Nutritional Advice

Hedgehogs need a diet with a high protein, high fiber and relatively high fat content therefore we recommend that you feed a suitable commercial diet which is either Mazuri Insectivore Diet- 5MK8, or a high quality adult cat food to replace the insect and meat part of their diet.

This should be offered with a mix of chopped fruit and vegetables (dark leafy greens e.g. spinach, kale, lettuce, carrots, apple, banana, raisins, frozen vegetables). Hedgehogs will often prefer the high protein foods to the vegetables  !

Always make sure all fruit and vegetables are fresh and wash thoroughly first before feeding.

The insectivore (or cat food) part of the diet with the fruit and vegetables should generally be offered just once per day, preferably in the evening, as this is when hedgehogs are most active and prefer to eat.

As a treat once or twice a week your hedgehog will enjoy live insects such as crickets, mealworms or earthworms. They get very excited when offered these; however limit their intake to just one or two as they are very high in fat. These are great for encouraging hunting and foraging behaviour in a box or in tunnels.

Dried fruits and snacks containing seeds are not appropriate for Hedgehogs.

Please make sure you do not over feed your hedgehog as it is easy for them to become obese. The amounts of the food offered should be adjusted up or down depending on your hedgehog’s weight.

Water should be available at all times. We advise you provide both a water bottle and a water bowl. Please make the water bowl is heavy as due to their inquisitive nature your hedgehog may tip up a light bowl. We suggest heavy based ceramic bowls which are available in many petshops.