# How to get them switched when they prefer "junk" food??



## hlsiefken (Jan 23, 2014)

Okay, so I am having issues getting our hedgies to switch to eating a better food. They both came to me from the same breeder who feeds Purina One Smart Blend Chicken and Rice. I had gotten my male switched to Simply Nourish Senoir Cat Food, Chicken and Rice but he started eating a lot less and starting losing weight.. several grams over the course of a few days. I contacted the breeder and she said to offer the food he came to me on again and to steer clear from Senior food. When I found the calorie per cup I noticed that the Senior food did indeed have a lot fewer calories than the Purina. Since I started offering the Purina again, they both eat really well, and the other day I picked up some Newman's Own Organics, Advanced Cat Formula. I really hate to feed any of my animals any kind of dry food with corn or soy, and corn is the third ingredient in the Purina , and soy is in the Newman's, but it's organic so it's a little better. 

However, while they are eating some of it, they are eating maybe a few kibbles and then eating mostly the Purina. How am I going to get them to switch gradually if they won't even eat the small amount I put in there?!

Here are the specs for the Purina:

Ingredients:

Chicken, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), whole grain corn, fish meal, soy protein isolate, animal liver flavor, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, caramel color, salt, choline chloride, taurine, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite. 
Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude protein (min.) 34%, crude fat (min.) 13%, crude fiber (max.) 2%, moisture (max.) 12%, calcium (Ca) (min.) 0.8%, phosphorus (P) (min.) 0.7%, magnesium (Mg) (max.) 0.09%, taurine (min.) 0.15%, selenium (min.) 0.30 mg, vitamin A (min.) 11,000 IU, vitamin E (min.) 100 IU.

And the specs for the Newman's:

Crude Protein	34.0% (min)
Crude Fat	14.0% (min)
Crude Fiber	3% (max)
Moisture	10.0% (max)
Ash	6.5% (max)
Taurine	.20% (min)

INGREDIENTS:

Organic Chicken, Poultry Meal, Organic Soybean Meal, Fish Meal, Organic Sorghum, Organic Peas, Organic Brown Rice, Organic Millet, Organic Rice, Organic Canola Oil, Poultry Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Organic Oats, Organic Barley, Natural Flavors, Organic Flax Seed, Organic Carrots, Cranberries, DL-Methionine, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Taurine, Parsley, Choline Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Zinc), Iron Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Iron), Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Manganese), Copper Amino Acid Complex (Source of Chelated Copper), Niacin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Ascorbic Acid (Source of Vitamin C), Lecithin, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Cobalt Proteinate (Source of Chelated Cobalt), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Rosemary Extract, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite, Dehydrated Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dehydrated Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dehydrated Bifidobacterium Thermophilum Fermentation Product, Dehydrated Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product.




I know they both have some vague labels but I really like the Newman's Own company (a lot of their human organic food is reasonably priced and non-profit!), but clearly the ingredients are much better (even some probiotics!) so I really want them to take to it! Plus the kibble size is tiny and a great size for hedgies! 


I am thinking it's like junk food.. if someone offered you your favorite junk food with your not so favorite healthy food, you're probably going to fill yourself on the junk food!

I technically can keep putting more and more Newman's in until they are pretty much forced to eat it or not eat, but then I can't change them gradually! 

I know the breeder I got my babies from has had success with this food for several years, but I would rather feed something else.

Purina does have a new food that seems to be one step up.. it has no corn but it does have soy in it a couple of times.. here are the specs on it..

PURINA ONE BEYOND® White Meat Chicken & Whole Oat Meal Recipe

Crude Protein (MIN)	33.0%
Crude Fat (MIN)	14.0%
Crude Fiber (MAX)	4.0%
Moisture (MAX)	12.0%
Linoleic Acid (MIN)	1.5%
Calcium (Ca) (MIN)	1.0%
Phosphorus (P) (MIN)	0.9%
Zinc (Zn) (Min)	150 ppm
Selenium (Se) (MIN)	0.35 ppm
Vitamin A (MIN)	12,000 IU/kg
Vitamin E (MIN)	150 IU/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (MIN)*	0.35%
Omega-6 Fatty Acids (MIN)*	1.60%

INGREDIENTS: Chicken, chicken meal, whole brown rice, soybean meal, whole barley, whole oat meal, soy protein isolate, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), dried yeast, dried egg product, natural flavor, dried beet pulp, fish oil, phosphoric acid, caramel color, dried carrots, salt, calcium carbonate, dried sweet potatoes, dried apples, potassium chloride, taurine, choline chloride, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite. B-4260


I'm kind of wondering if the Purina ONE Beyond would be an okay compromise.. wondering if they would eat it better since it's the same company?

I just hate to go out and buy yet another bag of cat food for them not to take to it! Hubby shredded the receipt to the Simply Nourish, so I had to take a store credit (which was okay because I needed a few things), but I got the Newman's at an Ingles grocery store so I am not sure they would take back an open bag just because my animals don't like it. 


Anyways, sorry for the ramble but I am hoping some of you have had some similar experiences and have some tips for me!


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