Traditional cats or dogs as pets suit not all. Some owners want to have more exotic pets – for example, hedgehogs. Those with whom there lives a hedgehog at home usually pour to him some milk in a saucer. Also those to whom the hedgehog came on a visit to the dacha arrive.
If to give to a hedgehog milk, he really will begin to drink it, causing affection of owners who are convinced that the small animal loves milk. The love for milk is traditionally attributed not only to hedgehogs, but also cats. It is hard to say what such belief is based on, but it has nothing in common with reality.
At all mammals milk is intended for bringing up of cubs. It is not necessary and inaccessible to adult individuals who can get other food therefore digestive system of adult individuals stops producing the enzymes splitting those proteins and fats which contain in milk.
The mutation which allowed to acquire fully milk in an adult state took place only at the person. All other adult animal including to hedgehogs, milk not only does not bring benefit, but also can lead to serious disorder of digestion – if it is about milk of the animal belonging to other species, for example, about cow's or goat milk for a hedgehog.
The fact that hedgehogs and cats drink milk if to give them it, does not speak about its usefulness: contrary to popular belief, animals not always "know that it is necessary for them", not always appear from food which is harmful to them. The hungry animal can quite snatch on the food not quite suitable for it. The hedgehogs who fell into human hands and arrive with milk if does not give more suitable food of people to them. However, in a diet of a hedgehog it is possible and it is even necessary to add fermented milk products – they already contain enzymes therefore with their digestion of problems does not arise. It is not necessary to be guided also by other popular belief – that hedgehogs love apples and mushrooms. This common opinion is based on pictures and children's animated films where hedgehogs often bear apple or a mushroom on a back. In fact any fruits can be hooked only accidentally for hedgehog prickles. Hedgehogs eat vegetable food in small amounts therefore they should give fruit and vegetables gradually and not really often. Hedgehogs eat insects, worms, mice, snails. In house conditions they need to give veal, beef, chicken meat, fish in a crude or boiled look. It is possible to feed up flour hearts, cockroaches, crickets, various bugs. However, even at healthy nutrition the hedgehog will never feel well in house conditions. This is not what animal who can be cultivated completely and he will not give special pleasure to owners – this night animal, in the afternoon hedgehogs sleep. If owners, wishing to communicate to the pet, awake him in the afternoon, it will be unhealthy a hedgehog too. The temptation was not kind of big to catch in the forest of such small animal and to bring it home, it is not necessary to do it.