Hedgehogs quickly get pregnant, but it can be hard to tell if they are pregnant. A pregnant hedgehog may not show any signs at all.
There are early signs you can check if you suspect pregnancy in your hedgehog. The most common is that your hedgie begins to gain weight and eats more than usual. However, sometimes they may not be pregnancy signs.
So, how do you tell if your hedgehog is pregnant? Let’s find out.
Signs That a Hedgehog is Pregnant
She Sleeps More
If your female hedgie is pregnant, you’ll notice that she often behaves tiredly. She will show less interest in her toys.
As the pregnancy progresses, she tends to sleep more as her body becomes heavier with her hoglets.
She Starts Nesting
If you notice your hedgehog starting to build a nest, it’s a sure sign that she’s pregnant. Your pregnant hedgie makes a giant nursery nest, different from one they would make to hibernate during winter.
She’ll spend most of her time searching for nest material and making it as big as possible to accommodate her hoglets. She starts to build when she’s a few days or weeks pregnant.
Besides making a nursery nest, she starts to pile stuff around the entrance of her cage to make the area conducive to bringing her hoglets.
Your Hedgehog Eats Bigger Portions and Faster
If you see a change in your female hedgehog’s eating behavior, it could be because she’s pregnant. If she starts eating more often and faster, she’ll be pregnant.
You’ll notice she’ll still look for food after eating. She also tends to become aggressive.
Female Hedgehog’s Nipples Become Bigger
If your hedgehog is pregnant, her body releases hormones to help her prepare to nurse her young ones when they’re born. Her teats get bigger.
When she’s almost due for delivery, you’ll notice her nipples becoming big. However, you must rule out pregnancy if your hedgie is overweight and look for other signs.
You Can Feel Hoglets in Your Hedgehog’s Belly
If you cannot confirm your hedgehog’s pregnancy from other signs, you can carefully palpate her belly to try and feel the hoglets.
To avoid hurting her, gently pick her up and use only your forefinger to palpate her stomach.
Urine Becomes Smelly
As your hedgie approaches the due date, her urine becomes intensely smelly. The odor becomes more noticeable, and her cage begins to stink.
Loss of Appetite
You’ll notice her poor feeding habits towards the end of the pregnancy. She starts to eat less since she can’t move around quickly, and the crowdedness in her gut due to being overweight.
If your hedgie stops eating as much, you must know that her due date is near. Her change in feeding should tell you she has been pregnant.
What to Do When Your Hedgehog Gives Birth
When your hedgehog gives birth, you probably don’t know what to do. The best thing would be to leave your hedgie for a few days to take care of her hoglets.
Hedgehogs often get stressed after giving birth, and they can reject their babies. Due to stress, the mom can also bite or eat their hoglets. During this period, avoid touching the hoglets.
After five to seven days, you can slowly re-introduce yourself to your hedgie. Walk to her cage quietly and gently so she doesn’t respond to a threat. During this time, you can do minimal activities like spot-cleaning the cage and leaving so you don’t disrupt.
In about four weeks when the hoglets can leave the cage on their own, you can bond with them freely. At seven weeks, they are fully grown and can live on their own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time of year do hedgehogs get pregnant?
Hedgehogs mature when they are two years old. At maturity, they can freely breed every year.
Hedgehogs are known to reproduce in April and September.
How many weeks are hedgehogs pregnant?
A hedgehog’s gestation period is four weeks. The hedgehog mom usually gives birth early in the morning or at night. They’ll normally give birth to six or seven hoglets.
How do you take care of a pregnant hedgehog?
During pregnancy, you need to feed your hedgehog extra supplements preferably high-quality and high-calorie cat food. For nutritional requirements, you can contact your vet for a prescription.
Final Thoughts
Pregnancy in hedgehogs doesn’t have to scare you, nor should it catch you by surprise. While it requires you to pay attention to notice signs of pregnancy in your hedgie, you also need to know what’s the right thing to do if you confirm she is.
We’ve discussed the signs of pregnancy in hedgehogs, so you don’t have to be stuck on how to tell whether she’s pregnant or not.