# My hedgehog refuses to eat cat food.



## jpweng1217 (Mar 22, 2009)

BoBo, 2 years 9 months years old, 650 grams.
She's been eating mealworms for four months and she refuses to eat any dry cat food, fruit, and fresh meat. The only food she eats is mealworms.
I've tried many ways to feed her dry cat food but she wouldn't eat anything for 3 days. So I give up.
I don't know what to do.


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## drpepperheather (Dec 19, 2008)

What kind (brand) of cat food are you trying?


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## jpweng1217 (Mar 22, 2009)

I feed her Hill's cat food.


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## sarahomnia (Feb 10, 2009)

Try Wellness Indoor or Natural Balance Green Peas and Duck. Chicken Soup for the Cats Soul also seems to be popular. Most hedgies have sensitive pallets and need to be fed multiple cat foods because they will go on and off certain ones. If he doesn't like that particular one then you need to keep searching for a few that he does like and then make a mix of them for him.

PetCo I know and I'm sure PetSmart will let you return a bag of food even if you have opened it as long as you haven't used a lot.


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## sarahomnia (Feb 10, 2009)

Also, Reaper has a list of appropriate hedgehog foods, here is the link:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Did she stop eating cat food on her own? Have you had her into a vet to have her mouth looked at? Or is there another reason she was started on a mealworm only diet (like a previous owner did it) etc? 

I think there is more than just offering different cat foods that needs to be considered when answering this question. If there are teeth issues, like she has worn her teeth down, broken a couple, or otherwise has a painful mouth, chewing food that is crunchy may not be possible. 

If you haven't, I'd take her into a vet to be examined. Ensure that you aren't dealing with a health issue then attempt to try different foods. Moisten dry foods, try canned foods, etc.


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## jpweng1217 (Mar 22, 2009)

Unluckily, vets in Taiwan don't know much about hedgehogs. BoBo had blood in her urine last week for two days and I brought her to a vet and had her urine tested. There are lots of bad bacterium in her urine and the vet gave me some medicine. After taking the medicine for 3 days there is no blood in her urine now. I wonder if eating mealworms for four months caused blood in her urine? The vet couldn't give me a clear answer what caused blood urine. I tried to feed her dry cat food and cat canned food, but she refused to eat anything at all for three days, so I gave up. Now she's eating her favorite mealworms. 
I have three girl hedgehogs and when they are sick I bring them to the vets. But the vets in Taiwan are not helpful.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

I've heard plenty of reports of the vets in taiwan not being too helpful. They just don't seem to have the experience yet.

The bloody urine could be from a bladder infection or from a uterine problem. If you get through the antibiotics and it reappears have them draw urine from her bladder directly. If it is clear there, it is likely to be a uterine problem. I have yet to experience a uterine issue but a spay is often recommended.

I wouldn't mess with her diet while she is being treated for bloody urine. No need to tax her immune system while she is recovering. Can you open her mouth to look inside? Will she allow it? Take a peak inside, look to see if you can see anything wrong. Broken teeth, gum swelling, no teeth, etc. I would also ask the vet to examine her mouth.

Hedgehogs can be very determined when it comes to switching their diet. Fasting is a problem.


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## jpweng1217 (Mar 22, 2009)

I just checked her teeth and she still has teeth. I can't see whether she has a gum swelling or a painful mouth. 
She's taken medicine for three days for her bloody urine and she's improving.
I'll take her to the vet in a few days to have her urine tested again and teeth and mouth checked.


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

Is it a new kind of food? If your vet recommended switching foods and you tried it and that's why she's not eating, try giving the old food back then making the switch after her treatments are finished. If it's the old food, maybe she just isn't feeling well and doesn't feel like eating.

If she hasn't eaten anything but mealworms for 3 days, it may be time to start syringe feeding her. Is she drinking? Keep a close eye on that because it's easy for them to become dehydrated and can happen quickly.

*edit* Take a look at this thread about syringe feeding. There's a post in there about using the normal kibble in an effort to keep tummy upset at a minimum. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1685&p=13612 */edit*


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## jpweng1217 (Mar 22, 2009)

BoBo has eaten mealworms for 4 months. She refuses to eat anything but mealworms. I tried to feed her the dry cat food she used to eat, but she wouldn't eat any of it. She wouldn't eat fruit, or meat. 
I'll try syringe-feeding. Every time I use syringe to feed her medicine, she struggles a lot and doesn't open her mouth.
She is a very stubborn hedgehog.


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