Petting a hedgehog can be an incredibly fun and rewarding experience. Due to their adorable looks and easy-to-care nature, there has been a growing interest in hedgehogs as pets. Hedgehogs feel like stroking a bristly hairbrush and they won’t make you sneeze (hedgehogs allergies are rare)
Pet hedgehogs will thrive and be your tiny bundles of joy if you understand what they need and give them proper care. If you’ve decided to keep hedgehog as a pet, here a few things you need to know before you adopt one.
Pet hedgehogs have an average life span of 4 to 6 years and weigh about a pound. They are best fed with low-fat dry cat food supplemented with veggies, crickets, and mealworms. You can keep them in large and flat bottomed cages.
Hedgehogs can feel prickly as the skin on their back is covered with sharp spines to protect them from predators. In general, you need to handle these tiny babies very gently to keep them relaxed.
A nervous or frightened hedgehog will turn into an impenetrable ball of spines, making it tricky for the owner to handle it. You may need to hold your prickly friend in a small towel until he relaxes.
Hedgehogs love unusual smells and scents. They respond to them by self-anointing, i.e. rubbing them over their body. It also involves licking the object vigorously and then forming a frothy “spitball” in his mouth that contains the new scent. They will then spit this frothy saliva over their spines with their tongue. It seems weird or gross but this is completely natural.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals – and you must respect that.
You shouldn’t force them to be active during the day. Even domesticated pet hedgehogs maintain their nocturnal lifestyle, sleeping a good number of hours during the day and running in wheels at night.
If you like to go to bed early, are a light sleeper, or are out a lot at night, a hedgehog may not be the right pet for you.
Hedgehogs love to eat, they literally ‘hog.’ So, if you will house them in cages with little opportunity to socialize and exercise, they will be prone to weight gain and obesity.
An obese hedgehog typically has pudgy limbs and lots of subcutaneous fat protruding from underneath the spiny part of their body.
Obese hedgehogs may also not be able to roll up like other hedgehogs, and those who have an excessive intake of insects may suffer brittle bones due to calcium deficiency. Thus, you need to encourage your pets to run around outside their cages and on wheels inside the cages.
Overweight hedgehogs should be put on restricted amounts of food.
There are around 17 different species of hedgehogs that can be found on the planet, but the one that’s best-suited as a pet is the African pygmy hedgehog. These cuties are the smallest of all the species, very easy to handle, and come in a variety of colors.
Naming Your Pet Hedgehog
If you have brought your spiky buddy home, the next big thing you have to do is to find the perfect name for him.
To make this task easy for you, we are going to give you plenty of options in this post. Keep reading to find some interesting names for your hedgehog.
Cute Hedgehog Names
Do you want to know the most adorable names that will go perfectly with your hedgehog’s cute looks? Have a look at this list.
- Hedgy
- Picasso
- Taco
- Noodle
- Blinker
- Piper
- Buttercup
- Pazzo
- Ribbon
- Beedle
- Pokey
- Waffles
- Sunny
- Bully
- Chika
- Panda
- Midnight
- Curly-Q
- Skat
- Padfoot
- Rufus
- Mango
- Spiky
- Shadow
- Baby
- Pumpkin
- Lupin
- Stubby
- Mr. Quill
- Grumpy
- Shaggy
- Booboo
- Laguna
- Blossom
- Clover
- Quilliam
- Sweetpea
- Peanut
- Pinky
- Cookie
- Trix
- Dizzy
- Fuse
- Pretzel
- Peachy
- Buttons
- Pinot
- Prickly
- Muggle
- Cheesecake
- Blade
- Tulip
- Happy
- Star
- Cricket
- Zig Zag
- Silas
- Nutmeg
- Caramel
- Q-Tip
- Fudge
- Tank
- Comet
- Zeppelin
- Jazz
- Tango
- Butter
- Elton
- Sparky
- Potato
- Almond
- Quattro
- Butterball
- Punk
- Teacup
- Spin
- Coda
- Scrooge
- Pebbles
- Vanilla
- Toffee
- Bristly
- Bagel
- Apple
- Sugar
- Reece
- Toast
- Turbo
- Jinx
- Blueberry
- Rebel
- Guinness
- Pat
- Skip
- Zen
- Porky
- Blizzard
- Olive
- Cloudy
- Elwood
- Cheese Nip
- Bumper
- Hoggy
- Zorro
- Silver
- Arrow
- Blaze
- Hermes
- Phoenix
- Lefty
- Cactus
- McFlurry
- Flash
- Pin
- Spiky
- Hamlet
- Onyx
- Meadow
- Tortoise
- Splinter
- Paris
- Skippy
- Oreo
- Manny
- Crystal
- Hokey
- Kiwi
- Pinocchio
- Mochi
- Scabbers
- Skyler
- Pipsie
- Clooney
- Domino
- Fido
- Salt
- Periwinkle
- Nibbles
- Mooshie
- Marshmallow
- Jazz
- Pie
- Twinkles
- Tinker Bell
- Sushi
- Scout
- Pouches
- Scuttle
- Spice
- Prickles
- Button
- Biscuit
- Spock
- Nell
- Nutty
- Pooh
- Urchin
- Sprite
- Cosmo
- Pine Cone
- Mulder
- Zero
- Cheeto
- Pokey-man
- Hokey Pokey
- Needles
- Moody
- Pearl
- Mulligan
- Cuddles
- Spike Lee
Good Hedgehog Names
Want to know some more options for good hedgehog names? Scroll through this list.
- Pixie – For the little jumpy ones
- Skittles – A fetching name with great appeal
- Griff – For the grumpy and moody hedgehog
- Zippy – Perfect name for your active hedgehog
- Popples – A made-up name from popular shows
- Pinball – A creative reference to their round and spiky appearance
- Cody – Cuddly and trustworthy name
- Snuggles – Because you like to snuggle them always
- Walnut – This name can complement your hedgehog’s color
- Wizzy – For the noisy ones
- Zoe – Short, cute and appealing
- Dumpling – Because they are round and look delicious!
Girl Hedgehog Names
Here are some excellent names for your cute girl hedgehogs.
- Betty – For your friendly and easy-going girl hedgehog
- Daisy – Extremely cute and pretty on the ears
- Windy – Another cute name for your loveable little hedgehog
- Yona – Perfectly fitting and feminine
- Roxie – For a punky character
- Thorn Bell – Because your hedgehog is a spiked beauty
- Pippie – Also a very popular name used for hedgehogs
- Zuri – An edgy strong name
- Spiky Flake – Because she has spikes and is cute
- Pricklepants – Because you don’t want to prick your finger
- Beebo – A bubbly and well-rounded name
Funny Hedgehog Names
Here’s a list of the funniest names for your pet hedgehogs that will surely give everyone a good laugh.
- Pin Cushion
- Sharpy
- Spinosaurus
- Prickly Pear
- Hokey Pokey
- Spine Cone
- Pignic
- Cutting Hedge
- Tiggy Winkles
- Curly-Q
- Quill-Hemina
- Quilliam Shakespeare
- Stickly Prickly
- Spiny Stickleback
Female Hedgehog Names
Do you want some more name options for your female hedgehogs? We bet this list will help you pick an interesting one.
- Petunia
- Starlight
- Crystal
- Ruby
- Lulu
- Rose
- Princess
- Penelope
- Stella Flower
- Clover
- Tink
- Heather
- Willow
- Lola
- Peggy
- Gretta
- Dawn
- Hazel
- Holly
- Heidi
- Quillma
- Margaret
- Scarlet
- Giggles
- Pepper
- Prongs
- Gracie
- Juliet
- Nina
- Harley
- Kella
- Ruby
- Riley
- Mia
- Paula
- Maya
- Paisley
- Lavender
- Peach
- Bonnie
- Heather
- Brandy
- Allie
- Birdie
- Annie
- Tiffany
- Candy
- Tonks
- Faith
- Mitzi
- Esmerelda
- Lydia
- Bertha
- Mable
Disney Hedgehog Names
If you want some Disney inspired names for your pet hedgehog, here’s a list of some great names from the world of Disney.
- Dug – Dog from Up who can talk because of a special collar
- Dash – Son of Mr. Incredible on The Incredibles
- Mickey: The most famous mouse of all
- Merryweather – One of the three fairies from Sleeping Beauty
- Minnie – The famous Minnie Mouse, of course
- Ariel – The Little Mermaid
- Mittens: Stray cat befriended by Bolt
- Olaf: Friendly snowman from Frozen
- Flubber: Title character from Flubber
- Goofy: The popular dog character that was friends with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck
- Nemo: The protagonist fish from Finding Nemo
- Fergus – King from Brave
Male Hedgehog Names
- Alvin
- Burt
- Bruno
- Mario
- Sid
- Doc
- Marv
- Rio
- Rocky
- Redford
- Luka
- Merlin
- Buzz
- Scully
- Pip
- Barney
- Theo
- Joe
- Ed
- Otis
- Ernie
- Gus
- Buck
- Marti
- Archie
- Marvin
- Patrick
- Boba
- Nate
- Sebastian
- Saul
- Ozzie
- Sammy
- Chandler
- Nico
- Moby
- Murphy
- Hutch
- Tanner
- Franky
- Paulie
- Jasper
- Eddie
- Bart
- Parker
- Earl
- Barclay
- Gatsby
- Felix
- Bodie
- Milo
- Jojo
- Hugo
- Ace
- Mike
- Snoopy
- Blade
- Leo
- Tyson
- Pluto
Unique Hedgehog Names
Take a look at this list for some unique name ideas for your prickly pal.
- Marshmallow
- Pandora
- Patrick
- Marvin
- Gizmo
- Zooter
- Gummo
- Matrix
- Zeppo
- Pipsqueek
- Ollie
- Narla
- Bruno
- Cotton
- Journey
- Atla
- Casper
- Diesel
Best Hedgehog Names
Are you still having trouble finding the right name for your hedgehog? Here are some more suggestions.
- Spiny Norman
- Alfredo
- Tres
- Lutra
- Herb
- Bobby
- Una
- Ferdinand
- Cuatro
- Shaymin
- Neve
- Pale Rider
- Ivory
- Cirrus
- Powder Puff
- Icecube
Cool Hedgehog Names
Take a look at this list of cool hedgehog names. We bet you will a great one here.
- Burrito
- Cupcake
- Hedwig
- Dragon
- Skipper
- Cinnamon
- Strawberry
- Roxie
- Pickles
- Cherry
- Pistachio
- Sonic
- Chaucer
- Bruiser
- Koby
- Gray
- Snuffle
- Hoglet
- Nugget
- Huffy
- Skeeter
Baby Hedgehog Names
If you have a baby hedgehog, these names will pique your interest.
- Rosie
- Bruno
- Tulip
- Kisses
- Frodo
- Hedgy
- Geezer
- Butterball
- Spin
- Flower
- Marshmallow
- Skeeter
- Bandit
- Seymour
- Dizzy
- Sederick
- Fernando
- Buster
- Peanut
- Swen
- Prick
- Tito
- Coppe
- Willie
- Jordie
- Ace
- Redford
- Fritzy
- Woz
- Lucky
- Vinnie
- Spot
- Pee Wee
- Shemus
- Byte
- Kirby
- Elmo
- Meeko
- Skooter
- Ernie
- Ole
- Pascal
- Trooper
- Wrigley
- Rambo
- Huey
- Bud
- Hazel
- Spock
- Gandalf
- Daffodil
- Huckleberry
- Champ
- Homie
- Marlin
- Shiloh
- Seuss
- Peuter
- Twinkletoes
- Quillypad
- Gruff Schooner
Famous Hedgehog Names
Do you know that hedgehogs have made their way to social media? And, it’s all thanks to their cuteness and stunning social media profiles.
Here are the most famous hedgehogs that have taken over the social by a storm.
- Darcy the Hedgehog – This one is owned by Shota Tsukamoto who created her hedgehog’s Instagram account to post photos of his adventures
- Lionel the Hog – Another super cute hedgehog who created a buzz over social media
- Ernest Hedgingway – As his owner describes, this one is a literary hedgie
- Herbie the Hedgie – Making his community famous on the internet
Cartoon Hedgehog Names
Here are the names of some of the famous cartoon hedgehog characters.
- Kipi Ben Kipod
- Durry Quill
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Shadow the Hedgehog
- Scourge the Hedgehog
- Orkwil Prink
- Mr. Pricklepants
- Sonia the Hedgehog
- Metal Sonic
- Super Silver
- Amy Rose
- Mrs. Tiggy Winkle
- Silver the Hedgehog
Clever Hedgehog Names
Here are some clever name suggestions for your cute little hedgehog.
- Amulet – For a hedgehog who is your lucky charm!
- Pygmy Puff – For your round and fluffy hedgehogs
- Arici – The Romanian word for ‘hedgehog’
- Heaven – The perfect name for a well-behaved hedgehog!
- Riccio – An Italian word meaning ‘hedgehog’.
- Bowser – Named after the dinosaur from the ‘Mario’ franchise. A great option for a hedgehog whose spikes resemble the back
- of a dinosaur.
- Haas – A German nickname for a fast runner. Best suited for a hedgehog who moves fast!
- Bristlepad – Perfect for a spiky and bristly pet!
- Crawley – A great name that goes well for a slow-moving hedgehog
- Roly Poly – A hilarious name for a hedgehog who loves to roll around
- Domino – A great name for a hedgehog with white fur and dark spikes.
To Sum Up: Hedgehog Names
Hedgehogs are rare and exotic animals that can make adorable pets. No matter what name you choose for your pet make sure to give them a lot of attention and care and take note of their habits and moods. This will also help you decide the best name for them that suits their personality.
Let us know which of these names you liked the most and if you have any cool suggestions of your own do share them with us in the comments section below. We would love to know what you call your hedgehogs.