Hedgehog: what to feed at home. Caring for hedgehogs at home can be an exciting and responsible task. It is important to know what to feed these cute creatures to ensure their healthy and happy life.
A hedgehog with an apple on its back is an artist’s invention. In fact, hedgehogs cannot prick apples or mushrooms on their needles. Their needles are not adapted for this.
In addition, European hedgehogs, unlike squirrels, do not store food for the winter – they hibernate from November to March. During hibernation, they use up their fat. Hedgehogs do not need to carry food supplies, so they eat on the spot.
What do hedgehogs eat in the wild
Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals and hunt mainly in the dark.
In nature, hedgehogs can eat a quarter of their weight in one night. On average, a European hedgehog weighs 700-800 g, and eats up to 200 g of food per day. This is about 50 beetles. A baby hedgehog eats no more than 50 g of food at a time. An adult hedgehog needs to be fed once or twice a day, a young one – three times.
Hedgehogs are mammals from the insectivorous family. But they do not only eat insects. Their diet also includes invertebrates such as earthworms, beetles, centipedes, and slugs. Hedgehogs also eat bird eggs and small chicks. They also hunt mice, voles, and occasionally snakes or lizards.
Sometimes they eat berries, mushrooms, and fruits.
What to feed at home
Hedgehogs eat quite a lot. Pets need a varied diet to stay healthy and active.
They can be fed raw or boiled meat: chicken, turkey, rabbit, beef. But be sure to avoid salt and spices. They love to eat offal: lungs, liver, stomach, heart, tongue, but it is better to boil such food for disinfection. Hedgehogs are good for raw and boiled eggs (chicken or quail) – no more than 1-2 eggs per week. From insects, hedgehogs are given mealybugs, which can be bought at a pet store.
In addition, you can buy ready-made food for insectivores. There is even specialized food for hedgehogs. They can also be suitable for low-fat cat food, except for fish. It is better to consult a veterinarian.
A domestic hedgehog should always have fresh water. Especially if you feed it dry food. In nature, hedgehogs drink little, but there they catch mice and eat a lot of live insects.
Plant foods should not be the basis of the diet, but sometimes you can treat your hedgehog with a small piece of apple or other fruit, with the exception of exotic ones. Fruits should be seedless so that they do not get stuck in the animal’s throat.
What hedgehogs should not eat
Under no circumstances should you feed a hedgehog from the table. Hedgehogs are not allowed to eat food with added salt or spices. Their stomachs cannot digest potatoes, porridge, pasta, rice, soy products.
Despite the fact that hedgehogs love meat, they should not be given sausages, sausages and fatty meats such as pork or lamb. Pork or lamb fat is contraindicated. You should not give river fish and fish food for cats. Sea fish can be given from time to time in small quantities and without bones.
It is strictly forbidden to give a hedgehog sweets, pickles, pickled foods, canned food.
You should also not give hedgehogs milk. Although the hedgehog feeds the babies with milk, this only lasts for a month. Then the hedgehogs become independent and eat the food familiar to hedgehogs.
Although they can drink milk if you pour it on them, it can harm them. The fact is that after a hedgehog turns one month old, its body stops producing the enzyme that digests lactose. This leads to serious digestive disorders in insectivores. The animal will suffer from gas formation, bloating, diarrhea. For the same reason, you can’t feed hedgehogs hard and sour-milk cheese, sour cream.
The following plant foods are prohibited:
- grapes,
- raisins,
- dried fruits,
- candied fruits,
- avocado,
- pineapple,
- kiwi,
- citrus and other exotic fruits,
- vegetable oils.
With a good, balanced diet, a hedgehog can live 6-7 years.
Where can a hedgehog live?
Usually, a spacious box or cage (at least 70 cm long) is prepared for a hedgehog, as for large rodents. An artificial house or carrier is placed there so that the animal has a place to hide. Be sure to put a running wheel and a drinking bowl, and it is better to put the feeder out only during feeding time. Hedgehogs are gluttons, so we give food in strict doses: 50 g in the morning and evening + a bowl of water next to the feeder. The long-eared hedgehog does not tolerate low temperatures, and pneumonia and colds are almost incurable for it, so we remove the aviary as far as possible from household drafts and open windows.
Take care of your little friends, and they will thank you with their love! 💚
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