[tiesaresopxnk]

I bring my little boy home on the 7th (next Friday) and I had a question about food. Well a couple questions. I found the links for the dry cat food that is the best. Should I mix it with some of whatever the breeder is feeding now though? Should I only feed it the mixture and then the dry cat food for a while before adding mealies or fruit/veggie treats (still doing the research on the treat portion, so forgive me). I'm just trying to get an adjustment time frame so we'll know. I believe he'll be 8 weeks when I bring him home.

 

[Lilysmommy]

Yes, you should leave your new hedgehog on the breeder's food for at least the first week or two. Then you can start adding in one new food at a time slowly. It may take a couple of months to switch his food over completely, depending on how many foods you're going to include in your mix.

You should wait until you're done changing his dry food mix before introducing new treats. That way if he has an allergic reaction to something in a dry food, you'll know exactly which food it was, even if you don't know the ingredient. This will also help keep him from getting an upset tummy at too many new foods. When you do start introducing treats, make sure you remember to give him one new one at a time, for the same reasons. You may need to offer the same treat a few nights in a row before he'll try it. Some hedgies will refuse to try any treats and prefer to eat only their cat food and maybe mealworms, so don't be too alarmed if he won't try any treats. Just keep offering them once in awhile and he may decide randomly to try them.

 

[Free2Dream]

Congrats on your new addition! I remember I was so excited when I brought Annabelle home.

I agree with Lilysmommy. It's best not to try any new foods too soon. Your baby is likely to be a little out of sorts from being in a new environment, and adding a strange food will upset his tummy. Do you have any idea what the breeder is feeding him? You might find you won't have to switch foods at all, especially if he likes the mix he's currently on and it's appropriate.

The only time I switched foods right away was when I got Lily. Her old owner had been feeding her a commercial hedgehog diet that was really poor nutritionally. I'm pretty sure it was responsible for her excessively dry skin. I introduced her to new kibble, but veeeerrryyy slowly. She never had a tummy upset and now eats the food I give my other girl.

Good luck with everything.

 

[tiesaresopxnk]

Thanks I'm actually nervous about getting him. I want to be a good mommy to him!

I believe the breeder has him on a hedgie food that she sells, so I guess I'll pick up a bag of it and see. I'm on the fence about feeding meal worms to him at all. I read somewhere (think on here) that they can actually be bad for them, but that could of also been feeding them to MUCH.

 

[Lilysmommy]

I'm on the fence about feeding meal worms to him at all. I read somewhere (think on here) that they can actually be bad for them, but that could of also been feeding them to MUCH.

Yeah, it's typically giving them too much which can have negative effects. Too many freeze dried ones can cause compaction because the enzymes in the worm that help the hedgehog digest it don't work. Too many live ones would only hurt because they're a bit fatty. If you have a hedgehog which is overweight or puts weight on easily, then mealworms just need to be given in moderation (like most treats). If you have a runner, then you can feed more (which can actually help them keep a steady weight) without worrying.