Heating and food question.

[pink-ster]

Getting my first hedgie baby girl in 2 weeks.

1) I keep my house at about 73 degrees and i'm never cold.. am I really going to need a heater for her? If so, is this any good? http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754324

2) I was recommended this food..Hedgehog Complete. What do you guys think?

http://www.exoticnutrition.com/en741.html


and lastly, heres some pictures for your trouble

un-named as of yet, but im thinking maybe Sugar..?

 

[Kalandra]

What a cutie pie. I bet you are super excited. Here are my answers to your questions... #2 is kinda lengthy, but diet is a very important topic, I hope I don't scare you off...

1. If the temperature never falls below 73, you should be fine. If there is any possibility that it will dip lower, look at adding a space heater or a ceramic heat emitter setup. From what I have been told those heat mats are not ideal. They provide heat only to a small section of the cage, and don't work very well. I have no personal experience though as I use a space heater to supplement the heat to my hedgehogs' room.

2. In general, most hedgehog foods are not good. Most of them contain lots of fillers and cheap ingredients. I recommend looking at adding 2 varieties of high quality cat kibble instead. Take a look at the hedgehog complete ingredients posted below and see what you think of the food.

BLOODMEAL, SOYBEAN MEAL, GROUND CORN, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, WHOLE ROASTED SOYBEANS, TALLOW, CANE MOLASSES, DRIED BEET PULP, DRIED MEALWORMS, YEAST CULTURE, L. ACIDOPHILUS,S. FAECIUM, S. CEREVISIAE, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, COPPER SULFATE, ZINC PROTEINATE, MANGANESE PROTEINATE, COPPER PROTEINATE, COLBOLT PROTEINATE, THIAMINE MONOITRATE, VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN D, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, ZINC OXIDE, BIOTIN, FOLIC ACID, NIACIN SUPPLEMENT, PYRIDOXINE HCL, DEHY ALFALFA MEAL, PANTOTHENIC ACID, RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT.

Where is the meat?

Blood meal - blood that has had most of the water removed. It is reported to be an inexpensive way to boost the protein content of food. Since this appears first, it is the item that makes up most of the food.

The next four are corn and soybeans. Most likely all used here as they provide a cheap source for protein. I know soybean meal is supposed to be a filler that adds a small amount of protein, but is a poor source of it.

Tallow - fat, used to make the food more palatable.

Cane molasses - by product of sucrose manufacturing, used to sweeten the food to make it attractive.

I wouldn't feed it. I would recommend looking at other foods like Innova, Fromm, Solid Gold Katz-n-Floken, Halo Spots Stew (for those that need extra calories), Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, etc. All but the Fromm is readily available at Petco or Petsmart. Look for a food that is below 35% protein and below 15% fat.

 

[pink-ster]

Interesting, see I talked to a girl that has one and she reccomended that food, said that cat food actually decreases a hedgehogs life span... it's so hard to know the right thing to do.

Looking into it more, the only thing I feel I can do is get a ceramic heat emitter. Would you be able to send me a link of one that is good for sure? I have no idea where to start.. I was looking on the petsmart.com website.. found a couple I think would work? But I have NO idea what i'm even doing when it comes to heating a cage. I have a wire top plastic bottom rabbit cage for her.

Thanks!