How to handle & tame your new pet hedgehog

[@Xweetalk]

I got my first hedgehog after doing a month of research and watched your videos! Delilah was 5 when she passed three years ago, but she was such a delight! I've had one grumpy hedgie out of the 4 I've had and he was just a dude that wanted food and to be left to run on his wheel. I adore them so much and I hope to get another one soon!

[@douglaschitwood1342]

I just received one and I love it already

[@Lina-te1iq]

So you want to tell me this dude gives good advice? I really hope you don’t keep your beloved pet in a tiny box like that.

[@aethananimationjesusisgod2976]

3:10 "As you can see she's a real cute little girl here" Her: "REALLY?"

[@jackbarei8750]

Just wanted to say thank you for these videos! They're often uncommon topics but very helpful for many of us! So thank you

[@theironforce3000]

I just got a hedgehog today . A baby make - oh my goodness, it's like holding a porcupine. It's like a hamster mixed with a cactus or something 😁 those quills are sharp! definitely Spiking my hands . Great tip in leaving a shirt or Old sock in the cage!

[@earthling1984]

No good breeder will sell until 3 months old.

[@theironforce3000]

@@earthling1984 gotcha . well they were born in January . I'm still calling it a baby if that's the right term. I saw the ad on Craigslist where he made a disclaimer that they wont be ready until the first week of April.

[@nmyhv1]

I like seeing the cute hedgehog being handled. I don't know how ready i'd be to actually take care of one, considering all the work, but hope I can in the future.

[@Beaudry-h1q]

How did it go?

[@nmyhv1]

@@Beaudry-h1q no hedgehog yet

[@bigverybadtom]

I once had a black female cat who kept snarling at me when I first got her. As she grew up, she got accustomed to me and even binded to me, wanting to sit on top of me all the time, rather than on my lap. She would love me-and only me-all her life.

[@earthien3005]

Thanks for the tip to leave an item with my scent with them. Very insightful!

[@criscavi19]

Lovely hedgehog! Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@TheTravelingClatt]

Can you do an update on your pets?😁

[@AaronaSalazarXDS]

YO IS SONIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@kellyknights6634]

I just got a nice hoglet and she should be full grown in a few months. What I am worried about it how do I handle her without hurting her. Your video was great and I'll continue to follow your page. Thank you.

[@lowfrequencyfilms]

Cute lil ball of spikies

[@YarozeTK]

Damn it, now I want a pet hedgehog 😂

[@AmNaZaaa]

A really good informative video! Thanks dude

[@dillonjackson931]

I have way to many tattoos to see if I get a rash but I'm not itchy so were good! Day 2 of bonding going great! She bit me but we're getting there 😂

[@brimarie2673]

I got a hedgehog from a lady who’s teenager didn’t want it anymore because they were afraid to hold him. He is very shy and scared, you can tell he’s barely been handled. I’m excited to start the bonding process and can’t wait to see him get calm and comfortable with me. Have you ever experienced a hedgehog to never over come their fear of humans and always hiss?

[@earthling1984]

With a lot of time and patience, it should be possible. Neglected hedgehogs can take a long time to rehab. A couple hours a day for a few months. Very calm and peaceful out of the cage time. I would get a plastic tub, something large enough the hedgehog cannot get out and still have some room for a sleeping area; but, small enough to carry around. Have no food in the 'travel cage' (just for inside your house). Of course have food in his real cage. But, for the couple hours a day you keep him in this travel cage, you want to offer him special treats. Something way better than his real food. Freezedried insects, or, home cooked unseasoned chicken breast cut up into small pieces work great for most hedgehogs. Keep the cage right next to you while you watch a movie or a few tv shows. For the first few days, don't go in the cage at all. Just drop a treat in every 20 minutes. For the next week or two, put your hand in the cage. But, don't move it. Don't try to touch the hedgehog. If the hedgehog comes to your hand, just stay still. Just let your limp hand hang inside the cage for a while each time. Then keep progressing from there.

[@brimarie2673]

@@earthling1984 yes luckily he’s still young, he’s about 6 months old. Thank you for all that I really appreciate it! I have him in a large bin. But when I have him out during a few hours a day you’re meaning in the evenings right? (In his travel bin). Should I ever wake him up to do bonding time?

[@earthling1984]

@@brimarie2673 Early morning or nighttime is best. But, if you see them awake during the day, can take them our then too.

[@brimarie2673]

@@earthling1984 awesome, kind of the same thing with my hamster. I’ll let you know how things go! :)

[@brandonbrooks2305]

​@@brimarie2673 do you still have your hedgehog with you ? 😊

[@Lizaalamode]

So cute! Unfortunately they’re illegal to have as pets here in California 😢

[@Shadow.CS8]

Gg

[@therealsqueakyowo]

Really?! Dang. I’m in IL

[@Lizaalamode]

@@therealsqueakyowo yes because if irresponsible people dump them or abandon them in the wild it will mess with our ecosystem, it’s crazy

[@suzetteatkinson4822]

number one thing, if u cant handle hedgehog with out gloves u dont need one. they are very tame pets.

[@earthling1984]

Yup. I have kept and bred over 50 hedgehogs. Never a single bite. All my hedgehogs lived 6 to 8 years. But, people often buy animals from breeders and pet stores not as good as I am. Which is why some people need some advice. Which is what this video is for.

[@JWX94]

Well I agree with this completely, but I sometimes wore gloves because my skin is very sensitive to anything pokey so sometimes when I'd handle my hedgie with no gloves the skin on my hands would get really itchy afterwards.

[@biankashittygaming8659]

this dude's awsome

[@rinlodari4836]

Hello! Im a new hedgehog owner and I was wondering if it’s necessary to bathe them and to cut their nails? Thank you!!

[@animatorstuf]

awh so cwute

[@jamesyelle7585]

i got my hedgehog over a year and it a male .and he does curl up in to a ball and never want to open up .do you have a male video of a hedgehog how to work with it.

[@erikaeternal]

How long about will bonding take? It’s only been a couple weeks with my 3 month old and there’s tiny progress but she’s still so very scared and grumpy.

[@earthling1984]

It could take weeks or months. They should be calm and tame upon purchase. But sadly, lots of breeders sell too young and unsocialized. I never had a hedgehog that was hard to work with. Just one brat that was born in my home. She was just a little grouch lol. But she was nice too.

[@helmaschine1885]

Mealworms can cause metabolic bone disease with hedgehogs. Their bones become brittle and break because mealworms contain phosphorus but lack calcium which causes the food to leech calcium from the hedgehogs bones instead.

[@earthling1984]

They (and other insects) are a great part of a well rounded diet for hedgehogs. Of course you wouldn't feed only mealworms and nothing else. My hedgehogs got a great variety of healthy foods. Every hedgehog I kept myself (I bred over 50, but didn't keep all of them myself of course) lived over 6 years, and a couple over 8 years (a record?). Never a single illness or injury.

[@Sealdudeyeah]

"LET ME SLEEP! "

[@whitneyhauerwas3445]

I just got a hedgehog from a friend and he can't move very fast at all or climb and I've only heard him use his wheel a few times. It's not old age but he falls over a lot. What could it be ?

[@edweewee]

i just got a hedgehog and i handled her well before i bought her but now she can sometimes put her spikes up and huff and i dont know what to do

[@cubiegames2788]

How can you find a local breeder? I have been looking for weeks and can't seem to find one.

[@symbolmist2120]

Hello! By any chance, is there a way to message you privately? I’m interested in getting a hedgehog one day and would like your thoughts on a couple of subjects not entirely covered in your videos, but I’m also in need of a second opinion on a breeder since I'm new to this, which is why I think PM is more appropriate.

[@Kaprireyes]

I have a question?? What is the best dry cat food for hedgehogs? I'm getting one sometime this month and want to buy the right cat food 😁

[@earthling1984]

My hedgehogs ( I bred 50+) all lived 6 to 8 years. Their main diet was either Royal Canin adult indoor cat, or, Blue Buffalo Wilderness (not other Blue Options). I mixed some freeze-dried insects into their dry cat food. I usually used mealworms, but, also used some other insects. That made up like 90% of their diet. For treats I baked chicken at home, no seasoning of course, and cut up into small pieces. Put some in a bag in the fridge, some in the freezer. I did give some fruits and veggies, but, pretty rarely.

[@Kaprireyes]

@@earthling1984 thank you very much!! this will be very helpful!!

[@carolinalobato645]

Shouldn’t give cat food at all, but check ingredients and choose high protein and low fat

[@insecuriitea5804]

@@carolinalobato645 cat food is recommended though

[@carolinalobato645]

@@insecuriitea5804 it’s not recommended as the main Part of their diet. Insects such as mealworms, super worms, Dubi roaches, etc should be! Cat food is 30%

[@christina9111]

Hi, so I have a grey badger hedgehog and I had him for a little over a month. He's very comfortable around people and is really social because every night I play with him. He's not the aggressive type but two days ago he bit me, then yesterday he bit me again twice. What can cause hedgehogs start biting people?

[@earthling1984]

Nervous and anxious probably.

[@christina9111]

@@earthling1984 Alright, thank you!

[@TroyCamp-o1p]

Need heat for them ? Looking in to getting one

[@Preciouslovesjesus]

i have a question: what is the best places you can buy hedgehogs for under 200?

[@myda9733]

I’d just keep checking craigslist seeing how cheap they can come, over here in the west coast area the cheapest i’ve really seen on craigslist is $250 but mostly $300-$450 but your area may be different

[@roguecarrot1219]

I know this video is 4 years ago , Gotta ask i recently got a male hedgehog and a female 1 for me and a friend (she has experience) i gave her the female they instally bonded , and my male one is super grumpy, are male harder to bond than female ?

[@earthling1984]

Nope. In my case, I only had a couple grumpy females. But they are basically the same. If they come from a quality breeder, they should be easy to handle upon purchase. If you have a grumpy one, you need daily calm hang outs. In time trust will build.

[@radazeonv8821]

So petting one of those guys is like petting a diode?

[@TaraMalara]

Where are you located and do you still breed hedgehogs?

[@earthling1984]

Sorry, I don't anymore.

[@Minority119]

I've had my hedgehog for over a year and he's crazy grumpy he had an apparently bad owner before me so he's got a mean distrust of people and is missing a foot, so I literally cannot walk by him without him balling up but I aint giving up

[@donnastammen8069]

How often do they bite? Does the bite bring blood?

[@earthling1984]

I've kept and bred over 50 hedgehogs. Never a single bite. But, I have heard from others that it can happen, and can cause blood.

[@9210Miguel]

I just bought mine and his making a weird noise and i dont think he likes me lol. Im about to take him back

[@L.oh.ph.]

I thought it hurt the hedgehog to touch the quills, ig I was wrong. good to know :D

[@earthling1984]

The quills are meant to hurt you / enemies. Doesn't hurt them to touch them.

[@MsCrystalinda]

I want to get a hedgehog but my question is do you have to have a heat lamp?

[@earthling1984]

They need to be kept between 75F and 82F. Any lower than 75F can be unsafe and end up with them displaying symptoms close to WHS, and death. Never use under tank heating with a hedgehog. A heat light, or, ceramic heat emitter is needed. It must be tested often. You should have a quality thermostat to control the heat.

[@kimatanante5305]

I just had one 2 days ago and I still can't hold it coz both of us are too scared lol

[@earthling1984]

You didn't handle before buying?!?

[@nonaglonuzztis9952]

Whata sad life in a tiny plasticbox😟

[@earthling1984]

Luckily all my pets are taken out of their cage for at least an hour a day.

[@Zincoshine-]

poor baby, you really annoyed her when all she wanted to do was nap :

[@animatorstuf]

true but sometimes it is important to bond with them otherwise they may mistake you for a predator who wants to kill them

[@ErikaBaggs-e5z]

i bled from mine but only cause she was quilling and it wedged into my hand😭

[@lesley4807]

Please tell me the little one doesn’t live in that ??

[@animatorstuf]

thats the breading cage

[@robbychandra8577]

Hi just want to ask in anyone want to answer, how to teach hedgehog drink from bottle? Mine can't drink from bottle so I need bowl and it's kinda spilling, any tips?

[@carolinalobato645]

Heavy bowls! Do not get them to drink from bottles, it’s bad

[@carolinalobato645]

Use a ceramic bowl or something of a similar weight and you won’t have problems

[@insecuriitea5804]

No water bottles are recommended!! Just use small bottles. Hedgehogs needs water to be refilled a lot and from what I read from this breeder he recommended bottle because hedgehogs tends to get their water dirty fast. I know my hedgehog always tips his bowl over.

[@Savisann]

I heard hedgehog carry diseases? Is that true ?

[@Family-nw1yy]

no they dont .if you see foam coming out of there mouth dont be alarmed its not rabies its them getting new scents on their body so they can disguise themselves

[@Savisann]

@@Family-nw1yy Thank you, some people keep saying that.

[@janiewaa]

I buyed mine online

[@Boxreacts90]

3

[@kaykay-hv2de]

I was just reading today how rice is actually bad for dogs! Someone help me

[@Those2menoverthere]

kay kay sounds like the first step is to stop feeding your dog rice then? Not sure what you want people to tell you lmao.

[@kaykay-hv2de]

Foolish info is everywhere. Wondering what the expert thinks🙂

[@TickleMonster333]

I don’t think any animal is mean. Animals are nervous or scared

[@squishyxout]

I don't mean to burst your bubble but you have never seen nature then. I've seen monkeys tear each other apart for no reason, I've seen cats attack each other for no reason, I've seen dogs grab other animals by the tail and smash them up against a fence. Animals have emotions just like humans they also have personalities and not all of them are nice.

[@MobPeters]

​@@squishyxoutThat dont make any animal mean, every animal act for instinct

[@itsblanquito9556]

A hedgehog a pet?

[@Those2menoverthere]

ItsBlanquito its a pretty common pet.

[@itsblanquito9556]

@@Those2menoverthere I didnt know, its not common in Europe.

[@earthling1984]

Hedgehogs are wild in Europe and not meant to be pets. They are also a different species of hedgehogs. We do not have wild hedgehogs in the USA. We do keep African Pygmy Hedgehogs as pets. Most the hedgehogs we keep as pets here come from long lines of pet hedgehogs. I am not sure when exactly some were brought over, but, the ones we have now have been pets for decades; their great great great great great grandparents were pets in cages. Cage life / pet life is all they know. They would not survive if let go here. The choice is, keep them as pets and give them the best life you possibly can, or, let them all die off. I choose to give them good care.

[@itsblanquito9556]

@@earthling1984 Ohhhhhh okay I didn't know that. Thank you for your response! Here it's even very very rare to see one, I've seen one only twice in my life, this is why I was very surprised.

[@gang2723]

I wanted to get a hedgehog but there illegal in California

[@aleayala9310]

i found one on craigslist .. his name is zuko, his owner was looking for a good home for him so i took him in. wasn’t sure what i was supposed to do w him 😬 he’s a lil grumpy but it’s chill

[@shadowthejudgehog9081]

whats the kind of hedgehog you have in your videos? i like the ones like these, not those that look like ugly spiky rats

[@earthling1984]

African Pygmy Hedgehogs

[@shadowthejudgehog9081]

Earthling1984 thx

[@rudoltry7232]

@@earthling1984 its good thing i live in south africa ,imma go to the pet store later and get me a hedghoggy

[@coechouchou]

FFFFFHFHHFHFHFHFHFHFHFH i wanna know how to tame a wild hedgehooooooooooggg :(

[@earthling1984]

Never take a wild animal as a pet. They have their own life out there. Only captive bred animals should be pets.

[@coechouchou]

@@earthling1984 hehehehehehehehhehehehehe my grandma had a hedgehog on her aquarium cage and stayed there about a year and now the hedgie is very agressive when i put my hand :((((((

[@earthling1984]

@@coechouchou I don't know what is funny?

[@coechouchou]

@@earthling1984 oh thats my nervous laugh You know i just felt bad for my grandma's hedgehog cus its been a year and havent been touched by a human

[@earthling1984]

@@coechouchou I see. That is sad.

[@user-fi3qn3gu9z]

Igel sind keine Haustiere!

[@Unlimiman-47]

Maybe not in Germany but in the United States: it's totally possible!

[@animatorstuf]

uh no they are pets aslong as you treat them well and let them be when they want to be left alone my point is aslong as you treat a hedgehog well and kindly then yes it can be a pet

[@carolinalobato645]

Do not use gloves when handling hedgehogs!!

[@earthling1984]

It is perfectly fine to use gloves.

[@Lina-te1iq]

Dude are you really telling me this poor thing has to live in that tiny tiny box all its life? This can’t be serious. And after all of that you have the confidence to give advice to other people. Only in America. In nature this animal would run miles every night. Imagine all the enrichment and exercise. This is bad animal cruelty.

[@earthling1984]

These are African Pygmy Hedgehogs. Not European Hedgehogs. They don't live wild in my country, nor is it legal to release them, nor would they survive. The choice is to keep them and give them a good life, or let them all die off. Now all my hedgehogs are calm and tame. Why? Because I'm a great owner. They trust me, and get the best of care. Now, I bred hedgehogs, 100's of them in the past. The smaller cages are for breeding. Also, all my hedgehogs were handled often, every day.

[@mikeydelira1]

Mine died 😔

[@earthling1984]

:(

[@ЕвгенийМиронов-п1р]

It seems to me that a hedgehog needs a lot more cells. There must be a wheel. But a drinking bowl for rodents like yours, I think, is not the best way to water them. Why sawdust? You can do something soft, they will be much more comfortable

[@earthling1984]

Thanks, but, I've kept and bred over 50 hedgehogs. All calm, tame, and long living (all I kept lived 6 to 8 years; never a single illness). Water bottles are best. Hedgehogs will walk with their poop filled paws through any water bowl right away, making the water dirty and unsafe. The aspen bedding is the best choice; never use pine or cedar.

[@jw58898]

Hedgehogs run three kilometers a day, so you have to put hedgehog wheels in. If She doesn't exercise, She feels frustrated. You are abusing animals.

[@stance_life8172]

Hé isn’t tho

[@insecuriitea5804]

He lets them out a lot actually they have a lot of running time outside of the cage please check his other videos and pay attention

[@milzijex7340]

You are overhandling it.

[@earthling1984]

No, I'm not. I've kept and bred over 50 hedgehogs:)

[@readynow12345]

Dude you need to redo this video you are constantly repeating yourself & saying the same thing over & over again sorry but this is the truth