[Kupcake]

I have been reading and reading and reading for the past 3 weeks or so, i finally joined this site and have done nothing but post a million questions. Mostly because i can not find one comprehensive answer or because alot of the information i have found seems a bit old. So please bear with me, I am trying to become as learned as i can about hedgies and you guys are the specialists!!

Ok so now I have a list of nutrition questions and ideas i would like to run by you to see your opinions and observations.

:arrow: Live food:
1. How many mealworms or crickets should i/could i feed every day? ~~i will NEVER feed freezedried~~
2. If i use live crickets how do you keep them from jumping all over your house (i think i would go crazy if one got into my wall and started singing )
3. What other types of live/canned insects are good?

:arrow: Dry cat food:
1. When using a mix of dry cat foods use atleast two diffrent kinds to make sure the diet is well rounded. Make sure it is high in protine and low in fat and the first two ingreedients should be meat (not by products or meals). ~~This is more of an observation i made~~

:arrow: Other supplemental foods:
1. Boiled/cooked (nonseasoned) pultry or scrambled (nonseasoned) eggs are ok as a treat or snack ~again observation~~
2. Fresh fruits and veggies from the approved list is ok as a treat or snack.
3. Canned cat food is ok as a treat or snack. What are the requirements for chosing these canned cat foods?
4. Canned baby foods are ok as a treat or snack. The kinds can be a variation of the aproved fruit/veggie list.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I GIVE THE FOODS THAT I LISTED IN OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL FOODS?

Again im sorry that i have so many questions. I am probably more than a month away from being ready to make a decision to get a hedgehog. I dont want to be illusioned or uninformed in my facts.

Thank you for your time in reading my questions,
Kupcake

~~Also i think i might use hedgehogs in one of my research papers at the end of this semester in one of my science classes. I would love to post all the information i gain from your heads in a one stop information page for other new and perspective owners.

 

[Jen]

I have been reading and reading and reading for the past 3 weeks or so, i finally joined this site and have done nothing but post a million questions. Mostly because i can not find one comprehensive answer or because alot of the information i have found seems a bit old. So please bear with me, I am trying to become as learned as i can about hedgies and you guys are the specialists!!

Ok so now I have a list of nutrition questions and ideas i would like to run by you to see your opinions and observations.

:arrow: Live food:
1. How many mealworms or crickets should i/could i feed every day? ~~i will NEVER feed freezedried~~
2. If i use live crickets how do you keep them from jumping all over your house (i think i would go crazy if one got into my wall and started singing )
3. What other types of live/canned insects are good?

:arrow: Dry cat food:
1. When using a mix of dry cat foods use atleast two diffrent kinds to make sure the diet is well rounded. Make sure it is high in protine and low in fat and the first two ingreedients should be meat (not by products or meals). ~~This is more of an observation i made~~

:arrow: Other supplemental foods:
1. Boiled/cooked (nonseasoned) pultry or scrambled (nonseasoned) eggs are ok as a treat or snack ~again observation~~
2. Fresh fruits and veggies from the approved list is ok as a treat or snack.
3. Canned cat food is ok as a treat or snack. What are the requirements for chosing these canned cat foods?
4. Canned baby foods are ok as a treat or snack. The kinds can be a variation of the aproved fruit/veggie list.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I GIVE THE FOODS THAT I LISTED IN OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL FOODS?

Again im sorry that i have so many questions. I am probably more than a month away from being ready to make a decision to get a hedgehog. I dont want to be illusioned or uninformed in my facts.

Thank you for your time in reading my questions,
Kupcake

~~Also i think i might use hedgehogs in one of my research papers at the end of this semester in one of my science classes. I would love to post all the information i gain from your heads in a one stop information page for other new and perspective owners.

The general consensus about mealworms, to my knowledge, is about 2-3 per day. Not sure about any of the other questions, off the top of my head. Sorry!

 

[Kupcake]

Thanks for the reply, any info is better than nothing!

I have about 10 pages of notes that im writing from my research on this forum and other sites and books. Unfortunatly there are not any breeders around here that i could bother

I guess its my science background, but i research alot before i make any kind of decision. I like to be as much as an expert as i can before i jump, so the only suprizes are good ones (for the most part).

Kupcake

 

[Zalea]

1. How many mealworms or crickets should i/could i feed every day? ~~i will NEVER feed freezedried~~

3-4 mealies a day every few days is what I give mine. I think it's a 2 cricket max per day every few days, but I'm not sure.

2. If i use live crickets how do you keep them from jumping all over your house (i think i would go crazy if one got into my wall and started singing )

I had live crickets one time and I'm not going to do it again anytime soon. I just couldn't keep them alive! I used the water sponge and gave them kibble and veggies like I read on a website to do but still they died...And I felt bad. So yeah, don't ask me for advice about keeping live crickets. Mealies I can do though! The ones you get from pet stores aren't all that loud, so you don't have to worry about the chirping. What I did to feed them to Quentin was put a piece of fleece down in the bathtub (make sure there's nothing that can be knocked over on low ledges), put the cricket in, put him in, and let him go hunting.

3. What other types of live/canned insects are good?

Grasshoppers are an option but not many hedgehogs like them. They seem to be intimidating because they're so big. Mealies are always a big hit, it seems. Some people like silkworms and waxworms, also.

Dry cat food:
1. When using a mix of dry cat foods use atleast two diffrent kinds to make sure the diet is well rounded. Make sure it is high in protine and low in fat and the first two ingreedients should be meat (not by products or meals). ~~This is more of an observation i made~~

It's a good observation, but I felt I should point out to watch the protein amounts. Stick to about 30% protein levels because too high (like 50% in some foods) can cause kidney failure.
The ingredients can have a meat meal, just avoid things like corn meal and by-product meals.

3. Canned cat food is ok as a treat or snack. What are the requirements for chosing these canned cat foods?

Be sure that they don't have any icky preservatives in them. A lot of moist cat foods have BHA/BHT in them, and those can cause cancer.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I GIVE THE FOODS THAT I LISTED IN OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL FOODS?

3-4 times a week is a good general rule for treats. Kibble should always be the staple food, though.

Don't be sorry about asking questions! It's good that you're trying to find out before you get a hedgehog. Do as much research as you can, search the forums, READ READ READ, and if you have a question that you couldn't find an answer to, please ask. It's great that you want to learn before committing yourself.

 

[Kupcake]

Thank you so much for your answers! They are very helpful!

Anyone else? I love feedback and many diffrent (or even the same answers) prove to make my decision alot easier!

Thanks
Kupcake

 

[Kalandra]

You wanted a differing opinion, I do things a little differently than some others do.

Food and diet is one of those topics that you will run into a wide variety of opinions. Which one you decide is right is up to you. Here is what I do each day.

2 tablespoons of food mix. My current mix is Innova Lite, Innova Sr, Pet Promise Healthy Weight, Fromm Mature Gold.

~1 teaspoon fruit or vegetables. I use a wide variety of things and try to vary it regularly.

Mealworms. Yep I give them mealies or some other bug daily. The amount depends on the hedgehog. A hedgehog who runs or otherwise needs a few extra calories I’ll give an extra bugs. One that needs to lose weight, fewer bugs.

 

[Kupcake]

Thank you for your knowledge!

Kupcake