs in the wild.
Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant. Milk and cheese will give them bad diarrhoea and can lead to serious illness as well.
Vegetables: Fresh tomatoes, fresh green beans, and cooked squash are some options that your hedgehog may enjoy. Starchy vegetables, such as corn, potatoes, and carrots should be avoided as well as dried vegetables.
Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant
Hedgehogs are actually lactose intolerant, so milk should never be left out for them, water is perfectly fine.
Please be cautious when using topical oils and added heat as the heat and oil can cause a minor burn and further irritation. Olive oil is not very absorbent so it coats the skin (which is good for healing) but can be dangerous if your hedgehog is under direct heat.
Many hedgehog owners have had success using lavender essential oil for their grouchy, stressed hedgehogs. Apply one or two drops topically, or use in a diffuser in the room.
Threats: The biggest threat to hedgehogs is probably habitat loss, with the change from pastoral farming to arable crops, over the last 30 years. The use of chemicals in gardens and for intensive farming kills the creatures hedgehogs need for food and may also poison them directly. Many are also killed on roads.
A badger and a hedgehog feeding together on a lawn. Badgers are hedgehogs' main predators in the UK. They are the only animals strong enough to tackle a hedgehog's spiny defences. Hedgehogs and badgers share what's known as an asymmetric intraguild predation relationship.
Long-term elevated stress levels, as in humans, can have serious physiological consequences for hedgehogs. The higher level of stress shows that being handled and placed in captivity can cause long-term stress in the animals. This highlights the importance of periods of captivity being as short as possible.
Tea Tree oil/ Eucalyptus/Thieves - this includes: tea tree shampoo, tea tree oil, tea tree sprays and anything tea tree. Even Candles inhaled can harm your hedgehog!
It can be a great way to help some of the wildlife in your garden, as the decaying pumpkin can be a nutritious snack for birds, squirrels, foxes and even badgers. However, the same can't be said for hedgehogs, as pumpkins can be harmful – and potentially fatal – for these spiny mammals.
There are many natural, non-toxic alternatives you can use instead, like coffee grounds or egg shells. Many hedgehog advocates are building their own hedgehog houses and putting food and water inside.
Talking to your hedgehog while holding, snuggling, bathing, and other enjoyable activities will help your hedgehog associate the sound of your voice with comfort and enjoyment. Over the years we have found the radio and music very soothing for a variety of different animals.
What can I feed hedgehogs? Hedgehogs will relish any combination of meat-based wet dog or cat foods, or dry cat/kitten food. Just remember, they will be getting most of their food from insects and worms in the wild, and this food is only supplementary. Specially made hedgehog food is also widely available.
Hedgehogs mainly eat creepy crawlies
The most important invertebrates in their diet are worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, earwigs and millipedes. As well as these, they also eat a wide range of other insects.
If you smell good, and taste good through licking… watch out! Sometimes hedgehogs will lick salt from sweaty hands and become tempted to bite, because they like the salty taste.
Before your hedgehog develops dry itchy skin, add a drop of coconut oil, CBD pet tinctures, olive oil, flax seed oil, wheat germ oil, or vitamin E to their food a few times a week. It will help condition their skin as dead skin falls off and new skin develops.
Can hedgehogs eat tuna? Yes, only if the tuna is freshed, unseasoned and no oil drizzled on it. Canned tuna that is usually drenched in oil is a strict NO for your hedgehogs. As canned tuna is being preserved with a high salt content, it might not be ideal for your hedgehog in terms of its health.
In the wild, hedgehogs eat a diverse selection of insects as well as some plant material and, very occasionally, small or baby mammals (like pinkie mice). Hedgehogs are nocturnal and usually eat at night.
Yes, Hedgehogs Can Eat Broccoli
The thicker stalks of the broccoli plant are also safe for hedgehogs to eat, although they're a little tougher and may not appeal as much to your pet. Petkeen.com recommends you avoid feeding your hedgehog raw broccoli, but boiled and steamed vegetables are completely okay.