Best 12 Bedding Hedgehog: Essential For Odor Control And Comfort

Are you tired of having to look at the very limited bedding hedgehog cage model options?

By continuing to read this article you’re signing yourself up not just for success in finding one, but for success when it comes to learning about all the different beddings that are offered on the market. Some of the bedding included in this are paper, pellet, and even fabric beddings so something is bound to be made just for you.

The Summary

What Is Hedgehog Bedding Used For?

Bedding for hedgehog cages is a functional accessory that is used for different reasons such as nesting, sleeping, and hiding, as well as for absorbing and odor control.

Do Hedgehogs Need Bedding?

Yes, it is important to have bedding in the hedgehog’s enclosure to provide them with comfortable walking, especially if there is a wire mesh surface at the bottom.

How Much Bedding Do Hedgehogs Need?

Make sure to place as thick bedding as you can, and the ideal range of thickness will be approximately 2-3 inches.

Types Of Bedding

You’re not sure which types of bedding you can find on the market? We have listed the ones that are safe for use:
Wooden Bedding – Bedding made of wood includes aspen wood bedding as well as some types of plywood materials such as pellets.
Paper Bedding – Newspaper and shredder paper beddings
Fabric Bedding – Fabric bedding includes all the cloth and fleece types of beddings such as blankets, fleece covers, etc.

Which Bedding Hedgehogs To Avoid?

Not all materials are welcome to use as bedding for hedgehog’s enclosure, and we have listed which ones to avoid.
Materials That Contain A Lot Of Dust – If the paper or wood material contains any dust, and doesn’t have a label dust-free, it can cause a lot of respiratory problems for hedgehogs.
Cedar Shavings – Even if the cedar shaving is very cheap and you can easily buy it everywhere, it is toxic, so we don’t recommend using it as bedding, especially if the hedgehog has allergic problems.
Scented Bedding – Just like cedar, other types of bedding that contain any type of scent or aromatic oils can be very harmful to hedgehogs and cause a lot of health problems, so we recommend avoiding them.

Corn Cob Bedding – Even if the corn cob bedding has great absorbent features, it won’t help with odor control, and it is very uncomfortable for walking and lying on it. Also, there is a possibility of mold growth, so we don’t recommend using it for hedgehog enclosures.
Bedding With Baking Soda – If you notice in the ingredient list that bedding can or can contain baking soda, we don’t recommend using it. Baking soda is not safe for hedgehogs.
Beddings With Large Wooden Parts – If the bedding has a large part that the hedgehog can swallow, it is not recommended to use it.
Towel As Bedding – Even if the towel can easily absorb liquid, they’re not the best choice to use as bedding. Because of the material, hedgehogs can easily tangle their little legs or thorns on their back, which can cause injuries when they try to get rid of them.
Slippery Bedding – Some types of beddings for indoor use, like polyester ones, can be very slippery and we are sure you don’t want that hedgehog bump and slip on wet fabric surfaces. The best choice is fleece material which will stay in place.
Cat Litter Bedding – Even if beddings for cat litter has great absorbent features, they also tend to contain a lot of chemicals to control the odor, which is not recommended for hedgehogs.

Hay And Straw Bedding – Even if the straw and hay are great ways to keep cold away, they are not recommended to be used for bedding. Hedgehogs can easily get their feet wrapped in it, which can cause injuries and even limb damage in worse case scenarios.
Leaves Beddings – We don’t recommend using leaves as bedding, even if they’re a natural type of material. Leaves can be full of soil and nasty things hiding in it, which can cause a lot of health issues.
Gravel Bedding – Don’t use gravel as bedding, because hedgehogs will have trouble walking on it and gravel can easily hurt their sensitive paws.

Why To Buy Bedding For Hedgehog’s Cage?

If you’re still doubting whether to buy bedding or not, you will for sure change your mind after reading the benefits of owning it.

Odor Control

You want to avoid bad odors in the house as much as you can? With bedding, you can easily control it and reduce it to a minimum if you buy bedding with great absorbing features.

Comfortable Walking

You want to provide more comfort while hedgehogs walk on the surface? Bedding is the perfect choice for their habitat. You can be sure their sensitive legs won’t hurt while they’re running around or sleeping.

Bottom Cover

You want to cover the wire mesh at the bottom so the hedgehog’s leg can’t stick between? Buy bedding and place as much as you can on the top to protect your pet from injuries.

Playing And Burrowing

Your hedgehogs love to play around and explore their new environment? Beddings such as those made of paper and wood allow them to play around and burrow, which is their natural instinct.

Nesting Area

You don’t have a suitable area where your hedgehog can make a nest and have privacy? Place the comfortable bedding which will keep newborns warm and safe.

Toilet Habits

Do you want to teach hedgehogs to not pee and poop everywhere like on shelves? Place the bedding on the bottom surface for easier maintenance.

Keep Hedgehogs Warm

If the cage has a metal or plastic surface, it tends to get cold, so placing the bedding will keep the hedgehogs warm while they sleep.

Buyer’s Guide: Choose Best Bedding For Your Hedgehog

You’re first time buying bedding for your hedgehog and have no idea what to look for? We have listed specifications that are recommended to consider.

Material Type

As we mentioned before, wood, paper, and fabric are the most used materials for bedding, so, depending on your preferences and how you’re planning to use it, pick one of the materials.
If you want to provide a natural environment, choose wooden bedding. If you want cheap and colorful bedding, pick the one made of paper. Also, if you’re planning to place bedding for sleeping only, pick a fleece one.

Absorbent Features

To keep the cage as dry as can, it is important to choose bedding with great abortion. Some beddings can absorb up to 4-5 times their weight in liquid. If you’re looking for bedding with high absorbency, choose wood or paper bedding.

Weight Of Bedding

If you’re wondering why weight is important to consider before buying bedding, it is very simple – heavier bedding is a better choice as it is much harder to move around then lightweight material which will spread around the cage and make more mess. Also, soft bedding can easily stick between hedgehog spikes.

Bedding Volume

Bedding volume is also one of the important features to consider. Volume is measured in liters, and the number shows how much bedding expands.
Some beddings can even expand to approximately 4 times their size. So, make sure to buy a bedding which expands at least 2 times its size to increase its value.

Easy To Clean

Choose only bedding which you can easily clean, such as fleece bedding which you can wash on a higher temperature to get rid of odor and any dust mites. Bedding that is too thin like some paper materials, will break in many pieces and you will spend a lot more time cleaning it from the cage.

Additional Features

You can choose paper bedding in different colors to make the hedgehog environment more fun, or choose neutral ones that will easily blend in. Make sure to choose bedding which has a label biodegradable to reduce waste. Also, pick chew-proof materials which hedgehogs won’t eat, like some types of pellets.

Best 12 Beddings Hedgehog

Vitakraft Fresh Crumble Bedding

Environmentally Friendly And Long Lasting
If you’re someone who cares for the planet you’ll love the fact that this bedding is made with recycled paper completely. It will provide your cute cage with up to 14 days of protection from nasty odors. Of course, this will depend on how much your hedgehog litters while inside.

Placement Details
The cage bedding is also safe for your hedgehog since it’s dust-free. It can absorb 3x its weight and speak of it, you’ll get 975 cubic ounces of bedding in a single package. You’ll have to spread around 2-3 inches of it inside your hedgehog cage and leave it there until it gets wet or the odor control doesn’t work anymore.

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BWOGUE Guinea Pig Blanket

Reusable Bedding
If you’re looking for an even more sustainable bedding option you might like the fact that this is reusable bedding. This is true because we’re writing about blankets for hedgehogs. This one is made out f very soft fleece and you can easily wash it inside a washing machine when you need to.

What It Does
It doesn’t function as a bedding though. It’s just a blanket that will keep your hedgehog at a comfortable temperature no matter the season.  It does dry fast but it’s not absorbent. your hedgehog’s urine will still go through so we’d advise you to use it for comfort with your regular bedding for plastic cages.

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Courtney’s Handmade Pet Bedding

Absorbency Explanation
This is another reusable bedding but instead of just being used as a fleece blanket for hedgehog, you’ll get to trust that it will absorb liquids well and contain odors as well. This is due to its denim layer that has been recycled that’s also very absorbent and easily catches and contains odors.

Colors To Choose From
You won’t have to wait all that long for this bedding to dry out when you decide to wash it inside a washing machine. This one comes with a cherry pattern but you can also choose from 12 other colors shapes and patterns including clouds and moons and colorful paws.

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Small Pet Select Aspen Bedding

How Much Is There
A single pack of this bedding can easily expand to 8 cubic feet in total. This is because one pack of this aspen bedding for hedgehogs has 113 litters of bedding. To make it even better, you’ll actually get two packs of this bedding which means you’ll be dealing with a total of 226 litter of bedding.

Absorption And Materials Used
It is a fairly absorbent bedding and it can help you prevent odors from spreading. It is all-natural and even environmentally friendly. Your lovely hedgehog will have no problems with skin irritation since it doesn’t have any additives. It is completely natural in that sense.

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Critters Comfort Store Bedding

Substrate Details
If you’re wondering what substrate means it’s nothing but a technical term for hedgehog habitat bedding. This substrate for hedgehogs is made out of coconut coir which has amazing absorbency abilities and can even trap both moisture and odors amazingly well.

Soft And Degradable
The feel of this bedding for cage is sort of earth-like. It’s incredibly soft and will provide the places where your hedgehog is with plenty of insulation. When it needs replacing, you can dump out the used bedding in your garden or put it into the compost because it’s bio-degradable.

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Britimers Cage Liner

Soft 1st Layer
This essential for cage is made up of 4 layers that all work together to keep your hedgehog dry and his . The first layer is the top one that will get into contact with your hedgehog’s skin. it’s important that this layer is soft and breathable and it really is.

2nd, 3rd, And 4th Layer
The second layer of this fabric bedding for hedgehogs is the one that absorbs the liquids. The third layer is waterproof and prevents the liquids from leaking out of this bedding. The last layer is non-slipping so that it doesn’t wrinkle up when it’s inside your hedgehog’s cage.

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Small Pets And Company Cage Liner

A Bit Bigger
This bedding is extra comfortable because it has a double layer of very comfortable fleece. It’s made to fit inside 24 x 48-inch hedgehog cages. It is a couple of inches longer and wider than the actual cage so that it can be a perfect fit for large model.

How It Works And Washing Instructions
Although fleece on its own is not a very absorbent material thanks to the 3rd layer that’s absorbent this hedgehog cage liner will keep him or her as dry as possible. This bedding is also machine washable. You will have to wash it on cold and dry on low, and you should also not use fabric softeners.

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EcoBedding FiberCore Paper

Nesting Encouragement
Hedgehogs are animals that like to nest and burrow. If they don’t have appropriate bedding they might try and nest through the bottom of his cage. It will be unsuccessful but you don’t want your hedgehog to feel frustrated. That’s why you can choose this paper bedding for hedgehogs that will encourage them to nest.

Paper Abilities
It’s made out of paper that has been recycled so you can be sure this bedding model is eco-friendly. It can absorb a lot of liquids since it can hold 3.1 times its weight measured in water. Typically these types of bedding have to be changed every other day but this one can hold up to one week.

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Living World Pine Shavings

Pine Shavings Bedding
When picking out a wooden type of bedding you’ll either get to have wooden pellet bedding or wood shavings bedding. This bedding model is made out of pine shavings. These have been kiln dried which means that you won’t have to worry about dust inside your hedgehog’s cage.

Natural Scents And Benefits
This supply for hedgehogs has a natural wooden scent that will keep the cage smelling fresh and clean for longer. It will do this by preventing premature bacteria, fungus, and mold growth. it’s really important to have dust-free bedding because if not, your hedgehog might inhale this which would cause respiratory problems.

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Living World Wood Aspen Shavings

No Scent, All Natural
Aspen wood that’s used to make this bedding is extremely light. These wood shavings for hedgehog don’t feature any smells so your hedgehog won’t be left with an irritated nose since they have an excellent sense of smell that’s easy to get irritated because of is if the scents were unnatural.

No Respiratory Issues
The shavings of this bedding are hypoallergenic. Put simply, there is not dust so your hedgehog won’t have any respiratory issues with it inside the cage. It has a good absorbency since it can absorb up to 4 times its weight in water. This is the most we’ve seen so far.

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Carefresh Small Pet Bedding

Visual Joy
If you want to add a little bit more joy to the look of your hedgehog cage you’ll probably want to pick this one out since its paper shavings are colored in purple, pink, yellow, and blue. This cage bedding is made out of very soft paper that’s easy on your hedgehog’s little paws.

Free Of Smell And Dust
Animal urine has ammonia that gives it that nasty, but distinctive smell so it’s important for bedding not just to absorb liquids but also to provide odor control. This bedding will keep your hedgehog’s cage feeling fresh and smell-free for up to 14 days. The shavings are also 99% dust-free and more absorbent than wood shavings.

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Kaytee Wood Pellets

Things It’s Free Of
There aren’t really any different requirements for African pygmy hedgehog bedding. The only important thing is to get a bedding that is dust-free and this one is. It’s not only dust-free but also free of any artificial additives or colors so it’s completely natural.

How It Functions
The way this pygmy hedgehog bedding works is that it expands after absorbing liquids so that they don’t leak through. This will also help with odor control. When you want to replace the dirty bedding with a new and fresh one, you won’t have to worry about it sticking to your cage.

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Will Hedgehog Eat Bedding?

Bedding is not something hedgehogs should eat especially if it’s made of natural materials like paper or wood. But, there is a possibility they will start eating it.

Does All Hedgehogs Will Eat Bedding?

Not all hedgehogs are prone to eat bedding, but baby and young hedgehogs will probably try to eat some types of bedding, especially if it’s a new one because of their curiosity. Usually, they will spit it out when they realize it is not food, so you don’t have to worry they will continue doing it.

How To Stop Hedgehog From Doing It?

We recommend placing a small amount of the new bedding to check how he reacts to it. It is important to monitor him as much as you can to prevent any health problems if he has a sensitive stomach.
If you notice he continues eating it for unknown reasons, remove this bedding and replace it with some type of fleece. They can’t eat it and it is still as good as a natural type of bedding. Also make sure he is always well-fed, which might be a reason why he continues eating the bedding.

Bedding Maintenance And Cleaning

By following our tips about cleaning and maintaining for hedgehog’s cage, you can control the odor in the house.

How Often Do You Need To Change Bedding?

Dirty bedding needs to be scooped every day to keep the cage and environment fresh and clean, and the whole bedding can change once a week. To clean the entire hedgehog’s habitat we recommend doing it at least once a month.

How You Wash Fabric Bedding?

Most of the fleece or polyester bedding is washable by hand as well as in the washing machine. We recommend checking the manufacturer’s instructions to be sure how to clean it.

On Which Temperature Bedding Can Be Washed?

Polyester is stain-resistant material so you can easily wash it with cold water or warm to remove bad odor. Fleece materials can be washed at a temperature of 40 Celsius degrees and we recommend using a delicate cycle only.

Which Detergent And Softener Are Hedgehog Safe?

Softeners and detergents can irritate hedgie’s skin especially if they have strong smells which usually constant a high amount of perfume. We don’t recommend using the scented softeners and detergents, but you can use the ones that are classified as non-irritating or not use the softener at all.

DIY Bedding For Hedgehogs

Did you know you can make bedding with the materials you have at home? Well, the good news is you can. Which materials you can use for bedding we have listed down below.

Paper
Do you have leftovers of shredded paper that you’re planning to throw away? Why don’t you use it for hedgehog bedding? Use envelopes, and old newspapers and tear it into thin strips with your hands. The more paper you have, the better.
Cardboard Materials
We are sure you have many unused cardboard boxes which you’re not using anymore, such as shoe boxes, egg boxes, as well as toilet paper tubes which you’re planning to throw away?
Tear it in small pieces and place it inside the plastic or wooden cage. The rest of the cardboard that doesn’t fit in the cage, place in the plastic bag so you can easily take as much as you need after change.

Tissues
Use toilet or kitchen tissues which are comfortable for lying. Torn them into strips and place them at the bottom of the hedgehog’s enclosure.

Why DIY Bedding?

If you’re wondering why DIY bedding is a good idea here, are some pros. First, you will save money, which is a great way to spend it on, for example, food for hedgehogs. Also, it is a great way to reuse materials which you’ll probably throw away, so if you want to reduce waste, this is a great option.

Safety Features To Consider

When making a bedding on your own, here are some tips for safety
Remove Glue – If you’re using cardboard boxes, make sure to remove all the glue from it. The best advice is to cut glued parts and throw them in the bin.
Remove Plastic – If there are some plastic parts, like on an envelope, make sure to remove it so the hedgehog won’t swallow it.
Ink On Paper – We don’t recommend using paper that has ink on it, which can be harmful to your pet. Use only white, unbleached paper.
Sharp Material – On some cardboard, there tend to be sharp materials, such as metal materials. Before placing the bedding in the cage, make sure to check all the parts and remove dangerous items.