Picking the right hedgehog cage is a very important process if you want to make your hedgie happy. After all, it is where they’re going to be spending most of their time!

But deciding on one can be a little trickier than you might think.

There are so many possible hedgehog cages you could get, and they all look pretty much the same. This causes many owners to pick the first cage they see without giving it a second thought (or simply let price be the deciding factor).

We think that’s a big mistake.

Choosing the perfect cage will make your pet hedgehog happier and safer. Not only that, you’ll get significantly more use out of the hedgehog cage you pick.

Having to go through the process of replacing a cage and getting your hedgehog used to their new home is a huge pain (and it can be stressful for your hedgie as well). You’re much better off getting it right the first time.

So here’s what we did:

We went out and found the best hedgehog cages that you can get for your little critter. One of these was on our radar before we started, and the others were found during our research process.

We feel extremely comfortable recommending these hedgehog cages to any owner, and we hope you decide to give one of them a try.

So without further delay, let’s get into it!

The Cages

If you don’t want to read every nitty-gritty detail about each cage and how we researched them, this section is for you. It simply has our recommendations with some info about each so you can pick one up and move on.

Note: If you want all the details there’s a more involved section further down.

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Living World Deluxe Hedgehog Habitat

  • Habitat that provides everything you need for safely housing a hedgehog.
  • Includes a balcony with an access ramp and a tip proof food dish
  • Hybrid cage consists of an upper wire frame and a plastic bottom base
  • Safe design that will never pinch or cut

The Living World Deluxe Habitat is our choice for the best hedgehog cage you can get right now. It’s designed extremely well, easy to clean, and safe for your hedgehog. It also has a handful of nifty featured like a high-quality non-tip food bowl which will save you a ton of time cleaning and ensuring that your hedgie is getting enough food. The entire body of the cage is well-made and exactly what you should look for in a hedgehog cage. It’s our recommendation that you pick this one up ASAP.

The value buy if you’re looking to save a little money is the AmazonBasics Pet Habitat. This hedgehog cage packs a punch and fulfills the essential requirements for a cage without inflating the price. One of our favorite features this cage has is the easy access roof opening system. This makes getting into the cage so much easier and is a great quality of life feature that you’ll definitely notice as an owner.

If the two hedgehog cages above are either sold out or not your cup of tea, the “Guinea Habitat” cage by Midwest is a great fallback. This cage earned our “runner up” status and given how many we researched, there’s no shame in that. It has ample size, a design that is easy to clean, and a nice non-tip bowl that really impressed us. If you end up going with this cage we think you’ll be very happy.

Our Research Process

We feel it’s important to explain how we came to our conclusion with the cages we’re recommending.

One of these hedgehog cages was on our radar as a crowd-favorite before we even started researching, and the others were found during the rest of the process.

We knew that with so many different cage options out there we had to be thorough when narrowing them down. Unlike other sites that list every option under the sun, we like doing the extra work to make sure you’re only picking from the cream of the crop.

In order to do this, we first put together a full list of all the hedgehog cage options we could find. Some of these were found by looking at sites like Amazon, PetSmart, and Chewy. Others were brought to our attention by the awesome hedgehog community that actively contributes to forums and message boards.

Once we had our list we started to whittle things down. Any of the cages that didn’t get at least a four-star review were tossed out right away.

Then we started to do a deep dive into each review to see what people were saying. This led to a lot of interesting discoveries that helped us cut a few more cages from our list.

Any of the hedgehog cages that were recommended by the community directly were investigated heavily as well. We looked into what people were saying about them, pros and cons, and asked some questions of our own.

From here we were almost done. We then took our magic list of features you should look for (more on that later) and tossed out any cage that didn’t have them.

This left us with only a few remaining.

To find our winners we got our hands on each hedgehog enclosure to make the final call. The ability to tinker with each cage directly was really the best way to make a final judgment on how suitable each cage was.

After doing this it was obvious which ones we should recommend.

Our Pick

After researching and going through our entire process, we came to the conclusion that the Living World Deluxe Habitat hedgehog cage was the clear winner. It has everything you need and comes at a reasonable price.

Sale
Living World Deluxe Hedgehog Habitat

  • Habitat that provides everything you need for safely housing a hedgehog.
  • Includes a balcony with an access ramp and a tip proof food dish
  • Hybrid cage consists of an upper wire frame and a plastic bottom base
  • Safe design that will never pinch or cut

Right off the bat one of our favorite features of this hedgehog cage is the quality of the tip-proof food dish that comes included. We loved this!

If you’re a new owner you’ll soon find out that anything you can do to make the cleaning process a little easier goes a long way. Ensuring that your hedgie can’t spill their food will save you a lot of time in the long run, and the fact that that solution comes bundled in with this cage is fantastic.

As a matter of fact, the entire cage is easy to clean as well. The smooth plastic bottom will make spot cleaning a breeze, and thorough cleanings quick as well. The wire frame of the cage is also very easy to scrub down without having to get your hands deep into the cage (due to the high ceiling).

This high wire framed ceiling also does a great job of making sure this hedgehog cage is well ventilated. This will make your hedgie more comfortable and also help keep things smelling a little fresher as time goes on.

The plastic floor and pan is another feature of this cage that really impressed us. The floor is flat which is great for your hedgehog’s feet and will allow them to navigate safely and without any difficulty. It’s also rather deep as well (7.5 inches) so your hedgehog won’t be able to climb out.

The available sizes are another factor that makes this cage great. We recommend that you get their “x-large” size (46.9 by 22.8 by 24 inches). It doesn’t cost much more than the “large” model and will provide your hedgehog plenty of space to play and run around.

This will also give you the flexibility to add and experiment with new toys without things getting too cramped for your hedgie. With smaller hedgehog cages you sometimes have to subtract a toy to add a new one, and this can lead to a long experimentation process of finding out what they prefer. With a larger cage, you can simply introduce new toys and let them decide!

We have seen some other reviews mentioning that this cage might be a little tricky to assemble for some people due to the lack of clear directions and the multiple pieces it comes in. We didn’t have any difficulty with this, but we’ve also assembled a bunch of these over the years. That isn’t nearly enough of a concern to make us not recommend this hedgehog cage. Just stick with it and you’ll put it together eventually!

Best Value For The Money

If you’re trying to keep things cheap and the cage above is a little more than you would like to spend, we have another great option for you.

AmazonBasics Hedgehog Habitat

  • Iron wire upper frame and PP plastic base; large top and front openings for easy inside access
  • Includes non-drip water bottle, hay guard, and balcony with access ramp and tip-proof food dish
  • Hide-away space underneath balcony for privacy
  • Backed by an AmazonBasics limited 1-year warranty

The AmazonBasics Pet Habitat gets our vote for the best hedgehog cage you can get for a lower price point. Much like the Living World Deluxe Habitat, it has a similar design that provides a number of great benefits.

The size of this cage is great (48.6 by 26.6 by 20.6 inches) and will allow your hedgehog to have room to roam and play around. This is actually very comparable with the Living World cage that we recommended. It also has a nice flat plastic floor with a deep pan, so your hedgehog should be able to navigate the cage easily, safely, and be unable to climb out.

It has a non-tip food bowl as well and we think it’s very well-designed. We like the quality of the bowl in the Living World cage a little bit more, but this is still a fantastic option (really no complaints here).

It’s also extremely easy to assemble due to very clear instructions and great build quality. Each piece fits together without any difficulty, and we had it put together in minutes!

The roof access openings really impressed us too. This will make cleaning your hedgehog cage or handling your hedgie super easy. It probably has one of the best roof access openings we’ve seen across all the cages we researched!

The one potential concern we have is a minor one, and we can’t be sure about it without using it for a long period of time (we didn’t have this luxury). Due to all the openings and access points, there might be potential for increased cage noise over time. We’ve seen this happen with similar cages in the past simply because there are more movable parts that can start to squeak and grind over time. Since your hedgie will be active at night, if you’re a light sleeper this might be something to consider.

The Runner Up

If our main option is out of stock and you need to get a new hedgehog cage ASAP, the “Guinea Habitat” cage by Midwest is a solid fallback option.

MidWest Homes for Hedgehogs Deluxe Cage Kit

  • Includes water bottle, feeding bowl & elevated feeding area
  • Design provides a large living space for maximum comfort
  • Solid roof access for cleaning and feeding
  • Easy assembly and 1 year manufacturers warranty

The cage has plenty of space (47.16 by 23.62 by 19.68 inches) and looks a lot like the Living World Deluxe cage that we recommend. It also has a non-tip bowl like the other two cages we like, and the quality of it seems very good.

It also has a nice roof access opening and though it’s not as good as the AmazonBasics Pet Habitat in this regard, it’s still quite nice and easy to use. The plastic floor is smooth and flat, and the pan is fairly deep as well (five and a half inches).

It’s also one of the easier cages we got our hands on in terms of assembly. If you’re someone who hates having to put things together, you might favor this over our first pick!

Overall this hedgehog cage does a very solid job overall and provides most of the same features that the other two have. We think that if you decide to go with this cage you’ll be very happy.

What You Should Have In Mind

There are a number of things you should know before you run out and purchase a hedgehog cage. This will prevent you from making a purchase that isn’t a good fit for your lifestyle or having to go back and buy a new one sooner than you would like to.

Your Living Space

First, take some time to do the math on how much space you have and how much of it you can afford to use for your cage. The reason why this is important is it will help you visualize how much space your hedgehog cage will take up, and where you should put it. Keep in mind it will need to be within reach of an outlet so you can use whatever heating lamps and pads you need to keep your hedgies warm.

Get your tape measure out and find what areas of your home will work best with the cage dimensions you’re considering. You might be surprised about what initial “perfect” spots in your home are actually unusable.

Don’t Make Them Cramped

Finding out where you’re able to put a hedgehog cage in your home will help you with this as well. It’s extremely unfair to keep your hedgehog all cramped up in a tiny cage that doesn’t allow them to thrive and be enriched.

You should aim to get a nice sized cage that allows your hedgie to have multiple toys and room to run around. They will spend most of their time here, so you want them to be comfortable and happy. If that means you need to move some things around in your home in order to get a larger cage, do it!

Are You Considering Breeding?

If breeding is something that you might be doing in the future, you’ll want to have a cage that can accommodate this. This means having plenty of space and a good place for the mother hedgehog to build her nest.

Some hedgehog cages are more suited for this than others, so it’s worth considering this before you make a purchase. Fortunately, all of the cages we listed above are great for breeding!

Key Features We Considered

While you can nitpick at a million different things when it comes to hedgehog cages, there are a few factors that matter most. When researching and reviewing cages we focused primarily on these due to their importance.

In our reviews above you’ll see us frequently reference these features, but we wanted to list them out here and explain why they matter in a little more detail.

Size

As we’ve mentioned before, the size of the hedgehog cage you choose should be one of the first things you think about. Keeping your hedgie in a space that’s too small can negatively impact their happiness and health over time.

Shoot for something that’s at least 48 by 24 inches (4 x 2 feet). This will give your hedgehog room to play with a variety of toys and have space to rest and relax. You’ll want to make sure there’s enough room for a wheel, litter box, eating space, sleeping bag, and additional room to play.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen plenty of owners who pick a hedgehog cage that’s a little too small. It’s quite sad to see and the more you learn about hedgehogs and the amount of enrichment they need, it’s something you realize you should avoid at all costs.

Another thing to note is that the price of hedgehog cages tend to not increase a whole lot with size. You’re typically looking at a twenty to thirty dollar increase to bump your cage up to a larger size. Given how long your hedgehog will live and how long you’ll be together, that’s a pretty negligible amount.

All of the hedgehog enclosures we picked provide the necessary minimum space for your hedgie to thrive and enjoy themselves.

Safety

Safety is one factor that many owners overlook when they’re looking for a cage. They get so caught up in the size and layout that safety goes by the wayside.

This process is very similar to what new parents do when “baby proofing” a house. Your hedgehog is fully capable of injuring itself accidentally, so you want to try and think ahead to avoid any possible disasters.

Large openings where they can get their heads stuck is a no-no. You’ll also want to make sure the interior is smooth and devoid of any sharp edges that your hedgie could cut itself on. This will also ensure that they don’t climb out (a deep pan works wonders for this as well).

These are all things that we checked on when reviewing and deciding on the best hedgehog cages. If you stick with our list, you won’t have to worry about safety!

Cleaning

You’re going to be spending a decent amount of time cleaning your hedgehog cage over the years. Doing this once a week really adds up after a while!

Because of this we heavily considered how easy each cage is to clean when doing our reviews. Picking a cage that makes this process easy can be the difference between a ten minute job and a thirty minute one.

Nice smooth surfaces and easy access to any area of the cage are the two major things that make a hedgehog cage easy to clean. All of the cages we’ve listed have these features.

Potential Noise

Certain hedgehog cages are more susceptible to making noise as time goes on than others. This is something that we don’t see many other reviewers and owners discussing, but we’ve always felt it’s worth bringing up.

From what we can tell this is most heavily influenced by the number of potential openings and hinges, and how well they are made. Even if your cage isn’t noisy at first, after a couple of years it might get worse.

A squeaky cage can get annoying at night when your hedgehog is up and moving. They will be running around and going about their business which potentially creates cage noise as they move. If you’re a light sleeper who keeps their cage near the bedroom, this can cause a problem.

We use this as more of a tiebreaker since it’s a minor factor that isn’t an issue for everyone.

Why We Prefer Wire Hedgehog Cages

Wire hedgehog cages are the only way to go in our opinion. Some owners have tried different options like aquarium tanks, plastic storage containers, or wooden hedgehog cages, but we recommend staying away from all of them.

Here’s why:

Wire cages are significantly easier to clean and provide much more ventilation than their tank, container, and wooden counterparts. An aquarium tank or storage container is similar when it comes to ease of cleaning, but the ventilation is terrible.

Also if you think wooden hedgehog cages look neat and want to get one, don’t. They might look cool but will start to smell over time. Cleaning wood is very difficult without using solutions that contain chemicals which could impact the health of your hedgehog. Wooden cages also have ventilation issues as well depending on the design.

Another thing to be aware of when it comes to wooden hedgehog cages is the fact that cedar can cause serious respiratory issues for your hedgie. If you see anything made of cedar, stay away!

Wrapping Up

And there you have it! These are the best hedgehog cage options that you can pick up right now to give your hedgie a happy home.

Unlike some of the other supplies you’ll be getting your hedgehog (like toys), their cage is about as important as it gets. It directly impacts the quality of their life in such a massive way and there’s a reason why you never see experienced breeders and owners with small, low-quality cages.

We’ve spent a lot of time researching and putting this together, and feel confident about the recommendations. If you have any feedback or questions we would love to hear from you. This is a guide that we will be updating frequently, so if another great hedgehog cage hits the market we’ll be sure to add it to the list!

Here they are again:

Take some time to look at these and decide which is best for you. We think you’ll be happy no matter which one you choose!





Featured image photo credit 1

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