African pygmy hedgehogs are increasingly popular exotic pets with specific welfare needs including large enclosures, exercise wheels, and warm temperatures that owners frequently fail to provide.
African pygmy hedgehog welfare failures are common because the species has been marketed as an easy, low-maintenance pet when in fact their needs are specific and non-negotiable. Temperature requirements that prevent hibernation attempts are the most critical: a hedgehog that begins to hibernate experiences metabolic crisis that can cause organ damage or death. The exercise requirement — running several kilometres per night on an appropriate wheel — means that caging without exercise opportunities is profoundly inadequate. Dietary management to prevent obesity while meeting nutritional needs requires knowledge that many owners acquire only after problems develop.