Atelerix albiventris — a warm, clear guide for older learners, carers and breeders looking after a mum-to-be and her hoglets.
African Pygmy Hedgehogs — also known as the four-toed hedgehog — come from central and eastern Africa. They're a popular exotic pet and, with the right setup, fairly easy to care for. They are nocturnal, and in the wild they can run up to 12 miles a night, so they need plenty of space and a large wheel to prevent back injuries. When they feel threatened they curl into a tight ball with their quills pointing outwards. They are naturally shy, so gentle daily handling is really important.
Caring for a pregnant hedgehog asks a little more of us — more food, more calm, and a lot more patience. This guide walks you through everything a mum-to-be needs.
Hedgehogs are omnivores, so we try to replicate their wild diet as closely as we can. They are prone to obesity, so normally we ration their food and keep it lean — but a pregnant mum is the exception.
The foundation is a high-quality cat kibble. Aim for roughly 33% protein, 13% fat and 3.5–10% fibre, and mix at least three types of kibble together so she gets the best of everything. Supplement this with mealworms, crickets, locusts, cooled scrambled egg, pumpkin puree and wet cat food. Do not use hedgehog-specific food — it's generally bad for them. Most of a hedgehog's fibre comes from insects.
A normal daily ration is around 70–100 calories — roughly 1–3 tablespoons depending on her size.
A pregnant hedgehog needs extra nutrition. Offer as much as she'll safely eat, so she can gain the weight she needs for her hoglets — otherwise the growing babies will drain her own reserves. This is the one time we relax the usual rationing.
Here's an easy week to work from — adjust portions to suit her size and appetite:
| Day | Meal |
|---|---|
| Monday | High-quality kibble, 3 tbsp |
| Tuesday | Wet food, ½ pouch + 3 mealworms |
| Wednesday | Scrambled egg, 1 tbsp + kibble, 3 tbsp |
| Thursday | Wet food, ⅓ pouch + kibble, 2 tbsp |
| Friday | Kibble, 3 tbsp + 1 large locust |
| Saturday | Wet food, ½ pouch |
| Sunday | Kibble, 4 tbsp + 2 mealworms |
Feeding keeps a hedgehog well in body and mind. Try to:
Hedgehogs are solitary — only house them together for breeding or medical reasons. They are excellent climbers, so the enclosure must be fully escape-proof.
Keep the ambient temperature at 21–25°C. Unless the room is reliably warm, use a heat bulb — for example a 75–100W ceramic bulb on a thermostat. If a hedgehog gets too cold it may attempt hibernation, which is dangerous and can be fatal.
The minimum enclosure for an adult is 4 × 2 foot — and bigger is always better. She needs room for all her furniture and space to move around.
Good options are fleece, shredded paper, newspaper, or cardboard/paper pellets. Whatever you choose, it must be dust-free to protect her sensitive respiratory tract.
Provide plenty to explore and hide in: wheels, tunnels, snuffle mats, fleece strips, cuddle sacks, boxes and hideaways.
Use a solid-surface wheel — such as a bucket wheel like the Carolina Storm — and never a wire or mesh wheel, which can injure feet and legs. A tray underneath helps, as hedgehogs tend to toilet on their wheel.
Use heavy ceramic or glass food and water dishes so she can't tip them over, and change the water daily. Keep nail clippers and pet-safe cleaning supplies to hand.
As her due date approaches, give her:
Hedgehogs climb and can squeeze through surprisingly small gaps. Make sure the enclosure has solid or small-wire walls and a secure lid, and always handle her carefully outside the enclosure to prevent any escapes.
Gestation is usually 34–39 days, though rarely it can stretch to around 55. Only breed females that are at least 6 months old and over 300g.
Symptoms can be completely absent right up until birth, but you may notice:
Litters range from 1 to 10 hoglets.
Everything a mum-to-be needs, in one place:
Approach slowly and calmly. Place one hand under her belly, gently scoop and support her weight, and support her back with your other hand. Build a bond through scent recognition — leave a worn piece of fabric carrying your scent in her enclosure. Only ever restrain her when it's truly necessary for treatment.
Weigh her monthly and do a quick health check every day — hedgehogs hide illness very well. Book an annual vet check, and remember that spaying or neutering can reduce the risk of tumours and disease later in life.
Watch for internal and external parasites, ringworm, cancer, pneumonia, gastrointestinal disease and obesity. Signs of illness are often vague — a poor appetite or lethargy can be the only clue, so trust your instincts and see a vet if something feels off.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal, so leave her to rest during the day. If startled she may ball up or raise her spines. Sounds you might hear include popping, sniffling, huffing (a sign of distress), chirping and a contented purr.
Youngsters quill at around 4, 6, 9 and 12 weeks, losing old quills and growing new ones, with adult colour coming in at about 9 weeks.
When a hedgehog meets a new taste or smell it may froth at the mouth and lick the frothy saliva across its back. It looks odd but it's completely normal and harmless.
A hedgehog typically costs between £100 and £500. Ongoing costs include substrate, a heat bulb, food, disinfectant and litter — and when you're breeding, add in a nesting box and hoglet food too. It's worth planning for these before a litter arrives so mum and babies want for nothing.