Hedgehog Nutrition

 

Properly Feeding Your Hedgehog


In the wild, hedgehogs are insectivores, meaning they eat bugs and are opportunistic feeders.  The will eat any type of food that presents itself to them in wild, including reptiles, eggs and carrion. 


In captivity, your hedgehog should be fed a diet of high quality dry cat or kitten food, preferably a mixture of two or three kinds, insects (most commonly mealworms, but also wax worms, silkworms, and crickets), a variety of fruits and vegetables, baby food and boiled, unseasoned meats such as chicken or turkey and even scrambled or boiled eggs.


Hedgehogs are prone to obesity, so it’s very important to feed them a cat food with a crude fat content of about 10% and a maximum protein content of 35%.  There are hedgehog foods on the market, but most of them are made with less than ideal ingredients.


One of the most comprehensive list of cat foods I’ve found online can be found here.


Always be sure to read the label.  That’s the most important thing you can do when it comes to feeding your hedgie.  By providing a well rounded, protein rich diet you can help prolong your little one’s life.

The dry food’s main ingredient should be meat, and not a byproduct or filler like corn or barley.


It’s generally a good idea to have wet cat food available too just in case you need to give your hedgie medication or as a treat.  All treats should not be given more than 2-3 times a week.  The dry cat food mixture should be the staple diet.


There are a few foods you want to always avoid.


  1. ๏ Avocados
    There is varying information on this, but avocados are generally believed to be toxic to hedgehogs.  It’s better to be safe than sorry

  2. ๏ Grapes/Raisins
    Grapes are toxic to a wide variety of animals.  Raisins are a choking hazard as well.

  3. ๏ Nuts & Seeds
    Again, a choking hazard.

  4. ๏ Chocolate

  5. ๏ Dairy
    Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant.


Just as it is with humans, you should not feed your hedgehog any kind of junk food.  It’s just as bad as them as it is for you.


When feeding insects, like mealworms, it’s best not to feed them super worms.  These are basically really big mealworms and they have been known to potentially cause blockages in the bowel and they have rather large mandibles and can bite your hedgie.  Some hedgehogs have a hard time chewing through the exoskeleton on insects, so you can grind them into powder and sprinkle it on top of its kibble.  If you’re uncomfortable dealing with live insects (maybe a hedgie isn’t for you), you can find freeze dried or canned mealworms and crickets in the reptile section of your local pet store.  Be forewarned though, that feeding too many freeze dried bugs has been known to cause intestinal blockages as well.  Also, insects are pretty fatty, so use common sense about how many to feed your hog.  The general rule is that a hedgehog of a healthy weight should not be fed more than 5 mealworms worth of insects a day.


Some hedgies are really picky when it comes to their food, sometimes even coming down to the shape of their kibble, so try different foods with your hedgehog to see what it likes and dislikes.  Feeding your hedgehog the right foods not only helps to ensure they’re with you for as long as possible, but can also help bond your hedgehog to you.



Contact: roxieprince@sayhedgehog.com