Hedgehogs are small, nocturnal mammals that are members of the family Erinaceidae. They’re found across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Their name comes from their habit of sitting on their front quills to appear larger and more threatening when they feel threatened or want to protect themselves.
Hedgehogs are typically solitary creatures that spend most of their time roaming in search for food. Although they eat a variety of foods, hedgehogs can’t digest meat like most mammals. This is because they lack the necessary bacteria in order to do so. Feeding your hedgehog meat could lead to serious problems, including death due to toxoplasmosis – an illness caused by a parasite which is spread through infected cat feces.
This blog post discusses what cat food is safe for hedgehogs to eat, as well as what they generally eat in order to maintain their health and safety.
What is a hedgehog?
Hedgehogs are small, nocturnal mammals that are members of the Erinaceidae family and can be found across Europe, Asia and Africa. Their name comes from their habit of sitting on their front quills to appear larger and more threatening when they feel threatened or want to protect themselves.
Hedgehogs generally spend most of their time roaming in search for food, although they eat a variety of foods. They can’t digest meat like most mammals because they lack the necessary bacteria in order to do so. Feeding your hedgehog meat could lead to serious problems, including death due to toxoplasmosis – an illness caused by a parasite which is spread through infected cat feces.
What can hedgehogs eat?
A hedgehog’s diet consists of a wide range of foods, but meat is not one of them. This is because they lack the necessary bacteria in order to digest it properly.
I had a client come in with a hedgehog that was eating cat food. The problem? Hedgehogs are allergic to meat and this could cause serious health problems such as toxoplasmosis, which is caused by a parasite found in cat feces!
The best food for your pet hedgehog is fruit, dog or cat kibble without chicken or beef, and unseasoned vegetables. Feeding your hedgehog human food could cause digestive issues and even death if not done carefully.
What do hedgehogs usually eat?
Hedgehogs are insectivores. They enjoy eating insects, grubs, earthworms, slugs, snails, and other invertebrates.
But what about cat food? Can hedgehogs eat cat food?
Cats are carnivores. If you feed your hedgehog cat food it will likely result in death due to toxoplasmosis
– an illness caused by a parasite which is spread through infected cat feces.
There are some foods that hedgehogs can eat that also happen to be safe for cats. These include: dried banana chips, dried sweet potato chips, pumpkin seeds, dried corn kernels, dried oatmeal cereal squares with raisins or dried apple slices with cinnamon sprinkled on top.
Hedgehog’s diet and welfare
The diet of a hedgehog is extremely important to their health and wellbeing. Hedgehogs are not able to digest meat like most mammals, so feeding them meat will cause serious problems.
Hedgehogs eat insects, worms, snails, frogs, slugs, snakes, lizards, birds’ eggs and berries. The food they eat helps them maintain healthy teeth and bones.
If you aren’t sure what your hedgehog should be eating or how to feed it the right food, consult your veterinarian for help!
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Conclusion
If you are considering the addition of a new pet to your household, then hedgehogs are one of the best options. They are cute, friendly, and relatively easy to care for. However, there are a few considerations to take into account when feeding them.
Hedgehogs are omnivores, which means they eat things from both the animal and plant kingdoms. They will eat some insects, worms, snails, slugs, earthworms, bird eggs, and berries.
Hedgehogs have very sensitive teeth so the best option is to offer some vegetables cut up into small pieces.
Some people have had success with hedgehogs eating cat food,
but only if the cat food is not made with beef or chicken by-products.
If you are considering getting a hedgehog it is important to ensure that they have a well-rounded diet that consists of vegetables and insects. A balanced diet can ensure that your hedgehog is healthy and happy.
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