# Not eating enough kibble?



## cylaura (Jan 13, 2011)

As some of you may know, I've been feeding Liam a new mixture for the past few weeks: kibbles, cut up veggies, sunshine factor, and baby food (chicken or turkey) all mixed together. He also gets a couple of mealies every night, either on top of his food or given as treats. He loves the stuff, except for one thing: he's kind of stopped eating the kibble. I noticed he was leaving more kibbles in his bowl recently, so I started counting, and he gets about ~50/night. This morning, there were still 40 kibble left, and all the rest of the stuff was gone.

So, I guess my question is: can a hedgie eat too MANY vegetables and not ENOUGH kibble? :shock: 

He is getting protein because of the mealies and the veggies that are (presumably) coated with the baby food. But, is this enough? Should I cut back on the veggies? I usually just defrost a couple of things (one carrot slice, one water chestnut, one pea pod, etc.) and cut them into pieces. Am I just being an overly-worrisome mama (probably) and learn to accept my semi-vegetarian hedgie? :lol: 

(Also, I know that a lot of people have trouble getting their guys to eat any veggies so please know that I am not trying to brag or be obnoxious. Just wondering!  )


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## rivoli256 (Mar 1, 2009)

before i offer any advice...methinks i seem to remember thou wert a doubting cylaura re: veggie hedgies...might i suggest a wee dose of karma has come to knock on your door?  :lol:  :lol: 

anyway, he's going to be getting good fiber -which is my personal worry with my kiddos. so if you are worried about protein, you could add in more baby food...or what i would prefer if it were mine...add in a bit of actual meat - chix, turkey, beef, pork, etc.- as well. fresh veggies, meat, & mealies is much closer to their diet in the wild. unless you are my wild guy - in which case no bugs allowed. :roll: 

i think kibble is so great in that it gives us hard numbers...so we KNOW what % of what we are giving. but kind of like vitamins...it's better to get it in it's "real" form. that's my very humble & pitiful opinion though. (this also comes from someone who is obsessive about her kibble mix! )


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## cylaura (Jan 13, 2011)

rivoli256 said:


> before i offer any advice...methinks i seem to remember thou wert a doubting cylaura re: veggie hedgies...might i suggest a wee dose of karma has come to knock on your door?  :lol:  :lol:


Hahahahahaha, oh, Rivoli, it's so true! Never again will I doubt the power of karma (or broccoli!). I fully admit to having to eat my words (so to speak). :lol:

I like your idea of adding in some cooked meat as well. Liam loves to nom cooked chicken, so I'm sure he'd go for it. What I really need to do is finally make little portions and freeze them - I'm currently assembling this concoction every night by hand, to the chagrin of my roommate.

Thank you for the advice! I never thought of kibble like vitamins, but it's not a bad comparison. The sad thing is, I get such a strange joy out of this whole food experimentation process. Hedgie ownership. This is what happens! :roll:


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## Sarahg (Feb 18, 2010)

cylaura said:


> The sad thing is, I get such a strange joy out of this whole food experimentation process. Hedgie ownership. This is what happens! :roll:


It's not sad, I feel the same way! I get so excited when I find something new Stub actually likes. Last night she gobbled up the mango baby food, yay!  :lol:


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## rivoli256 (Mar 1, 2009)

cylaura said:


> Hahahahahaha, oh, Rivoli, it's so true! Never again will I doubt the power of karma (or broccoli!). I fully admit to having to eat my words (so to speak). :lol:
> 
> I like your idea of adding in some cooked meat as well. Liam loves to nom cooked chicken, so I'm sure he'd go for it. What I really need to do is finally make little portions and freeze them - I'm currently assembling this concoction every night by hand, to the chagrin of my roommate.


mwah-hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! :twisted: i win! LOL both you & MissC have veggie hedgies now! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! i am still going to get a good quality vid of Henry nomming sweet potatoes & broccoli...just cause.  :lol:

i do a bit of both as far as prep goes. i bake a sweet potato, mash it up with a bit of butter! :shock: (fancy European stuff to boot), & then i have it easily on hand to scoop out. other veggies are usually part of what i am eating. :roll: or i make up a mix of broccoli & cauliflower or a pre-mixed mixed veggie bag... just part of the bag & keep it in the fridge. usually last 3 days or so. i keep chix & turkey & bacon on hand in little baggies, already torn up into bite-sized pieces so i can add to food or use as treats.

i would recommend -for nights you are tired, when you travel with Liam, or if you are having someone care for him- checking out Halo Spot's Stew canned cat food. it has WHOLE veggies...as in recognizable peas, carrots, squash, etc. in it. not whirred mush & no crap! (we all know i am obsessive about that...& that is an understatement! :lol: ) you could also just use it in rotation occasionally. i was super impressed with it. even Henry likes it & he categorically ABHORS cat food of every type. i almost fell off the couch when he gobbled some up.

so doing a little "told you so" dance! ...in the nicest of ways!  :lol:


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## cylaura (Jan 13, 2011)

rivoli256 said:


> mwah-hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! :twisted: i win! LOL both you & MissC have veggie hedgies now! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! i am still going to get a good quality vid of Henry nomming sweet potatoes & broccoli...just cause.  :lol:


Yes, videos please! That way I can show Liam his comrade-in-arms. :lol: I'll try and catch a video of my little bugger one of these days as well.



rivoli256 said:


> i would recommend -for nights you are tired, when you travel with Liam, or if you are having someone care for him- checking out Halo Spot's Stew canned cat food. it has WHOLE veggies...as in recognizable peas, carrots, squash, etc. in it. not whirred mush & no crap! (we all know i am obsessive about that...& that is an understatement! :lol: ) you could also just use it in rotation occasionally. i was super impressed with it. even Henry likes it & he categorically ABHORS cat food of every type. i almost fell off the couch when he gobbled some up.


Thanks for the suggestion! I haven't tried any type of canned catfood yet (mostly because they all smell HORRIFIC) but that kind sounds pretty good - and actually nutritious! I'll have to try it out. Does it have a high fat content at all?


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## rivoli256 (Mar 1, 2009)

i have one video...but it is hard so see him shoveling it in his mouth & then chomping, which is so cute. i have to get a better one! i would love to see Liam too! 

no, the fat isn't too high (4%) & i like the texture (silly, i know...but you know how the prickly ones are!)...

http://shop.halopets.com/Canned-Cat-Food/Wholesome-Chicken-Recipe-3-oz_4

they have several different flavors...i have only tried the chix but def will try others.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

first of all, rivoli:  

i was going to say exactly what rivoli said, cylaura...i do the same thing: fresh meat with canned catfood/babyfood and veggies (i use frozen mixes) and i mix in the kibble right before i serve it so it still has some crunch. i agree 100%: it's better to get nutrients from real food, even if we're not sure how much they're getting. 

my initial concern was the same: fibre? but poop is normal (crickets help the most, i think) and he eats everything but still manages to somehow eat around some of the kibble. my latest worry was a lack of water consumption but i think it's cuz of all the extra fruits and veggies. as rivoli noted, some canned food really does look/smell good enough for humans to eat. :shock: 

my vet supports this, too, BTW and said to watch behavior, poop/pp and weight. if it's fine, the diet is fine.


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## cylaura (Jan 13, 2011)

Thank you for the link, rivoli! I just ordered a couple of the 'can sampler' (chicken, turkey, lamb, salmon) - to see which ones he likes best! I'm sure salmon poops will be exciting ( :shock: ).



MissC said:


> my initial concern was the same: fibre? but poop is normal (crickets help the most, i think) and he eats everything but still manages to somehow eat around some of the kibble. my latest worry was a lack of water consumption but i think it's cuz of all the extra fruits and veggies. as rivoli noted, some canned food really does look/smell good enough for humans to eat. :shock:


Yeah, I've been using a frozen 'asian' veggie mix like you suggested and he loves it! Also, frozen peas - L's a big fan. I haven't worked myself up to frozen crickets yet (mostly because of the "feel bad for freezing the little dudes" feeling that was discussed the other day) but it's on the to-do list. And good to know that the veggies/fruit will help supplement water consumption, because I had been worrying about that! Liam had been using a bottle, then I switched him to a bowl after reading on here, then I felt like he wasn't drinking, plus he tips his bowl over a lot, so now he has both, because I am a crazy person. :lol: :roll:


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

um...'crazy' is having three bolws of water - all flavoured differently...THAT's crazy.  

Interestingly, Snarf drank twice as much as usual the first night I stopped stressing over his water consumption. :? 

Yes...I don't kill mosquitos, so it was a moral dilemma for me...but I justified it by reminding myself that it's part of his natural diet and it's no worse than keeping the poor things alive in a teeny container and all they do is get a little chilly, then fall asleep. Every time I see Snarf hunting them down like a fiend, it reaffirms my choice. But, hey, that's just me...I still don't kill mosquitos or any other bugs to make up for it.


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## cylaura (Jan 13, 2011)

MissC said:


> um...'crazy' is having three bolws of water - all flavoured differently...THAT's crazy.


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I love it! Something to aspire to... hehehehe


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## rivoli256 (Mar 1, 2009)

crazy, schmazy! 

we're fascinating. 

glad you ordered the sampler! your eyes may not bulge out like mine did since you have been forewarned that you will recognize actual veggies but man...i still cannot get over it. (perhaps THAT is crazy! :shock: :lol: )

i still sit on the throne of "HA! your hedgies eat veggies" quite happily. :roll:  

i am trying to get Henry to try some of the Asian stuff. he's still a little like "uh, where is the sweet & the buttery?" but i persist. i want to get vid of him keeee-ronching a water chestnut! oh, the cuteness there would be.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I can't wait for all the videos!
As you know, I make up a blended mix of fruits, veggies, chicken, broth(water) & kibble for Zoey.
Usually Cholla isn't interested in anything but kibble & bugs. But the past couple nights, after I have put Zoey away & gotten Cholla, he's found her blended food & has been eating it! I think he likes it only because he knows it's not for him. but it made me pretty excited! He's just like hedgie-daddy! If they don't know they're eating something good for them, they like it!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I've actually been noticing this same thing in Lily lately...I've tried before with feeding her baby food, veggies, fruit, etc. every night and usually fell out of routine after a few nights. I finally managed to get myself into a steady routine, and have kept up with giving her baby food and/or fresh fruit every night now, and I'm planning to branch out into wet cat foods, plain boiled meat, and fresh/frozen veggies soon. It'll have to wait until after the semester is finished though, I'll have more time to spend on coordinating hedgie meals then! :lol: 
Anyway, I give her a veggie baby food and a meat baby food two nights in a row, then one night of fruit baby food or fresh fruits, then back to veggie/meat for two more nights, and so on. I was looking at her chart tonight and realized that the last four nights, she's eaten all of her baby food or fruit, and eaten less kibble (less than 20 kibble each night). I'm assuming that she gets all filled up with the baby food and so eats less kibble, and have been hoping that this is an okay thing. I'm hoping she'll keep trying new things with the baby food and soon with the frozen/fresh veggies. So far I've found that she likes peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, turkey, chicken, pear, and apple baby foods, and watermelon, honey dew melon, cantaloupe, and strawberry for fresh fruits.


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## cylaura (Jan 13, 2011)

rivoli256 said:


> crazy, schmazy!
> 
> we're fascinating.
> 
> ...


I'll let you know how it goes when it gets here! I figure, if Liam won't go for it, I can try and pawn some off for my bf's cat, who is crazy spoiled and eats two cans of wet food A DAY, but horrible, nasty, unhealthy wet food. I'm always arguing with him over animal nutrition stuff. :roll:

Also, Liam LOVES the water chestnuts! Probably because they are so crunchy.  For some reason, the ratio of those to the other veggies in the mix I buy is not very high, so I plan on getting an extra can and freezing those too so I have extra.



PJM said:


> I can't wait for all the videos!
> As you know, I make up a blended mix of fruits, veggies, chicken, broth(water) & kibble for Zoey.
> Usually Cholla isn't interested in anything but kibble & bugs. But the past couple nights, after I have put Zoey away & gotten Cholla, he's found her blended food & has been eating it! I think he likes it only because he knows it's not for him. but it made me pretty excited! He's just like hedgie-daddy! If they don't know they're eating something good for them, they like it!


Awwww, this is so cute! Cholla will be wanting in on the veggie fun soon, I bet, after hearing ll of these stories!! 

And using broth is a good idea - extra nutrition AND hydration! So smart!



Lilysmommy said:


> Anyway, I give her a veggie baby food and a meat baby food two nights in a row, then one night of fruit baby food or fresh fruits, then back to veggie/meat for two more nights, and so on. I was looking at her chart tonight and realized that the last four nights, she's eaten all of her baby food or fruit, and eaten less kibble (less than 20 kibble each night). I'm assuming that she gets all filled up with the baby food and so eats less kibble, and have been hoping that this is an okay thing. I'm hoping she'll keep trying new things with the baby food and soon with the frozen/fresh veggies. So far I've found that she likes peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, turkey, chicken, pear, and apple baby foods, and watermelon, honey dew melon, cantaloupe, and strawberry for fresh fruits.


That's great! I'm glad to see I'm not alone in this, and that it really probably is good in the long run. I'm jealous that Lily likes so many fruits though - Liam has pretty much roundly rejected every one I've tried except bananas. I'm hoping that, with summer around the corner, I'll be able to try more fresh ones!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

cylaura said:


> That's great! I'm glad to see I'm not alone in this, and that it really probably is good in the long run. I'm jealous that Lily likes so many fruits though - Liam has pretty much roundly rejected every one I've tried except bananas. I'm hoping that, with summer around the corner, I'll be able to try more fresh ones!


Yeah, she really seems to like melons, hehe. She wouldn't try regular apples last time I tried them though, and she absolutely refuses bananas, whether it's baby food or the real fruit. Hopefully Liam will change his mind and try a few more fruits! Lily also decided to throw me for a loop last night and refused to touch the green beans baby food I gave her. I think she was mad that it wasn't peas or sweet potatos. :roll: :lol:


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