[Lilysmommy]

This thread is over 4 years old, guys. No need to bring it up again. The OP is long gone.

However, I have to post because I completely disagree with the first comment on this page. Hedgehogs are closer to being opportunistic omnivores - they do eat mainly insects, but they will also eat fruits, berries, some vegetation, snails & other invertebrates, frogs, snakes, eggs, young birds/rodents, carrion, etc. I don't think it's necessarily bad to have the main diet be insects (and really, most hedgehog owners don't feed enough insects), but I completely disagree that it's the only thing they should be fed. Especially freeze-dried insects, which pose a major risk for impactions. Freeze-dried isn't any more natural than kibble - it lacks the same moisture they'd get from live insects & other foods, which isn't good for them. Kibble is a more balanced diet for hedgehogs and I'm not sure that heart disease is as common as you say, or for the reason you say. Tumors are FAR more frequent killers of hedgehogs than heart disease, as far as I've seen. And we don't really know what causes those.

 

[Lilysmommy]

It's not at all recommended to feed wild-caught insects because they can carry pesticides and parasites. You should only feed store-bought insects or ones you've raised yourself.

And a vegetarian/vegan diet is not appropriate for a hedgehog, and it would not be a good idea at all to try and feed one that way. They're omnivores and need insects and meat in their diet. And because I can't not say it...cats are OBLIGATE carnivores and a vegan diet is an absolutely terrible idea for them.

Also it's not usually a good idea to introduce hedgehogs to predators. They're a prey animal and they're also pretty solitary so they do fine on their own anyway. A hedgehog wouldn't be a good idea as a friend for a cat.

And as I said in my above comment, this thread is 4 years old - I know you're new to the forum, so it's not a huge deal, but please look at dates on threads before you comment. We try to avoid having old ones brought up as it gets confusing.