Hedgehogs can be very children like, they love to play and love to do so with ordinary and simple household items.
They often love brightly coloured small objects that they can push around with ease.
They also enjoy a variety of other activities such as hiding, tunnelling and burrowing, not to mention running on exercise wheels.
It can be tempting to make DIY toys to give to your hedgie and in some cases, this can be a good option, however, in other cases, it’s best to purchase a good quality toy or accessory.
Here we have put together our selection of recommended hedgehog toys and accessories that are sure to keep your hedgie both happy and mentally stimulated on a daily basis.
Below you will find the shortlist with quick links to each product we recommend and, additionally you can read on for more information about each toy we recommend.
- Exercise Wheel – This One On Amazon
- Woven Grass Igloo – This One On Amazon
- Cotton Igloo – This One On Amazon
- Natural Grass Tunnel – This One On Amazon
- Cotton Tunnel – This One On Amazon
- Hedgehog Plush – This One On Amazon
- Seesaw – This One On Amazon
- Kritter Cruiser – This One On Amazon
- Barrel Roller – This One On Amazon
- Knot Nibbler – This One On Amazon
Exercise Wheel
When you think of toys for hedgehogs, the first thing that springs to mind is exercise wheels.
One of the main benefits of an exercise wheel is that they actually burn calories and keep your hedgie fit whilst they’re having fun.
Hedgehogs can easily become overweight in captivity due to the fact that they’re not nearly as active as they are in the wild.
In fact, a wild hedgehog can travel up to 1-2km each night searching for food.
Without the same active lifestyle in captivity, it’s easy to see why they can become overweight.
Installing an exercise wheel will help your hedgie to stay in shape and have fun at the same time.
A big mistake that new owners often make is to purchase a wheel that makes a tone of noise.
Because hedgehogs are more active at night, they’re more likely to use the wheel more at night too.
This is why we highly recommend you get your hedgehog the Silent Runner exercise wheel.
The silent runner wheel has duel bearings which make the wheel silent as it spins.
Your hedgie can run on the wheel all night long and you or any other pets you have won’t be disturbed through the night.
Igloo
Hedgehogs love to hide in little dens and igloos are usually their favourite option.
Their natural need to feel safe can be satisfied by spending time in an igloo as well as enjoying them as a nice and cosy place to relax.
Plastic igloos are very practical and easy to clean as well as generally being the most affordable option.
Plastic igloos such as this one are a great option for your hedgehog.
If you are looking for something a little closer then you can opt for an igloo made from cotton.
We actually recommend the range of cotton igloo houses by Hollypet.
These are pretty cool and come in many different styles such as a crab, shark, bear, frog and more.
They have a removable cover to allow you to easily wash and clean the igloo. You can check out Hollypet’s full range of igloos here on Amazon.
The only problem with plastic or cotton igloos is that they aren’t the most natural looking hide for your hedgie and don’t really relate to their natural habitat very much.
Some hedgehogs will feel more at home and prefer a natural-looking habitat which includes any shelters and igloos you provide them.
If this is the case then we recommend this handwoven grass igloo. It will make your hedgehog feel camouflaged and safe while providing them with both a warm and comfy hideout.
We’ve given you 3 great igloo options to choose from. You can either go for the practical and cheaper plastic igloo option, the cute and cosy cotton option or the natural woven grass option.
The decision really is yours as we are sure your hedgie will love any of these options.
Tunnels
Tunnels are great inexpensive toys and cage accessories to provide for your hedgie.
They allow them to have a place to hide if they need to feel safe and they also make great play items too.
You can just leave them in the cage and your hedgie will just use them to either hide or play with whenever they want, or you can use the tunnel out of the cage when it’s playtime.
A great little game to trigger mental stimulation for your hedgie is to put them in a playpen and hide some treats in the tunnel and let them display their natural foraging behaviours to find the treats.
The tunnel we recommend the most is this natural grass tunnel. The reason why we recommend it is because it’s always good to try and replicate an animal’s natural habitat and environment as much as possible and this tunnel really looks the part.
If you’re not bothered about the natural look then you can always go for a regular bright coloured fabric tunnel like this one on Amazon.
These actually come in a set of two so you can place them in different areas or connect them and make different combinations that will keep your hedgehog interested and thinking.
Kritter Cruiser
The Kritter Kruiser has to be one of the best even toys to come on the market for small animals.
This is essentially an exercise wheel that’s inside a toy car and whenever your hedgehog runs on the wheel the car sets off across the floor.
This is a toy that you use in their playpen on the floor when you are enjoying some fun time and bonding time together.
The sheer amount of exercise and mental stimulation it provides makes this a must-buy in our opinion.
Both you and your hedgie will love the Kritter Cruiser, you can see the latest price on Amazon.
Barrel Roller
The barrel roller is another one of our favourite hedgehog toys. We love this because it allows your hedgie to bite and nibble safely while getting exercise.
As your hedgehog nibbles and attempts to get to the ball inside the barrel, the barrel will keep rolling and they will have to keep chasing it.
This encourages exercise through play and as a pretty inexpensive toy this is something we recommend you add to your hedgies toy collection.
You can bring the barrel roller out at playtimes or when you are cleaning your hedgehog’s cage to keep them occupied.
It’s also a great toy to leave in the cage for them to push around and have fun with on their own.
If you like the sound of the barrel roller then you take a look at it here on Amazon.
Knott Nibbler
The knot nibbler is an intricate combination of wood and knots that make an inviting toy for your hedgehog.
The wood is specially designed to be chewable and safe for small animals such as hedgehogs.
The colours in the wood and fabric are also made from natural vegetable dyes so there’s no chance of your hedgie getting ill or poisoned from consuming harmful paint.
This is another toy that you can just leave in your hedgehog’s cage and let them gnaw away, you can bring it out at playtimes or when they are sat on your lap to help increase bonding.
This is another great toy and one you can now pick for next to nothing on Amazon
Seesaw
You can add a seesaw to your hedgehog’s cage to give them some much needed mental stimulation.
Seesaws simply sit in the cage and hedgehogs usually love to use them to go from one side of the cage to the other as they go about their business.
While your hedgehog is exploring and displaying foraging behaviours in the cage, seesaws make nice little cage extras to keep them stimulated.
The one we recommend is by Petall as it’s safe for your hedgehog to nibble and gnaw on.
It’s also not too big, the size might not seem that important but usually, floor space is at a premium in hedgehog cages as the more toys and accessories you have in the cage the more cramped and cluttered it can become.
So at 2.7” by 7.5” it’s a good size that won’t take up too much space in the cage.
Hedgehog Plush
Adding plush toys and cuddly teddies to your hedgehog’s cage are becoming extremely popular.
You can get in on the action too by grabbing your very own hedgehog plush toy.
These toys look awesome in your hedgehog’s cage or even as decorations and accessories throughout the home.
We just couldn’t make this page without adding a cute hedgehog plush to our top toys and accessories!
There are hundreds out there for you to choose from and you could probably even start your own collection, however, if you want a cute,
good quality plush then we recommend ‘Douglas Spunky Hedgehog’
This plush is so life-like that it’s almost as good as owning the real thing!