# Purina One Cat Food?



## Hedgie_Magic

Hi all. I just got my little Harlequin and i was curious if i should try to switch the food the breeder had him on. I believe she said that she uses Purina One Adult Cat Food (Chicken and Rice Formula). The hedgie seems to be doing fine on it as far as weight goes so i was just wondering.
Is this a suitable source of nutrition? If not, what would be the best thing to switch him to?


----------



## Hedgehog Grove

Personally I think you should start to slowly switch him from the Purina One to a mix of 3 or 4 of the recommended high quality cat foods list.

Purina isn't a recommended food for hedgies. It contains Poultry by product meal (beaks, bones, feet etc), it also contains a lot of fillers.

I sugguest a mix of: 
Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul Light
Blue Buffalo Longevity for Mature Cats
Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck

Also remember it is a good idea to limit protein percentages to around 30 percent, fat percentages to below 15, and fiber to 15 percent or higher.

When you introduce a new food, start slowly and only 1 new kibble at a time, it can take up to a month to full wean him off the Purina to one of the above. Cut back say 5-10% of the Purina every few days and add the 5-10% back in of the new kibble. Then slowly again add the next one and so on and so on.

Remember to count his kibble each till you refill the bowl so you know how much he is eating. Watch his poops to see if he is adjusting to the new kibble you add in.


----------



## karidaluv

Oh crap. I didn't ween Rex off yet. He's had a brand new type of food since he came home. The pet store was feeding him that generic hedgehog food in the shape of a flower and I didn't buy any when I picked him up! Will he be okay?? His poops are large and normal.


----------



## Hedgehog Grove

karidaluv said:


> Oh crap. I didn't ween Rex off yet. He's had a brand new type of food since he came home. The pet store was feeding him that generic hedgehog food in the shape of a flower and I didn't buy any when I picked him up! Will he be okay?? His poops are large and normal.


What is he on at the moment and how long as he been on it. If his poops are normal then you don't need to buy the original he was on.


----------



## Hedgieonboard

I love your signatures PapillionRu, they are beautiful  If you are able to switch them from the Purina One then that is good but it can also be a hard task. My hedgie Loken was feed that kind when I got him and after almost a year of trying he eats around everything else. I had a very brief victory with Wellness and Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck but then he stopped eating them too. If you are able to switch yours off of it I would love to see what the new food is so maybe it will be one that will work with mine. Good luck on the mix


----------



## karidaluv

He's on a mix of spikes delight & blue buffalo mature mix. His poops are freaking huge! But normal. He's also gettin 1/2 teaspoon of veggies too and 1 mealworm a day.


----------



## Hedgehog Grove

karidaluv said:


> He's on a mix of spikes delight & blue buffalo mature mix. His poops are freaking huge! But normal. He's also gettin 1/2 teaspoon of veggies too and 1 mealworm a day.


I've never heard of Spike's Delight and it isn't on the recommended list in the health/nutrition section. Do you free feed him the mix? If you can start changing him over to something else like CSFCLS but only start removing the Spike's Delight.



Hedgieonboard said:


> I love your signatures PapillionRu, they are beautiful  If you are able to switch them from the Purina One then that is good but it can also be a hard task. My hedgie Loken was feed that kind when I got him and after almost a year of trying he eats around everything else. I had a very brief victory with Wellness and Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck but then he stopped eating them too. If you are able to switch yours off of it I would love to see what the new food is so maybe it will be one that will work with mine. Good luck on the mix


Thank you HoB  What have you tried on Loken?


----------



## tracie

PapilionRu said:


> karidaluv said:
> 
> 
> 
> He's on a mix of spikes delight & blue buffalo mature mix. His poops are freaking huge! But normal. He's also gettin 1/2 teaspoon of veggies too and 1 mealworm a day.
> 
> 
> 
> I've never heard of Spike's Delight and it isn't on the recommended list in the health/nutrition section. Do you free feed him the mix? If you can start changing him over to something else like CSFCLS but only start removing the Spike's Delight.
Click to expand...

Spike's Delight is supposed to be one of the better hedgehog foods. I had mine on it cause that's what they were feeding Zuri at the pet store.


----------



## LarryT

Alot of breeders feed Purina One chicken and rice in their mix. I know it's not listed on Reaper's catfood list but I do feed it in my mix anyway.


----------



## Hedgiepets

I have been using Purina One in my mix for 7 years. I have had no health problems with the hedgehogs using this mix. I have 2 hedgehogs that are almost 5 and over 4.5 yrs.

Everyone has their own opinion of what the best food is.


----------



## fracturedcircle

my boys on NB Reduced Calorie, Blue Buffalo Weight Control, and Castor & Pollux. i want to try Solid Gold Katz-Flocken later down the road.


----------



## LizardGirl

Purina is used by a lot of breeders because it is so much cheaper, it keeps their costs down. For a pet owner though it isn't that much more expensive to use a healthier food. Just because Purina is food it doesn't mean it's good food. I'd rather Inky be eating real ingredients than some of the crap you get in grocery store brands.


----------



## LarryT

LizardGirl said:


> Purina is used by a lot of breeders because it is so much cheaper, it keeps their costs down. For a pet owner though it isn't that much more expensive to use a healthier food. Just because Purina is food it doesn't mean it's good food. I'd rather Inky be eating real ingredients than some of the crap you get in grocery store brands.


It is cheaper,but that's not why I feed it. I feed it cause all my hogs will eat it. Gets old throwing away that expensive stuff every morning and I know cause I've tried hundreds of dollars worth of foods off the LIST without much luck  other than a few of the blue brands.


----------



## Hedgie_Magic

Thanks everyone! I will see if I can start to switch to some of the higher quality foods out there. I didnt get a actual food bag so i was unable to read the label. Time to get shoppin.


----------



## Hedgiepets

I have also tried many of the foods on the list. Mine don't like those foods. I do not like to waste food. I have a bag of Blue Buffalo here, they do not like it.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions about food.


----------



## LarryT

Hedgiepets said:


> I have also tried many of the foods on the list. Mine don't like those foods. I do not like to waste food. I have a bag of Blue Buffalo here, they do not like it.
> 
> Everyone is entitled to their own opinions about food.


I have never been able to get anything to eat those black Life Source bits in the blue brands. I tried them for myself and I must say they where not too tasty at all :lol:


----------



## Hedgie_Magic

LarryT said:


> I have never been able to get anything to eat those black Life Source bits in the blue brands. I tried them for myself and I must say they where not too tasty at all :lol:


 :lol: I never would think that someone would go as far as to TRY the food. Then again, i did try the Bacon treats for dogs once. They were suprisingly good. :roll: Silly me.


----------



## PJM

No one can question your devotion to your hedgies Larry!! :lol:


----------



## fracturedcircle

LizardGirl said:


> Purina is used by a lot of breeders because it is so much cheaper, it keeps their costs down. For a pet owner though it isn't that much more expensive to use a healthier food. Just because Purina is food it doesn't mean it's good food. I'd rather Inky be eating real ingredients than some of the crap you get in grocery store brands.


yeah, i agree with you, LG.

also, the fact that some hoglets live long on the Purina diet doesn't make Purina a great food. it simply means that some hoglets are fortunate to have better genetic makeup than others. i'm just sayin'. pointin' out. not arguin'.


----------



## Sarahg

> I have never been able to get anything to eat those black Life Source bits in the blue brands. I tried them for myself and I must say they where not too tasty at all :lol:


That's the only part Stub will eat! I guess I've got a weird girl. :lol:


----------



## Littlefootsmama

fracturedcircle said:


> also, the fact that some hoglets live long on the Purina diet doesn't make Purina a great food. it simply means that some hoglets are fortunate to have better genetic makeup than others. i'm just sayin'. pointin' out. not arguin'.


I second that Kristina. Same with those that are successful with Meow Mix: first 3-4 ingredients of that is types of corn. In my opinion, its not very healthy for an animal since grain is hard to digest. However, it is a known fact that the oldest hedgie to date lived off of it. To each his own. Its like raising kids: no one person does it exactly the same and some things work out for those that don't work for others.


----------



## Hedgieonboard

It makes me feel better to know there is other hedgies that eat it and have had good lives because until just now I thought mine was one of the only ones and I have been so stressed to find more for my mix. My hedgie acted like he really loved Wellness at first but then he just decided he didn't want it anymore. He did the same with the Green Pea and Duck. I still want to find a couple more for his mix that he loves but it does ease my mind a little while I'm undergoing a process that takes time and can't be sped up. Now I can hopefully stop thinking of worse case scenarios like my hedgie getting sick since its not on the list.


----------



## Littlefootsmama

The cat food list is not set in stone; it is merely suggestions for those that want them. I am currently feeding my boys three foods that are not on the list and they are thriving. I have done my own research and currently still am about their nutritional needs and I am completely confident that I am doing best by my boys regardless if there food is on that list or not. So you should too.


----------



## tracie

Littlefootsmama said:


> The cat food list is not set in stone; it is merely suggestions for those that want them. I am currently feeding my boys three foods that are not on the list and they are thriving. I have done my own research and currently still am about their nutritional needs and I am completely confident that I am doing best by my boys regardless if there food is on that list or not. So you should too.


Which three foods do you feed them?


----------



## Littlefootsmama

Right now I am feeding Castor & Pollux Indoor formula, By nature Chicken, Duck, Salmon entree, and I put in a few fishes of Meow Mix as a treat; however, with the research I have been conducting that may be ceased shortly.


----------



## LizardGirl

> I have never been able to get anything to eat those black Life Source bits in the blue brands. I tried them for myself and I must say they where not too tasty at all


Inky won't either! It's good it's just a small portion of the food cause I usually just toss them out or use them as dog treats (our dogs will eat anything :lol

I get the fact that it's hard to get hedgies to eat some foods and that if you find one that they'll all eat is great, but I really think if they weren't fed it in the first place they'd be perfectly happy to eat decent stuff. I just don't think convenience is a good reason to feed low quality food.

Maybe if baby hedgies weren't weaned onto cheap foods so often they'd be open to more foods later on. I think it'd make a difference.


----------



## Hedgie_Magic

LizardGirl said:


> Maybe if baby hedgies weren't weaned onto cheap foods so often they'd be open to more foods later on. I think it'd make a difference.


Well said LizardGirl! Kinda like if you are raised on fried ice cream, it suddenly becomes your favorite snack.


----------



## Shelobe

LarryT said:


> Hedgiepets said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have also tried many of the foods on the list. Mine don't like those foods. I do not like to waste food. I have a bag of Blue Buffalo here, they do not like it.
> 
> Everyone is entitled to their own opinions about food.
> 
> 
> 
> I have never been able to get anything to eat those black Life Source bits in the blue brands. I tried them for myself and I must say they where not too tasty at all :lol:
Click to expand...

My hedgie eats em but I also feed my dogs Blue Buffalo and they spit those bits onto the floor and refuse to eat em.

As far as wasting food, why not donate it to a shelter? It won't go to waste and possibly save some lives.


----------



## Nancy

Hedgie_Magic said:


> LizardGirl said:
> 
> 
> 
> Maybe if baby hedgies weren't weaned onto cheap foods so often they'd be open to more foods later on. I think it'd make a difference.
> 
> 
> 
> Well said LizardGirl! Kinda like if you are raised on fried ice cream, it suddenly becomes your favorite snack.
Click to expand...

I don't agree. We hear all the time of hedgehogs that were fed a crap food and go to a new home and when given a better food, they immediately quit eating the crap in favour of the good stuff.

I also don't feel what a baby is weaned onto makes any difference and especially if they are weaned onto crap. Weaning onto crap is more likely to make them even more open to better foods.

How much exposure a baby has to different foods doesn't really seem to make any difference either. I've had babies that would eat anything as a baby only to become an adult and turn up their nose at everything. Same the other way around, babies that would eat nothing but kibble and then as they aged, other foods became more interesting.

For most hedgehogs though, I think fussiness is more a matter of personality than what they are weaned onto.


----------



## LizardGirl

I don't see how feeding better quality foods from the start could hurt, though. All the time I see on this and other forums, mailing lists, etc. people concerned that they can't get their hedgie to eat anything but the garbage they came with. With things like commercial hedgie food, it usually tastes as bad as the quality and there are no problems switching over. That the case I see all the time with hedgies happily accepting good foods. The problem with crappy cat food though is not only is it terribly low quality, but the producers also know how to make it taste really good. Hedgies eat it and don't bother trying the better stuff that might not taste like the "fast food" they are used to. 

All I am saying is that if they weren't fed the bad food to start, they wouldn't get so attached to it and people wouldn't have trouble feeding better foods.


----------



## Mary

Nancy said:


> Hedgie_Magic said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> LizardGirl said:
> 
> 
> 
> Maybe if baby hedgies weren't weaned onto cheap foods so often they'd be open to more foods later on. I think it'd make a difference.
> 
> 
> 
> Well said LizardGirl! Kinda like if you are raised on fried ice cream, it suddenly becomes your favorite snack.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I don't agree. We hear all the time of hedgehogs that were fed a crap food and go to a new home and when given a better food, they immediately quit eating the crap in favour of the good stuff.
> 
> I also don't feel what a baby is weaned onto makes any difference and especially if they are weaned onto crap. Weaning onto crap is more likely to make them even more open to better foods.
> 
> How much exposure a baby has to different foods doesn't really seem to make any difference either. I've had babies that would eat anything as a baby only to become an adult and turn up their nose at everything. Same the other way around, babies that would eat nothing but kibble and then as they aged, other foods became more interesting.
> 
> For most hedgehogs though, I think fussiness is more a matter of personality than what they are weaned onto.
Click to expand...


----------



## Mary

Nancy described it perfectly. I totally agree with you.

Sorry for double posting, I can't figure out how to do the quoting thing!


----------



## krbshappy71

Mary said:


> Nancy described it perfectly. I totally agree with you.
> 
> Sorry for double posting, I can't figure out how to do the quoting thing!


psst, to do the quoting thing, log in first, before you choose "reply". Then the "quote" button is in the top right corner of the post for you. Choose that and it will open up a new message with the previous message quoted.

As far as food goes, I use Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul. I don't know what their previous owners used, I chose Chicken Soup off the Reaper list and they all eat it. I understand someone not wanting to throw out food but I just don't offer what I consider less-healthy in the first place. If its not offered, they can't choose it. My dogs don't get a choice either. Here's your dog food, I did the research, good boy.


----------



## Nancy

I have rarely seen where a hedgehog on crappy cat food has continued to eat the crap after being given a better food. Often if they don't eat the good food it is because of the size and shape rather than the food itself. Ever notice how often the crap is a more hedgehog friendly sizes and shapes than the real good stuff. Definitely any of the hedgehog foods are left once new food is introduced. I agree they should be fed a decent quality food right from the start.

Mary, on the post you want to quote, at the top of the blue rectangle of the post, slightly to the top right of middle, there is a box that says "QUOTE". Click on that and it will give you the post you are quoting. Go down below the writing and then write what you want to say. I'm sure that explanation is as clear as mud. :lol:


----------



## HedgeMom

I'm seeing an amazing amount of misinformation on this thread, in fact, on most of the food threads. Seriously, people, do your research. 

Whether a kibble is a high quality holistic food or a grocery store brand, there is one simple fact that everyone seems to miss. The vitamins, minerals, protein and fat are all equally available to the animal. The nutrients in Purina One, Meow Mix, Evo, Avoderm, Katznflocken, etc are all available equally. The only difference is the amounts and since we are completely clueless as to how much Vitamin B or Potassium hedgehogs need, it's a matter of picking a food that you HOPE meets the requirements. 

There are only two reasons to pick a high quality holistic food over a grocery store brand. One, the presence or lack thereof of preservatives and two, the quality of the ingredients being put into the food. 

If I baked you a chocolate cake and my flour had weevils in it, you most likely wouldn't notice. But if you had a choice, you'd prefer I bake my cake from fresh, weevil-free flour. 

That's the issue with grocery store brand of food (as well as other lower quality food like Ole Roy, etc). The Purina One label may read well with meat meal and veggies and all kinds of wholesome sounding ingredients but that's not the reality. The reality is that they get the dregs of the food industry. The dead, diseased and dying animals that aren't fit for human consumption all become pet food. The grains and vegetables that are molding and rotting and can't be sold to humans all go into pet food. Moldy bakery products go into pet food. When a fur farmer skins his minks, chinchillas, rabbits, skunks or raccoons, he tosses the skinned carcass into an unrefridgerated pile which is picked up and made into pet food. Because poor quality ingredients are used, this is what killed all those dogs several years ago and resulted in a major recall of foods. The corn mold poisoned the animals. 

Holistic foods using human grade ingredients do not use rotten, decayed or moldy ingredients. That's why they cost so much. They are using foods that you could serve to your family. They are least likely to cause ill health from poor quality ingredients. 

I'm not surprised that many people say their hedgehogs prefer cheap foods. Cheap foods do not taste good because they use such poor quality ingredients. So producers spray the kibbles with flavor enhancers like beef and chicken fat. The outside smells good so the animal eats. Holistic foods don't normally rely on this tactic. 

In 15 years of rescue, I've never had a hedgehog refuse to switch to high quality foods but I will admit that I cheat. 

Start changing the food. If the hedgehog is picking out the old food and not eating the new food, simply crush up some of the old food into a very fine powder using a spice grinder or blender. Shake the new food up in this powder coating it with the old food flavor. Continue with the switch. Works every single time.


----------



## NoDivision

Crushing up the old food to coat the new food is a great idea, I'll have to remember that.


----------



## MeAmandaTee

I think that if its possible to swtich over to a better quality food then do it. But in the end if your hedgie doesnt like it you dont really have much of a choice, every hedgehogs taste preferences are different. I would personally keep the food and then add other higher quality foods to the mix, wellness indoor cat, chicken soup, theres so many to choose from but it all depends on how your hedgehog likes them. Just see how your hedgehog reacts and you can make a decision based on that.


----------

