It seems that most knowledgeable hedgehog owners and breeders agree that a diet of high quality, low fat, dry cat food is the best way to provide the nutrition that domestic hedgehogs require for a long and healthy life. In fact, a mix of several different holistic brands is recommended if you want to create a premium pet food for your hedgehog.
Our hedgehog, Poppy, was raised on Natural Balance Reduced Calorie cat food and we were given a small to-go size bag when we brought her home with us. Unfortunately, when I went to the pet store to purchase a supply of our own, the only option was a very large bag that would probably last our little hedgie a lifetime. Because I didn't have enough freezer space to store the excess, I was forced to make the decision to choose another brand that was available in a smaller sized bag.
Luckily, I had done my homework in advance and had a list of quality, holistic brands in-hand, just in case. Blue Buffalo Weight Control cat food was at the top of the list and it came in a convenient 3 lb. bag which seemed more appropriate considering the size of our little hoglet.
The ingredients in Blue Buffalo are all natural and do not contain cheap fillers like corn, wheat and soy or artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. Sold!
I also picked up a small bag of Wellness Healthy Weight cat food to add to the mix because it was second on my list and the blend of ingredients, while still natural and holistic, seemed to vary quite a bit from the Blue Buffalo brand.
The size of the cat food pieces are almost identical between the two brands, but you can tell them apart by the color. Both the Blue Buffalo and Wellness are formed into small, pea-sized bits which are easy for a hedgehog to chew and eat.
We gradually mixed a few bits of the new food in with Poppy's old brand each night and we knew right away that making the switch wasn't going to be hard. She loved the Blue Buffalo cat food and always picked it out of the bowl first. Of course, we gradually continued to add a little more until our sandwich size baggie of the Natural Balance finally ran out.
We didn't notice any problems with digestion during the transition and she seems to be doing very on her new diet which we balance out with a healthy snacks like live mealworms and crickets.
Chopped bits of assorted fruits and vegetables are also on the menu each night and we try to vary those items day by day to help keep things interesting and provide a healthy mix of vitamins and nutrients.
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| chopped sweet potato, Poppy's favorite! |
If you are having trouble deciding on a quality food mix for your pet hedgehog, I highly recommend using a cat food test to compare ingredients before you buy. Both Innova and Blue Buffalo have awesome cat food brand comparison wizards on their websites.
Also, be sure to check out the Non Toxic Revolution's list of 10 toxic pet food ingredients to avoid.
