As we head into the winter months, hedgehogs are weeks away from settling into hibernation.
During their seasonal slumber, the animals rely on fat stores accumulated over the summer to survive, making this a crucial period for their diet.
To keep the creatures fed, many of us might start thinking about leaving food out for them in our gardens (though it’s also helpful to keep late-blooming plants like some ivy untrimmed and avoid raking leaves, so they have a store of bugs to eat).
Most of us know not to feed them milk or bread, as this is bad for their stomachs.
But according to hedgehog rescue centre Hedgehog Cabin and The Wildlife Trusts, what would seem like the safest alternative ― specially-designed hedgehog food ― can often pose its own threats.
Why would food designed for hedgehogs be bad for them?
The Wildlife Trust points out that unlike cat food (which actually suits hedgehogs just fine), hedgehog food is not regulated.
Therefore its quality and ingredients vary.
“There are many unscrupulous companies keen to cash in on the growing army of kind people trying to halt the hedgehog’s decline, and will happily sell little more than floor sweeping of the cheapest, most unsuitable products, all wrapped up with a nice picture of a cute hedgehog, at the highest possible price,” Hedgehog Cabin warns.
They explain that some hedgehog feed includes mealworms, peanuts, oats, sunflower hearts and other ingredients that the creatures might like eating, but which are bad for them overall.
Mealworms, for example, are low in calories but delicious to hedgehogs, meaning they overeat on the food and ignore more nutrient-dense fare (a bit like ducks with bread).
Eating too many mealworms can even lead to metabolic bone disease, a painful condition that can unfortunately be fatal to hedgehogs.
What should I feed them instead?
You can get good hedgehog feed from reliable sources, but it’s important you ensure that its main ingredient is meat, and that it contains zero sunflower hearts, mealworms, oats or peanuts.
These are the worst ingredients they could have, Hedgehog Cabin write, as they can all contribute to metabolic bone disease.
But there’s a simpler solution ― “plain kitten biscuits or meat-based wet dog or cat food” are perfect for their nutritional needs, The Wildlife Trusts say.
As cat food is more meat-heavy, though, it may sometimes do a better job. Don’t feed them dry dog food, either, which may contain too much grain.