Figuring out which hedgehog food to buy can be very confusing as there is a lot of misinformation out there but almost no research or studies have been done on the topic!
I have spent countless hours researching into the nutritional requirements of our prickly friends, spoke with multiple breeders, and have combed through dozens of brands of cat/hedgehog food mixes to find the best of the best. Here’s everything I have learned over the years!
What do hedgehogs eat?
Erinaceids (hedgehogs) are omnivorous, with the major part of their diet consisting of insects, earthworms, and other small invertebrates. They also eat seeds and fruit, and occasionally birds’ eggs, along with any carrion they come across. Their teeth are sharp and suited for impaling invertebrate prey.
Source
A hedgehog’s diet should mainly consist of low fat and high protein insect/meat-based food. Hedgehogs of Asgard advises: “Hedgehogs are not just insectivores but more like opportunistic omnivores: scavengers who will eat nearly everything they find, but the staple of their diet consists of invertebrates. The term that would describe them best would probably be ‘insectivorous omnivores’.”
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What to look for in hedgehog food:
The majority of special hedgehog food is actually terrible for our little friends. Hedgehog foods tend to contain tons of useless fillers and are far more expensive than other pet foods. Cat and dog food is much healthier but most owners use cat food because the kibbles are smaller. If you find a dog food mix with great ingredients feel free to try it out but be aware you will need to crush the kibbles into smaller pieces.
Look for the following nutritional percentages in your chosen dry kibble mix:
- Protein: 28%-35%
- Fat: 10%-15%
- Fiber: as high as possible!
How to Pick Cat Food for Your Hedgehog
When you are looking at dry cat foods for your hedgehog the ingredient list should be your first stop. At least the first two ingredients need to be meat-based, it’s even better if you can find one with 3 meat ingredients at the top of the list.
Here are my top four picks for healthy hedgehog formulas:
Hedgehog Precision
Hedgehog Precision is high-quality kibble mix that was created by West Coast Hedgehogs in 2018 to help fulfill the desperate need for a nutritionally complete hedgehog diet, this is something the hedgie community has desperately lacked for many years!
Hedgehog Precision makes a standard, weight control, and high-calorie formula so you will be able to pick a diet that’s perfectly suited to your hedgie’s nutritional needs. These are priced at $14 for 1lb of kibble which may seem high, but keep in mind that this is one of the very few kibbles that is primarily composed of insects which is exactly what we are looking for in a hedgehog diet!
Guaranteed Analysis of the standard recipe:
Moisture (max): 8%
Crude Protein (min): 30%
Crude Fat (min): 12%
Crude Fiber (max): 6%
Hedgehog Precision Standard Recipe ingredients:
Ingredients: Black soldier fly larvae meal, chicken meal, brown rice, sorghum, dehulled oats, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural flavors, oat fiber, beet pulp, fish oil, salt, inulin (from chicory root), chitin powder, choline chloride, yucca schidigera, minerals (zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite calcium iodate), vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacinamide, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, vitamin D3 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid), potassium chloride, propionic acid, natural antioxidants (citric acid, natural mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract).
Inception Fish, Chicken, or Turkey & Herring Recipe
Inception carries three varieties of dry cat food kibble that are all nutritionally awesome for hedgehogs. I feed our hogs Inception Fish recipe and they love it. Some owners find that their hedgehogs have particularly smelly droppings when eating a fish-based diet so if you’re worried about a smelly cage I recommend you try out one of the poultry-based diets.
I personally buy our food online from Chewy or you can also use the brand’s store finder to find somewhere close to you.
The Fish Recipe and Turkey & Herring Meal Recipe are only $12.99 for a 4lb bag and the Chicken recipe is $10.99 for the same size. All three diets are made without fillers that hedgies can’t properly digest like potato, legumes, corn, wheat, and soy.
Ingredients of the Fish Recipe:
Whitefish, Whitefish Meal, Oats, Millet, Sunflower Oil, Milo, Ground Flaxseeds, Natural Flavors, Calcium Carbonate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Fructooligosaccharide, Salt, Dandelion Greens, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Magnesium Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Vitamins (Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid)
All three recipes have identical protein, fat, and fiber percentages:
| CRUDE PROTEIN | 30% min |
| CRUDE FAT | 14% min |
| CRUDE FIBER | 7% max |
Grain-free cat food has become increasingly popular over the few years so, in turn, manufacturers have ramped up the use of alternate plant proteins to fill that gap instead of using meat-based ingredients. You will also need to watch out for high levels of peas, potatoes, and powdered cellulose as well when picking out your hedgehog’s kibble.
I avoid brands with pea protein or other pea products near the top of the list, I prefer to keep these under the 5th ingredient. Corn and peas contain excess phosphorus, which decreases calcium absorption and should only be fed in small amounts. * Tomato Pomace is also a common fiber utilized in dog/cat foods and should be avoided; all tomato products are toxic for hedgehogs.
High concentrations of fish in cat kibble can cause extremely smelly droppings. It’s rare to find a cat food that’s mainly fish-based, but if you happen to find one you may want to reconsider that purchase or get ready for a stinky cage.
Why do hedgehogs need so much fiber?
Hedgehogs have the ability to digest chitin from insect exoskeletons as a source of fiber and their diet in the wild is mainly invertebrates so it’s very important to ensure they eat a high amount of fiber. Chitin has also been proven to boost the digestion of fat and may help avoid common diseases related to diet such as Fatty Liver Disease. So, not only does adding chitin provide extra fiber to your hedgehog’s diet, it also aids in purging excess fat!
The two main types of fiber are cellulose, found in plants and animals, and chitin, which is found in the exoskeletons of insects. The majority of fiber in cat/dog food is cellulose-based which is extremely difficult for hedgehogs to digest. **
Insects have a fiber content of 14-52% while most cat/dog foods usually have a fiber content around 2-4% and almost never above 6%. Insects should not be used as a special treat, these should be a main staple in your hedgehog’s diet!
Can hedgehogs eat live insects?
Yes, it’s highly encouraged! It’s a great way to enrich your hedgehog’s routine by giving them a chance to chase down their chow. Live insects have the most nutritional benefit but freeze-dried insects can be substituted.
I’ve had a few cases of a hedgehog actually being too afraid of the live cricket/worm to even think about eating it, and if you don’t live close to a pet supply store it can be tough to keep a stock of live feeder insects.
What insects can you feed a hedgehog?
- Mealworms -high in fat so take care not to overfeed
- Crickets/Grasshoppers – low in fat, high in protein, and packed full of fiber!
- Waxworms – even higher in fat than mealworms, feed very sparingly unless trying to recover from weight loss.
Hedgehog Food: What can be fed as a treat?
There are many foods you can feed as a treat to your pet hedgehog!
- Cooked unseasoned chicken/turkey.
- Hard-boiled or plain scrambled egg – don’t use oil while cooking.
- Meat flavored baby food, my hedgies love Turkey Dinner flavor.
- Plain cooked hamburger soaked in water to remove grease.
Hedgehog Food – Never feed your hedgehog these foods:
Hedgehogs are a lot like children when it comes to loving unhealthy food. Your kid would happily guzzle down a mug of sugary coffee but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy for them! You should never feed these foods to your hedgehog:
- Celery/Nuts/Seeds – Anything stringy or hard is a choking hazard
- Citrus Fruits/Grapes/Raisins/Avocado/Chocolate – Toxic
- Peanut Butter, Blueberries – Can stick to the roof of the mouth
- Dairy Products – Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant
- Processed/Seasoned Meat – Salt and excess fat should be avoided
- Raw Meat/Eggs – Salmonella hazard
There’s a dizzying amount of misinformation floating the internet in regards to what is safe and what is toxic for hedgehogs, and this is largely due to the fact that there has been little to none research on hedgehog nutrition.
Can hedgehogs digest fruits and vegetables?
Cellulose is difficult for hedgehogs to digest and if they ingest excess amounts it can cause impactions. There have been a handful of studies done on the diet of wild hedgehogs and some vegetation is always present in the stomach but it’s not because they’ve been intentionally eating it. This vegetation is the diet of the insects the hedgie has been eating and is easier digested by the hedgehog because it was already partially digested by the creepy crawly!
I personally consider “gut loading” feeder insects before giving them to your hedgie to be the best way to add easily digestible minerals to their diet. You can learn more about how to gut load your prickly friend’s food here.
A tiny bit of fruit/veg now and again will not harm your hedgehog but kibble and insects should always remain the main staple of their diet. Things like carrots, potatoes, rice, and yams are not poisonous but are hard on the stomach because of their high starch content so steer clear of starchy foods like these.
Interested in more hedgie guides? Check out my beginner’s guide on picking a hedgehog wheel.
