# ash in cat food



## Quinn (Apr 24, 2011)

I was at an exotic pet store today to pick up some treats for Quinn and I was told by the person working there that cat food isn't good for hedgies because there is ash in the food. She said I should use their hedgie food (I don't remember the brand) and that Quinn will develop problems with a cat food diet. Also she was very rude and made me feel like I was stupid for feeding her cat food. This made me concerned but I've read here numerous times that the hedgie food has no nutritional value and high quality cat food is fine. Hopefully I'm not doing anything wrong because I'm a newbie and want the best for Quinn. And what did she mean by ash in cat food? Can someone fill me in, Thanks!


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

Sounds like she was trying to make a sale but it's not cool she was being rude. I've never heard about ash affecting hedgehogs but maybe there is someone here that has and can shed light on it. For cats I know that there was thoughts it could cause urinary tract issues if the ash was high but the info is conflicting and it seems like other sources say this isn't necessarily true. I haven't seen a commercial hedgie food I would feed yet so I don't blame you for not getting it. A good quality cat food beats out all the hedgie foods that I have come across so far, unless for some reason they have some kind of new brand. 

It's hard when someone is acting like that. You can always call and ask to speak to a manager to tell them your experience. Depending on how that goes it can help you determine if you want to give that store a second chance.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Ash in pet food is not like the ash you would find in a fireplace. It is what remains if you removed all the protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, etc. Its basically the mineral content of the food. Ash may contain calcium, phosphorous, zinc, iron, etc. All foods contain ash, some contain higher amounts than others.


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## Quinn (Apr 24, 2011)

Great thanks! So the ash is harmless for hedgies. I feel better! Unfortunately the sales person was the owner of the store and has hedgies at her store that aren't kept properly. I'm just happy that Quinn isn't going to get sick from the ash content in cat food.


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