Originally posted by tikeyas_mom
hedgies are great pets, they slepp during the day and are up mostly at night. they like to stay warm so it must have a heat lamp or a cloth to cuddle up in . they eat cat food. um they can drink out of a water bottle or out of a bowl
Water bottles are preferred because hedgies tend to use their water bowls as a litter box. A bowl can also collect pieces of bedding and it needs to be changed frequently. I had to use a bowl for Flower for the first couple of weeks until she learned how to use a water bottle, and make sure it's one they can actually get water out of. The Critter Canteens seem to be too hard for a hedgie to get water out of.

Mine are up during the day and night. They adjust to your schedule pretty well, but they are up pretty much all night long. You may want to give them some toys and hidey areas such as large igloos, or cuddle pouches. They also like solid surfice running wheels. My hedgies could not live without a wheel. They love their wheels! They do have baby blankets which I throw in there with them. Do not use hamster fluff or anything similar to that as it can wrap around their feet or teeth.

Jynelle, they don't just eat cat food. They have very specific dietary needs and need a good quality kitten, hedgehog or cat food such as Nutro, or Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul. Felidae is a great food as well, better than Nutro but pretty much the same as Chicken Soup. Innova is good too. You just need to watch them to make sure they do not get fat as they are prone to fatty liver disease.

They also tend to foam at the mouth, called anting or annointing. It's unsure why exactly they do this, but it's everytime they smell something different. They will make a spit and coat their body with it, so don't think they have rabies or anything like that lol. Most people think they do this to coat their body with the smell of the new object, so as to ward off predators and smell like their surroundings.