Can Hedgehogs Eat Cat Food? (Dry, Wet & More)

Hedgehogs are exotic pets. This basically means that your local pet store might not have specific cat food in stock. Therefore, if you’ve run out of food for your Hedgehog, you might find yourself eyeing up the cat food aisle instead, wondering whether this could be an acceptable alternative. I did some thorough research to find the facts, and here is what I have learned.

Hedgehogs can safely eat cat food without much problem. You can even include it in your pet’s regular diet. The protein and fiber present in cat food makes them an excellent alternative for regular Hedgehog food. Also, you must feed your Hedgehog with dry cat kibble rather than the wet ones.

Although Hedgehogs have become more common pets in recent years, they are still rarely rare. Therefore, it can be pretty expensive to raise this unusual pet. Unlike cats and dogs, there is less demand for Hedgehog’s food, habitats, and other essential.

As Hedgehog food is extremely difficult to find, it can be tempting to turn to cat food as it is much cheaper than regular Hedgehog based kibble.

You must also keep in mind that you cannot provide your Hedgehogs with any cat food. You must ensure that the cat food you buy is primarily made using suitable protein sources.

I would recommend you to keep reading our article till the end to know more about your Hedgehog and cat food.

Is Cat Food OK For Hedgehogs?

As a concerned pet parent, it is natural to worry about the safety of any food you’re about to feed your Hedgehogs. Particularly cat food, since the diet of cats and Hedgehogs are pretty different.

If you are consecutively low on Hedgehog feed and looking for some replacements, the cat’s food is one of the best ideas.

If fed in moderation, cat food is entirely harmless to your Hedgehog. In addition, cat food contains nothing that can be poisonous to our Hedgehogs. The worst-case scenario of overeating cat food is that they will consume more nutrients than they need.

Is Cat Food Good For Hedgehogs?

As cat food is designed to meet the dietary requirements of the cats, which are carnivores, all cat food are mostly meat-based. This means that they have a high amount of protein and fiber. You must also be aware of the fact that fiber and protein are an essential part of a Hedgehog’s diet and well-being.

In addition, fiber present in the cat food is an excellent substitute of chitin which hedgehogs usually get from insects and bugs in the wild. Also, cat food that contains protein in abundance can give your pets a little boost at these times.

Besides protein and fiber, cat food has some other nutritional benefit for our Hedgehogs too. Vitamin A present in cat food helps to promote the healthy eyesight in our Hedgehogs. It also promotes their skin and reproductive health.

Vitamin D present in the cat kibble is essential for the development of our Hedgehog’s bones and teeth. Both Vitamins C and E are present in cat food. These vitamins not only help in maintaining their cell health but also strengthen their immune system.

In addition, cat food contains both carbs and fats in abundance. While carbs provide your birds with an easily absorbable energy source, fats are stored to provide energy later.

In light of all these health benefits, it is safe to assume that cat food can prove beneficial for our Hedgehogs when fed correctly and in moderation.

Furthermore, cat food is readily available around the globe. On the other hand, Hedgehog food is pretty difficult to find. Besides this, cat food is cheap and affordable. Whereas, every cannot afford to buy food specifically made for Hedgehogs.

Is Cat Food Bad For Hedgehogs?

If you are overfeeding cat food to your Hedgehogs, your biggest concern will be adding more protein and fat to their body than they can use. Although protein and fats are an essential macronutrient for your Hedgehogs, excess of it can be detrimental to their health.

Hedgehogs need to follow an appropriate eating routine, which is suitable for them. If they eat cat food excessively, that can lead to stomach-related issues like loose bowels, bloating, and so on.

We are now aware of the fact that cat food is enriched with dietary fiber and protein. Dietary fiber and protein are an essential nutrient for out Hedgehogs. However, when Hedgehogs consume these beyond the requirement, then that can lead to constipation.

You might fall in love watching your Hedgehogs munching on the cat kibble happily. However, remember nothing more than the suggested quantity should be fed to them as it can be bad for their health.

Can Hedgehogs Eat Dry Cat Food?

Hedgehogs can surely eat dry cat food without much problem. Dry cat food is an excellent quality protein source for our Hedgehogs. You can even include dry cat food in your Hedgehog’s regular diet.

Dry cat food is a healthy combination of grains or vegetables and meat or eggs. Dry cat food meets the essential nutritional requirement of our Hedgehogs.

In addition, the dry and hard texture of the dry cat pellets helps to keep our Hedgehog’s teeth strong and clean.

Furthermore, it would help if you kept in mind that dry food is enormous chunks. Therefore, you need to crush them to ensure that your Hedgehog can eat them without any problem. Never serve your Hedgehog with the entire chunk. These pieces can be a huge choking hazard for our little ones.

Another issue with dry cat food is that not all cat food brands are suitable for consumption by our Hedgehogs. Therefore, you need to be very careful with what you feed your Hedgehog.

Can Hedgehogs Eat Wet Cat Food?

Hedgehogs can surely eat cat food. One-two tablespoons of wet cat food in a day or two works best for Hedgehogs. Do not feed your Hedgehog with wet cat food more than one time a day.

In comparison to dry cat food, wet food is high in fats as well as calories. Therefore, it is essential to be highly mindful of the quantity of food to be fed to your Hedgehogs.

If your Hedgehog suffers from dental pain or mouth soreness, wet cat food is the best option.

However, it is crucial to thoroughly read the nutritional composition of the wet cat food before serving it to your Hedgehog. In addition, you must know that not all brands of wet cat food are suitable for consumption.

Furthermore, it would help if you kept in mind that wet cat food gets moldy pretty quickly. Therefore, it is essential to take all the leftover food out of the cage once your Hedgehog has finished eating.

Can Hedgehogs Eat Beef Cat Food?

Hedgehogs can surely eat beef-based cat food once in a while. However, please do not feed them too much at a time. A small amount once in a while is outstanding.

Can Hedgehogs Eat Duck Cat Food?

Hedgehogs can eat duck-based cat food without much problem. However, do not serve them too much at a time. It would be best if you also were mindful of the quantity of duck-based cat food you feed your Hedgehogs. Overeating can result in several health complications. Therefore, portion control is the key.

Can Hedgehogs Eat Meat Cat Food?

Hedgehogs can surely eat meat-based cat food once in a while. However, please do not feed them too much at a time. A small amount once in a while is outstanding.

Can Hedgehogs Eat Soft Cat Food?

Hedgehogs can surely cat soft cat food. However, there is a difference between soft cat food and moldy cat food. Therefore, you need to be very careful with what you feed your Hedgehogs. Consumption of stale food can be a significant problem for them.

Can Hedgehogs Eat Chicken Cat Food?

Hedgehogs can eat chicken-based cat food without any worries. These cat foods are high in protein and low in fats, which makes them an ideal choice for our little hedgies. They can even make up the majority of our Hedgehog’s diet.

It would help if you were mindful about the quantity of chicken cat food you feed your Hedgehogs. Overeating can result in several health complications. Therefore, portion control is the key.

Can Hedgehogs Eat Cat Food In Jelly?

Hedgehogs can surely eat cat food in jelly. Most Hedgehogs love to munch on jelly-based cat food. However, the taste preference of each Hedgehog is different. Therefore, there are chances that your Hedgehog might not like it.

Jelly-based cat food is a safe option for our Hedgehogs. However, you must ensure that your pet gets all the essential nutrients required for healthy growth and development.

Can Hedgehogs Eat Cat Food In Gravy?

Although Hedgehogs can eat cat food in gravy once in a while, high-quality dry cat food is the best option. In addition, your Hedgehog might have to face a difficult time digesting the gravy.

In addition, excessive consumption of cat food in gravy can even lead to diarrhea and other digestive problems in our Hedgehogs. Therefore, the best option is to avoid serving your pet with cat food in gravy.

Can Hedgehogs Eat Fish Cat Food?

You can surely feed your Hedgehogs with fish-based cat food once in a while. Some Hedgehogs likes its taste, while others do not find it particularly palatable.

Also, fish-based cat food leads to stinkier poops in Hedgehogs. Therefore, most Hedgehog owners do not prefer feeding their little ones with fish cat food.

Can Hedgehogs Eat Tuna Cat Food?

Hedgehogs can eat tuna-based cat food once in a while. However, make sure you do not serve them too much at a time. Tuna-based cat food often leads to a stinky environment around your Hedgehog. Therefore, most Hedgehog owners prefer to avoid doing their little pets with tuna cat food.

Can Hedgehogs Eat Salmon Cat Food?

Hedgehogs can eat salmon-based cat food once in a while. However, make sure you do not serve them too much at a time. Salmon-based cat food often leads to a stinky environment around your Hedgehog. Therefore, most Hedgehog owners prefer to avoid feeding their little pets with salmon cat food.

How Much Cat Food Can Hedgehogs Eat?

Cat food has some excellent nutritional benefits for our Hedgehogs. However, this does not mean that you can feed them an unlimited amount of cat food at once.

Usually, the rule of thumb is to feed cat food one time a day to your Hedgehog. However, with the frequency, the quality of cat food is also essential. Therefore, you must get your Hedgehog the best quality of cat food that fulfills their nutritional requirement.

The more, the merrier might work for other animals, but for Hedgehogs, the quantity should be approximately one-two tablespoons.

You can say that one tablespoon of dry cat food would be just excellent. However, it would help if you kept in mind that dry cat food is huge chunks. Therefore, you need to crush them to ensure that your Hedgehog can eat them without any problem.

Don’t try to force the food on your Hedgehogs. You can either introduce small bits between regular diets or serve them with kibble made specifically for Hedgehogs.

Good Cat Food For Hedgehogs

After consulting my veterinarian friends and talking to a few experienced Hedgehogs owners, I picked out the best commercially available cat food for our Hedgehogs. My little ones have loved each one of them. I hope your Hedgehog will love them too!