Hedgehogs need occasional baths - they can get kinda stinky at times. I think this happens for Nigel because he runs on his wheel. There are no potty breaks for running hedgehogs it seems so he gets all messy. This also causes icky feet so sometimes baths are necessary. They also need their nails trimmed - this can be really tough and it took me years to find a way and I can get done what I need to without upsetting or stressing Nigel out. Nail clipping is a must or else the nails will curl around and grow back into his feet - that would be bad and painful for him....
The shower solves a couple of challenges for us. First - he likes to get in and play so he gets out of the cage stimulation. Him running around through the water loosens the ick up on his feet and softens his nails.
I let him play for a bit and then hop in and use the shower to spray off his quills - he runs in and out of the water and for some reason is obsessed with climbing over my feet.
Then we get to the furry parts. This part is not captured in photos because I don't have enough hands but it goes something like this. I pick Nigel up and flip him on his back. He seems to love the way the warm water feels on his belly which results in him sticking all four legs straight out. This puts them in the perfect position for nail clipping. I go as fast as I can - snip snip snip and then I rub his tummy - which he also seems to like. And that's it - hedgehog mani/pedi is complete. I put him back down and let him play for a minute or two more.
Then I get out to get his towel:
And then we wrap up in a blanket for a nap:
And that - is how you bathe a hedgehog...
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