[Free2Dream]

Annabelle is a SUPER picky eater. The breeder I got her from was feeding her a Purina/Wellness mixture, which she ate in the beginning but eventually started to pick through. Now she's nearly a year old and only eating Purina Kitten Chow because it's literally the only thing I can get her to eat consistently. I want to start supplementing her with other kibbles, especially because I know Kitten Chow isn't the best, but it's hard to get her to try new things. She won't even touch mealies.

I bought some Chicken Soup Lite, but she wouldn't eat that, either. I also tried Purina Indoor, thinking that maybe she would recognize it as familiar and start eating it again (it had been part of the mix I got from her breeder), but she lost interest after a couple days. What do you recommend I try? Is there like, one kibble out there that's simply irresistible to hedgies? (I wish! ) I've heard good things about the Green Pea and Duck food, but I forget who makes it. I went to find it at Petsmart the other day and they didn't have a CLUE what I was talking about. Go figure.

 

[LarryT]

It's made by Natural Balance and petsmart does not sell it or at least my area petsmarts don't.
Putting whatever new food you try in the same bag as the kitten chow that may help some.

 

[Sarahg]

My local PetCo carries Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck, so you could try there.

 

[Kalandra]

How long have you had Annabelle? I forget, is this the new one? I ask because I've had a couple of hedgehogs (owners no longer had time/wanted them) that took a long time to settle into my home. Even once I thought they were settled we continued to have issues with their eating habits. Over time I guess they finally settled and decided to try new foods.

If mixing the food in the same container doesn't work. Here are a couple of other things I've tried with mixed results.

Crush the old food and sprinkle it over the new, or put it in a container and shake. Much like the mixing in the same container, it helps makes the new smell like the old.

Add a couple of drops of water to the new food. You don't want to moisten the new food. But sometimes just a couple of drops of water will make the kibble smell just a little different and it may entice the hedgehog to try it. I had it work for me with one who wouldn't try anything new. After I noticed the new food is being eaten I stop with the water.

Most importantly, don't stop trying. Continue to add the food to the mix. Sometimes it just takes them a long time to get used to the idea of trying something new. I've had a couple that after weeks of them eating everything but a new food, they finally decided to try the new and they ended up picking those foods out first. This is another area where some hedgehogs test our patience.

Of course, with that said, there are some foods that hedgehogs just won't eat. I know a lot of people have great luck with Chicken Soup. Every time I've tried it (with 5 different hedgehogs so far), not a single one of my hedgehogs liked it. I ended up throwing most of it away.

 

[Free2Dream]

Hi everyone! Thanks for the advice. I went out and bought some Natural Balance food at the specialty pet store. I got really excited while I was reading the label because it seems like there's a lot of good, solid stuff in the ingredients. It's refreshing to see a food whose main ingredient is an actual FOOD (peas!) and not by-products. I will keep you guys updated on how they like it.

Kalandra: Annabelle is my older hog. When I got her from the breeder she was eating a variety of kibble, but then started picking individual pieces out and eventually she would refuse everything but the Purina Kitten Chow. I will try the methods you suggested. I think she just likes the Kitten Chow because its high fat content makes it so palatable... but that's like me eating potato chips for dinner every night. LOL

 

[Kalandra]

Some definitely will go for those higher fat foods first.

Are the foods all from the same mix? I ask because I've had hedgehogs who would stop eating a particular type of food in my mix, and it was because that food was getting old. The first time it happened they stopped eating one type, then another. The food wasn't past its expiration, but old enough it was losing its flavor. If you haven't purchased new food for a long time, maybe the foods she has stopped eating are less flavorful making the kitten chow taste even better.