Feeding

Before I say anything about proper food choice, I should mention that hedgehog owners have conflicting views over the best food to feed hedgehogs. Everything considered, there are some things that all breeders and owners should agree on. I have listed these things, along with foods that are widely believed to be the best for hedgehogs.

It may be hard to believe, but there is not one hedgehog food out there that is acceptable for hedgehogs. That's right-Brown's Hedgehog Food, Vitakraft, Brisky's, Pretty Pets, Select Diet, Spike's Delight- all inappropriate. Why? They have dried fruit and nuts, and are mostly comprised of fillers. What are fillers? Fillers are things put in food that have no nutritional value and are inexpensive for the company that makes the food-they fill the food bag up. Some common fillers are ground corn, soy and wheat flour, ground rice, and bone meal. Good food can have some fillers, but there should be few and they should be lower down on the food list.
When looking at the ingredients on a bag of food, it is important to remember that they ingredients are listed from the ones used the most to the ones used the least. So what kind of food should hedgehogs be fed? High quality, low fat cat food. The first thing to check is to make sure that the food is approximately 30% protein and 15% fat. It is also good if the food has approximately 15% fiber. Next, you should make sure that the first few ingredients include meat (not a meat by-product) and the first five should not include corn. Next I have listed some foods that are appropriate for hedgehogs along with where you can get them for a low price.

Note: Hedgehogs should be fed a mix of at least 2 foods, preferably three to make sure they meet important dietary conditions. Note: Most of the following foods can be found in the listed location along with smaller non-chain pet stores.

Royal Canin Slim 37/38:
This food has 38% protein and 9.5% fat. Hedgehogs love it, and it is one of the best foods for them. This food can be bought in 3.5 pound bags for 11$ at Petco. It can also be bought in 3.5 pound bags for 9$ at Pet Smart. It can also be bought in 3.5 pound bags for 9.99$ on www.petfooddirect.com

Pet Gold-Adult Cat Light Formula:
This food has 34% protein and 9% fat. Hedgehogs like it, and it is inexpensive. Unfortunately, it is hard to find. If you know where it can be bought, please send me an e-mail.

Chicken Soup For The Cat Lover's Soul Adult Cat Light:
This food has 32% protein and 9% fat. Hedgehogs like it, and it is very inexpensive. It is usually found at non-chain pet stores, such as Fox Mill Pets. It can be bought in 1.5 pound bags for 2.99$ on www.petfooddirect.com

Wellness Super 5 Mix Lite:
This food had 30% protein and 8% fat. Hedgehogs like it, but it can be expensive. It is difficult to find in this area, but it can be purchased at Fox Mill Pets. It can be bought in 2 pound bags for 10.49$ on www.petfooddirect.com

8in1 - One Earth Naturals Senior Cat:
This food has 32% protein and 14% fat. It is very good for hedgehogs, but it is very difficult to find. The only place I know it can be purchased is the Ferret Store, www.ferretstore.com If you know somewhere else where it can be purchased, please send me an e-mail.

How do I change my hedgehog's food?
Let's say when you got your hedgehog it was being fed an inferior food. Or perhaps the food it was fed is not available near where you live. You will probably want to switch foods. When you first get your hedgehog, ask the breeder or owner to give you enough of the current food to last for a few weeks. For the first week, let the hedgehog stay on its previous food. The second week, put in a mixture of 3/4 old food, 1/4 new food. The third week, 1/2 old 1/2 new. The fourth week, 1/4 old and 3/4 new. The fifth week, all new food. Changing the food gradually takes pressuer of the hedgehog system. Changing the food too fast will result in sickness.

Please remember that there are many other good hedgehog foods, and I will periodically put up more. For more good foods please check the links page.

Treats

What treats are appropriate for hedgehogs and how often should they be given?
Because hedgehogs are insectivores, they consistantly need to have insects as a part of their diet. The most common insects are mealworms and crickets. Silkworms are also a common treat. Superworms aren't a good idea because they have teeth. They can easily hurt a hedgehog by biting its mouth or even stomach. Insects can be fed live, dead, freeze dried, or whatever other way you can think of. Live ones are better for the hedgehog, but some hedgehogs will only eat dead. For an adult hedgehog, 2-3 mealworms every few days is enough. For young hedgehogs, 1 every 4 days or so is plenty. The same applies with crickets. I would suggest getting the small ones (weather you get live or dead) as they are easier to eat for the hedgehog.

What other things can hedgehogs eat? Hedgehogs can eat a variety of human foods. If you aren't sure if a food is safe, don't give it. Some acceptable treats are cooked peas, cooked carrots, cooked squash, cooked sweet potato, (make sure that all of the following meats are UNSEASONED) chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork, salmon, tuna, banana, cranberries, grape pieces, kiwi, watermelon, pear, apple slices, strawberry, hard boiled eggs, baby food, cottage cheese, yogurt.
Never feed your hedgehog chocolate, caffine, nuts, seeds, onions, raisins, etc... Why can't I feed my hedgehog nuts?
My hedgehog won't eat any treats!

Why can't I feed my hedgehog dog food? If cat food is okay, then what is wrong with dog food? Believe it or not, many dog foods are nutritionally sound for hedgehogs. In some rare cases, a hedgehog won't eat cat food and dog food has to be fed. But if it is okay, why does no one use it? Because of its size. Dog kibble is much larger than cat kibble. For dog food to be fed without a risk of your hedgehog not being able to eat it, you have to break apart each individual piece. This can be a big pain, which is why dog food is not usually fed.