Hedgehogs are amazing creatures. Due to their calm disposition, interesting appearance and funny "snorting", hedgehogs often become heroes of fairy tales, cartoons, while, as a rule, they always act as positive characters. Some dare to have this wild animal at home.
Features of the content of hedgehogs
Hedgehogs can make wonderful pets. Of course, you shouldn't bring hedgehogs from the forest and put them in a cage. Firstly, this is incredible stress for a wild animal, and secondly, there is a danger of getting many dangerous diseases from the animal.
Ornamental hedgehogs are sold, for example, African dwarf ones, which are grown by experienced breeders, it is better to take a hedgehog from them.
To keep a hedgehog at home, you need a cage of at least 40 square cm. The floor in the cage must be smooth or soft, hedgehogs can injure delicate paws on the slatted floor. The place where hedgehogs are kept should be free from drafts and direct sunlight.
The cage must be equipped with a feeder, a drinking bowl, a house and a running wheel - the hedgehog will run in it at night, while in the wild he goes hunting.
Hedgehogs are fed with special dry food and insect preserves - they can be purchased at pet stores. Pieces of fruit and fresh food insects may occasionally be given. From time to time, you can offer your hedgehog wet kitten food.
Education and training
Many experts note that in terms of mental abilities, hedgehogs are rather primitive animals. They, for example, are dumber than mice. Nevertheless, elementary tricks and obedience of a hedgehog can be taught.
You can create various "obstacle courses" from improvised means and lay out treats on them. So your hedgehog will learn by itself.
To start training a hedgehog should be that he should get used to you and love you. To do this, he needs to remember your smell and voice. For starters, you can put something of yours in the cage, for example, a T-shirt. So the hedgehog will feel your smell, even when you are not around, and then he will be much more trusting to you.
In order for the animal to get used to the voice, you need to talk to it, at least half an hour a day. It's good if only you will feed him. Then the hedgehog will hear the voices of other people, but will not be so disposed to them.
If you regularly work with your pet, he will soon learn his name and begin to respond to it.
Clown trainer Nikolai Yashukov is constantly training hedgehogs. His hedgehogs know how to roll carts, jump over obstacles and much more.
In addition, a trained hedgehog can perform primitive commands, such as "Stand" and "To me." The "Stand" command of the animal can be taught as follows: lure the hedgehog to you with a treat or hand movement, then say: "Stand!" and block his path, for example, with a book. After a long workout, he will remember what needs to be done.
You can also teach a hedgehog to "Roll up!" and "Turn around!" The main thing is not to scare him in any case, otherwise he will refuse to trust you. When pronouncing commands, you need to help him curl up and turn around with careful hand movements.
