The Scoop

Hedgehogs in Cold Temperatures

During the cold winter months, hedgehogs found in the wild use a method of avoiding the cold that we’ve all probably wished we could resort to ourselves at some point: they hibernate right through it.  Once the temperatures start to drop, these ground-dwelling animals simply go still and take a nap, only waking up every few days to find food and water until the temperatures improve. 

While this works well for wild hedgehogs, pet hedgehogs are a whole other story. 

Your pet hedgehog should not be exposed to temperatures low enough that could cause them to begin hibernating. While the room you keep their habitat in may feel comfortable to you, remember that hedgehogs are much smaller and lack the clothing you wear to keep yourself warm. They are quite sensitive to the cold, and can begin to enter hibernation in a room that feels just chilly to you. 

Here are some tips to help keep your hedgie warm and awake this winter:

• Keep the cage in a room that is temperature controlled and away from windows, if possible. Windows get colder in the winter, and even in a heated room the cold could still bother your hedgehog.
• Make sure your hedgehog has a warm bed to cuddle up in, like a fleece pouch. Crawling inside the pouch will keep their body heat close and act as a natural heater. 
• If a room is particularly cold, activate an instant hand warmer and wrap it up in fleece or a cloth so that your hedgehog can’t get to it. Place the wrapped hand warmer in the cage for a cozy heating pad with no electricity required.