If you hear a Hedgehog crying for the first time, you might be shocked and confused. Most people just keep wondering, why is my Hedgehog crying? Should I be worried? Not anymore! I did brief research about it, and here is what I learned.
In general, Hedgehogs cry when they are in pain, scared, hungry, or psychologically distressed. You can comfort your pet by giving them their favorite treat or by talking to them. Some Hedgehogs even cry due to certain health problems. If you feel your pet is sick, I advise you to take them to a vet.
If you hear a loud scream of your Hedgehogs, make sure you reach out to them immediately. Look out for pain, injury, or any other discomfort they may be experiencing. Try to calm them down by petting them, playing their favorite music, or offering them their favorite treat.
Let us discuss some of the common issues due to which your Hedgehog might be crying, but first, let us understand if such behavior is normal among all Hedgehogs.
Do Hedgehogs Cry?
Hedgehogs often make loud crying noises. They do so to communicate several emotions. Although Hedgehogs do not cry in tears like us, they definitely do wail like human babies.
Hedgehogs scream when they are in pain, hungry, terrified, or suffering from certain health conditions. Some Hedgehogs might even scream when you pass by, just to gain your attention.
It is important to observe your Hedgehog’s behavior to understand what they are trying to communicate. Also, do not compare your emotions with that of your Hedgehogs.
Humans mostly cry to convey emotions such as sadness or joy. On the other hand, Hedgehogs make crying noises in response to physiological emergencies like hunger, pain, fear, etc.
Hedgehogs do communicate emotions such as sadness or loneliness. However, it is important to understand that owners should address Hedgehogs’ cries immediately.
Why Is My Hedgehog Crying?
Your Hedgehog might cry due to various reasons. Some of the most common reasons include pain, fear, and hunger.
You can easily find solutions to these problems by making sure that your pet is living a happy and stress-free life. You also need to make sure that your pet is consuming a balanced diet and enjoys their food.
In this article, we have also discussed some of the major reasons due to which your pet might be crying. If your pet continues to cry even after all your efforts, I advise you to take him to a vet to find out the possible cause.
Hunger
Hedgehogs often make loud squeaky noises when they are hungry. You must keep in mind that it is important to provide your Hedgehogs with adequate nutritional food to keep them full and healthy.
If you are not providing your Hedgehog with sufficient food, he may cry or squeak out of hunger. Sometimes, Hedgehogs even cry when they are thirsty.
Lack of water in our Hedgehog’s body can lead to dehydration in them. Therefore, it is important to keep a check on your pet’s water intake.
Fear/Stress
Hedgehogs often cry when they are anxious or under stress. Also, they do not handle changes well, which often results in severe stress and depression.
Some of the common issues that can result to stress in Hedgehogs include:
- Sudden loud noises
- Possible threat
- Inadequate stress
- Abrupt change in their routine
- Wrong handling
- Unstable temperature around their cage
It is important to take care of a stressed-out Hedgehog. Stress could further lead to severe health conditions in our pets. Therefore, you must try your best to provide your Hedgehog with the life they deserve.
Attention
Hedgehogs often make loud squeaky noises when they see their owners around them. They mostly do so to grab their owner’s attention. They might be trying to remind you that it is their playtime.
Some Hedgehogs even make loud noises such as “wheek wheek’, to grab their owner’s attention. If you understand your pet’s behavior and give them what they are asking for, he will probably stop crying.
Health Problems
If you do not take care of your Hedgehog in the right way, he will get sick in no time. Hedgehogs can even hide their pain until it gets severe.
If your pet has a health problem, then he may even refuse to eat. If the case is the same with your Hedgehog, then there is a possibility that he is sick.
Some of the common health issues in Hedgehogs include digestive complications, respiratory issues, wobbly hedgehog syndrome, and more. Most of these problems need medical assistance.
Observe your Hedgehog’s behavior at regular intervals to see if there are any negative symptoms. If your pet is showing any unusual or weird behavior, then take them to a vet as soon as possible. I advise you to avoid trying any home remedies with your pet.
Hedgehog Crying In Sleep
It can be very distressing for owners if they find their Hedgehog crying in his sleep. There are several reasons sue to which Hedgehogs cry in their sleep.
If your Hedgehog is crying in his sleep, there is a high chance that he is either hungry or is terrified of some nightmare he has seen in his sleep.
Hungry Hedgehogs often cry in their sleep. Therefore, make sure that you serve food to your pet at regular intervals and maintain a balanced diet.
Hedgehogs even cry out of fear if they see a bad dream. In the same happens with your Hedgehog, wake him up, pet him, and talk to him softly. This will calm him down in a few minutes.
Do Hedgehogs Cry When They Die?
Some Hedgehogs do make loud cries before they die, while other pass away silently.
In most cases, Hedgehogs are known to pass away without making any noise. On the other hand, if the Hedgehog is sick and has some health conditions such as heart attacks or seizures, it may make a loud noise before passing away.
However, there is no concrete proof to back this. The information is purely based on some occurrence in the community.
What Does A Hedgehog Cry Sound Like?
Being quite vocal, Hedgehogs produce a variety of sounds. Sometimes, it can be a challenging task for you to understand the meaning of these different sounds.
The behavior of your Hedgehog will help you to understand what he is trying to communicate. Some Hedgehog owners often describe ‘grunting’ or ‘whimpering’ as crying, while others consider ‘sharp pitch screech’ as one.
Your Hedgehog might cry due to several reasons. If you feel your pet is sick or in some sort of pain and anxiousness, it might cry.
Do Hedgehogs Have Feelings?
Hedgehogs do have feelings just the way humans do. They have the ability to show simple emotions, such as happiness, fear, sadness, and anger, by their physiological and behavioral symptoms. The state of their quill often indicates their mood.
If you own a Hedgehog for a long time now, you will agree to the fact that Hedgehogs have different personalities. They show various emotions.
If your Hedgehog is scared or frightened, he will curl up into a ball with their quills erect. This behavior is in their instincts. They do so to protect themselves.
If the spines of the entire body of your Hedgehog are erect, it indicated your pet is scared. On the other hand, if the spines are erect only on their head, it indicated that your pet is cautious and uncertain.
Flat spines of the entire body indicated that your Hedgehog is in a calm and comfortable state.
However, some signs of Hedgehog emotions are not that obvious. Therefore, it is important to learn about a Hedgehog’s body language. This will help to figure out what emotions they are feeling.
What To Do If Your Hedgehog Crying?
Most Hedgehogs end up crying due to physiological emergencies. You should never ignore your pet’s cry. Even the softest cry should raise the alarm bell.
Firstly, it is important to find out the reason for your Hedgehog’s cry and try to eliminate the same. Your pet might cry due to several reasons.
For example: If your Hedgehog is not enjoying being handled by your friend or neighbor, they might make crying noises. In such cases, keep your pet away from strangers.
Hedgehogs often cry when they are under stress. Sometimes, they cry just to grab your attention. Say, the presence of other large pets in the room might make your Hedgehog cry.
These are some of the important points that you must keep in mind if you find your Hedgehog crying:
- Analyze the reason for their cry
- Try to eliminate the reason for the same
- Comfort your Hedgehog by giving them their favorite treat or by talking to them
However, on the flip side, if you feel your Hedgehog is sick, I advise you to take him to a vet as soon as possible.
