Now here’s an interesting behaviour Miss Lilly has been exhibiting lately: each time after she’s put back into her house, she runs to the litter box and takes a…litter bath…just like a sand bath only in her litter. Her litter is kept clean so it’s not an overly disturbing behaviour, but it does seem peculiar.
There doesn’t seem to be much information on hedgehog behaviour as their domestication began only in the 80s, so they are still a bit of a mystery to breeders and owners alike. My theories are as follows:
1) She would like to have a box with sand and take actual sand baths
2) She thinks we stink and she rubs her smell back on the first chance she gets (Rocco I think she is referring to your “canine scent”)
Both guesses might be right, but they are just guesses. I’m wondering if any other hedgehog owner knows about this habit and may shed some light on it.
We later found out that our laundry detergent was irritating Lily’s skin, so she would take the litter baths to try to calm the itchiness. We solved the issue by rinsing all her belongings in a mild vinegar/water mix. We have learned a lot about Lily’s skin recently, I’m sure there is a post coming soon.