Hedgehogs are noisy at night because they are nocturnal foragers, making sounds like snuffling, snorting, and rustling as they search for bugs, while also communicating with huffs, grunts, and squeals, especially during the busy mating season (April-September) or if feeling threatened, causing loud rustling, running, and squeaking/huffing noises. Pet hedgehogs also create noise running on wheels or knocking things over in their enclosures.
She's dreaming. They dream like we do and can snore, cry, or even make distress calls when sleeping. If it concerns you, you can wake her up and see if she makes the same noise while awake. If she doesn't then you know it's a false alarm.
Grunting and snuffling, like a pig = hedgehog out and about, looking for food. Chuffing like a steam train = mating season. Chirping like a baby bird = hungry hoglets in the nest. Screaming Hedgehog = in pain and distress.
Signs of stress
Many hedgehogs are busy and want to try to explore but a stressed hedgehog will be much more persistent and not easily distracted. The stressed hedgehog may also twitch or shake its head nervously. It is almost as if the hedgehog is saying “Sensory overload. I can't take it anymore.”
The huffing is often made in mating season (April to September, with May and June being the most active months). It is part of a hedgehog's courtship behaviour, where they huff and circle each other.
As pets, hedgehogs can recognize and remember their owners' scent and voice, making them a loyal and affectionate companion. They can also quickly learn routines and habits, such as when it's time to eat or play.
Hedgehogs typically hibernate from autumn to spring (October - March), but this can vary depending on the temperature and food available.
If your hedgehog is unusually still in the evening—sleeping in short, restless bursts, waking and dozing repeatedly, or staying sluggish when they would normally explore—it can be a sign of unhappiness or even illness.
Wobbly hedgehog syndrome (WHS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Spongy degeneration of the brain and spinal cord is the diagnostic feature of WHS. WHS affected brain and spinal cord show extensive demyelination and remyelination. Axonal degeneration is accompanied by loss of neurons in WHS.
Symptoms of stress
Hedgehogs are nocturnal, so the best time to spot them is during the evening or night. They are most active just after sunset and before sunrise.
They tend to follow the same routes each night, so these pathways can become more noticeable over time. Sounds: Despite their small size, hedgehogs can be surprisingly noisy. Listen for snuffling, huffing, and puffing sounds at night, particularly in spring after hedgehogs hibernate.
This decline is partly due to a loss of natural habitat, which provides both shelter and food for hedgehogs. Fencing, pesticides, garden hazards (like ponds, strimmers and netting) and development and construction also have an impact. And of course, cars are a major threat to hedgehogs, killing thousands each year.
Hedgehogs will not usually eat and sleep in the same place so it's best not to offer food inside the home (except perhaps to tempt them in initially). Once there is a resident, move food away from the box so as not to attract predators or rival hedgehogs to the site.
Check if the hedgehog:
Motion activated sprinkler repellents provide an innovative way to deter unwanted animals, such as hedgehogs. They use a blast of water to safely and effectively scare away intruders and keep your garden free of pests.
Fungal Zoonotic Pathogens
The most common fungal skin infection transmitted by hedgehogs to humans is caused by the hedgehog dermatophyte Trichophyton erinacei. Numerous cases of T. erinacei ringworm infection in humans have been described after contact with pets or wild hedgehogs [43,44,45,46,47].
It describes a situation in which a group of hedgehogs seek to move close to one another to share heat during cold weather. They must remain apart, however, as they cannot avoid hurting one another with their sharp spines.
Hedgehogs can be wonderful pets, and when they bond with you, the connection can feel truly wonderful. Unlike many small animals, hedgehogs can form meaningful bonds with their owners—but it's important to understand that this process takes time and patience. Hedgehogs are not domesticated animals.
The average hedgehog is content to do its own thing and may not show any outward sign that it cares about its owner's existence unless you have a treat in your hand. Despite their somewhat solitary nature, they can become very affectionate with their owners and will even enjoy snuggling on your lap.
Hedgehogs are naturally insectivores (eat insects). Their life expectancy is about four to six years but some live for eight to ten years. Males and females tend to be solitary and territorial except when breeding and raising their young.
During extreme muscle exertion, the 'purse-string' muscle can fold up over the pelvis and get stuck: the pop-off syndrome (Bexton, 2019). The muscle goes into a spasm, which leaves the hedgehog unable to roll up and causes the pelvis and hind legs to remain visible. This is very dangerous for the animal.
Hedgehogs mainly eat creepy crawlies
The majority of their diet is made up of invertebrates (or creepy crawlies). We know what they eat from scientific studies that have analysed hedgehog poo or looked in the stomachs of hedgehogs killed on roads.
Baby hedgehogs, called Hoglets, are born in the UK in June and July. A second litter may be born in September or October. There are usually 4 or 5 hoglets in a litter. Newborn hoglets are blind and tiny, weighing just 25 grams.
What not to feed hedgehogs. Hedgehogs need a balanced diet with a calcium to phosphorus ratio between 1:1 and 2:1. Foods outside this range can lead to serious health problems like Metabolic Bone Disease. Avoid giving mealworms, sunflower hearts, peanuts, crickets, and beetles.