# Canadian Brands?



## jinglesharks (Jun 15, 2010)

(Sorry if this is a repeat, I did a search and couldn't find anything concrete, so I don't think it is, but I'm still learning the ropes here...)

So, sadly, my Pepper has not been eating the best food. To be honest, I didn't know at first. It's what his previous owner fed him and it seemed okay according to what I read in books. (Though, it should have been a clue that I wouldn't feed it to my cats...) Anyway, when I found this forum about a month ago, I realized he hasn't been eating as well as he should. Fortunately I feed him other things, but I want his staple to be good, of course. I was waiting for the bag to get closer to empty, and now it is. (Of course, I have enough left to switch him slowly.)

I see many a list for good cat foods around here, but I can't find many of them in Canada. (Maybe they have different names?) I was wondering if anyone from Canada or just knowledgeable would have a recommendation for what the best food I could find here might be. If it helps, I'm specifically from Nova Scotia and the two pet stores in my city are Pets Unlimited and Global Foods.

Also, has anyone ever had any luck feeding their cats and hedgehogs the same brand? Or are they just not compatible at all? Once my kitten grows up and starts eating the same food as my adult cat, I'd like to try and have everyone eating the same thing (or at least sharing a bag, I'd like to give Pepper a mix), for convenience sake. But I don't know if what's good for a hedgie is good for a cat... and I wouldn't be surprised if they couldn't agree on one taste wise!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  I'm fully aware that I'm still learning all this, even though I've had Pepper for a good four months now, and I'm willing to accept any and all help. I really want his life to be better than it used to be, the poor guy had a hard start.

Oh! Also- my mother, who knows absolutely nothing about hedgehogs, was very excited to find a hedgehog food and bought it for my little guy. It's called Sunseed Sunscription Vita. I don't remember seeing it mentioned anywhere. I've only given Pepper tiny pinches as a treat- he seems to like it okay, though he never seems thrilled by any food. I was wondering if it's okay just to give a little bit when my mother is over because it makes her happy to see him eating "her" food, even though I've told her it isn't that great for them. I think she was just excited by the "novelty" or something.  I am definitely not using it as part of his regular diet, but it is safe as a treat?


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I feed my hedgie Royal Canin, and that can be found in pretty much any pet store/veterinary clinic


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## jinglesharks (Jun 15, 2010)

Thanks for replying  Is that the only brand you use or do you use a mix?


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

I feed, Natural Balance, Spa Select, California Naturals, Royal Canin, Innova and Authority, oh and Acana is good too. These all can be found in Canada at Petland, Pet Smart and Petco or at Global pet foods.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

jinglesharks said:


> Thanks for replying  Is that the only brand you use or do you use a mix?


At the moment my hedgie is only on kitten food... so I see no reason to add another mix just now... but I could be wrong >_>
This is what my breeder was feeding him, so I haven't bothered to change up his diet... also, I've only had him two weeks so I didn't want to change too much and stress him out :lol:


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## jdlover90 (Jun 14, 2010)

I feed my little Quilly (who I just got about 3 or so days ago  ) two brands now of cat food.
I give him Royal Canin kitty food mixed with a Natural Balance cat food. I was thinking about switching him over to just Natural, but then my mom found Royal Canin at Petsmart and started buying some for him :roll: SO I decided to just give him a little of both. 

Hope this helps? lol


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Global is a good store with pretty good brands most of the time. Read up on some of the foods on the food list, I think there is also a link pointing to an explanation of ingredients. That way you will have a better idea of what to look for. It doesn't matter if the brand is on the list as long as it meets all the requirements of a good food. I feed my hedgehog performatrim light, and wellness healthy weight. Solid gold is also available where I am so I am thinking of adding that to the mix next. Ask the people at global to point you in the direction of medium to low protien (30% is recommended)/ low fat cat food. Make sure at least the top five are quality ingredients (I personally will not buy a food with wheat, corn or by-products listed anywhere on the ingredients list). 

In answer to your question about your cats. I don't know if you mentioned what they are eating now but whatever you put your hedgehog on your cats can have (except hedgehog food). When I get a cat I am planing to use the same mix that my hedgehog is on for them but add in a high protein grain free food just for the cats, good ones are Orijen and Acana. 

Note: I think that Acana has varieties with grain and without so you could use one variety of Acana for the hedgehog and another for the higher protein for your cats.


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## jinglesharks (Jun 15, 2010)

nikki said:


> I feed, Natural Balance, Spa Select, California Naturals, Royal Canin, Innova and Authority, oh and Acana is good too. These all can be found in Canada at Petland, Pet Smart and Petco or at Global pet foods.


Thanks a lot, that's great. I'll try Global- we don't have Petlands or anything where I live- I didn't know they had any in Canada at all, but I assume they'd be in Ontario or something... we don't have much variety out here in the little provinces haha.


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## jinglesharks (Jun 15, 2010)

Thank you, that really helps.

My kitten is eating something fairly high fat/protein right now since he's a young kitten, so I figured that would be too much for Pepper since he's an adult. Though he's gotten a few pieces as a treat and really likes it, but, well, I don't want him to get overweight.



hedgielover said:


> Global is a good store with pretty good brands most of the time. Read up on some of the foods on the food list, I think there is also a link pointing to an explanation of ingredients. That way you will have a better idea of what to look for. It doesn't matter if the brand is on the list as long as it meets all the requirements of a good food. I feed my hedgehog performatrim light, and wellness healthy weight. Solid gold is also available where I am so I am thinking of adding that to the mix next. Ask the people at global to point you in the direction of medium to low protien (30% is recommended)/ low fat cat food. Make sure at least the top five are quality ingredients (I personally will not buy a food with wheat, corn or by-products listed anywhere on the ingredients list).
> 
> In answer to your question about your cats. I don't know if you mentioned what they are eating now but whatever you put your hedgehog on your cats can have (except hedgehog food). When I get a cat I am planing to use the same mix that my hedgehog is on for them but add in a high protein grain free food just for the cats, good ones are Orijen and Acana.
> 
> Note: I think that Acana has varieties with grain and without so you could use one variety of Acana for the hedgehog and another for the higher protein for your cats.


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## Beanie (Jun 9, 2010)

I've heard it mentioned several times here that Sunseed isn't a very good food to feed your hedgie.


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## jinglesharks (Jun 15, 2010)

Beanie said:


> I've heard it mentioned several times here that Sunseed isn't a very good food to feed your hedgie.


But is it unsafe for them, or just kind of a junk food? As I said, he's not getting it very much or very often.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Sunseed isn't unsafe, it's just not very nutritious.


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## jinglesharks (Jun 15, 2010)

Nancy said:


> Sunseed isn't unsafe, it's just not very nutritious.


Great, thanks. He literally gets about six or seven little pellets maybe once a week. It's in no way his staple.


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