# Royal Canin Babycat 34



## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

So, I've been giving Brillo Royal Canin Babycat 34 for the past 6 months or so, since I noticed he refused to keep weight on (he's a wheel maniac!)  He's stubborn and turns his nose up at the RC kitten formula, Blue Buffalo Lite, and Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul. I had a breakthrough yesterday and discovered that he LOVES Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck. 

I'm just curious if this is a viable long term diet for him? I know the RC is high in fat/ protein, and the green pea and duck is high in protein. 

Note: I weigh Brillo weekly, so I keep a close eye on his weight. He's been maintaining a weight of 250-258g for the last 6 months.


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## alyssinreality (Jan 18, 2012)

I don't have an answer but I've been wondering the same thing about Diggory. He's 4 and half months and is on the same food. He finally sort of eats Blue Buffalo, but not near as much/easily as the RC babycat. He's stayed at 290g for the past 2 or 3 months and I'm hoping I can keep him on the food he loves too.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Natural Balance GP&D is a good one - it was part of the mix Archimedes started on with the breeder, and I've been playing with the idea of adding it to my mix as I get more hedgehog. (Archimedes right now is on CS lite and a little bit of RC Kitten 36, but I want a mix of 3-4 for the breeding herd.) I wouldn't say the Natural Balance is high in protein, either - it's 30%, with 12% fat, and the ingredients are great. Just from the fat/protein/ingredients detailed, and hearing it recommended, I'd say it's one of the better ones out there. So in terms of being good food overall, yes, it is. Whether or not it will work for Brillo in terms of keeping him at a steady weight, you might have to experiment. The Natural Balance is about half the fat content of Babycat, so that could be a problem since he's holding steady with the babycat. You could always try adding a little of the Natural Balance to the mix just to give him variety - if you keep the Babycat as the majority of it (I'd say at least 2/3 of the mix) so his overall diet is still higher in fat, it could work well. Just keep weighing him and pay attention to any changes there that go along with adding a second food.


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## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

I guess I should have clarified. I plan to add the green pea and duck in with the babycat. I'm just afraid that the high fat in the babycat could create problems down the road (liver and kidney problems). 

I did a little happy dance when Brillo chomped down on the green pea and duck! Haha, he is such a brat, he literally turns his nose up at almost everything (except his babycat). I suppose I would too if someone offered me spinach next to a Snickers...lol. :lol: I understand why the call babycat "hedgie crack"...he LOVES the stuff! I swear his crunches are so excited sounding when he first wakes up.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

I don't know of any problems that could come from too much fat, other than obesity - which, obviously, would cause problems itself. Some hedgehogs just need higher fat, and as long as they're using that up with their higher activity level, I doubt there would be any long-term problems from it. If the protein is too high, that can cause liver or kidney damage (forgot which one, or maybe it's both?). The cut-off of protein for hedgehogs is around 33-35%. Since babycat is 34%, you don't really want to go any higher with the protein, but it's fine as it is. I would just keep paying attention to his weight. You may find that as he gets older his base calorie needs are less than that of a baby/young hedgehog, so he might still need high fat, but not quite as high. As long as he's staying at a healthy body weight/size on the babycat, I would say it's fine to keep him on that for as long as he likes.


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## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

Thanks for the input! 

I guess I'm one of those people that thinks variety is the spice of life- and I don't want poor Brillo getting bored just eating RC and mealies.  According to my boyfriend at home, Brillo ate all his green pea and duck! ...which is crazy, he usually gobbles up his RC first. Little victories, I love them! I will be keeping an eye on his weight though, just to make sure he doesn't lose.


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