As opportunistic eaters,
Hedgehogs will relish any combination of meat-based wet dog or cat foods, or dry cat/kitten food. Just remember, they will be getting most of their food from insects and worms in the wild, and this food is only supplementary. Specially made hedgehog food is also widely available.
High protein pet food
Just like many of our other furry friends, hedgehogs need a diet that is high in animal protein. High protein cat food is packed with the essential nutrients to keep your garden visitors happy and healthy, and has a smaller kibble vs dog food, that's perfect for hedgehogs.
Fish protein is beneficial and therefore within a balanced, cat or dog food is fine for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs have an excellent sense of smell and may be put off by (or attracted to) strong odours and fish of course, have a strong odour.
They are wild animals, they don't need 'treats', just plain and simple nutritious food, they will get variety through their wild diet. We recommend feeding cat or kitten biscuits or wet cat/dog food alongside a shallow dish of water.
The recommended food is Royal Canin Kitten. For hedgehogs younger than 6 months Royal Canin Mother and Babycat can be given. For very active hedgehogs who battle to keep weight on, a combination of the two foods can be give.
Our hedgehogs love Whiskas kitten food, it's a firm favourite as the tasty pieces are small enough for the young hoglets.
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.
If you're determined to give your hedgehog some peanut butter, start by ensuring that it is smooth peanut butter only. You should also only shop for organic peanut butter that has no added ingredients, artificial or otherwise. The label should literally read: peanuts. There should be no sugar, salt, or oil.
Pet hedgehogs can eat a variety of lean cooked meats: Chicken. Turkey. Beef.
Leave out foods like tinned dog or cat food and crushed cat or dog biscuits. Supply good quality, meaty hedgehog food from wildlife food suppliers. Never feed hedgehogs milk or bread - milk can cause diarrhoea and bread isn't very nutritious.
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. The Autumn and Winter months are the most important for them to find food to put on enough weight before hibernation, so always make sure you put out food at this time of year.
Hedgehogs need environmental temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees. Keep your hedgehog's cage away from drafts, direct sunlight, or cold areas. You may want to provide your hedgehog with a small warm spot in his cage where he can go to get warm but would also be able to get away from if he feels too warm.
We see hedgehogs coming in from gardens where people consistently feed them and they are overweight and their prickles are thinning.” It's hedgehog inequality! That's basically right. Too much food can also stop them hibernating, which messes up their breeding cycles.
Hedgehogs mostly eat invertebrates at ground level that are inactive. They are opportunistic omnivores though and will sometimes eat eggs, small mammals, chicks, frogs, flies and carrion.
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.
Besides poor calcium:phosphorus ratio grub, another big no-no is dairy. Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant. Milk and cheese will give them bad diarrhoea and can lead to serious illness as well.
Hoglets should be fed with a milk substitute such as Esbilac which contains all the fats, vitamins and minerals they need. Under no circumstances should you give them cow's formula which will kill them. Goat's milk with Goat's colostrum may be used for a short period of time if nothing else is available.
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. You can also leave out a shallow dish of water for hedgehogs and other wildlife to drink from.
In the wild, hedgehogs eat a diverse selection of insects as well as some plant material and, very occasionally, small or baby mammals (like pinkie mice). Hedgehogs are nocturnal and usually eat at night.
Yes, Hedgehogs Can Eat Broccoli
The thicker stalks of the broccoli plant are also safe for hedgehogs to eat, although they're a little tougher and may not appeal as much to your pet. Petkeen.com recommends you avoid feeding your hedgehog raw broccoli, but boiled and steamed vegetables are completely okay.
Keller says, “With appropriate care and keeping, your hedgehog will live about five years, and some even live longer than eight years.” If you have any questions about hedgehogs, contact your local veterinarian.
Tea Tree oil/ Eucalyptus/Thieves - this includes: tea tree shampoo, tea tree oil, tea tree sprays and anything tea tree. Even Candles inhaled can harm your hedgehog!
Can hedgehogs eat rice? Yes, you can only feed your hedgehogs cooked rice, with no salt, no seasoning, no oil. Hedgehogs enjoy eating rice with a good mixture of cat or dog food, or cooked lean meat without any seasoning at all.