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Hedgehog Advice

Iguanagirl8662

Iguanagirl8662

Katie
I just bought a female Hedgehog from a family who got her for their daughter who decided she was afraid of her. She's about 5 months old and they were feeding her cat food and from what I've been reading it says a high quality cat food should be their main food source. My cats eat Blue Buffalo Wilderness so she is eating that right now and I just want to make sure that's what she should be eating.

Anyone that has any other advice about Hedgehogs feel free to add it, this is my first Hedgehog and I want to make sure I'm doing everything right.


And of course here's some pictures of the little girl.
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I know you can buy proper Hedgehog food out there just not sure where lol, I have seen a couple of different sites dedicated to hedgehogs as pets ..... but other than that ive no idea but she is seriosuly cute :)
 
From what I have seen high quality cat food is the preferred food.

The breeder I got my hedgehog from recommended Spikes Delite hedgehog food, though I think you can only order that online through distributors, and the cat food seems to be the preferred food anyway. I've been giving mine cat food for most of it's life, and she is about 5 years old now.
 
Throw in some feeder insects as well. Hedgehogs are insectivores, and why they are fed cat food I will never understand...

So what're you gonna name her? Shadow? Silver? Amy? Sonic? *dodges lawsuit from Sega*
 
I believe I read that cat food is better for them then most if not all hedgehog food.
Plus a lot cheaper.

and yes don't forget meal worms.

Can't wait to get my hedgehog when we move in 2011, I love them so much.
 
I used to give mine cat food, until I found actual hedgehog food to feed her, then switched her over slowly.

If memory serves me correctly, Cat food used to be the "best" food to get for Ferret's until they started making food designed for ferret's.

I personally would look for hedgehog food, but that is just me. I know where to get it around here, my mother-in-law owns a feed store and provides all the food for the local zoo.
 
Thanks for the replies, so far she's been sleeping alot but she drank and ate a little last night.

ShenziSixaxis said:
Throw in some feeder insects as well. Hedgehogs are insectivores, and why they are fed cat food I will never understand...

So what're you gonna name her? Shadow? Silver? Amy? Sonic? *dodges lawsuit from Sega*
Click to expand...

I have crickets but I have to get some mealworms for her when I go to work in the morning.

I'm not sure what I'm going to name her, my bf wants to call her Suzy.
 
I believe I read that the actual hedghog food isn't as good as cat food because it's mostly corn products but this would be the same as a low quality cat food.
 
Cat and ferret food is only good because it has higher protein levels than dog food. They HAVE to put more meat in or else cats get sicker faster. Go for grain free cat food, something of high quality like orijen, taste of the wild, wellness core, etc. Normal cat food is junk. Obviously crickets and mealworms as treats, too.
 
VickyChaiTea said:
Cat and ferret food is only good because it has higher protein levels than dog food. They HAVE to put more meat in or else cats get sicker faster. Go for grain free cat food, something of high quality like orijen, taste of the wild, wellness core, etc. Normal cat food is junk. Obviously crickets and mealworms as treats, too.
Click to expand...

I'm feeding her and my cats Blue Buffalo Wilderness which is grain free, has no by products and has a minimum of 40% protein.

She doesn't seem interested in mealworms yet though.
 
Not to hijak the thread or anything, but these guys are awesome. I was looking around on a thermal camera while on a night mission in Afghanistan, and my team chief said "what are you looking at." Well, I had seen a little ball "waddling" around on the ground, probably chasing bugs, it was a hedgehog. He wanted me to go catch it... Just my luck if I would have gotten out there and someone started firing at me...LOL
 
Welcome to the hedgie club, Katie! I got mine last Feb. and he is the favorite pet of the family. I get my food directly from the breeder. He recommends small amounts of fruits and veggies a few times a week. Using fresh got a bit pricey, so I started using his sugar glider food that has dried fruits and veggies in it. My little guy will eat anything you put in front of him. The food is also loaded with mealworms and dried crickets which are his favorite. Zoo med sells bugs in a can that are fresh, but dead. They're disgustingly gross, but my guy loves them. They're expensive, though, and can go bad easily.

Post some photos! I'll change my avatar to a pic of my boy.
 
LBoz said:
Welcome to the hedgie club, Katie! I got mine last Feb. and he is the favorite pet of the family. I get my food directly from the breeder. He recommends small amounts of fruits and veggies a few times a week. Using fresh got a bit pricey, so I started using his sugar glider food that has dried fruits and veggies in it. My little guy will eat anything you put in front of him. The food is also loaded with mealworms and dried crickets which are his favorite. Zoo med sells bugs in a can that are fresh, but dead. They're disgustingly gross, but my guy loves them. They're expensive, though, and can go bad easily.

Post some photos! I'll change my avatar to a pic of my boy.
Click to expand...

Aww your boy is cute. I always wanted one and I finally had the chance and went for it. My boyfriend wasn't happy but he's over it he loves her too and always wants to play with her. So far I only have the 3 pictures in the first post because she sleeps alot but thankfully I stay up late enough to play with her when she wakes up.

As far as veggies and fruits I always have them in the house due to the Igs and I always have live insects for the geckos but she doesn't seem interested in them yet, maybe I'll try the dead ones and see if she likes them.
 
Mine eats Pretty Pets hedgehog food. She lives in a wire mesh cage with a big, solid bottom wheel, which she loves, and one elevated level (not high-- she will trundle right off the egde, so I keep it low). Her favorite hiding place is either under the wheel, buried in the aspen, or in her cloth hanging tunnel.

I can't say that I'll ever have another one, nor reccomend them to anyone else. Mine is nice when you get her out, but she is 100% nocturnal-- we only see her out and about once the lights go out.
 
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