African Pygmy hedgehog starter kits offer the essential items needed to house and look after a hedgehog with minimum ease. I’ve created a minimum list of things required to get going.
There are two types of starter kits to choose from:
- Plastic Cage Starter Kit; and
- Vivarium Starter Kit.
Both starter kits are good options with the only difference apart from one being plastic cage based and the other a vivarium is the heating options. The plastic cage can’t use the heat lamp (ceramic heat emitter) option as this could become a fire risk, so a heat mat is recommended instead.
Table of Contents
Hedgehog Cage starter kit setup
Deciding to go for the plastic cage option, you’ll need the following:
- Plastic Cage;
- Heat Mat;
- Thermostat;
- Thermometer;
- House to hide;
- Exercise Wheel;
- Feeding/Drinking bowl;
- Fleece-lined bedding;
- Exercise Ball
These are the Top 2 pygmy hedgehog cage starter kits for 2020:
Cage Starter Kit items for US:
- AmazonBasics Pet Habitat Cage For Small Animals JUMBO (check price on Amazon)
- K&H Pet Products Thermo-Peep Heated Pad Tan (check price on Amazon)
- Kaytee Comfort Wheel Giant 12 Inches (check price on Amazon)
- POPETPOP Hamster Feeding Bowl-2pcs (check price on Amazon)
- Courtney’s Handmade Pet Bedding (check price on Amazon)
- Kaytee Superpet Pet Igloo (check price on Amazon)
- Actopus Play Balls with Jingle Bells (check price on Amazon)
Cage Starter Kit items for UK & Europe:
- ZooZone Habitat Large cage (check price on Amazon)
- Petnap Flexiguard 33 Metal Heat Pad Mat (check price on Amazon)
- Exotic Nutrition Silent Runner 12″ Running Wheel (check price on Amazon)
- Rosewood Ceramic Bowl Naturals Twin Dish (check price on Amazon)
- Atalas Waterproof Guinea Pig And Small Animals Fleece Liner (check price on Amazon)
- Kaytee Superpet Pet Igloo (check price on Amazon)
- Pet Love Playtime Ping Pong Balls for Cats (check price on Amazon)
Why I picked the ZooZone Habitat Large starter kit?
When I sat down and compared the different starter kit and setup options, I found the ZooZone Habitat Large starter kit ticked a lot of the boxes, as it:
- is great value for money, compared to the other options which I found very expensive;
- provides enough space to house our African Pygmy Hedgehog as it’s 3 feet long (101 cm) and nearly 2 feet wide (51 cm);
- has space for our hedgehog’s running wheel, igloo house, toys, and feeding bowls; and
- is light enough to carry as we tend to move our ZooZone Habitat cage around the house when we have visitors.
- the Petnap Flexiguard 33 Metal Heat Pad Mat has full armored cable protection to provide protection for the main cable that connects the heat mat to the power supply;
- the Petnap Flexiguard 33 Metal Heat Pad Mat is designed to be left on all the time, coping easily being on for days at a time;
- the Petnap Flexiguard 33 Metal Heat Pad Mat has low running costs with approximately 25 watts an hour in electricity costs, resulting in pennies to run;
- the Petnap Flexiguard 33 Metal Heat Pad Mat has a compatible heat mat cover available that is easy to remove for cleaning, is sturdy for the pygmy hedgehog to use and provides a layer of protection from the heat mat itself;
- the Petnap Flexiguard 33 Metal Heat Pad Mat includes a thermostat to control temperature and a thermometer to measure the temperature inside the cage.
Features to look at in a quality starter kit setups
These are the features to look at in a quality plastic cage starter kit:
- Cages are big enough for an African Pygmy Hedgehog to live in comfortable, the ZooZone Habitat cage is just over 3 feet long (101 cm) and nearly 2 feet wide (51 cm);
- Cages are easy to clean, the ZooZone Habitat cage has clips to separate the different parts of the cage, making it easier to clean;
- Cages have easy access so it’s easy to take the African Pygmy Hedgehog out as well as making it easier to remove or add items. The ZooZone Habitat cage has a grill on top, which we open to get to our hedgehog;
- Cages have good ventilation for when it’s warmer, the ZooZone Habitat cage’s grill on the top, keeps the cage cool;
- Cages need to have a SAFE heating source, for our ZooZone Habitat cage, a heating mat can be safely used to keep the Pygmy Hedgehog warm.
Hedgehog Vivarium starter kit setup
- Vivarium;
- Heat Lamp;
- Heat Lamp Holder;
- Heat Lamp Guard;
- Thermostat;
- Thermometer;
- Exercise Wheel;
- Feeding/Drinking Bowl;
- Exercise Ball.
These are the Top 3 pygmy hedgehog Vivarium starter kits for 2020:
Vivarium Starter Kit items for the US:
- REPTI ZOO 67 Gallon Reptile Large Terrarium (check price on Amazon)
- Omaykey 100W 2 Pack Ceramic Heat Lamp with Digital-Thermometer (check price on Amazon)
- Vipe Heater Guard, Reptile Heating Lamp Shade Light Heat Lamp Mesh Cover (check price on Amazon)
- PETLOFT Digital Heat Mat Thermostat Controller (check price on Amazon)
- Kaytee Comfort Wheel Giant 12 Inches (check price on Amazon)
- POPETPOP Hamster Feeding Bowl-2pcs (check price on Amazon)
- Courtney’s Handmade Pet Bedding (check price on Amazon)
- Kaytee Superpet Pet Igloo (check price on Amazon)
- Actopus Play Balls with Jingle Bells (check price on Amazon)
Vivarium Starter Kit items for the UK:
- Vivexotic Repti-Home Vivarium & Cabinet – Maxi Large Oak (check price on Amazon)
- Vansuky 100W Heat Lamp (check price on Amazon)
- Petblis Prorep Heater Guard (check price on Amazon)
- Komodo Ceramic ES Lamp Fixture & Mounting Bracket (check price on Amazon)
- Swiftair Hydroponics Thermostat (check price on Amazon)
- Exotic Nutrition Silent Runner 12″ Running Wheel (check price on Amazon)
- Rosewood Ceramic Bowl Naturals Twin Dish (check price on Amazon)
- Atalas Waterproof Guinea Pig And Small Animals Fleece Liner (check price on Amazon)
- Kaytee Superpet Pet Igloo (check price on Amazon)
- Pet Love Playtime Ping Pong Balls for Cats (check price on Amazon)
Why I would pick the Vivexotic Repti-Home Vivarium & Cabinet – Maxi Large starter kit?
Looking at getting a vivarium meant an opportunity to get a matching cabinet as part of a combo, this makes a lot of sense because:
- Vivariums are big enough for an African Pygmy Hedgehog to live in comfortable, the Vivexotic Repti-Home Vivarium & Cabinet – Maxi Large Beech is just over 3 feet long (101 cm) and nearly 2 feet wide (51 cm);
- Vivariums are easy to clean, the Vivexotic Repti-Home Vivarium & Cabinet – Maxi Large Beech has clips to separate the different parts of the Vivarium, making it easier to clean;
- The Vivexotic Repti-Home Vivarium & Cabinet – Maxi Large Beech saves space, allowing us to put all the pygmy hedgehog related items like the cleaning, spare running wheels, bedding to food in the cabinet;
- The Vivexotic Repti-Home Vivarium & Cabinet – Maxi Large Beech is incredibly stylish and just look like part of the furniture;
- The Vivexotic Repti-Home Vivarium & Cabinet – Maxi Large Beech is very sturdy, providing an excellent base for the Vivexotic Repti-Home Vivarium, which is heavy;
- the Vansuky 100W Heat Lamp is a 100 watts in power but check to make sure temperature in the area is not more than 82F (28C);
- the Vansuky 100W Heat Lamp only emits heat, providing a warm environment for a pygmy hedgehog;
- the Vansuky 100W Heat Lamp is compatible with a number of Heat Lamp holders like the Komodo Ceramic ES Lamp Fixture & Mounting Bracket, allowing for simple mounting in the vivarium;
- the Vansuky 100W Heat Lamp is compatible with a number of Heat Lamp guards like the Petblis Prorep Heater Guard, providing protection against burns for a pygmy hedgehog;
Features to look at in a quality Vivarium Cabinet combo starter kit
These are the features to look at in a quality Vivarium Cabinet combo:
- Make sure the cabinet if bought separately is the same length and width (depth) as the vivarium otherwise, the vivarium on top won’t fit in snuggly and safely;
- Make sure the cabinet matches the same style as the vivarium, so getting a beech style vivarium would require a beech style cabinet;
- Make sure the wood used in the cabinet like the vivarium isn’t toxic to hedgehogs;
- Make sure the Vivarium Cabinet is strong and sturdy enough to take the weight of the Vivarium;