what to feed hedgehogs for treats

So, What Are Good Treats for Hedgehogs?

1. Meat and Fish. Small amounts of meat are often well-received, with the best choices for digestibility and health being chicken or turkey.
2. Insects. Insects should make up part of the hedgehog’s daily diet, but – especially for fussy hogs – they can also be given as a treat.
3. Eggs, Dairy, and Tofu. ...
4. Fruit. ...
5. Vegetables. ...
6. Large Seeds. ...

Full Answer

What human food can you feed a hedgehog?

• Berries
• Apples with no skin or seeds
• Bananas
• Melons
• Pears
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Peas
• Hardboiled egg whites
• Cooked lean meats

What foods are safe for hedgehogs?

• Romaine lettuce
• Arugula
• Dandelion greens
• Collard greens
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Sweet potato
• Asparagus
• Radish, turnip
• Green pepper

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What is the best food for a hedgehog?

• Live crickets, mealworms, or silkworms
• Bits of plain, cooked meat with no seasonings or salt (no processed meats)
• Raw or cooked vegetables and fresh fruit (no citrus)
• Unsweetened “stage 1” pureed baby food (no grains)
• Hard-boiled or scrambled eggs (plain: no salt or butter)

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Do hedgehogs make good pets?

Hedgehogs make good pets as they are easy to look after and can easily bond with their owners. Hedgehogs make great pets for people with pet allergies as they are hypoallergenic causing less allergic reactions due to hedgehogs producing very little dander.

What human foods do hedgehogs eat?

Some commonly enjoyed human food treats to offer include cooked chicken, scrambled or boiled egg, other cooked meats, melons, strawberries, peaches, other soft fruits, peas, cooked carrots, green beans, cooked sweet potato, tomato, cottage cheese, yogurt, small pieces of cheese, baby foods, baby turkey sticks, and more ...

What is the favorite food of hedgehogs?

Insects and other invertebrates are the hedgehog's main natural food source. A typical diet includes: Beetles. Earwigs.

What should I feed my hedgehog daily?

Each serving should consist of one cricket or large mealworm or two to three medium sized mealworms. If you elect not to feed live, dry insect food can make up 15 to 25% of your hedgehog's daily meal. To avoid overfeeding, live food and dry insect food should not be given together on the same day.

Can I feed hedgehogs cat biscuits?

What food should I feed to wild hedgehogs? Good quality proprietary hedgehog biscuits, dog biscuits and cat biscuits are best in that order. Along with plenty of fresh drinking water offered in a shallow sided dish. Cooked meaty dog and cat food are also good alternatives.

What can hedgehogs not eat?

Toxic foods are poisonous to hedgehogs and should be completely avoided.Grapes.Raisins.Tea Tree oil.Chocolate.Avocado.Garlic.Potato.Egg yolk.More items...

What do you leave out for hedgehogs?

Feeding hedgehogsLeave out foods like tinned dog or cat food and crushed cat or dog biscuits. ... Never feed hedgehogs milk or bread - milk can cause diarrhoea and bread isn't very nutritious.Check the food and water bowls each day to top them up with fresh water and food, and remove any food that hasn't been eaten.More items...

What can hedgehogs drink?

In terms of water, hedgehogs ingest water from their prey and natural sources like dew and puddles. Ponds also provide a water source so it's important to ensure garden ponds have sloping sides or an exit ramp so 'hogs don't fall in and get stuck.

Can hedgehogs eat strawberries?

You can feed your hedgehog a fresh, organic strawberry up to three times a month depending on their overall captive diet. It is best to keep the fruity treats to a limit and avoid dried strawberries and fruit as they are high in sugar and lack the nutrients found in fresh strawberries.

Do hedgehogs eat bread?

Also, hedgehogs are insectivores and obligate carnivores, so their diet doesn't require a large percentage of carbohydrates. Bread provides little to no nutritional value for hedgehogs, so they shouldn't eat it, even as a treat. There are many more nutrient-dense treats that your hedgehog will like and also find tasty.

What do hedgehogs drink?

In terms of water, hedgehogs ingest water from their prey and natural sources like dew and puddles. Ponds also provide a water source so it's important to ensure garden ponds have sloping sides or an exit ramp so 'hogs don't fall in and get stuck.

Can hedgehogs eat chicken?

Hedgehogs can eat chicken, in fact, they can eat a variety of lean meats since they are a great supplement to their regular commercial food. Chicken is high in healthy proteins that hedgehogs need, you just must ensure you are properly cooking the chicken and only offering lean cuts.

Where do hedgehogs sleep?

nestDuring the day, and during winter hibernation, the hedgehog will sleep in a specially built nest in thick undergrowth, under a shed, in piles of leaves or unlit bonfires. It will never sleep or hibernate outside a nest.

What do wild hedgehogs eat?

Hedgehogs living in the wild will feed on a range of things and tend to survive on a ‘whatever they can get their claws on’ basis.

What do domesticated hedgehogs eat?

Lots of people tend to think the only thing you can feed hedgehogs is cat food, but there are actually lots of things you can feed them.

Cat kibble (or other protein sources)

Cat or dog food like kibble as their main food source. You can actually purchase special hedgehog food, but cat kibble will do fine.

Certain fruits and vegetables

Including some safe to eat fruits and veggies is a great way to include different tastes and textures and some lower calorie nibbles for your hog.

Insects

If owners are able to purchase some from pet stores or online, this can be a nice treat for hogs.

Water

Just like other household pets like cats and dogs, hedgehogs need a constant source of clean water available to them to drink as and when they please.

What do hedgehogs eat?

Insects and other invertebrates are the hedgehog’s main natural food source. A typical diet includes:

What to feed hedgehogs

As opportunistic eaters, hedgehogs will readily consume food left out in your garden. The best foods to provide are:

When to feed hedgehogs

You can start feeding hedgehogs as soon as they emerge from hibernation in spring. The food will be most beneficial in late summer and autumn when they are building up the fat reserves needed to survive the winter.

How else can you help hedgehogs?

You can help hogs further by making your garden attractive to their invertebrate prey. Allowing areas to become overgrown or adding a pond, log pile or compost heap will provide habitat. Birds and other wildlife that feed on these minibeasts will benefit too.

Foods Hedgehogs Eat in the Wild

The hedgehog is an omnivore and feeds on a variety of insects and small animals, as well as plants, berries, and vegetables. Some of the foods they like to eat in the wild are as follows.

Best Foods to Feed Pet Hedgehogs

Pet hedgehogs should eat high-quality poultry-based meals that contain 25%-35% protein and 10%-15% fat.

Summary

Of the 14 foods we have listed as safe to feed your hedgehog, most would agree the high-quality cat food is the best choice as it’s inexpensive, easy to find, and contains all of the necessary ingredients in the proper ratios. If you have access and unlimited funds, hedgehog food is the obvious choice.

Hedgehog foods list

Generally, products sold as “hedgehog food” should be avoided. Instead, opt for dry cat food, and let this make up the majority of your hedgehog’s diet. Look for foods high in protein and low in fat. While most brands will do, we recommend looking for foods that are recommended by cat owners.

Hedgehog treat list: Recommended treats for hedgehogs

Okay, so you have nailed down your hedgehog’s main diet. That can get boring fast though, so why not spice it up with some treats? I mean, we love treats, so why wouldn’t we offer the same enjoyment to our hedgehogs? Just remember to think of these foods as occasional, though, and not as main foods.

What do hedgehogs eat in the wild?

In the wild, hedgehogs feed mostly on insects. These range from beetles to worms, and everything in between! They are omnivores though, meaning they will eat non-insect animals as well. For example, a wild hedgehog wouldn’t hesitate to eat a snail, if it had the chance.

Why feeding your hedgehogs good food is important

As with any pet, feeding your hedgie the right foods is very important. Bad diet choices can lead to disease and illness, two things you definitely wouldn’t wish on your pet, right?

What foods are toxic to hedgehogs?

While most foods won’t harm your hedgehog in any serious way, there are a few that should be avoided at all costs. These can cause serious illness, some because hedgies can’t digest them properly, some because they are choking hazards, and others because they are plain toxic.

Be careful with fatty and sugary foods

Anything high in sugar should be fed in moderation, as they often lead to obesity. An obese hedgehog is an unhealthy hedgehog, so avoid too much sugar and fat. Feeding these foods in too large quantities can make your pet accustomed to them, leading to less interest in regular, healthy foods.

Conclusion

So to round things off: We’ve covered the basics of feeding a hedgehog, with our own hedgehog foods list. While this post hasn’t raised all aspects of the subject, we feel confident it will work as a good guideline for any new or experienced hedgie-owner.

Use Good Quality Dry Meat-Based Cat Food As the Staple

You probably think that cat food sounds like a strange thing to feed a hedgehog. After all, in the wild, they’re insectivores, and their diet is mainly insect-based.

Use Moist Meat-Based Cat and Dog Foods as an Addition

So far, we’ve talked about dry foods. Wet cat and dog food are also suitable for hedgehogs. But, it’s best not to use them as the staple in their diet.

Try to Avoid Poor Quality Speciality Hedgehog Foods

You’ve probably seen these special hedgehog foods and are probably wondering why they’re not first on the list of what to feed your hedgehog pet. It simply comes down to quality.

Add Small Quantities of Unseasoned Cooked Meat and Eggs

Adding small amounts of other foods to your hedgehog’s diet gives them variety. It increases the sources from which they receive their nutritional needs. After all, in the wild, they eat a wide and varied diet. So, small amounts of unseasoned cooked meats and eggs are an excellent way to do this.

Avoid High-Phosphorous, Sweet, Sticky, Hard or Acidic Foods

As mentioned above, hedgehog nutrition isn’t something that’s been studied on a large scale. So, much of the information is anecdotal. Sometimes, even conflicting.

Conclusion

As you can see, what to feed a hedgehog pet isn’t as straightforward as you might think. While there’s a lot on which hedgehog keepers agree, there’s also a lot on which they don’t. As pets, hedgehogs aren’t the plug n’ play variety.

Meal Worms

Please do not feed your hedgehog a feast of mealworms – mealworms are now the subject of speculation as to whether or not their calcium phosphorus ratio is dangerous when fed too often causing metabolic issues. Read more about that here.

CALCIUM:PHOSPHORUS ratio warning

New research suggests that mealworms and other insects high in phosphorus should not be given as often as they once were. With high phosphorus content, these worms need to be gut loaded and occasionally sprinkled with calcium supplements to make them nutritious. But, too much of these and your hedgie could suffer some severe metabolic changes.

Continue learning About Hedgehogs

For an in depth explanation of what a hedgehog can or cannot eat, please read our previous article titled The Best Hedgehog Food List.

Introduction

There’s no denying that hedgehogs make sweet, adorable little pets, but caring for them isn’t always intuitive, especially if you’ve never owned one before.

What to Feed Hedgehogs

The most important question that you’ll deal with at dinnertime is what, exactly, to give your hedgehog. Here’s a list of foods that are both nutritious and delicious for your little buddy.

How Often to Feed Hedgehogs

In the wild, hedgehogs primarily hunt and feed at night, so ideally, you’d be serving them their meals while it’s still dark outside. However, that’s often not feasible, and we don’t recommend quitting your job in order to stay on your hedgehog’s schedule.

Is Cooked Meat Good for Hedgehogs?

Hedgehogs are omnivores, and as such, they can eat small amounts of lean, cooked meat, like chicken, salmon, tuna, or the occasional bite of steak.

Healthy Treats for Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs have a broad palate, so there’s a wide variety of foods that can be served as a treat. Many veggies or fruits make excellent treats, as they’re loaded with nutrition and delicious. Be careful not to overdo it with the fruits, though, as all that extra sugar could lead to unhealthy weight gain.

How Often Do Hedgehogs Drink Water?

Hedgehogs drink as soon as they feel thirsty, so there’s no set schedule behind their drinking habits or anything like that. A healthy hedgehog should drink somewhere in the vicinity of 1 ½ to 2 ½ tablespoons of water every day.

Conclusion

Hedgehogs make wonderful pets, but unless you have a great deal of experience taking care of them, figuring out what (and how much) to feed them can be stressful.