# Are bugs a required part of a hedgehogs diet?



## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2014)

Is it okay to only feed a hedgehog high quality cat food and approved treats such as scrambled eggs unseasoned chicken and all sorts of other things off the safe treats list or do I have to be able to feed live/frozen (not freeze dried) bugs to be a hedgehog owner?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

It won't kill your hedgehog to not have bugs, or negatively impact their health. There are hedgehogs that don't like them, after all. Most people feel that it's good to include them though (if hedgie will eat them), since it's a large part of their natural diet & is good for added fiber (which cat & dog food is usually low on). Like I said before, a lot of people get past their fear or nervousness with insects if they see their hedgehog really enjoys them.  For more squeamish people, you can handle the mealworms with plastic or wooden tongs/tweezers/chopsticks, etc. It also helps some people to keep the mealworms in the fridge, as they don't move much when they're kept cold (though you'll need to take the container out once a week for a few hours to let them warm up & eat so they don't die).

Crickets are usually the worse one for people that don't like insects, since they jump. If you do want to try them though, you can get canned crickets (which are canned in juice, so they're not as risky for impaction as freeze-dried). I think they might have canned mealworms as well. You can freeze the can in sections to make them last longer (since an opened can goes bad in 1-2 weeks, I'm not sure exactly).

If you have an outright phobia of insects & the like that even something like canned ones would make you react too strongly, then it's understandable to want to avoid them at any cost. But if it's just squeamishness or a milder fear, I think the canned ones would be worth trying to see if your hedgie likes them! I'm sure they'll thank you if it turns out to be a new favorite treat.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2014)

Thank you! I'm just not sure I'd be allowed to keep them in my house but I personally don't have a problem with bugs so I'll probably try them, but I just wanted know how necessary they were in case I had to feed them a specific amount regularly. I'll keep the fiber thing in mind though if I can't keep bugs when choosing treats.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I'd repeat what I said to whoever might not let you have them! If you get the canned ones, obviously there's no chance of loose bugs in the house (though mealworms are pathetic enough that it's not likely even with live ones :lol, and you can designate storage containers (or just use disposable plastic bags) for the cans & frozen portions so that they're easy to see & avoid, as well as used only for the insects.


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## Ashley.dear (Mar 31, 2014)

My husband is ridiculously terrified of bugs, so I'm the only one who gives my girl any insect treats. I recommend mealworms, since they're the least terrifying, in tems of escape attempts. And you can get them freeze dried and everything. But they're not completely necessary, although hedgehogs are considered insectivores...


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2014)

I thought freeze dried were dangerous, are they considered safe in moderation? I highly doubt any of my family would have a problem with those.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Personally I don't like freeze-dried since they are more likely to cause constipation/impaction issues (though yes, if only giving one or two a day or less, they would probably be okay) and...well, they just seem like they'd be less tasty. :lol: If you have to go with ones already dead, I'd go with canned over freeze-dried. And hedgehogs used to be classified as insectivores, but they're more opportunistic omnivores - they'll eat quite a variety of things, including fungi, berries, earthworms, insects, other invertebrates, eggs, baby mice, bird nestlings, and carrion. But insects are probably the largest part of their natural diet still.


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## Tongue_Flicker (Jun 11, 2013)

Wild ones even eat venomous snakes and scorpions without harm 
The domesticated hedgehogs well they eat or they won't eat bugs depending on their personal preference


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

Do you have access to a bathtub?

I put my live crickets in the bathtub, block the drain (with an old yogurt container) and let my girl loose. She chases and chomps those crickets right up!

The crickets can't jump high enough to get out of the tub. :grin:


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2014)

Thanks that's an excellent suggestion, but after weeks of research I think that with not knowing anything about what my life is going to be like in a few years that adopting a hedgehog would be irresponsible right now. I think I'm going to try and foster pets, like puppies and kittens until they are old enough to be adopted instead.


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## kuroneko (Apr 4, 2014)

I've tried giving meal worms and super worms (i cut the head first) to my babies, but gracita doesn't like it, i put it in her food dish together with 5 pcs of kibbles, after an hour, five kibbles were gone while those worms stays...

its a good thing I only bought I few...


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