# When to switch from Kitten chow to adult food



## unforgiven (Apr 26, 2013)

Our Hedgie will be 3 months old in a few days and currently eats purina kitten chow and meal worms. At what age is she considered and adult and should be switched to adult cat food?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Hedgies are typically considered adults around 6 months, though they'll still grow and fill out a bit more after that. What's her body shape like? If she's a normal teardrop shape, or seems like she might be getting a big pudgy, I would go ahead and switch her to an adult food now, with less fat. If she's a runner (sides go straight back like | |), she may always need a higher fat food, to help keep her from losing weight. 

Besides the debate of kitten or adult...I would suggest switching her food anyway - Purina kitten chow is not really good quality food at all. A good quality cat food doesn't have any corn in it, has a named meat or meat meal for the first ingredient, a protein content of 28-35%, and fat content (usually) between 10-15% (usually 15-20% for runners). Some of the brands that are popular on here include Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, and Blue Buffalo. They're a bit more expensive, but they're much healthier for your hedgehog, and hedgehogs don't eat much anyway - you're much more likely to have to throw away the food from staleness before your hedgehog finishes the bag (though you can extend the life by freezing it). 

It's also a good idea to use two or more foods in a mix. This helps make sure you're catching all of the nutrients (since we don't know exactly what a hedgehog needs), and also as a safeguard in case a food becomes unavailable, since hedgies can be very picky and may go on a food strike if their only food isn't available and they're suddenly switched to something different.


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## unforgiven (Apr 26, 2013)

She looks to be tear dropped shaped. She is right at 311 grams now. Runs at night but hard to tell how much. I will look at switching her to a better food. I just went with what the breeder said to feed her. Thanks for the help!


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## unforgiven (Apr 26, 2013)

Well, this is going to be the mix I try. I hope she likes it!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Looks like a great mix!  Solid Gold used to be Lily's favorite food. I hope she likes it, good luck with introducing it! And remember to only introduce one food at a time, slowly.


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