# thinking of adding another food to the mix



## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

I am thinking of adding another food to the mix I feed Sonic. right now he is on Innova Senior cat food and Simply Nurrish Indoor cat food(turkey & oatmeal flavor). The total protein is 35% and the fat is 11%. I am wanting to add more neutrition to his diet. I give him mealies every other day. I do not have any foods in mind to add to the mix I was am just wanting to add more neutrition to his diet. please give your suggestions with what store to get the food, the price of the food and the fat and protien %'s.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I really liked both Natural Balance and Solid Gold. Natural Balance has a formula with duck as the main meat and Solid Gold uses lamb, so they make good foods to get different protein sources in. Not sure what all stores have them, but I think Petco does - you can check their site to be sure. Pet Supplies Plus has both as well, but I know they're not a widespread store.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

what flavors and what is the protein and fat percents?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

You can check a pet store website like PetCo or use Google to find the brand websites and check.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

thank you for the suggestions. those two are a little out of my price range. I can see myself spending close $15 for a small bag.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

I was thinking of adding this:

BLUE Wilderness Grain Free Duck Cats Food

Ingredients

Deboned Duck, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potato Starch, Fish Meal(natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Chicken Fat (naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Peas, Whole Potatoes, Flaxseed (natural source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Natural Chicken Flavor, Alfalfa Meal, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Blueberries, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Turmeric, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Salt, Caramel, Potassium Chloride, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 40.0% min Crude Fat 18.0% min

Simply Nourish Adult Chicken & Rice Cat Food
INGREDIENTS:

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Rice Flour, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Oatmeal, Dried Chicory Root, Flaxseed, Dried Cranberries, Dried Carrots, Dried Sweet Potatoes, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, L-ascorbyl-polyphosphate, Vitamin A Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Ferric Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Taurine.
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:

Crude Protein Not less than 36.0%
Crude Fat Not less than 16.0%


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I would go with the second one, the Simply Nourish. The protein and fat are both a bit high on the Blue Wilderness one, especially if he's at a good weight and doesn't need to keep it on or gain more. Blue Buffalo (the brand behind Blue Wilderness) is a great brand and has other options though, so if you can find that brand in a store near you, I'd check into some of the other foods in that line for something with a bit lower protein/fat.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

when I weighted Sonic he was 449 grams. I am not sure if that is a good weight for a 2 1/2 year old hedgie. Is that a good weight for him?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

It's less about the weight and more about his overall size and body shape. If his shape is like a tear drop, or a bit round, like ( ), he's a normal hedgie and probably doesn't need more than 10-12% fat. If he has a thinner frame, so that his sides are straight like | | or if they're caved in like ) (, then he's probably more of a runner body type and he could use extra fat. I'm going to guess he's normal shape, since it's usually pretty easy to tell a runner type, so he probably doesn't need that much fat.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

I just weighted him he is 455.6 grams now.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

I decided to add Blue Longevity Mature cat food to his mix of food. now the protein is 34% and fat is 10%. thank you for helping me figure out a food to add to his diet.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Sounds like a great choice!  I hope he likes the new food.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

I hope so too. I got a total of 7.7 lbs of food for him. that should last me quite sometime. I fill one of those plastic colorful shot glasses up and thats what I give him a night its roughly 2 tablespoons.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yeah, that should last a long time. If you want a good way to store it so that it stays fresh (sometimes they'll start eating less once the food starts going stale), you can bag it up and keep it in the freezer to help preserve it for longer. I had to do that with Lily's food in order to keep it fresh enough to use most of it - I still usually ended up throwing out the last bit of it when it was starting to get stale and freezer-burnt.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

I got his food in a sterilight locking container so I dont think it would go stale. I would not be able to put any in the freezer cause we got a small freezer since we live in an apartment.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

I have been feeding sonic the new mix for a few days now. He has been leaving the new food in the dish and eating the others. I have seen him eat pieces of the blue longevity but I don't understand why he is leaving it in his dish.


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## Shell (Aug 23, 2012)

My Percy did that too when I added Blue buffalo but I ended up putting less in his bowl at night. Went from 2 tablespoons to just a litte less and he'd get hungry enough to eat his entire bowl. After a few days I went back to 2 tablespoons again and now he eats all three mixes evenly. 
I don't have freezer space either, but it's cold enough to put in the back of my trunk for the winter. It just helps to keep it last longer. Even in a sealed bag it can still go stale after some time.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

I will have to try that. I put 1 tbs of food in his bowl. in case he wants a snack during the day. I free feed him.


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## Shell (Aug 23, 2012)

At night I put 2 tbsp of fresh kibble in his bowl and when I wake up there's still some in it so by the time I get home from work at 10pm, there's just a little bit left. I toss that and refill. I never leave him without some food in his bowl, so I guess I free feed too. Percy like's to nibble throughout the night and I don't want to leave him hungry.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

That is the reason why I free feed Sonic cause I don't him to be wanting a snack and have nothing in his cage to munch on. He sometimes during the day comes out to get a drink or snack. I hope with me cutting back on the amount he will eat it all. when I give him 2 TBS he doesn't eat it all he leaves some in his bowl like a half-1 TBS in his bowl. So I am thinking that I should cut back on his portions so that there is not waste in food.


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## shmurciakova (Sep 7, 2008)

I think he will eat it eventually, esp. if you cut back a bit on the total amount of food, or just cut back a bit on his old food. When given a choice I think they always will go for the highest fat food first.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

tonight I am going to be giving him 1 TBS so we will see how it goes. I will be taking him to a friends house tonight cause they want to see him. he will be in his cage that he came with when I bought him. I use it as a travel cage or the cage I put him in when I am cleaning his C&C cage. he has not been running in his wheel as much since I rehomed my female hedgie. I think hes a little depressed about it. he really liked her but she didnt like him. I didnt have the time for both of them so I had to pick favorites and I rehomed her.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

I just weighed him he is at 428.8 grams he was at 455.6 grams 2 weeks ago exactly. I am thinking I am going to pull the new food out of the mix he doesnt seem to like it.


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