How Much Space Do Hedgehogs Need? 7 Cool Facts

It is a great pleasure for many to pet hedgehogs. However, petting a hedgehog comes with great responsibility. The owner must ensure that they provide proper terrarium and resources to the hedgehog. So that it can thrive.

One of the most important factors for the quality of life of a hedgehog is its cage. Many owners often ask about their cage to maintain their health.

How much space do hedgehogs need? Hedgehogs need at least a 4-6 square foot area that should have a dedicated litter box, hiding space, and water and food area.

How much space do hedgehogs need
How much space do hedgehogs need?

 

How Much Space Do Hedgehogs Need?

Though hedgehogs are low maintenance, easy to pet animals they do require at least 4-6 square feet of land area. The best bedding for hedgehogs would be a  24×24 hedgehog cage that has enough space for a hedgehog to roam freely, that has a dedicated area for a hiding box, litter box, etc.

 

Do Hedgehogs Need Lots Of Space?

How much space do hedgehogs need? Even though hedgehogs don’t take much space, hedgehogs need at least 3- 4 square feet of floor space in their terrarium. Hedgehogs don’t need much space but due to their wild instinct, they are keen to explore.

Wild hedgehogs move a lot at night. So even a pet hedgehog would also require some space. If the owner can, they should leave hedgehogs in an empty room at night.

If the owner can, they can also hide treats in the terrarium of the hedgehog for him to find it. Providing more space to the hedgehog will only do good for the hedgehog.

If the owner has limited space, the owner can create a maze with plastic pipes through which a hedgehog can play. Though hedgehogs don’t need much space to live, they require space to roam for their development.

 

How Much Room Does A Hedgehog Need?

To keep a hedgehog, it is recommended that the owner provides enough space for the hedgehog so that he can move. Even though they only need around 3- 4 square feet of area to live, it is recommended to provide enough space at night for a hedgehog to roam and explore.

If possible the owner should provide an empty room for a hedgehog to explore, the owner can hide treats for the hedgehog. However, the owner should not let any windows of the room open and the cage walls should be high enough so that the hedgehog doesn’t escape.

To keep a hedgehog, the best terrarium would be one that has smooth walls like an aquarium. An aquarium also has enough space for a hedgehog to roam.

 

How Big A Hole Does A Hedgehog Need?

For a hedgehog to pass through walls or passages, owners should create holes from which they can easily come and go. 5-6 inches of the hole would be a perfect size for a hedgehog to pass through it.

If the owner is making holes in walls or the different hopes of hedgehogs they should keep in mind that holes aren’t sharp to harm the body of the hedgehog. The hole should have a smooth finishing.

 

How Far Apart Should Hedgehog Houses Be?

If the hedgehogs are pets, then the houses can’t be too far as there would be a common terrarium. In a terrarium, two houses can be kept on opposite walls.

Keeping the houses in front of each other would ensure a difference and at the same time, hedgehogs will be able to see each other. If the owner is trying to attract wild hedgehogs, still the houses shouldn’t be at much distance.

 

How Much Space Does A Pygmy Hedgehog Need?

Pygmy Hedgehogs are solitary animals. So it is required to keep them in separate houses. As hedgehogs roam at night, they need enough space for them to explore.

Keeping a hedgehog in a tunnel-like maze or a separate room would be great for the hedgehog but 5 square feet size of room would be a decent choice.

How much space do hedgehogs need
How much space do hedgehogs need?

 

Hedgehog Space Requirements

How much space do hedgehogs need? Wild hedgehogs roam a lot at night in the daytime they sleep and at night time they move to find food.

When a hedgehog is sleeping they won’t require much space (the terrarium where a hedgehog sleeps should have enough space to sleep properly, dedicated space for a litter box, wheel, nest box, or hiding box) but at night when they want to roam, this space may not be as good as a large area.

 

Do Hedgehogs Like Multi Level Cages?

Yes, hedgehogs need space to roam. The more space an owner can provide, the more a hedgehog can thrive. Owners can buy readymade multi-level cages but they can also make DIY hedgehog cage that has multi-levels as it can be an efficient idea.

An indoor hedgehog cage that has multi-levels will help a hedgehog to explore. The owner should not forget to add hiding space on all levels. So no matter at what level a hedgehog is, he will have a safe space to hide into. The owner can also hide treats throughout the cage to surprise the hedgehog and it will promote its wild instinct of exploring.

 

Can A Hedgehog Live In A Hamster Cage?

Most of the hedgehog cage are pretty smaller than the required area size for a hedgehog. How much space do hedgehogs need? Hedgehogs require at least 4-6 square feet of floor space. It is not recommended to keep a hedgehog in a smaller cage. It is recommended to use a cage that has big walls and that doesn’t have sharp edges.

However, it is not a requirement to buy a new cage. The owner can create a dedicated area of a hedgehog by adding attachable walls. This way, the hedgehog will get good space and it will help the hedgehog to thrive.

 

Minimum Cage Size For Hedgehog

The minimum size of a hedgehog’s cage is determined by how long the hedgehog is. The hedgehog should get enough space to roam and explore the area. It should not be too congested where the roof touches the head of the hedgehog. It is recommended to use different methods for the hedgehogs to get the experience of the wild that they get in the open to get them fully developed.

One activity an owner can do, if they have an extra room that is empty and doesn’t have windows, is to put the hedgehog in the empty room and hide the treats. This will help them to roam freely at night as they do in the wild. In addition, finding the hidden great will make them happy and confident.

 

Final Verdict – How Much Space Do Hedgehogs Need

Petting a hedgehog is in demand but so in demand are the questions related to petting them. One of them is how much space do hedgehogs need? For sleeping and keeping a hedgehog, they need at least 4-6 square feet of space. The owner should note that the place where a hedgehog sleep should be long enough for them to roam. However, this is a space that is required only for sleeping.

In the wild hedgehogs are known to roam the whole night for food, water and mating. While one of the needs that are food is completed by owners their natural wild instinct won’t go so easily. They still need to roam.

How much space do hedgehogs need
How much space do hedgehogs need? How much space do hedgehogs need in captivity? How much space do hedgehogs need in the wild?

To let the hedgehog thrive the owner may leave the hedgehog at night a room that is not risky for them. A preferred room would be an empty room that doesn’t have a window. So that they will get to roam as they do in the wild.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet hedgehog a good and comfortable life!

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