● Hedgehog food

●  Cages

●  Treats

● Chew Toys

●  Exercise  Wheels

●  Cage Accessories

●  Feeding Equipment

●  Hay Products

●  Grooming / Rx

●  Books

●   Live Insects

●   Bedding

●  Transport Cages

●  Reptile Department

●  Arachnid Department

                                                       AFRICAN PYGMY HEDGEHOGS
Hedgehogs are included in the group of mammals known as insectivores. There are two general species of hedgehog, the European and the African. Most hedgehogs offered for sale in pet stores in the United States are the African variety.  In the wild these animals feed on insects, spiders, snails and small rodents. In captivity, they can be fed a variety of prepared foods. We have had excellent results raising and breeding hedgehogs using EXOTIC NUTRITION HEDGEHOG COMPLETE. This food has been fed to our hedgehogs exclusively with great success. They seem to really enjoy the dried mealworms, and the food has built in vitamins and minerals. The new HEDGEHOG COMPLETE offers the highest protein content, and Hedgehogs love the freeze dried mealworms incorporated in with the pellets. HEDGEHOG COMPLETE is now the breeders choice for maximum production. Soft foods given to your pet on a regular basis will cause gum infections. The harder pellets in HEDGEHOG COMPLETE are excellent for the hedgehog's gums and teeth.  It is also advisable to give your hedgehog a vitamin supplement three times a week. Especially if you are feeding mealworms, lack of calcium can cause health problems and mealworms do not contain the proper calcium/phosphorus ratio. Exotic Nutrition's HEDGEHOG BOOSTER works well as a supplement, just mix a ¼ teaspoon with a little ground beef and give to your hedgehog as a treat. Insectivores, as the name implies, love to eat insects. Live mealworms are a favorite for hedgehogs but they also love live crickets as well. Dried insects are also enjoyed.  Hedgehogs like to forage for their food, so place their food bowl as far away from their sleeping den as possible. Hedgehogs also like dried waxworms, apples, bananas, and raisins you can feed these sparingly as treats.
Cages for hedgehogs come in many different sizes and styles, most are suitable as long as the size is a minimum of 12" high x 24" long x 15" wide for a single hedgehog. They like to have a sleeping box in their cage about 8" x 6". Hedgehogs are active animals and need room to exercise. The more room the better, so when purchasing a cage for a baby hedgehog remember he won't be a baby forever, give him some growing room.
  Hedgehogs are prolific producers; breeding hedgehogs can be quite rewarding. Purchase your initial pairs of hedgehogs from a reputable store or breeder. Keep their cage very clean, and feed them a high quality pelleted diet as mentioned above. It may take a year or so before a pair is ready to breed. They must be very comfortable with their owner before they are willing to reproduce, but once they get going you will have more hedgehog babies than you know what to do with! Gestation period is 35-45 days and litters consist of 3-6 young. We only breed our hedgehogs three times a year and the babies are weaned after ten weeks.
  If your hedgehog seems to be lethargic, and shows no interest in eating, this may be a sign that he is sick. We suggest that you have a qualified veterinarian look at the animal as soon as possible. It's a good idea to plan ahead of time to find a veterinarian in your area that treats hedgehogs. There are many excellent books on the market that will help in the care and breeding of these exotic pets, pick one up before you buy the animal. Common sense is your best source for keeping a healthy animal. Remember, make sure that you purchase a healthy animal to start with, ask your pet store or breeder if you can bring the animal to a vet for a check-up right after you leave the store, and check if  the store guarantees that the animal is healthy. You will be required to pay for the vet bill for the check-up, but it is worth it to ensure that you get a healthy animal to start. Give you new pet a high quality diet and plenty of fresh drinking water, keep the dishes clean, the cage clean, and do not leave fresh foods in the cage more than 12 hours. Following these basic steps, and you should be on your way to a long rewarding relationship with your new pet hedgehog!