You need to provide the best substrate for your pet hedgehogs. This is because they spend most of their time inside their cage and thus need to be comfortable.
A good substrate for hedgehog is one that is safe, comfortable, highly absorbent and easy to clean and maintain.
We have prepared this article to guide you to find the best substrate for your pet hedgehog.
Here is our top pick.
PRODUCT
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KEY FEATURES
Made from 100% natural aspen wood
It can absorb up to 4 times its weight in liquid
It is hypoallergenic
Made from all natural aspen logs that have been kiln dried hence safe for hedgehogs
Compostable and recyclable hence good for the environment
Contains no additives or preservatives
Has good ador control, it can suppress ammonia odor for up to 10 days
Made from scratch using natural fiber hence safe for hedgehogs
Has a pillowy soft texture that is perfect for burrowing and gentle on hedgehog feet
Biodegradable and compostable hence good for the environment
Absorbs up to 6 times its weight in liquid and 2 times more than wood shavings
Super soft and fluffy hence perfect for burrowing and gentle on hedgehogs sensitive feet
Absorbs ammonia from your hedgehog cage hence good odor control
Made using premium materials that are safe for hedgehogs
Comes with a burrow pocket where your hedgehog can hide and sleep
Contains no dust
Several sizes to choose from based on your hedgehog cage size
Factors to consider when choosing a substrate for your pet hedgehog
When selecting the best substrate for your pet hedgehog consider the following factors
1. Absorbency
A good hedgehog substrate should have a high absorbency. It should be able to absorb moisture from the hedgehog cage in order to control humidity within the cage that could lead to moulding.
Additionally, the bedding should be able to absorb urine and hold it and control ammonia from building up in the hedgehog cage.
Choose substrate that absorbs urine and moisture and one that keeps the top layer of the bedding dry so your hedgehog is comfortable.
2. Easy to clean and maintain
You should choose bedding material that is easy to clean and maintain. This is because when you provide your hedgehog with clean substrate they are able to live comfortably.
Paper bedding and wood bedding are easy to clean and maintain as you only need to spot clean dump areas and areas with waste. You only need to change the whole substrate on regular basis although the interval for paper substrate is shorter.
When selecting fabric-based bedding consider if the bedding is easy to hand clean or clean using a machine. Choose one that you can clean easily.
3. Comfortable
A good hedgehog bedding is one which provides comfort to your hedgehog.
Hedgehogs have sensitive feet which can easily be injured by sharp objects within their cage.
You can ensure your hedgehog’s comfort by providing them with bedding that is soft and gentle on their feet.
4. Safe
Lastly, good hedgehog substrate should be safe.
Choose a substrate that is made using material that is safe for hedgehogs.
If using wood-based beddings ensure that you select bedding that does not contain aromatic oils as this are toxic to hedgehogs.
If using fabric-based bedding ensure that the edges are sewn to prevent them from unravelling and wrapping around your hedgehogs’ feet.
Lastly, select bedding that is not dusty or mouldy as these could lead to health problems.
Review of the best substrate for hedgehogs
Generally, there are 3 types of substrates that you can use in your hedgehog’s cage including.
- Wood-based bedding
- Paper-based bedding
- Fabric-based bedding
To find out the qualities of each type of bedding, read our separate article here.
Wood-based bedding for pet hedgehogs
Wood-based bedding make great substrate for hedgehogs because they are highly absorbent, easy to clean and maintain and are readily available.
Additionally, wood-based beddings such as aspen shavings are safe for hedgehogs.
However not all wood-based bedding are safe for hedgehogs. Some like pine and cedar based beddings contain aromatic oils that are potentially toxic to hedgehogs. You should therefore avoid these beddings.
Here is our top pick of wood-based substrate that is safe for hedgehogs.
Living world small animal bedding material
We recommend this bedding for hedgehogs due to a number of reasons.
First, this bedding material is made from 100% natural aspen wood. The aspen wood is kiln dried which makes this bedding safe for hedgehogs.
Secondly, this substrate is highly absorbent. It can absorb up to 4 times its weight in moisture. This controls the growth of mold, fungus and bacteria keeping your hedgehog’s cage clean and dry and thus safe.
Additionally, this bedding is hypoallergenic. It also does not contains aromatic oils which are potentially toxic to hedgehogs. As such this bedding is safe for hedgehogs.
Lastly, this bedding is easy to clean and maintain. To clean, simply spot clean dump substrate and areas with hedgehog waste.
Pros
- Highly absorbent
- Contains no aromatic oils
- Hypoallergenic
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Comfortable
- Cheap
Cons
- Tends to be dusty
- May contain some large pieces of wood that can be hazardous to hedgehogs
Small pet select aspen bedding
The small pet select aspen bedding is suitable for use with hedgehogs due to a number of reasons.
The first reason is because it is made from all natural aspen logs that have been kiln dried. It is therefore safe for small pets including hedgehogs.
The other reason is why this bedding is safe for use with hedgehogs is because it contains no additives or preservatives.
Additionally, this substrate is environmentally friendly. You can easily make compost from this bedding and it is recyclable. This bedding is therefore suitable for individuals who are environmental conscious.
Lastly, this bedding is easy to clean and maintain. You can easily spot clean areas with hedgehog waste. Additionally, you can easily clean dry wet areas on the bedding as water does not soak everything unlike other beddings.
Pros
- Made from all natural aspen
- Contains no additives or preservatives
- It is compostable and recyclable
- It is easy to clean and maintain
Cons
- Tends to be dusty
- Expensive when compared to other beddings
Paper bedding for hedgehogs
Paper-based bedding make good substrate for hedgehogs because they are soft, highly absorbent, cheap and easily available.
Additionally, paper bedding have very good odor control which makes them suitable.
Here is a review of 2 paper beddings that we recommend.
Carefresh natural paper small pet bedding
We recommend this bedding for hedgehogs due to a number of reasons.
The first reason is because this bedding is safe for use with hedgehogs. It has been made from scratch using natural fibre. Additionally, it contains no harmful chemicals or synthetic dyes.
Additionally, this paper bedding by Carefresh is suitable for hedgehogs because it is pillowy soft. It is therefore gentle on hedgehog’s sensitive feet. Furthermore, the soft texture is good for burrowing, tunnelling and nesting.
The other reason why we recommend this bedding is because it is highly absorbent. As a result, it will keep your hedgehog cage warm and dry and thus comfortable for your pet hedgehog.
Another reason why this bedding is good is because it has good odor control. It can supress ammonia odor for up to 10 days ensuring that your house is free of unwanted odors.
Lastly we recommend this bedding because it is biodegradable and compostable. It is therefore environmental friendly and thus good for the planet.
Pros
- It is highly absorbent
- Has good odor control
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Made from scratch using natural fibre
- Contains no harmful chemicals or synthetic dyes
- Biodegradable and compostable
- It is pillowy soft
Cons
- Some packages tend to be smelly, ensure that you purchase from a trusted seller
- Tends to be dusty
- Some packages may contain rough bedding therefore purchase from a trusted source
Kaytee clean and cozy white small animal bedding
The Kaytee small animal bedding is another good paper bedding that you can use on hedgehogs.
This bedding is favourable because it is highly absorbent. It can absorb up to 6 times its weight of moisture. Therefore, this bedding will keep your hedgehog cage warm and dry and thus comfortable for your hedgehog. Additionally, it absorbs up to 2 times more liquid than wood shavings.
The other reason why Kaytee small animal bedding is good for hedgehogs is because it is super soft and fluffy. It is therefore gentle on hedgehogs’ sensitive feet and is perfect for burrowing, tunnelling and nesting.
Additionally, this paper bedding has good odor control. It absorbs ammonia from your hedgehog’s cage leaving the cage smelling fresh.
Lastly, Kaytee small animal bedding is safe for hedgehogs. This is because it is made from pet safe materials.
Pros
- Has a high absorbency, absorbs 6 times its weight in liquid
- Has good odor control
- It is easy to clean and maintain
- It is made from pet safe material
- Soft fluffy texture that is perfect for burrowing and gentle on sensitive feet
Cons
- The texture in every bag is different, some are soft and fluffy but others are just shredded paper. Ensure you purchase from a trusted source to get what you want.
- The bedding does not expand to 3 times its size as advertised on the package.
Fabric based bedding for hedgehogs
Fabric-based beddings are another type of substrate that is good for hedgehogs because they are soft, highly absorbent and dust free. Additionally, fabric-based beddings are reusable which makes them cheap in the long run unlike other substrates.
Here is a review of the best fabric-based bedding that we recommend for hedgehogs.
Guineadad liner, guinea pig fleece cage liner
We recommend the Guineadad fleece liner for hedgehogs due to a number of reasons.
The first reason is because this fleece liner soft hence gentle on hedgehogs sensitive feet. Additionally, it comes with a burrow pocket where your hedgehog can hide and sleep in when they want to burrow.
Additionally, this fleece liner is dust free. Your hedgehog will therefore not run the risk of getting respiratory distress from dust when using this liner.
The other reason we recommend this substrate is because this fleece liner is highly absorbent. It absorbs liquid and ammonia from your hedgehog cage leaving it dry and warm. This ensures that your hedgehog will stay comfortable with this substrate.
Additionally, the Guineadad fleece liner is made using premium materials. As such this fleece bedding is safe for use with hedgehogs and other small animals.
Furthermore, the Guineadad liners come in different sizes. Choose based on the size of your cage. We however recommend you purchase a size bigger that your cage to accommodate for shrinking.
Lastly, this fleece cage liner is easy to clean and maintain. You can easily spot clean areas with hedgehog waste. Additionally, it is easy to clean and change the liner unlike other fabric based beddings which save on time.
Pros
- Made using premium materials that are safe for small animals
- Easy to clean and maintain
- It is dust free
- It is soft and comfortable
- Comes with a burrow pocket
- It is highly absorbent
- It is reusable hence cheap in the long run
Cons
- Expensive to buy at first
- You need to remove it from the cage in order to clean and let it dry before reusing which makes it time consuming to clean. They also take very long to dry.
- Needs to be washed in cold water otherwise it shrinks
- Does not clean well and may appear stained even after cleaning.
- Does not have good odor control
