One of the things that hedgehogs really love to do is run around with toilet paper tubes on their head. Nobody really knows why they do this, but almost all hedgehogs will! You might think the hedgehog is stuck, but if you take the tube off of the hedgehog's head, it will give you a disgruntled look and go back into the tube! There have been hedgehogs who even learned to eat and drink through a tube. I had one who escaped and I found him because he was making a racket with a wrapping paper tube he was expertly winging around on his head!! We have used tubes made of craft foam with our hedgehogs, when there weren't enough TP tubes to go around.
Hedgehogs also enjoy toys that they can crawl in, on, under, or through. In the pictures below, you can see quite a few different toys in this enrichment cage that we had set up at a pet expo.
When you are choosing toys to offer your hedgehog, think about the hedgehog's safety (no sharp edges, nothing they will get stuck in and unable to get back out) and what the hedgehog will do with the toy.
Hedgehogs may climb over, dig (or sleep) under, or push around a toy car. Small balls or Easter eggs can be pushed around. Some hedgehogs have figured out how to break open plastic Easter eggs to get to their favorite treats inside!
Hedgehogs also enjoy investigating things that smell interesting to them. Cinnamon sticks or catnip cat toys are popular. We do not know if catnip is dangerous for hedgehogs to ingest, so please make sure that if you offer catnip, you do not let your hedgehog eat any of the catnip.
If you set up your hedgehog's cage and play area with lots of toys that keep hedgehog busy and fulfill its curiosity, you will have happy hedgehog! You will also have hours and hours of fun watching what we call "hedgie TV." :)
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