Hello Emmaw_13,
First thing to ask I guess is whether you are ready for the responsibility.? Hogs are surprisingly easy to look after once settled, if they settle, not all do- but they are very smelly and messy to have indoors – but most of all is the worry about whether you are doing the right things for them. I assume your veterinary practice is well versed in the wellbeing of hogs – and at least you have some connections there – but I would recommend you get in touch with your local hog carer or rescue and make yourself known to them – these people are the ones who really know about hogs, habits and behaviours and when and what needs looking at. just having the back up for a quick call can be a huge relief once you are on your own with a hog – they can do strange things that can make you worry!
Anyway – I always provide a corner of the cage that is ‘theirs’ – so they can build a nest from materials (lots of hay usually and shredded paper work) you provide and they can hide in (I use absorbant layer Stayfresh from Pets at Home, with a top layer of hay) – I cover the nest side of the cage (I tend to use big outdoor sized rabbit hutches) with things that block out the light and gives them extra assurance in their nests. I clean the cage daily but quickly when they are asleep by scraping poo from wherever they have splattered it outside the nest and clearing wet patches (they will push poo through the edges of the cage as well – so you’ll need protection on your floor under and around the cage). I take them out for a weekly check, any claw clipping and a weigh once they get to 400g plus weekly is fine – and at the same time check their nest for wetness and poo. Some poo in their nests, but most don’t really.
You need to source hedgehog specific food ideally – but cat kibble and wet cat food / dog food will suffice. Plenty of fresh water – that he will tip everywhere, walk through and poo in. Your hog will put on weight very quickly once captive for a while – so its more likely a problem keeping the weight down.
You need to keep them away from general traffic and noise in the house as much as possible – its very stressful for them and you do want him to stay wild. also – people will be interested and want to see and have a hold etc – resist the temptation to do this for his sake – the less handling he has the better.
I’m afraid hibernation at 1kg sounds like its straight forward – but because of the captivity and confusion – many don’t go into hibernation or are too confused to do so – so simply putting him outside when he is 1kg may not be straight forward, his initial thoughts will be to try and escape his cage – so ensure its robustly locked up and he cant hurt himself on the chicken wire they often put in the windows of hutches.
Fingers crossed for you.
