# Introducing Tak!



## magenh (Jun 14, 2009)

Hi everyone! I am excited to say that I just got my new hedgie this weekend. Her name is Tak and she's a 7 week old Algerian Grey. I am already very much in love with her already! She is the only hedgie I have currently, but she fits right in with our "brood". I'll post more pictures as I get them, but for now I got at least one really good one last night while she was exploring her cage!

[attachment=0:3w1r7agz]Tak.jpg[/attachment:3w1r7agz]


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Hello little Tak! She is adorable.

May I ask what you are feeding her? It looks like Brown's or something but I might be wrong (maybe C&P? I dunno). 

At nine weeks you'll be able to tell for sure if she's an Algerian Grey. :lol: Until then, no one knows.


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

She is just wonderful! I can't wait for more pictures.


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## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

ill have to agree with LG, appears to be browns...if so it needs to be removed immediately.....very toxic to hedgies


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Congrats on the hedgie she is a looker :mrgreen:


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## magenh (Jun 14, 2009)

She's eating Spike's Delight baby formula food. This is what the breeders that I did business with feed all of their hedgies. The distributor that makes Spike's Delight will even formulate foods for hedgies with more specific nutrition needs, such as having diabetes, etc. She is a gorgeous girl! I'm quite proud of her no matter what color she ends up being!


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## Ahava (Mar 25, 2009)

Awee she is absolutely adorable! so cute!!!!!!!!
Congrats!


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## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

Spikes is considered a junk food though...it is fine to mix in with 2 or more premium cat foods, but does not supply all of a hedgies nutritional needs on its own. You can refer to Reapers Dry cat food list in the Health and Nutrition forum for more info on which foods to mix in.


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## Shelbys Mom (Mar 27, 2009)

Little Tak is beautiful!
Congratulations!


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## magenh (Jun 14, 2009)

Reaper said:


> I decided it might be a good idea to talk about commercially prepared Hedgehog foods. Why some are ok choices for African Hedgehogs and some are not.
> If you walk into a pet store and ask for "bird food" you will probably be shown a lot of packages that say "Bird Food" on them. The problem then arises if your bird is a Minah, a Toucan, a falcon, etc.etc. Even a Robin Redbreast cannot live off of seeds. So just because it says "Hedgehog Food" on the package does not neccesarily mean it is appropriate for African Hedgehogs.
> Here is a list of most of the commercially prepared "Hedgehog Foods":
> 1. Spike's Delight Hedgehog foods (all formulas)
> ...


This is coming from a discussion on Hedgehog foods in the Diet section of the forums. I would not have bought Spike's Delight if someone on this forum who is knowledgeable about hedgies hadn't listed it as okay to feed. I also give her crickets and mealworms with each meal. I also plan on introducing boiled chicken and veggies into her diet. I wanted to give her a few days with the diet she is used to. The breeder that I bought her from feeds Spike's Delight to all of their hedgies and they live long healthy lives. Thanks for the input though!


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## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

Now the first six on the list are *ok* to feed an African Hedgehog. Most experts agree
to mix several types of high quality, high protein, low fat cat foods / Hedgehog foods.

This is the exact same thing that i said.


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## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

And crickets and mealworms are too fatty for most hedges to have on a daily basis...usually no more that 2-3 times a week as a treat, not a food staple.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

While Spikes is an "ok" food to feed, you still need to mix in another 2-3 good quality cat kibble in there as well.

Currently, there is not one food that fulfills our APH's nutritional requirements, hence the need for a mix of a few different foods as a staple.


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## magenh (Jun 14, 2009)

As I said. I plan on introducing boiled chicken and fruits and veggies into her diet, but as I've only had her for 2 days, I feel she needs a chance to acclimate to her new home before I start introducing a new diet. I hope to model something similar to the diet found at http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/comemeetmyfamily/hhcare6A.html. It is the site that is linked from the HWS care guide. I've been feeding her the crickets and meal worms as a treat. The first night she didn't eat them, but she did last night.



dorasdaddy said:


> Now the first six on the list are ok to feed an African Hedgehog. Most experts agree
> to mix several types of high quality, high protein, low fat cat foods / Hedgehog foods.
> 
> This is the exact same thing that i said.


No, Dorasdaddy, you said that it was a "junk food" and I shouldn't feed it. I will be supplementing and adding other things to her diet, but as I've said, that is what she was fed by the breeder (all of their hedgies eat it with good results) and I don't want to stress her out by changing her diet along with her surroundings that drastically within the first two days.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

dorasdaddy said:


> Spikes is considered a junk food though...it is fine to mix in with 2 or more premium cat foods, but does not supply all of a hedgies nutritional needs on its own. You can refer to Reapers Dry cat food list in the Health and Nutrition forum for more info on which foods to mix in.


Dorasdaddy did not say don't feed it he said it is a junk food and that's what it is.
"It is fine to mix in with 2 or more premium cat foods, but does not supply all of a hedgies nutritional needs on its own"


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Nowhere in Dora'sdaddy post did it say that you shouldn't feed it. In fact, he said


dorasdaddy said:


> *Spikes is considered a junk food though...it is fine to mix in with 2 or more premium cat foods, but does not supply all of a hedgies nutritional needs on its own. * You can refer to Reapers Dry cat food list in the Health and Nutrition forum for more info on which foods to mix in.


Which I also said that it's ok to feed...Along with other cat foods.

From a thread about "junk food" and hedgie diet:


Reaper said:


> You are correct... *At present there is no "one" food that seems to meet all hedgie nutritional needs so a mix of foods still seems to be the best.* As I have discussed on other topics the average life span for a wild white bellied or Algerian hedgehog is about 2 years. The easiest way to increase the lifespan in captivity is diet. For a while many breeders and enthusiasts would feed the absolute "best" foods and it seems too good of food was "too rich". Once these breeders added a "junk" food to their hedgies diets they saw those hedgies living longer. Yes hedgies are insectivores but they are also opportunistic scavengers in the wild. So their diet should consist of several things. Gail Dick of Millermeade Farms describes it this way: "You don't want your children to eat nothing but french fries, but a few once in a while makes them happy and doesn't hurt them." So it is with hedgies as well. *Many breeders add what I call a "junk" food in their mix. And many believe it has extended the lifespan of their hedgies. It makes sense and it may make our hedgies a little happier. So I add Spike's Delight Premium hedgehog food in my mix as my quilled ones were fed it at the breeders.* They don't eat it all the time but will pick it out of the mix on occasion. *So the consensus on diet still seems to be a mix of at least three(the more variety the better IMO) quality cat foods or African hedgie foods along with live bugs,cooked chicken, turkey, eggs, fresh fruit and veggies as treats *will ensure the best possible diet to increase our quilled friends lives.


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Now, going back to that website you just posted...I hope you know enough not to follow everything on that website, as it lists GRAPES as something that is safe to feed........So unless you want your hedgie to have renal failure, please feel free to ask about any food you are unsure of. ^_^

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Also, I totally agree that since you only just recently got your baby, there should be NO food changes. However, it is good to learn what you should be doing and what you should buy in the following weeks, as your hedgie gets used to her new home. ^_^ Especially since there are some foods are Reaper's list that takes some hunting time :lol: So the sooner you pick out what other foods you want to mix in, the easier it will be to find it and have it ready for when it's time to start adding new foods.


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## magenh (Jun 14, 2009)

This will be my last post on these forums. The first time I used them, I was ignored when I posted questions. This time everything I say is apparently going to be attacked by people who can't just drop a subject, especially when the argument is continued after several attempts to end it as it is in a thread meant to INTRODUCE A NEW HEDGIE, not discuss nutrition and diet. 

Thank you to those of you on the forums who are very knowledgeable and informative to those of us researching how to best care for our pets. I hope you find a way to deal with the people on this site who constantly seem to feel the need to argue in the various threads that people post. Those few people will push new users away from a site that could be a great resource to hedgie owners.


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## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

The picture of the obviously obese hedgehog would be enough to steer me clar of that diet..and chickien is way to high in proteint o be fed every day....chicken, vegies, fruits, insects and baby food should be treats...and as such should only be given occasionally, the staple should be a mix f 2-3 premium cat foods from the dry cat food list that reaper has spent so much time and research compiing...and unlike all of the other "authorities" Reapers list is a "living list" and ,as such, as new formulas come out or old formulas are changed the list is changed to add or take away those foods that now either make the grade or not. No other site on the net is more vigilant about the Diet of the African Mixed Breed Pet Hedgehog as this forum is. The list provided is the most up to date that you will find.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Geez folks. While Spikes is not an ideal food on its own, it is one of the better hedgehog foods and is perfectly acceptable as part of a mix. This is a baby she is talking about that came from the breeder on that food and should NOT be changed for at least a couple of weeks. We aren't talking Vitacrap or Pretty Pets which would be a concern. Cut her some slack. What obese hedgehog is there a picture of? The one the op posted looks like a perfectly normal sized hedgehog to me. Seriously guys, this is getting ridiculous.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Guys, a post was made to introduce a baby hedgie to the members here, and it turns into an arguement over something that the owner is doing just fine on. To me, it looks like Tak is getting very well taken care of. Not to mention that while in some places outdated, the link given has some excellent advice and sound experience backing it up. 

magenh, I PMed you. Sorry about the turn the thread took.


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## magenh (Jun 14, 2009)

Thank you everyone for the support! I'm going to stick around. There are too many wonderful people on these forums who can share in my joy over owning a wonderful little hedgie and help me out when I need it!


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## Shelbys Mom (Mar 27, 2009)

I'm glad you decided to stay with us magenh.  

Sometimes people get a little over protective that's all.


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