Hedgehogs keep on growing throughout life and require a nutrient rich food to achieve that. ABOUT HEDGEHOGS: The length of a hedgehog pregnancy is usually 32 days but can be somewhat variable. Breeding Hedgehogs << Back to All Hedgehog Help & Education or Shop Hedgehog Products. Hedgehogs only give birth once per year after a gestation of four to six weeks. If disturbed just before giving birth or during the following week, she may make the ultimate sacrifice and kill or eat her hoglets. When she is active again the embryos Hedgehog birth. The same applies for the father of the litter. It is believed that if for instance, a cold spell of weather in spring brings about a shortage of natural food, a pregnant hedgehog will resume hibernation and the development of her embryos will slow down. While there’s no specific mating season for hedgehogs, they do love to mate between May to September. Few activities can come close to matching the wonders and pleasures of having babies, but at the same time the dangers involved, and problems that can arise, are very great. However, the exact time period depends on the particular species though. Gestation time (number of days in a hedgehog pregnancy) is between 34-37 days. After all, memes and jokes about cats do portray them as somewhat selfish animals who love to be pampered around the clock. Female hedgehogs should be at a healthy weight for breeding as well. Hedgehogs are family Erinaceidae mammals that are conspicuous because of their extremely spiky exteriors, which help protect them from predators. Hedgehog Birth Females usually give birth at night or early morning. Pregnant Rescue Cat Gives Birth To Kittens And Becomes Mother To Hedgehogs! As far as reproduction goes, hedgehogs of all species aren't pregnant … The mothers often eat their babies at the first sign of danger, so the owner is wise to leave Mom alone. Pregnant females need extra nutrition during pregnancy and lactation. If you have a pet female, you must also face the fact that her personality will likely change once she is pregnant and even more so after she gives birth. To make the concept clear, the gestation period is the time required by the animal to give birth. Females are solitary and may injure or kill her young if disturbed. Another unpleasant facet of breeding hedgehogs is infanticide. Once the hedgehog is pregnant, the hedgehog gestation period can be anywhere between four to six weeks. Mating. It is important to remove any cagemates and to leave her and her litter undisturbed for at least 5-10 days after birth. Many breeders are often confused about the hedgehog gestation period. Most females have 3-7 babies, although more or less may occur. Supplement them with prescription high calorie cat food or a high quality kitten food during this time. Female hedgehogs reach menopause at 2.5 to three years of age. This makes the process of giving birth harder, and downright dangerous in most cases. A female hedgehog can stay pregnant for … Now some random information on hedgehog pregnancy. The hedgehog realm is made up of 20 species across nine genera. They shouldn’t be too overweight to roll into a ball, but they should not have sunken-in sides, either. Cats are usually considered less friendly than their canine counterparts and media, to some extent, is to blame. A hedgehog can’t mate in the first year of its birth. Their litters usually consist of four to seven young at one time. Breeding hedgehogs can be both the most rewarding, and the most heart-wrenching of endeavors. Females usually give birth at night or early morning.