African pygmy hedgehogs have become popular exotic pets, but their complex needs mean that inadequate care is extremely common, leading to suffering from obesity, loneliness, and inappropriate environments.
Pet hedgehog welfare is poorly served by the exotic pet trade. Many purchasers are attracted by their novelty appearance without understanding their complex needs: space for nocturnal activity, exercise wheels, appropriate temperature management, and minimal handling. Obesity from inactivity and poor diet, metabolic bone disease, and early death are common in hedgehogs kept inadequately. The regulatory framework for exotic pet hedgehog welfare is minimal in most jurisdictions.