Hedgehogs are introverted animals, and if you own one, you may not understand how they communicate. You can tell a lot about what your hedgehog is feeling by the different sounds it makes. Hedgehogs, like other animals, go through different emotions. Let’s consider what noise do hedgehogs make when scared:
If your hedgehog lets out a scream, it may be because it is scared.
Apart from being scared, hedgehogs will scream due to other reasons. For instance, hedgehogs will scream when they are injured. Your hedgehog can get injured in its cage on the wheel or its leg getting stuck. Sometimes, hedgehogs may also scream while fighting with each other.
Do Hedgehogs Make Loud Noises?
During the daytime, hedgehogs sleep as they are nocturnal. On the other hand, during the night, hedgehogs are active and can be noisy. By performing various activities at night, your hedgehog may make loud noises.
For example, you may hear some exercise noises during the night. Hedgehogs are active animals and need a lot of exercise. It is important to provide your hedgehog with a wheel; therefore, the wheel can make some noise as it exercises. In addition, a hedgehog’s nails also make noises. If you have not clipped the nails, you will hear them against the wheel or any hard surface.
Apart from exercising, hedgehogs also make noises as they eat. Usually, owners feed their hedgehogs dry cat food or hedgehog food. As your hedgehog consumes its food, it will make chewing noises, as the food is crunchy. The eating noises are rather loud and can disturb you if you are a light sleeper. Therefore, it is recommended that you keep your hedgehog in a separate room, so the noise does not bother you.
What Does It Mean When a Hedgehog Squeaks?
Contrary to popular belief, hedgehogs are vocal animals and make a variety of sounds expressing their needs. You may hear your hedgehog making noises and wonder what they are about. Among the many sounds which hedgehogs make, one of them is squeaking.
If you hear your hedgehog squeaking, it can be because it is annoying or male. It is calling for a mate. As a pet parent, it is important to learn about the sounds your pet makes to distinguish if it is positive or negative. When your hedgehog is squeaking, you must observe its behaviour to learn about what it wishes to tell you.
There are some other possible reasons why hedgehogs may squeak. For instance, newborn baby hoglets also squeak, which is also known as chirping. When you hear chirping sounds, it is an indication that the hoglets are here.
If you have hoglets and they are squeaking, you might want to check if they are safe and not facing any trouble. You must ensure that the hoglet has all the necessities in their box and are warm.
If a male hedgehog makes the squeaking sound, it can be because it is looking for a mate. When male hedgehogs are ready to breed, they make a squeaking sound, like a song they sing to court females.
Unfortunately, hedgehogs can also squeak during times of distress. Sometimes, hedgehogs can get stuck in their cage, or they may make a distressing squeaking noise if they are thirsty or hungry. Hence, to ensure that your hedgehog is not in pain, you must check on it to see it is not in a difficult position. You can check the room’s temperature, see the cage, check the food bowl and see if your hedgehog is feeling thirsty.
Hedgehogs can also squeak while they are chewing and eating their food. Sometimes, food can get stick in the roof of the hedgehog’s mouth. Therefore, the food stuck can make this sound. If you suspect that your hedgehog has been squeaking because of this reason, it is best to open their mouth and check. If you cannot extract the kibble, it is best to visit the vet as it can lead to tooth decay. Along with the squeaking sounds, your hedgehog may also refrain from eating.
Looking after their daily care is important to ensure that your hedgehog is not distressed and does not make such sounds. You need to provide your hedgehog with all the essentials to ensure that it remains happy and healthy.
The first important thing you must do is to ensure that your hedgehog has a well-balanced diet. You need to give your hedgehog good-quality cat food or hedgehog food; you can also provide treats like mealworms, fruits, vegetables, and some cooked meat.
Your hedgehog’s cage is where it spends most of its time. Therefore, it is important to make the cage comfortable so your hedgehog does not face any problems. For example, you need to ensure plenty of room in the cage so your hedgehog can move around. Moreover, to avoid accidents, the cage should be tall enough to prevent your hedgehog from climbing and hurting itself.
Hedgehogs cannot survive extreme temperatures; therefore, you must ensure that you maintain the perfect temperature. If it is cold, your hedgehog may attempt to hibernate. In addition, lighting is important to hedgehogs because it can emit heat. However, you must ensure that there is no light during the nighttime, as they may confuse it for the day, and it will disrupt their feeding schedule.
Summary
Hedgehogs make a variety of sounds to convey what they feel. As a hedgehog owner, it is important to learn about the sounds your hedgehog makes so you can cater to it. For instance, when a hedgehog is scared, it lets out a scream.
Hedgehogs also make squeaking sounds due to various reasons. For instance, baby hoglets make squeaking sounds that indicate their arrival. Moreover, hedgehogs also squeak when they are distressed, for example, getting stuck in their cage or feeling hungry. It is important to ensure that your hedgehog has all the essentials not to become distressed and make these noises.
