Can hedgehogs eat this?

Yes — high-protein adult cat kibble is the standard staple food for pet hedgehogs.

1–2 tablespoons of dry kibble per night · Daily — this is the staple, not a treat

Yes — crickets are one of the better staple insects for a captive hedgehog.

2–3 crickets per session · 1–2 times a week

Yes — peeled, deseeded apple in pea-sized pieces is fine once a week.

Pea-sized piece · Once a week

Yes, sparingly — banana is safe but very high in sugar; pea-sized, every other week.

Pea-sized piece · Every other week

Yes — pea-sized pieces of red, yellow, or orange bell pepper are safe. Skip green peppers and all hot peppers.

Pea-sized piece, no seeds or stem · Once a week

Yes — half a blueberry once or twice a week is one of the better fruit treats for hedgehogs.

Half a blueberry · Once or twice a week

Yes — small amounts of plain steamed broccoli florets are safe.

Pea-sized piece of cooked floret · Once a week

Yes — pea-sized pieces of fresh cantaloupe flesh are safe. No rind, no seeds.

Pea-sized cube of flesh · Once a week

Yes — cooked carrot, pea-sized, weekly. Raw carrot is too hard for hedgehog teeth.

Pea-sized piece · Once or twice a week

Yes — plain boiled or baked chicken, pea-sized, once or twice a week. No skin, no seasoning, no bones.

Pea-sized piece · Once or twice a week

Yes — small pieces of fresh cucumber are safe and useful for hydration, especially in hot weather.

Pea-sized piece · Once or twice a week

Yes — plain scrambled or hard-boiled egg, pea-sized portion, once or twice a week. No oil, no salt, no seasoning.

Pea-sized piece · Once or twice a week

Yes — pea-sized pieces of fresh ripe mango flesh are safe.

Pea-sized cube of ripe flesh · Once a week

Yes — but three twice a week, max. Mealworms are addictive and the leading cause of obesity in pet hedgehogs.

Three mealworms · Twice a week, max

Yes — plain cooked or canned pumpkin is one of the more useful occasional foods.

Half a teaspoon, room temperature · Once or twice a week, more if recommended by a vet

Yes — half a fresh raspberry is a fine occasional treat.

Half a raspberry, mashed slightly · Once a week

Yes — small pieces of fresh strawberry, weekly, are a fine treat for hedgehogs.

Pea-sized piece (about ¼ of a small berry) · Once or twice a week

Yes — small amounts of plain cooked sweet potato are safe. Never raw.

Pea-sized cube of cooked flesh · Once or twice a week

Yes — small amounts of ripe red tomato flesh are safe. Skip every leaf, stem, and green part.

Pea-sized piece of ripe flesh · Once a week

Yes — small amounts of seedless, rindless watermelon are safe for hedgehogs.

Pea-sized cube · Once or twice a week

Rarely — pineapple is acidic enough to irritate a hedgehog's mouth and digestive tract. Tiny piece occasionally, not regular.

Half-pea-sized piece of soft flesh · Twice a month at most

Rarely — spinach contains oxalates that can interfere with calcium absorption. Tiny amounts occasionally, not regular.

A single small leaf, chopped · Twice a month at most

Rarely — waxworms are extremely fatty and addictive. Use them as a special treat, never as a staple insect.

One waxworm, no more than two · Twice a month at most

No — bread is empty calories at best, and the milk-and-bread folk advice has killed enough hedgehogs that wildlife groups actively campaign against it.

No — dog food has the wrong protein-to-fat ratio and the kibble is usually too large.

No — peanut butter is a sticky choking hazard, high in fat, and offers nothing nutritionally.

No — avocado contains persin, which is toxic to most pets including hedgehogs. Don't offer it in any form.

No — hedgehogs are lactose intolerant. Cheese causes diarrhea, dehydration, and at hedgehog body weight that's a real emergency.

No — grape and raisin toxicity is documented in dogs and suspected in many small mammals. Don't risk it.

No — onions and the entire allium family (garlic, leeks, chives, scallions) cause red blood cell damage in most pets, hedgehogs included. Toxic in any form.