The 5 Best Hedgehog Bedding Options: 2024 Review

Choosing the best bedding for your hedgehog is more complicated than it should be (especially for new owners).

There are so many things to consider just to make sure your hedgie is safe, and then you have to take the behavior of your pet into account too. What starts out as a casual “let’s pick out some bedding” process can quickly turn into a wave of indecision.

And it shouldn’t be that way.

That’s why we put together this resource of the best hedgehog bedding you can find, along with their pros and cons. It will make the process easy for you and give you plenty of solid options to choose from.

This way if you decide to make a switch later on down the line you won’t have to start from scratch!

We hope you find it helpful.

The best bedding for hedgehogs

In order for us to find the best hedgehog bedding to include in this list, we did a good amount of research. It might seem like a bit of overkill to spend so much time on something like this, but we think it’s worth it.

Think of it this way:

The bedding that you keep in your hedgehog cage is going to be around your hog almost all day. This means they’ll be touching it, breathing near it, and even nibbling on it.

If it’s not made of safe and trustworthy materials this could lead to serious health complications for your pet. Not only that, but subpar materials will make cleaning more difficult and less effective.

All not good things.

That’s why we took the research process so seriously when it came to finding the best hedgehog bedding options. To do this we:

• Put together an initial list
• Looked at the traits/specs/details
• Sourced feedback from buyers
• Got our hands-on as much as we could

After we ran all of the bedding options through the gauntlet we were left with the list you see below. We’re very happy with each of the products on this list, but we’re always open to adding a new one if it hits our radar. 

1. Kaytee Soft Granule Blend Bedding for Hedgehog Cages

Kaytee is an extremely reputable brand when it comes to pet supplies, and hedgehog bedding is no different. In fact, another product of theirs is on our list (a little bit further down).

The Kaytee Soft Granule Bedding Blend has been used by small pet owners for quite some time with no complaints. It’s extremely high quality and comes at a great price as well.

When you get this bedding for your hedgehog you can expect an extremely dust-free cage environment and very high absorbent properties. It can also hold three times its weight in liquid which will come in handy.

When you feel this bedding you can tell that it will be very comfortable under your hedgehog’s feet and make their living in the cage easier. Sometimes bedding can be uncomfortable or take some getting used to, but that’s not the case with this product.

The blend is made from wood fibers that are later turned into the soft bedding you get in the bag. It’s easy to clean and if you stick to a solid once a week schedule you should have no problems.

A lot of owners also like the odor-controlling properties that this bedding provides. It’s one of the most consistent positives mentioned online and in forums.

Pros:

• Great for odor control
• 99.9% dust-free
• Comfortable and soft

2. Carefresh Natural Premium Soft Pet Bedding By Monster Pets

This is another one of the best hedgehog bedding choices without a doubt. It has extremely efficient and long-lasting odor control which is so good it might take you by surprise.

It’s actually been an issue for some people because it can confuse you as an owner. When you don’t smell anything you might assume that you don’t need to clean the cage as much or change out the bedding, but that’s not the case.

Don’t let this awesome odor control trick you!

This bedding is super absorbent and is not made with any dyes or chemicals that could cause health complications for your hedgehog. It has also been processed to make sure that any of the aromatic carbons found in cedar oil and pine are removed. This is absolutely necessary when it comes to hedgehog bedding, but it’s worth pointing out.

This bedding can absorb three times its weight in liquid just like the product we listed above. That will help keep everything dry and livable for your hedgie until the next time you change it out.

Pros:

• Impressive odor control
• Super safe and free of harmful materials
• Great absorbent properties

3. Complete Pet Bedding By Carefresh

This bedding is made from real wood fibers that are guaranteed to be hedgehog-friendly. Unlike some of the other hedgehog bedding on the market, these are treated just enough to ensure safety but no more after that.

What you’re left with is a biodegradable and natural bedding option that will give you peace of mind when it comes to the health and safety of your hedgie.

All of the best hedgehog bedding is ultimately safe, but this is the way to go if you want the more natural yet convenient option.

Unlike a lot of products that are built primarily the intention of maintaining natural and healthy properties, the Carefresh bedding won’t cost you an arm and a leg. In fact, the price stacks up with a lot of the other bedding on our list!

It also covers all the bases when it comes to absorbing liquid and keeping the smell of your cage manageable. Overall, this bedding is the complete package.

Pros:

• Safe and natural
• Great job dealing with odor
• Affordable pricing

4. Kaytee Clean & Cozy White Small Hedgehog Bedding

This bedding is a little bit different from the last one on our list, but the different approach still does a heck of a good job!

The Kaytee Clean and Cozy bedding is actually made from recycled strands of fiber instead of wood shavings. The advantage of this is that it’s far more absorbent when it comes to liquid. Much, much more.

If you’re someone who wants to prioritize keeping your cage nice and dry, look no further than this hedgehog bedding. Any kind of liquid will be no problem with this in your cage.

It’s also very burrow-friendly. If your hedgie is particularly playful when it comes to their bedding, then this is a great choice for you. They will be safe and comfortable while they burrow and move around through the fibers.

It still does a very good job dealing with odors despite the high level of liquid absorbency. You can also expect a very dust-free environment for your hedgehog when using this bedding. It’s 99.9% dust-free.

Pros:

• Best on our list when it comes to absorbing liquid
• Burrow friendly
• 99.9% dust-free

5. Small Pet Select Aspen Bedding

The last hedgehog bedding on our list is from Small Pet Select. They have a great range of bedding options, but this is definitely our favorite.

These aspen bedding shavings are natural with no additives. It doesn’t contain any harmful oils that can affect your hedgie’s respiratory system, and it does a great job filling the floor of your cage.

You get quite a lot of bedding for the price, so if you’re someone who likes to buy in bulk the size options will definitely appeal to you.

One of the things to look out for when it comes to this bedding is the higher level of dust when compared to the others on our list. In our opinion, it isn’t a dealbreaker, but if you’re adamant about having as little dust as possible then you’ll want to go with one of the other options on our list.

The last thing to keep an eye on is the double-edged sword when it comes to the expansion. As we mentioned earlier, this bedding will easily expand to fill the floor of your cage. However, that also means that it’s prone to getting everywhere.

If you have very active hedgies who like to play and burrow, be prepared for a little extra bedding cleanup around their habitat. 

Our favorite

So what product is our favorite? Our list of the best hedgehog bedding options is full of great options, but we know that a lot of people only want the very best.

In our opinion, the Kaytee Soft Granule Blend is the best hedgehog bedding out there right now. There are a couple of reasons why:

• It’s 99.9% dust-free
• It’s super comfortable for your hedgies to play in
• It does a very good job with odor control
• It’s affordable

In short, this bedding is a great buy all around. Some of the options excel at one thing, but lack in another. In our opinion, the Kaytee Soft Granule Blend does a great job at everything.

This will allow you to spend more time enjoying your hedgehog, and less time worrying about your choice in bedding.

Hedgehog Bedding To Stay Away From

If you stick with our list of the best hedgehog bedding, you won’t have to worry about this. However, if you plan on shopping around a little bit more then reading this section is very important.

Not all bedding is suitable for hedgies, and it’s crucial that you know what to stay away from so you can keep your pet hedgehog safe.

Cedar is the enemy

If there’s one thing that you remember from this section, it’s that you should stay away from cedar shavings. They have various toxins and acids in them that will cause serious issues for your hedgehog.

The most common health complications cedar shavings can cause are respiratory in nature. When your hedgehog’s respiratory system starts to fail, things go downhill very fast.

Cedar shavings have also been linked to other issues like cancer and liver complications.

Just stay away.

Other bedding to avoid

These bedding options are far less common but should be avoided regardless. We’re including them here just in case.

• Gravel (ouch)
• Sawdust (bad for the respiratory system)
• Garden soil
• Hay
• Leaves
• Straw

Rules to follow

Bedding might seem like a simple thing to understand, but there are a couple of guidelines you should remember. It is possible to misuse or place bedding improperly, which can lead to issues for your hedgehog.

Put enough in the cage

It’s important that you put down enough bedding to make sure it does its job. Having enough bedding is also very important if you want your hedgehog to be comfortable when walking around in its cage.

The ideal range of thickness you’ll want to aim for us 2-3 inches. Having enough bedding is also important for enrichment and allows your hedgehog to burrow effectively.

If you do use a fleece liner with your bedding, make sure there’s still enough normal bedding to do the job.

Clean/swap consistently

Make sure that you’re changing out your hedgehog bedding once a week (more if things are getting a little too filthy). If you buy from our list of bedding, there’s a chance that it might not look like it needs to be changed.

Do it anyway.

Bedding with good absorption and odor control will probably look pretty good after a week. That’s just the bedding doing what it’s supposed to. Swap it out!

Concerning Signs To Watch For

Regardless of what bedding you choose for your hedgehog, you’ll want to build up the habit of making sure your pet is thriving in their habitat. Bedding can play a part in this.

One common issue that can occur is mites finding their way into your bedding. You can do everything right and still get stuck with a mite-infested bedding shipment. Mites can find their way into bedding at the store you bought it from, the warehouse it was stored in, or directly from the manufacturer.

Before you put down new bedding you’ll want to give it a look to see if you can spot any mites. Chances are everything is fine, but why not look and be sure? 

You’ll also want to ensure that your hedgehog isn’t eating a bunch of your bedding.

When new bedding comes into their cage it’s not unusual for them to sample a little bit just out of curiosity. That’s not what you should be worried about.

A cause for concern is if your hedgie is scarfing down a lot of it on a consistent basis. Bedding is not meant to be eaten (obviously) and doing so can lead to GI issues.

This is actually a fairly common issue that owners face, so don’t panic if this ends up being something you have to deal with.

If your hedgehog is eating too much if it’s bedding then you should make a switch to another product.

Conclusion

There you have it! We’re very happy with our list of the best hedgehog bedding options, and we’re confident that if you buy from this list you’ll be very satisfied.

Bedding is one of those things that might seem like an afterthought at first. However, the most you learn about it the more you understand that it’s incredibly important.

Picking a quality product and sticking to the proper guidelines of care will go a long way in making sure that your hedgie lives a happy and healthy life.

Featured image photo credit ¹