Hedgehogs are tough-looking species with sharp spikes. It is that appearance that makes many people misunderstand hedgehogs as powerful pets. But not really, they are pets that need proper care and love, hedgehogs are quite delicate.
Hedgehogs desperately need a healthy living environment for them to grow at their best. The best bedding for hedgehogs, in particular, is what will help them stay healthy in their second home.
The bedding or substrate for hedgehogs will have a direct impact on their health as that is what they come into contact with on a daily basis. It is important to choose the best bedding material for hedgehogs so that it will not affect the hedgehogs’ digestive system or respiratory system.
Below is a list of good bedding for hedgehogs that we have carefully selected. You can rely on this list to choose an ideal bedding for hedgehogs.
Top 10 Best Bedding For Hedgehogs 2021 [Review]
#1 Small Pet Select Natural Paper Bedding (Editor’s Choice)
This paper bedding from Small Pet Select is a safe bedding and widely recommended for hedgehogs. This bedding is safe to use for small animals like rabbits, guinea pigs and hedgehogs.
This Bedding has a soft texture and is very comfortable. It is recycled paper and has been removed from impurities. So hedgehogs can comfortably roll around and burrow without risk of injury.
It can also be referred to as litter box bedding for hedgehogs. With good absorbency, this paper bedding can make the hedgehogs’ habitat cleaner. It also effectively controls odors in cages of hedgehogs.
Another plus is that this bedding comes with a fairly cheap price, so you can often replace bedding for hedgehogs without going over the budget.
However, many customers believe that the actual volume of the package is smaller than the advertisement from the manufacturer.
#2 Carefresh Small Pet Bedding (Dust free)
Carefresh is a well-known manufacturer and the products from them are really good experiences. And this bedding deserves a best bedding for hedgehog house.
This bedding is designed for small animals, including hedgehogs. It has a soft texture and is safe to use on your pet.
It is bedding made from 100% safe raw paper and then converted into super soft cotton so as not to damage hedgehogs. They can freely burrow or move without injury.
This bedding has the ability to absorb waste, and effectively reduce odors. It will keep the habitat of hedgehogs always dry and away from pathogens. In particular, it can control ammonia odor for up to 10 days. For that reason it is also a good litter bedding for hedgehogs.
This hedgehogs bedding is also 100% eco-friendly.
However many customers find that this bedding does not dry as quickly as the manufacturer advertises, it is moist and lumpy after absorbing the urine by hedgehogs.
#3 ECO BEDDING FiberCore Dust Free Paper Bedding (Hypoallergenic bedding)
This eco bedding for hedgehogs is also one of the best pet bedding for hedgehogs that has received many positive reviews. It is manufactured with a focus on safety for both pets and their owners.
This bedding is made from fabric, completely dust free. It is ideal for use on sensitive hedgehogs that have many respiratory problems. This bedding is particularly safe for hedgehogs owners who are prone to allergies or asthma.
It is a soft, hypoallergenic bedding. This bedding can be used by all small animals. It helps stimulate motor hedgehogs and burrowing as well as a number of other instinctive behaviors.
It is completely environmentally friendly, biodegradable. This bedding has good absorption rates and can also control odors in cages of hedgehogs.
However it does not last long when your hedgehogs go to the bathroom frequently. But the good news is that it comes with a low price tag.
#4 Kaytee All Natural Aspen Bedding (No aromatic oils)
If you are looking for aspen bedding for hedgehogs then don’t miss this product. It is one of the best aspen bedding available on the market with the best quality, no aromatic oils or inks.
This Kaytee bedding for hedgehogs is made from pure natural wood shavings and does not use any chemicals for cleaning. During handling, the manufacturer has also carefully removed the wood chips and sharp textures so that they do not injure hedgehogs.
The aspen is also best odor control bedding for hedgehogs. It absorbs moisture well and dries quickly so it doesn’t produce pathogenic bacteria. This bedding control of ammonia odor is quite good.
But for this bedding to work best, you should change it every week. Otherwise it will degenerate and cause some problems for your pet.
#5 Dr. Hemp All Natural Pet Bedding Bag (Very high absorbency)
We cannot miss hemp bedding for hedgehogs from Dr. Hemp on this list. It is a great bedding for hedgehogs or other small animals.
This bedding has a very high absorbency capacity. It can absorb 4 times its weight, which is a surprising number that not many bedding can do so. It ensures the habitat of hedgehogs is always dry and clean.
This hemp bedding is produced from industrially grown hemp, without the use of pesticides or any chemicals. So you can rest assured that chemical residues cannot reach your pet.
It controls odor very well and is completely dust free. It is ideal so that hedgehogs are hypoallergenic and that owners with asthma could be exposed to this bedding.
However it is an expensive substrate and comes with a small pocket so your wallet can be under pressure.
#6 Carefresh Custom Rabbit/Guinea Pig Pet Bedding (Biodegradable & compostable)
Here is another bedding from Carefresh that you should consider for your priority list. It is bedding that gives your hedgehogs comfort and safety in captivity.
This bedding is also made from raw paper fibers that are then machined into soft cotton wool. It’s completely soft and comfortable enough for hedgehogs to roll around all day on it or burrow.
This product is very healthy because it contains no chemicals and is completely dust free. It does not contain industrial papermaking ingredients such as clay or dyes. So you can rest assured that your pet will not be affected by health.
However this bedding cannot last long in cages of hedgehogs and you should replace it regularly.
#7 Kaytee Clean & Cozy White Small Animal Bedding (Meets FDA standards)
This bedding from Kaytee is bedding safe and has FDA standards so you can safely use it for your hedgehogs. It is also ideal for use by hedgehogs having many health problems.
This bedding does not contain dust and it does not generate dust. That means its texture is not brittle, it is not easy to break into small pieces and create dust. It makes the hedgehogs cage cleaner and easier to clean. Hedgehogs are also not allergic or have difficulty breathing.
Soft texture allows hedgehogs to burrow safely. What is surprising about this product is its absorbability. It can absorb liquid 6 times its mass. Yes, 6 times!
So it will absorb the hedgehogs’ waste and the odors caused by the waste to keep the habitat of hedgehogs clean.
However this bedding cannot last long, once it absorbs fluids from waste it is less effective.
#8 Carefresh Shavings Plus Small Pet Bedding (Shavings plus paper bedding)
This combination of softwood shavings and blue softwood shavings will result in the best cage bedding for hedgehogs. This is a bedding that optimizes the advantages of both materials and provides the comfort and safety of your pets.
This bedding allows your pets to play and burrow comfortably. It also has an effective and natural odor control formula that ensures a healthy habitat of hedgehogs.
It is able to prevent accumulation of odors with high absorption rate. Vivid colors make the hedgehogs’ cage stand out more.
However this bedding produces a bit of dust and can affect owners with asthma.
#9 Kaytee Soft Granule Blend Bedding (Nutritious treat)
This is bedding absolutely does not affect the health of hedgehogs, the digestive system and the respiratory system will be protected. This bedding also comes at a reasonable price.
It is 99.9% dust-free, hypoallergenic, and safe for owners with respiratory problems. This also means that it is easy to clean and does not cause mess in hedgehogs’ cage.
This bedding has a fairly high absorption capacity. It can absorb liquid 3 times its mass. It also controls odors well.
This bedding has a natural color and fragrance, it does not use harmful chemicals.
#10 Small Pet Select All Natural Pellet Bedding (Safe clean Pine)
The pine pellet bedding is also a good bedding for your hedgehogs. These pellets are made from clean pine wood, manufacturers absolutely do not use any additives, harmful chemicals.
Not only that, each pellet is enhanced to absorb and remove odors. They ensure maximum absorption of hedgehogs waste and maintain a dry and clean habitat of hedgehogs.
This bedding is not only healthy by hedgehogs, but also environmentally friendly. It can be biodegradable or you can recycle it.
How To Pick The Best Bedding For Hedgehogs?
For those who are inexperienced, choosing a suitable bedding will be a difficult challenge. So you can rely on the following factors to choose a suitable product.
#1 Safety
The first thing that you should consider is the safety of bedding. Hedgehogs are spiny but they are also very sensitive and need safe bedding in order to rest comfortably.
Please read carefully the information from the manufacturers of bedding that uses chemicals to clean or smell or not. Those chemicals can seriously affect hedgehogs and you definitely won’t want that to happen.
Natural, impurity-free bedding should be your top priority. Such bedding is not only safe for hedgehogs, but also very environmentally friendly.
#2 Absorbency
The absorbency of bedding is also a factor that you should pay attention to. A good bedding will also be a good bedding for your hedgehogs.
Hedgehogs go to the toilet quite a lot, especially urinating. So it needs a good absorbent bedding to ensure its living environment is clean and dry.
A well-absorbent bedding can often also effectively reduce odors. Imagine what you and your pet will suffer when odors from waste and other factors strike if you can’t clean it regularly.
Especially busy people, can’t have a lot of time to check their pets, a good bedding and good odor control will help.
#3 Easy to clean
Of course hygiene is of the utmost importance of bedding for hedgehogs. So you should choose an easy-to-clean bedding that can remove waste regularly and still extend the time you use it.
A dust free bedding will also help you maintain cages of hedgehogs from the mess. Bedding that has a lot of dust, when exposed to water from hedgehogs’ waste, will cause them to harden and not easily clean.
You should also choose bedding with moderate material size. The size is too small and will easily break into pieces and form dust. And the size is too large to remove waste from it.
No matter how good bedding is absorbent and deodorant, you should replace it every 7 days.
Final Verdict
Hedgehogs can totally hurt if you choose bedding doesn’t suit it. Do not look at its thorny looks and choose a bedding that is not soft and comfortable. They are just as sensitive as any other pet.
You should consider carefully before choosing any bedding for your hedgehogs. There are many types of bedding available in the market but not all are of good quality. So spending a little bit of research time will be of great help.