Hedgehogs can eat most berries, and they are fond of apples. You can also find that your hedgehog likes bananas, cherries, peaches, watermelon, papaya, and kiwi. Fruits do provide plenty of vitamins and minerals important to your hedgehog’s health, but they are also high in sugar, so you need to give them in moderation. 14. Vegetables
Full Answer
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)
How much and how often do you feed a hedgehog?
You should free feed your hedgie, that's what most people here do As for how much a hedgehog eats, it varies between hog to hog. Kashi eats about 20-30 kibbles a night, so I put in about 40 in his bowl... but recently I have had to start crushing up his kibble into smaller pieces (because he kept choking on them), so I measure by table spoon, and he eats about 1 tbsp a night.
What human food can you feed a hedgehog?
- A ‘base food’ cat kibble or premium hedgehog food.
- Some other animal protein foods (could be different types of cat kibble).
- Some vegetables and fruit.
- Some insects.
- Supplements (optional).
- Treats (optional).
What type of food do you feed a hedgehog?
What to Feed a Hedgehog Pet: The Complete Guide
- Use Good Quality Dry Meat-Based Cat Food As the Staple. ...
- Use Moist Meat-Based Cat and Dog Foods as an Addition. ...
- Supplement Your Hedgehog’s Staple Diet With Insects. ...
- Try to Avoid Poor Quality Speciality Hedgehog Foods. ...
- Add Small Quantities of Unseasoned Cooked Meat and Eggs. ...
- Water Is a Vital Part of a Pet Hedgehog’s Feeding Needs. ...
What is the best food to feed hedgehogs with?
What can I feed hedgehogs? Hedgehogs will relish any combination of meat-based wet dog or cat foods, or dry cat/kitten food, as these are high in the protein that they need. Just remember, they will be getting most of their food from insects and worms in the wild, and this food is only supplementary.
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.
What can wild hedgehogs eat list?
Food list for feeding wild hedgehogsSpecialist quality hedgehog food, like Spikes Hedgehog Food (Moist, Semi-moist & Dry)Moist, meaty dog food or cat food.Cat biscuits.
What food kills hedgehogs?
What Not To Feed HedgehogsBAD food for hedgehogsReasonCheaper cat/dog food brandsPoor calcium:phosphorus ratio Chemical additives High sugar contentDairy (cow's milk and cheese)Lactose intoleranceRaisins, sultanas, currants, berriesHigh sugar contentBreadHedgehogs cannot digest this well10 more rows•Sep 5, 2019
Can hedgehogs eat porridge oats?
The main things to avoid when feeding hedgehogs in your garden are peanuts, oats, sunflower hearts and mealworms because these can lead to metabolic bone disease.
What can I feed hedgehogs in my garden?
Feeding hedgehogs Leave out foods like tinned dog or cat food and crushed cat or dog biscuits. If the hedgehog is very young - roughly apple-sized - you'll need to soak the biscuits in water first. You can also get good quality, meaty hedgehog food from wildlife food suppliers.
Do hedgehogs eat bread?
What not to feed hedgehogs. The following foods should be avoided when feeding hedgehogs: Bread and milk: hogs are lactose intolerant so milk can make them ill and bread has little nutritional value.
What veggies can hedgehogs eat?
Pet hedgehogs can eat:Courgette.Green pepper.Cucumber.Broccoli.Leafy greens.Peas.Corn.Carrots.
How do I look after a hedgehog in my garden?
0:001:15Tips for looking after hedgehogs - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe best thing to do is to leave it alone and phone your local rescue centre. They will give you aMoreThe best thing to do is to leave it alone and phone your local rescue centre. They will give you a time limit to look out to see if mum returns.
Can you feed hedgehogs Weetabix?
Feeding hedgehogs: Use a plain, meat-based cat food, or a specialist hedgehog food (sold in garden centres), which helps to keep their teeth sharp and clean. If you have a problem with cats eating the food, try unsweetened muesli or Weetabix instead.
Should I feed hedgehogs every night?
Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant so milk can make them very ill and should never be offered. Instead, put out a dish of fresh water each night. Hedgehogs are active during the night, so the best time to put out food is just after dusk, when they are starting to search for food.
Do hedgehogs like apples?
Fruits: Dried fruit should be avoided, but a small amount of fresh fruit can be offered to your hedgehog as treats. Apples, bananas, berries, and melons are popular choices among hedgehogs. Vegetables: Fresh tomatoes, fresh green beans, and cooked squash are some options that your hedgehog may enjoy.
How often should you feed your hedgehog?
once to twice a dayHow many times a day should you feed a pet hedgehog? A lot of pet hedgehog owners recommend once to twice a day. Some say they prefer a free feeding schedule and keep their hedgie's bowl full at all times. Bear in mind that this could lead to obesity however as hedgies are greedy eaters.
How much food should I put out for a hedgehog?
How Much To Feed? If you offer dry hedgehog food or crushed dry dog or cat biscuits to hedgehogs visiting your garden, aim for around an ounce or 25 grams per hog per night. Twenty-five grams is about one-third of the 75 grams of food that hedgehogs eat most nights.
How often should hedgehogs eat mealworms?
Your hedgehog should never have more than one or two mealworms in a sitting and never more than four in a week. Mealworms can be an occasional treat, not the main part of their diet.
Can you overfeed a hedgehog?
It's hedgehog inequality! Too much food can also stop them hibernating, which messes up their breeding cycles. Apparently, some hedgehogs get so chubby that they can no longer roll into a ball.
What should I feed my hedgehog?
That means a diet containing moderate amounts of protein, low-fat, and some fiber. Generally, good quality dry cat food supplemented with live calcium-enriched insects and cooked meat should do the trick.
What do hedgehogs eat?
So, hedgehogs will devour almost whatever happens to cross their path if it looks or smells tasty. For example, they’ll eat insects, beetles, worms, slugs, millipedes, spiders, and ants.
What is the best insect feed for mealworms?
There are calcium-rich insect feeds that you can buy to help with this. For example, Fluker’s 70008 High Calcium Cricket Feed comes in a 6lb jar. It seems suitable for mealworms and dubia roaches, as well as crickets, and contains 8% calcium to 0.6% phosphorus.
How do hedgehogs get their fiber?
In the wild, they get their fiber from insect exoskeletons, which contain chitin. Hedgehogs have a particular enzyme called chitinase, which enables them to use this chitin as their fiber intake. Despite their omnivorous tendency, hedgehogs don’t digest plant matter.
Why do hedgehogs eat all night?
Because in the wild, hedgehogs forage all night searching for and consuming food. In captivity, they’re not burning energy in this way, but the high-fat content of insects, coupled with the hedgehog’s relative inactivity, means it’s prone to putting on weight. Also, in the wild, African Pygmy hedgehogs are aestivate.
Why is my hedgehog's bone weak?
Phosphorus absorbs calcium. If there’s too much phosphorus in your hedgehog’s diet, it could cause a calcium deficiency. This calcium deficiency, Metabolic Bone Disease, is a weakening of the bones. It’s not only painful but can also be fatal.
Why do hedgehogs eat wet cat food?
They had a lot of experience with their native hedgehogs. They used wet and dry cat food because it was nutritious and widely available, and it worked well. It contained a good amount of protein and fat, similar to the hedgehog’s natural diet, and those organizations still recommend it.
What to feed a hedgehog?
Meats. Try to get lean cuts of the following meats , and only give them to your hedgehog as a snack a few times a week. It’s best if you buy the meats raw and cook them yourself, as precooked meats are often full of salt and other ingredients that are bad for your pet’s health. Chicken. Salmon.
What are some good treats for hedgehogs?
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.
How much water should a hedgehog drink?
A healthy hedgehog should drink somewhere in the vicinity of 1 ½ to 2 ½ tablespoons of water every day. As a result, your hedgehog must have access to plenty of fresh, clean water at all times.
Why does my hedgehog stop eating?
Featured Image Credit: szabfer, Pixabay. There are many reasons that a hedgehog might stop eating. Many of them have to do with stress, but others could be signs of disease or illness. Don’t be alarmed if your hedgehog doesn’t eat when you first bring them home or if you move to a new place.
What does it mean when a hedgehog has a blockage?
They may have an intestinal blockage, an upset stomach, problems with their teeth and gums, or a more serious disease, like cancer. If you’ve tried to solve the problem yourself to no avail, take your hedgehog to the vet as soon as possible.
Why won't my hedgehog eat?
If you suspect that your hedgehog’s refusal to eat is due to environmental factors rather than health problems, you can try to remedy the problem yourself. You can also try to tempt your hedgehog to eat by offering them high-value foods, like baby food or other beloved treats.
What could be affecting my hedgehog's appetite?
Other things that could be affecting your pet’s appetite include loneliness or discomfort due to temperature . You should do everything in your power to make sure your hedgehog is comfortable, and that may include changing the ambient temperature in their tank or getting them a friend.
