Foods Hedgehogs Eat in the Wild
- Crickets. You can find crickets live, freeze-dried, or canned. ...
- Mealworms. Mealworms are another insect you can purchase in multiple forms. ...
- Waxworms. Waxworms are quite a bit higher in fat than the crickets or mealworms, so these should be an occasional treat.
- Caterpillar. Caterpillars are another high-protein food that contain a high amount of fat. ...
- Snails. ...
What should I Feed my Hedgehog?
What to Feed Hedgehogs 1 Daily Foods. These should make up the bulk of your hedgehog’s diet and should be served at every meal. 2 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. 3 Veggies. ... 4 Fruits. ... 5 Occasional Snacks. ... 6 Foods to NEVER Feed Your Hedgehog. ...
Can hedgehogs eat grapes?
Large, hard-to-chew foods – hedgehogs may have plenty of sharp teeth to crunch and chew their food, but their mouth are still pretty small, so they need to be given food in small, bite-size chunks Grapes – grapes can be toxic for hedgehogs and can damage their liver and kidneys. Do not feed your hog grapes under any circumstances
How do I stop foxes eating my hedgehogs food?
To avoid the food you put out being eaten by pets or foxes you could make a feeding station that is difficult for anything larger than a hedgehog to access. You could use a piece of piping, or build a shelter out of bricks and paving stones or get some inspriation from a nifty solution by Hedgehog Champions below.
Can hedgehogs be kept as pets?
Hedgehogs are not commonly kept as pets, and many new parents may not have a clear idea of what types of foods are best to feed them and what foods you should avoid. We’ve researched this topic well and own several hedgehogs ourselves.
What is the best food to feed hedgehogs?
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 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.
What can wild hedgehogs eat list?
The most important invertebrates in their diet are worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, earwigs and millipedes. As well as these, they also eat a wide range of other insects. More infrequently, they will take advantage of carrion, frogs, baby rodents, baby birds, birds' eggs and fallen fruit.
What can hedgehogs not eat?
What can hedgehogs not eat:Milk.Avocado.Bread.Raw meat.Citrus fruit.Raisins.Onion.Grapes.More items...
How do you encourage hedgehogs but not rats?
Advice on Feeding Hedgehogs and Wildlife without Attracting RatsFeeding birds. ... Check your compost heap. ... Store food securely. ... Secure your food waste bins. ... Clean up. ... Feed-in the open. ... Feed as late as possible. ... Supervise dinner time.More items...•
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.
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.
What to do if you have a hedgehog in your garden?
Bring the hedgehog indoors, place it on a towel-wrapped hot water bottle in a cardboard box. When it is brighter, offer some dog food and water. If the hedgehog does not respond, then take it to your local wildlife rescue centre.
Can hedgehogs eat lettuce?
Dark, Green and Leafy Veterinarian-recommended hedgehog fruit and veggie mixes are based on nutritious greens. Kale, romaine or leaf lettuces and collard greens are all good choices.
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
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.
Do hedgehogs eat fruit?
Treat your hedgehog to a moderate helping of fruit, such as apples, bananas, berries, melons, and kiwi. These fruits are not the only ones that are acceptable, but they are the best for your hedgehog.
How do I attract hedgehogs to my garden?
Making sure they have lots of thick dense undergrowth and a variety of lengths of grass to hide and nest in is always good. You can also make your garden a hot spot for the slugs, snails and bugs that hedgehogs like to munch on. You can also try to provide hedgehogs with supplementary food and water.
What to do if you have a hedgehog in your garden?
Bring the hedgehog indoors, place it on a towel-wrapped hot water bottle in a cardboard box. When it is brighter, offer some dog food and water. If the hedgehog does not respond, then take it to your local wildlife rescue centre.
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.
Do hedgehogs eat bird seed?
Bird Seed? Hedgehogs are often first seen in gardens eating spilled bird food under feeders. They will be eating the seeds as well as all the insects and invertibrates that gather there. Small quanities of seeds and nuts are not harmful to hedgehogs but can cause issues if eaten to excess.
What do hedgehogs eat?
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.
Is dry cat food good for cats?
Dry cat food is an excellent second choice, and many people recommend using cat food as their main food source due to its availability and high-quality ingredients. The thing to remember when buying cat food is to use a brand that has about 35% protein and 15% fat. You also want to make sure the first ingredient is chicken and not a meat byproduct or a carbohydrate.
Can hedgehogs be pets?
Hedgehogs are not commonly kept as pets, and many new parents may not have a clear idea of what types of foods are best to feed them and what foods you should avoid. We’ve researched this topic well and own several hedgehogs ourselves. We will list as many foods that they can eat as we can, as well as tell you a little about them and how to find them.
Can you feed hedgehogs live insects?
Before feeding many insects to your hedgehog, we strongly recommend gut loading the insects. Gut loading is a process where you feed your insect’s nutritional meals for a few days to pack it with nutrients, which allows the insects to transfer the nutrition to your pet. Gut loading is another good reason to feed your hedgehog live insects when possible.
Do hedgehogs need water?
All life needs plenty of clean water to stay healthy, and the hedgehog is no different. We recommend you always keep a constant flow of clean water within the hedgehogs reach so they can stay hydrated at will, reducing urinary tract infections and other problems associated with dehydration.
Put out food for hedgehogs in the garden and they will eat it!
The hedgehog’s natural diet mainly consists of ground beetles, caterpillars, worms and slugs.
What should 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.
Can you feed hedgehogs bread and milk?
Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant so please do not give them milk. Bread is low in energy so fairly worthless to them.
How can I stop cats and foxes eating it all?
Be aware that putting any food out will attract all sorts of wildlife and not just hedgehogs, this includes predators.
Should I Clean my Feeding Station?
Hedgehogs are solitary animals generally. By putting food out, you are more likely to attract several hedgehogs. As they share food from the same feeding station, its possible that they could spread disease between one another.
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 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.
What to avoid with meat?
But, there are things to avoid apart from unnamed meats or poultry. These include: 1 Meat or poultry by-products. Even if the name of the meat or poultry is specified, you can’t be sure exactly what it is. 2 Preservatives like Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT). These are thought to be safe in low doses but otherwise may be carcinogenic. 3 Ethoxyquin. This is an antioxidant with animal safety issues.
What is the best food for a hedgehog?
When you give too much protein, this isn’t good for you hedgie as well. Let’s make a short list of the best vegetables that you can give to your hedgehog: Arugula. Broccoli. Dandelion greens. Spinach.
Can you feed a hedgehog raw meat?
And never feed raw meat to your hedgehog! You should just cook the meat with a little bit of oil. No seasoning whatsoever, though. Chicken and turkey are the best options. Try to avoid beef, pork, and any other kind of meat. Meat that’s not poultry is not as easily digestible.
Can hedgehogs eat sugar?
Refined sugar isn’t nice for your hedgehog at all. Both sticky and hard foods don’t make for good snacks. The hard ones could quickly become a choking hazard for your hedgie. On the other hand, sticky foods, like all sorts of dried fruit, can get stuck to the mouth roof or teeth.
Is hedgehog food good for you?
Some people recommend skipping brand hedgehog good. They say that the food isn’t scientifically engineered to keep up with the hedgies’ nutritional needs. Furthermore, others say that hed gehog food is fine along as the owner checks the label for the nutritional value. Low-grade pet food is always a bad idea.
Can you give baby food to hedgehogs?
But you do need portion control. Baby foods aren ’t something to give them on a daily basis. It’s more of a treat as when people have some chocolate cake to celebrate something (never give that to hedgies, though!). Just check the baby food labels before you give that to your hedgehog.
Is a hedgehog an insectivore?
Hedgehogs are omnivorous or insectivorous, depending on who you ask. That means their menu covers a lot of different food items. Now, you might wonder what kind of human food can you feed a hedgehog? In this post, we’ll cover exactly this question along with the basics of hedgehog nutrition needs.
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.
What is the best food for hedgehogs?
Dog and Cat Food. Most dog and cat food is also a good choice for your hedgehogs. These pet foods tend to be meat-based, and therefore, although it isn’t specially formulated with the needs of hedgehogs in mind, it does a pretty good job of netting their dietary requirements.
What do hedgehogs eat?
What to Feed Wild Hedgehogs In Your Garden. Hedgehogs are insectivores; their main food in the wild is insects and other invertebrates such as snails, worms and slugs. But they are also opportunistic eaters. This means they will eat pretty much anything they can get their snouts into, whether it’s good for them or not.
What is the primary ingredient in hedgehog food?
When you choose a hedgehog food, it’s best to check the ingredients list. Look for meat, usually poultry, to be the primary (first listed) ingredient in your hedgehog food. Meat should be the primary ingredient in both wet and dry foods.
Why are hedgehogs so friendly?
And one of the main reasons for this is that more and more people are feeding hedgehogs and making their gardens hedgehog-friendly. Loss of habitat and increasing use of pesticides means that , even though they forage all night, it’s difficult for hedgehogs to find the food they need from natural sources.
Do hedgehogs like humans?
Like humans, hedgehogs will often prefer the tasty bits that are bad for them to the nutritious but boring bits. So it’s best to completely avoid feeding hedgehogs things that are bad for them – even as a “little treat” or a small part of a hedgehog food.
Is hedgehog food good for spikey?
Not all hedgehog foods, however, are quite so good for our spikey friends. When you choose a hedgehog food, it's best to check the ingredients list. Click To Tweet.
Can hedgehogs eat wet food?
Either wet or dry hedgehog food is fine. Lots of people say hedgehogs prefer the wet food. It certainly has a stronger smell and could do a better job of attracting hedgehogs to your feeding station in the first place. Of course, this also makes it more of a magnet for other animals.
What is the diet of a hedgehog?
The rest of their diet consists in fruits and vegetables. However, we must bear in mind that their diets will vary depending on their species and which part of the world they are from. When it comes to the nutrition of a hedgehog. Their diet consists of: Protein: should be around 22% of their diet, always less than 35%.
What do hedgehogs eat?
Some are capable of traveling enormous distances at night. They eat considerable amounts of insects of any kind, especially underground ones, such as: Earth worms. Slugs. Snails.
Why are hedgehogs important?
Wild hedgehogs help in pest control as they mainly eat insects. When adopting a domestic hedgehog, it's important to imitate their diet as close as possible to what they would eat in the wild. This way, we make sure they live a long and happy life. You may also be interested in our article about why hedgehogs bite.
What are some forbidden foods for hedgehogs?
Here is the complete list of forbidden foods for hedgehogs: Dairy products. Fatty foods.
Can hedgehogs be domesticated?
Nowadays, they can also be domestic pets. However, many hedgehog companions ask themselves what pet hedgehogs eat. In this AnimalWised article we're going to explain what hedgehogs eat. We'll go through their nutrition and complete food list.
Can humans drink milk for hedgehogs?
Humans shouldn't intervene or stop this process as it's very important for their health and wellbeing. In the case of orphaned hedgehogs that need to be cared for, they can drink milk formulated for kittens as it's very similar to the nutrition hoglets need.
Is dog food safe for hedgehogs?
In fact, dog food is dangerous for hedgehogs. Therefore, it's best to avoid any other type of commercial food. However, the best option would be to make homemade and natural food for your pet hedgehog.
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.
