2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Surprisingly, these wild thorny grumblers get along well with people and may even have affection for their owners. It is best to start them or just feed them in the country. Hedgehogs will become not only friends, but also helpers in the fight against rodents
Recently, the owners of private houses in the West have increasingly begun to have hedgehogs - these friendly and cute, albeit thorny animals. They can often be found at our dachas. The easiest way is to just feed the hedgehogs, but if someone decided to have and keep them at home, you should learn more about these funny animals. They require special care. For example, hedgehogs periodically lose their needles, which is very painful for them. Here are some more interesting facts:
1. Hedgehogs like the night time more
A hedgehog, like an owl or an eagle owl, refers to animals whose activity is manifested in the dark. Therefore, people who decide to have a hedgehog as a pet should be aware that it is impossible to wake a hedgehog during the day, as this will have a detrimental effect on his health.
2. Hedgehogs hear perfectly and have an excellent sense of smell
Hedgehogs have poor eyesight, that this deficiency is perfectly compensated for by the presence of excellent hearing and smell.
3. Hedgehogs are not afraid of loneliness
Even cats - seemingly very independent animals - do not even like loneliness, demanding the constant attention of their owners. And hedgehogs, on the contrary, prefer loneliness and peace. But chatting in a good mood is also not averse.
4. Not all hedgehogs love to sleep
There are 17 varieties of hedgehogs with different characteristics. To find out if a house hedgehog belongs to those who hibernate, you need to consult a specialist. Since some types of hedgehogs practically do not sleep in winter.
5. On average, hedgehogs live 5 years
If the hedgehog is healthy, he can live in the wild for up to seven years. Hedgehogs that live at home often have various diseases, which they acquire with improper care. Therefore, the owner must know how to properly care for this unusual pet.
6. Hedgehogs don't use their needles to carry food
Since childhood, we have seen in books a hedgehog carrying an apple or mushrooms on needles. But this is nothing more than a myth and a fairy tale. In fact, hedgehogs will not be able to physically prick such products and objects of this size on needles - at most, leaves, and then by accident.
7. How to feed the hedgehog?
Hedgehogs are not very picky about food, but they require a certain diet. Therefore, it is necessary to consult with a veterinarian about their diet and in no case feed them everything that people eat. In addition to the usual apples and carrots, you can feed the hedgehog with milk or bread soaked in it. But we must not forget that hedgehogs are, first of all, predatory animals. From time to time they need to supply boiled meat, liver, fresh fish, live worms, insects.
8. Hedgehogs are great friends
Hedgehogs like to lie on the owner's lap, play with him in the garden. It can even be trained in multiple commands. It's interesting with him, but his life, unfortunately, is too short, so overly sensitive and over-emotional people who are able to worry a lot in the event of the death of their beloved pets should not have a hedgehog.
9. Mice are smarter than hedgehogs
According to the results of research by paleontologists, the hedgehog is distinguished by smooth and small cerebral hemispheres, which does not even cover the cerebellum. Mice have more developed brains, so they are smarter than hedgehogs. Despite this, hedgehogs not only enjoy contact with people, but are also able to memorize the simplest commands, which means they are amenable to elementary training.
If you train a hedgehog every day, he begins to memorize the owner's voice and smell, and over time even understand the simplest phrases and words: "to me", "not allowed", "eat" and others. You can train a hedgehog to its place, to the tray. Of course, most often the hedgehog chooses the place for the toilet on his own, and the owner can only equip the chosen corner for the pet's needs.
10. The hedgehog is very curious about a new smell
It is interesting to know how hedgehogs get to know new smells. This is an unusual and touching sight. The hedgehog first tastes an unfamiliar object - licks it. Licking causes the appearance of fragrant saliva in the mouth of the animal. After this comes the second stage of acquaintance, in which needles are used by a hedgehog. He rubs them against an object that emanates an unfamiliar smell. Hedgehogs behaved so strangely, getting acquainted with the smell of cigarettes - they pricked their butts on needles. Hedgehogs are also interested in handkerchiefs, from which a perfume smell emanates, as well as coffee beans.
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