It isn’t likely that you got your hedgehog pet to just sit around and watch him sleep. He is so cute that you just have to hold him. Because of this, it is very important for you to tame your hedgehog pet because if you don’t, you are facing a very prickly time while you try to snuggle your hedgehog pet.
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Why Taming Your Hedgehog Pet is Important
When you tame your hedgehog pet, you are teaching him that he doesn’t have to be scared of being handled. This reduces his overall stress and can help him to stay healthy. It will also teach your hedgehog that he can relax when you pick him up. When he is relaxed, he is less likely to prick you with his quills.
Handling Your Hedgehog Pet
The best method to tame your hedgehog pet is to handle him on a regular basis. Because his quills are sharp, you can wear thick gloves when you first start to handle your hedgehog. As time progresses, you can change the gloves you wear to thinner gloves until you can handle him without any gloves on at all.
Timing the Taming of Your Hedgehog Pet
When you first start trying to tame your hedgehog pet, you will have to hold him for no more than five minutes per session, but you should schedule several sessions per day. Remember hedgehogs as pets are nocturnal creatures, so you will have to keep the area dark during your day and light it up at night to help your hedgehog feel more relaxed while you are handling him. When your hedgehog seems comfortable being handled for five minutes, increase the amount of time you handle him per session. Continue this until you can handle your hedgehog pet for at least an hour per session. By this point, you can reduce the number of sessions to one session, as your hedgehog needs about an hour of contact with you per day.
Special Considerations for Taming a Hedgehog Pet
Hedgehogs as pets have teeth, and they can bite, so when you are taming your hedgehog, make sure that your hands are clean. If your fingers smell like any of the foods your hedgehog pet likes, he may mistake your fingers for food and bite you.
Another consideration for handling your hedgehog is the temperature. Your hedgehog pet needs to stay warm, so the temperature of the room in which you handle your hedgehog should be at least 72 degrees Fahrenheit. If you can’t accommodate that, you should use a heating pad on low or some warm towels to help keep him warm.