Planning to own a hedgie and i want to be prepared!

Hello i live in Raleigh NC and i have wanted a Hedgie for the longest time. and i am finally getting to a point in my life where i can get one. it will be a few months still but that gives me time to prepare!
I only want one, and i will take either gender but would prefer a female.

i have owned many many animals in the past and i realize that opinions on the care of the animal in question differ and many people have many different areas of expertise. i also know that it is far better to get advice from an experienced owner/breeder of a species than to just follow the advice in books. i know for a fact that blindly following what a book says has caused the deaths of many of my friends pets.

So, my reason for this post is this:
i would like any advice i can receive. i know the basics of care but i would like to know the details so i can better prepare myself and have an amazing home waiting for the little guy/girl.
what brand of food is best for me to use?
what type of material should i use in my hedgies home?
is there a big difference in cage type? i.e metal cages vs. plastic bucket?
is lighting essential or is it used mainly for heating purposes?
is there a feeding schedule/diet chart out there? (with my chameleons i used a pie chart to keep track of their nutritional intake, because different plants and insects varied)
i typically stay up late and sleep in (i work mostly evenings/night shifts). but is the bedroom still the most advised location for the hedgie to live?
i have done lots of research but i think i have been unlucky because everything i find is vague, extremely similar to each other and not very helpful with anything other than the basics. it leaves a lot to the imagination.
like i said. i realize that things differ from person to person but i would like a general idea of what the most popular methods are that may not be listed in a book or discussed by a breeder.
thanks for the advice any little bit helps

Hi and welcome

DavidWM said:

what brand of food is best for me to use?

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I'd suggest feeding more than one brand. Hedgies can be finicky and their bellies don't always adapt well with change (green messy poops). Sometimes, after eating a food, they'll decide they don't care for it any more... perhaps the flavor fell out of favor, or the consistency/hardness, or the shape... Add to that food recalls, and you'll definitely want to ensure that you have another one or two brands to fall back on until you replace the one that's gone "bad." There are a lot of threads on recommended foods... check them out.

As a quick summary, aim for something where the first 3-5 ingredients are meat or a veggie -- not corn or some weird chemical. Look for fat around 10-12%; protein around 30%. Some recommended brands are Fromm, Spot's Stew, Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, Felidae, Solid Gold Katz-n-Flocken, and Now!

DavidWM said:

what type of material should i use in my hedgies home?

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Aim for something that will keep hedgie warm, wick away pee (unlike paper), will show you what hedgie's poop and pee look like (instead of hide them), not harbor mites (so no wood/shavings), nothing with loose threads (fleece is good; it doesn't have loose threads), something easy to clean when it gets poop and pee on it, isn't dusty, isn't likely to be ingested, etc... I know those are pretty broad guidelines... were you thinking more about bedding? toys? exercise equipment like wheels?

DavidWM said:

is there a big difference in cage type? i.e metal cages vs. plastic bucket?

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Yes. Different cages are better (or more poorly) suited for each type of heating system. A plastic-bottom, wire-top cage works well with a ceramic heat emitter set-up. A metal cage (like a ferret-nation) works well if you plan to keep the entire room a consistently warm temp. I wouldn't use one like this: http://navigatorpet.manufacturer.gl...4/pdtl/Pet-cage/1059440118/Metal-Pet-Cage.htm with the metal bottom for hedgies. In short, I'd think about how I'd like to maintain heat first, then figure out which cage will best allow me to do it that way.

DavidWM said:

is lighting essential or is it used mainly for heating purposes?

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Light and heat are both essential and should function independently of each other. Hedgie will need to be kept at a fairly constant temperature while the lights will need definite on and off times - approx 14h on and 10h off on a consistent basis. Insufficient heat and/or light can trigger hibernation. Hibernation attempts are stressors - hedgies are at higher risk of illness. "Successful" hibernation will result in death.

DavidWM said:

is there a feeding schedule/diet chart out there? (with my chameleons i used a pie chart to keep track of their nutritional intake, because different plants and insects varied)

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Feeding schedule is pretty simple: determine the different kibble you want to use as the staple diet. At night, put slightly more kibble than you expect hedgie to eat in a dish. Next night, dump the remaining kibble in the trash, clean the dish, and refill. During play/snuggle time or when you're putting hedgie back in their house for the evening after play/snuggle time, also put out a treat dish - fruits, veggies (consult the stickies on which fruit and veggies are/are not safe), insects like mealies and crickets (stay away from freeze-dried), wet cat food, baby food, etc... are all good treats.

If you keep to the staple kibble and rotate through the treats, hedgie should be just fine.

DavidWM said:

i typically stay up late and sleep in (i work mostly evenings/night shifts). but is the bedroom still the most advised location for the hedgie to live?

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Find a place where hedgie can have ~10 hours of dark mainly during the typical night-time hours. That's when hedgie will need it quiet and dark to eat kibble, run on the wheel, explore the cage, and generally feel safe and free to act like him- or herself.