# This is what I found as in cat food..



## Buddysmom (Apr 20, 2019)

These are the three best I could find at my pet supply store. Recommendations?


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## Aj.t (Jan 29, 2019)

Out of only those three, I like the third option the best. Better ingredient list and protein/fat. If you wanted to do a mix, you might consider the first one so as to balance the fat to be a little lower. I’d be wary about the starch and flour in the second brand. 

All my personal opinion


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## Buddysmom (Apr 20, 2019)

Aj.t said:


> Out of only those three, I like the third option the best. Better ingredient list and protein/fat. If you wanted to do a mix, you might consider the first one so as to balance the fat to be a little lower. I'd be wary about the starch and flour in the second brand.
> 
> All my personal opinion


Third option was my first pick! Then I saw the other two and second guessed myself. Lol

So I can do 3rd one with mill worms and that would be a good diet? And I can add carrots (cooked or raw?) and other veggies as treats or alternate on a regular basic?
Btw, did you get my PM? Not sure I did it right when I responded. &#128533;


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## Aj.t (Jan 29, 2019)

That sounds good... the thing with meal worms is that they’re a pretty fatty insect so once Buddy is done growing, he might start packing on the pounds if he eats too many of them regularly. Christina has always been a skinny gal so I give her quite a bit of mealies (cause she loves them!) but I still keep that in mind with her. If you don’t mind small feeder crickets, they’re great too! I like to steam my veggies but I have heard of others giving raw. Carrots work well as a safe option. 
I did get your message 🙂


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## Buddysmom (Apr 20, 2019)

Aj.t said:


> That sounds good... the thing with meal worms is that they're a pretty fatty insect so once Buddy is done growing, he might start packing on the pounds if he eats too many of them regularly. Christina has always been a skinny gal so I give her quite a bit of mealies (cause she loves them!) but I still keep that in mind with her. If you don't mind small feeder crickets, they're great too! I like to steam my veggies but I have heard of others giving raw. Carrots work well as a safe option.
> I did get your message &#128578;


I don't think I could do feeder crickets because my cage for my hog is an open wire and they will just jump out. Or do you feed them dead already? As far as veggies what other ones besides carrots do you do?


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## Buddysmom (Apr 20, 2019)

Two more brands that may work?


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## Aj.t (Jan 29, 2019)

The second is better than the first. I’m not a fan of ‘brewers rice’ that you see in the second one but that’s cause it’s kind of a ‘hot dog’ or a rice mixture so you don’t know exactly what it is. But it’s also hard to completely avoid sometimes. The first though is a bit off putting since the second (and thus second most abundant) ingredient is wheat gluten followed by rice- just too much “fluff” that makes up the bulk of the kibble!


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

Buddysmom said:


> I don't think I could do feeder crickets because my cage for my hog is an open wire and they will just jump out. Or do you feed them dead already? As far as veggies what other ones besides carrots do you do?


Theres LOADS of types of insects that are better as a staple diet. Crickets are just part of that. I've put a GS fat, protein and fibre percent as its very useful.

Staple diet insects - CAN be fed daily (13-14% not as many daily) 
Dubai roaches P:23% F:7% Fi:3%
locusts P:20% F:9% Fi: n/a
crickets P:23% F:7% Fi:2%
calci worms P:18% F:14% Fi:3% 
silk worms P:9% F:1% Fi:1%
isopods P:41% F:12% Fi:15% (these are better with other insects due to the high protein)
snails (with or without the shell) P:19% F:1% Fi:3%
horn worms P:9% F:3% Fi:n/a
earth worms P:10% F:2% Fi:1%
grasshoppers P:14% F:3% Fi:n/a
mealworm P:20% F:13% Fi:n/a
Treat insects - Not fed as much in the week
butter worms P:16% F:29% Fi:1%
morio worms P:20% F:18% Fi:3%
wax-worms P:14% F:25% Fi:3%

These are not ALL the insects obviously, but its the most common ones and most easy to get.

Now you can buy them live, gut load them for 24-48 hours then put them in your freezer to freeze to death for 48 hours. They take 10-15 mins to thaw out at room temp.
This is not the same as freeze drying because its by far not the same. And by just putting them into the freezer you are not drying them at all, which means they are just as nutritious as live, but they wont get out the cage.

As for the veggies they should really be cooked to help them digest them and to make them softer to help them eat it better.
Have a look at this link it tells you the safe and dangerous foods -
https://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/index.php#/topics/17725


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

GS should be GA I just realised I miss clicked and I cant change it now.


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## Buddysmom (Apr 20, 2019)

Ria said:


> Buddysmom said:
> 
> 
> > I don't think I could do feeder crickets because my cage for my hog is an open wire and they will just jump out. Or do you feed them dead already? As far as veggies what other ones besides carrots do you do?
> ...


Oh Lord, ok! Just when I thought I figured it out! Lol How do you "gut load" them?


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

Feed them veg like kale, carrots or just carrot peeling, you can put in broccoli stems (the bit people don't really eat) parsnip or just parsnip peelings pretty much any safe fruit and veg for hedgehogs try not put in ones like apples and potatoes that go brown pretty quickly. Cucumber is amazing for moisture and most insects love it. It just makes the insects healthier and more nutritious. 

I overloaded you a little with insects i'm sorry !! Just pick out 4 or 5 a mix of high and low fat, and try them. Introduce them one at a time to Buddy though.


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## Askeptosaurus (Nov 10, 2015)

I'd make a mix(it's always good to have a mix in case you can't get one of the foods for some reason and then you won't have to start them on a new food that they're not used to) and I'd make it of bag 1 and bag 3. I'd choose that mix because bag 3 goes a little overboard on fat and protein and bag 1 would help balance that out. Another thing I note about the bag 1 (Wellness brand?) is that it's got a lot of carbs which, if your baby is super energetic is a great and if not, might make her bulk up so maybe increase the ratio of bag 3 that you mix in.


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