# Weaning off of bad food



## Bamahedgie (Mar 17, 2011)

Okay, I am having some issues getting my guy to eat healthy. All he wants to eat is crappy special kitty cat food. I've been putting a few pieces of chicken soup cat food in his bowl, but he won't touch it. I've also tried wellness. How can I get him to eat healthy? I'm afraid he is gonna turn into a butterball. Please help.


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## carlyvoelcker (Mar 20, 2011)

I'm having the same problem with Coco. I found out by reading on here that the food the breeder was feeding him wasn't very healthy at all. So... I bought new food that he won't touch! So I'm stuck here too.  hmm


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## Bamahedgie (Mar 17, 2011)

Does anyone have any suggestions? Please help.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

You can try mixing some of the old food with the new one in a container so the new food smells like the old one. It might be that he just doesn't like the foods your chose, can you get sample bags at the pet store and see if you find something he will eat?


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## Bamahedgie (Mar 17, 2011)

Yeah I have tried the mixing thing. He still refuses to eat the good stuff. He's so stubborn. The pet stores around here never have sample bags. I don't know what to do. But thanks for the suggestions.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

I lot of petstores let you return bags of food. Both the local stores allow returns of open bags here and I know national chains like PetSmart usually have a hassle-free return policy. I wouldn't volunteer it's for a hedgie, tho. :lol: 

Can you try to find one that isn't really low fat (hedgies tend to turn up their nose at low-fat), mix that one in, then maybe add a lower fat food later? Or mix what you want him to eat with a bit of the stuff he loves with some canned food or babyfood...if he likes the wet stuff, he'll have no choice but to eat the dry stuff. Just watch you don't make a huge change all at once.


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## Bamahedgie (Mar 17, 2011)

Okay. I will look for a healthy food that isn't necessarily low fat. And I will make the change slowly. I have two bags of wellness and some green pea and duck to return. I hope they take it back.thanks for the suggestion.


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## ArJay (Mar 15, 2011)

What may help you is to crush up both foods together. I did this for Wolfie when he came home so he'd try his new kibble. The people i bought him from wouldn't let me take him unless i bought pretty pets and their own personal formula. :roll: He wont touch the pretty pets anymore. He actually just went to sleep and all of it is still left in his bowl.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

If you do crush up the foods for him, make sure he will eat it before you go to bed, or offer two bowls, one with crushed up kibble and one with whole kibble. I say this because one of my girls would rather starve than touch food that has been crushed. :roll:


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

susanaproenca said:


> one of my girls would rather starve than touch food that has been crushed. :roll:


I always laugh when you mention this. In the wild they'd be eating dirt and poop with their meal of rotting flesh...here in the bosom of domestication, the wrong food *shape *prompts a hunger strike. :lol:


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

MissC said:


> susanaproenca said:
> 
> 
> > one of my girls would rather starve than touch food that has been crushed. :roll:
> ...


I know. :roll: Mustard is SO picky, it's ridiculous. At least I have Pete to balance things out, she eats whatever is in her bowl and is happy about it.


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## ArJay (Mar 15, 2011)

susanaproenca said:


> If you do crush up the foods for him, make sure he will eat it before you go to bed, or offer two bowls, one with crushed up kibble and one with whole kibble. I say this because one of my girls would rather starve than touch food that has been crushed. :roll:


It is so strange how they can be so stubborn like that. I did it because i wanted the foods to smell the same so he didn't just leave the new stuff. The pretty pets has a pretty strong smell to it so i figured it'd all end up smelling like that. I did have him out and made sure he ate before i left him to himself though. Don't need a baby hedgie starving himself.


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## Bamahedgie (Mar 17, 2011)

Thanks for all the help. I think Henry is going to be a picky hedgie. I tried crushing the food and he didn't touch it. I'm going to get a healthier food that is higher in fat than the ones I have and see if he will eat that and then try to get him to eat healthier. He won't eat fruits or veggies either.


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## Bamahedgie (Mar 17, 2011)

Breakthrough, finally. I bought a new food, it's one of the blue buffalo ones. It has 15% fat and 30% protein. I fed him a piece while ago and he ATE IT! I am glad because now I can slowly take away the crap he's been eating. Also, I'm pretty positive he ate a piece of chicken soup cat food last night because one is missing from his bowl. Yay!


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