Not everyone is comfortable with traditional cats or dogs as pets. Some owners want more exotic pets like hedgehogs. Those who have a hedgehog at home usually pour milk into a saucer. The same is done by those to whom the hedgehog came to visit at the dacha.
If you give milk to a hedgehog, he will really start drinking it, causing tenderness to the owners, who are convinced that the animal loves milk. Love for milk is traditionally attributed not only to hedgehogs, but also to cats. It is difficult to say what this belief is based on, but it has nothing to do with reality.
In all mammals, milk is intended for feeding the young. Adults who can get other food do not need it and are not available, so the digestive system of adults stops producing enzymes that break down those proteins and fats that are contained in milk.
The mutation, which made it possible to fully assimilate milk in adulthood, occurred only in humans. All other adult animals, including hedgehogs, milk not only does not benefit, but can also lead to serious digestive upset - especially when it comes to the milk of an animal belonging to another biological species, for example, cow or goat milk for hedgehog.
The fact that hedgehogs and cats drink milk, if given to them, does not speak about its usefulness: contrary to the common misconception, animals do not always “know what they need”, do not always end up from food that is harmful to them. A hungry animal may well pounce on food that is not quite suitable for him. Hedgehogs that have fallen into human hands do the same with milk if a person does not give them more suitable food.
However, it is possible and even necessary to add fermented milk products to the hedgehog's diet - they already contain enzymes, so there are no problems with their digestion.
One should not be guided by another common misconception - that hedgehogs love apples and mushrooms. This conventional wisdom is based on pictures and children's cartoons, where hedgehogs often carry an apple or mushroom on their backs. In reality, any fruits can only accidentally catch on the thorns of a hedgehog. Hedgehogs eat plant foods in small quantities, so they should be given fruits and vegetables little by little and not very often.
Hedgehogs feed on insects, worms, mice, and snails. At home, they need to be given veal, beef, chicken, fish, raw or boiled. Can be fed with mealworms, cockroaches, crickets, various beetles.
However, even with proper nutrition, the hedgehog will never feel good at home. This is not an animal that can be completely domesticated, and it will not bring much pleasure to the owners - after all, this is a nocturnal animal, hedgehogs sleep during the day. If the owners, wishing to communicate with the pet, wake him up during the day, this will also be harmful to the health of the hedgehog. No matter how great the temptation is to catch such an animal in the forest and bring it home, you should not do this.
