Outdoor Playtime

During the summer, many hedgehogs enjoy the opportunity to spend some time outdoors with their owners. If you have a garden or yard and would like to take your pet outdoors, there are just a few precautions that you need to take.

First, if you are going to let your hedgehog on the lawn, make sure it has not been recently chemically treated. Even though hedgehogs are supposed to be resistant to many toxins, there have been no documented tests of their reactions to lawn chemicals.

Second, make sure that you place your pet in a secure enclosure. If you let your pet loose, remember to watch it at all times. Hedgehogs can run very fast, and if you aren't paying attention to your pet it may be out of sight before you know it.

The third precaution is to make sure you have shade and water available for your pet. Small ceramic bowls work well for water and a piece of bark, an old box or a flower pot can provide shelter and shade. A couple of rough stones or bricks provide a climbing toy and help keep the hedgehogs nails worn down.

Fourth, pay attention to changing weather conditions. Please remember that the spot that was cool and shady at ten in the morning may be in the direct sun by noon. In the wild, the hedgehog finds a burrow or pile of grass and leaves to sleep in during the day. This hidden spot protects it from hot sun, cold winds or rain. In a cage, the hedgehog has no opportunity to escape and find more comfortable accommodations if the weather conditions change. Never leave your pets out overnight or when there is any chance the weather might become cold or rainy. Hedgehogs should not be left outside if the temperature drops below 70 degrees Fahrenheit or goes above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fifth - give your hedgehog some time to adjust. Some hedgehogs love being outdoors and happily begin exploring as soon as they get outside. Others are timid and may simply look for a hiding spot until they adjust. Sometimes they will not become active until dusk when they would wake up under natural conditions.

Finally, make sure your hedgehog is protected from other animals. You may have other pets that get along with your hedgehog, but your neighbour's dog or cat may treat it as interesting prey.

Ours love to play in the grass and explore. It is getting to cool now for that so play pen only.

I@m careful outside .. in case they pick any bugs up but i no lots of people do it ..x

Mine don't go outside at all but thought it worth posting x

i think poppet and honey been outside once....as they were kept in my kitchen through the summer last year....but its a potch to bring them down from the attic.

maybe just for a photoshoot once in a blue moon.

We only do it a couple of time and it also usually has photo being taken. Hedgie are little guy who passed away use to go camping with us and he loved to be outside. He was very quick to run and loved his play pen we took with us. We had a net covering for it.