Provide clean water to your hedgehog in a water bottle. If you see him chewing on or struggling with a bottle (which could damage his teeth) then switch to a water bowl that is heavy enough that can't be tipped over.
Plain fresh water is all that is required for them. Sadly, this mixture can be lethal for birds if they bathe in it as the sugar will cause problems with their feathers. Please do offer plain water in shallow bowls in the garden for thirsty hedgehogs but do not add anything else to it.
Almost all hedgehogs can safely use a water bottle instead of a water bowl. Water bottles are more sanitary than bowls and they also give you the ability to easily see how much your hedgehog is drinking each day.
There are reports coming in from all around the country of mummy and baby hedgehogs suffering from severe dehydration. Please leave several shallow bowls of water around the garden and make sure they are topped up every day. If you don't have a garden, you can still leave bowls of water out on the pavement edge.
Feeding hedgehogs
You can encourage hedgehogs into your garden by providing food and fresh water. Tips for leaving out food and water: Leave out foods like tinned dog or cat food and crushed cat or dog biscuits.
While hedgehogs aren't usually aggressive, they will extend their quills when they feel threatened. Supervise children to ensure they aren't playing too rough with your hedgehog. They don't like being wet and generally don't like their heads petted.
Filtered water is preferred. Most owners choose to offer water through a sipper bottle hung in the cage. If using a sipper bottle, ensure that your hedgehog will drink from it.
Water Bowls
Baby hedgehogs or hedgehogs that have difficulty using a bottle may do better with a water bowl. Some hedgehog owners prefer using glass or stainless steel bowls for drinking. Water bowls will need to be checked frequently to make sure they are clean and full.
In a bath tub or sink, get the water going at a warm temperature. If it's too hot or too cold for you to be comfortable, your hedgehog won't be comfortable either.
A feeding station will ensure the food isn't pinched by pets. In terms of water, hedgehogs ingest water from their prey and natural sources like dew and puddles. Ponds also provide a water source so it's important to ensure garden ponds have sloping sides or an exit ramp so 'hogs don't fall in and get stuck.
Acceptable bedding materials include shredded paper, newspaper, recycled pelleted/absorbable material, and wood shavings, such as aspen or untreated pine. Avoid corncob bedding as it tends to grow mold when wet.
Not only do they swim, they also float. Hedgehog spines are hollow, air-filled tubes. So a hedgehog who gets tired whilst swimming can turn onto her back and float on her spines. Think of it like having your own built-in lilo.
Many people get confused about how often they should bathe their hedgehogs. Your vet should be the ultimate authority here. That said, in general, about once a month is good. Don't bathe your pet too often: this could dry out his skin!
Some things your pet may enjoy include balls, small cars and trucks, and stuffed animals. You can also offer him DIY toys. For instance, the cardboard tubes from toilet-paper rolls make great chew toys. (It's probably worth noting that hedgehogs seem to prefer bright colors.)
Rehydration Fluids - If you do not have ready prepared oral fluids such as Lectade, you can make your own using 1 level Tablespoon of sugar, 1 level teaspoon of salt and dissolve in a litre of warm water. This should be given by syringe very slowly.
We often keep our homes cooler in the winter than is healthy for our pet hedgies. Click here for a great article on suggestions om providing your hedgie some supplemental heat from: Signs of hedgehogs in danger of being too cold are decreased activity, decreased appetite, sneezing (as opposed to puffling).
Every hedgehog has a unique personality, but most aren't interested in human affection. Caretakers note that it takes a lot of time and effort to get a hedgehog to tolerate being held. Like porcupines, hedgehogs have sharp, prickly quills that they use to fend off predators.
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.
Many hedgehogs love to play in warm water and will enjoy themselves during bath time. We prefer to give hedgehogs a bath in a sink or a bathtub. Hedgehogs are prone to relieve themselves in the warm water so we prefer to use our laundry sink.
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.
Hedgehogs should be bathed from time to time, as they do not clean themselves like some animals. The good news is that hedgehogs are great swimmers and typically enjoy bath time so it can be a fun experience for them and you.
SAFE PLACES. Whether it's on your lap or in its enclosure, your hedgehog needs something they can hide under or in to feel safe. This can be anything from a fleece blanket to a guinea pig hut. Hedgehogs are natural burrowers and love dark confined spaces where they can feel safe.
Only solid bottom cages are suitable for hedgehogs, any wire bottom cages could trap their legs or rip off toenails. Provide a soft bedding free of dust, such as recycled paper pellets or if you use wood shavings use only kiln dried pine or aspen. Do not use cedar shavings as they could irritate your hedgehog's lungs.
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.