An Insectivore, Not a Tiny Omnivore on Leftovers
Wild hedgehogs spend the night walking long distances and snuffling out beetles, caterpillars, earthworms, and other invertebrates. A pet hedgehog keeps that same nutritional wiring in a much smaller space, which creates the central feeding challenge: the diet must honour the insect-eating design without delivering wild-level calories to an animal that now forages across a playpen instead of fields.
In practice most owners use a complete dry food formulated for hedgehogs, or a suitable high-protein cat kibble where hedgehog food is unavailable, as the measured staple. Check that meat is the leading ingredient and that fat is moderate rather than high, because hedgehogs gain weight readily and obesity strains their legs, liver, and ability to curl fully.
Insects: Essential Variety, Careful Portions
Mealworms are the insect most hedgehogs meet first, and most love them, but they are fatty and their mineral balance is not ideal as a sole insect. Rotate what you offer: crickets, small dubia roaches where legal and available, black soldier fly larvae, and occasional earthworms from a pesticide-free source give a broader profile and more hunting behaviour. Scatter a few insects in bedding or a forage tray so your hedgehog works for them instead of eating from a pile while half asleep.
Serve insects as a counted portion — a small number most nights rather than a heaped dish — and gut-load feeder insects on vegetables beforehand where the supplier advises it, so what is inside the insect adds value too. Never feed insects caught near sprayed gardens, and avoid wild-caught food if you cannot be sure the area is chemical-free.
Evening Feeding and Foods to Avoid
Hedgehogs are nocturnal, so the main feed belongs in the early evening as they stir. Weigh the staple portion rather than free-feeding from a brimming bowl, note how much is left by morning, and adjust slowly. A shallow bowl of fresh water suits most hedgehogs better than a bottle, though it needs daily washing because bedding ends up in it.
Milk and bread, the old garden myth, upset the hedgehog gut and should never be offered. Grapes, raisins, citrus, onion, garlic, avocado, nuts, and highly seasoned or sugary human foods are also off the menu. Small amounts of plain cooked egg, unseasoned cooked chicken, or suitable vegetables can appear as occasional extras, but extras should never crowd out the staple and insects.
A hedgehog that stops eating, loses weight, develops wobbly walking, or has persistent loose droppings needs a veterinarian experienced with exotic pets, and sooner rather than later if appetite has vanished entirely.
Keeping Night Feeds Consistent Between Carers
Evening portions, insect counts, and weight notes are easy to muddle when a partner, sitter, or older child takes turns on hedgehog duty. A written rotation keeps the fatty treats from doubling up on generous nights and vanishing on busy ones.
KinsLe supports that routine through Care Teams, where the nightly feed, insect portion, and water change for your hedgehog can be assigned to a named carer and ticked off with a timestamp once done.