Hedgehogs are adaptable creatures that can survive in gardens, parks, and other green spaces in urban areas. The nocturnal wild animals eat mainly insects and mollusks such as e.g. ground beetles, larvae, snails, and earthworms.
The natural food supply for hedgehogs decreases when temperatures drop, which is why young hedgehogs and their mothers in particular find little to eat.
When necessary, hedgehogs will travel long distances in search of food. Especially in big cities, they are exposed to dangers such as road traffic.
The animals also eat waste and leftovers out of necessity, which seriously harms them. Especially in urban areas, many hedgehogs depend on supplementary feeding at times of the year when the natural food supply is not sufficient.
In autumn and spring, i.e. before and after hibernation, correct feeding is a sensible addition, especially for underweight and young hedgehogs.
A hedgehog should weigh at least 500 grams before it goes into hibernation. If they then wake up in the spring, the range of plants and associated insect diversity in nature is not yet sufficiently large for the hedgehog to find enough food.
You should pay attention to the ingredients of finished products such as cat food because they must not contain any sugar, molasses, cereals, gelatine, vegetable by-products, protein concentrates of any kind, preservatives, or colorings.
A high meat content of at least 60 percent is also recommended. It is best to feed different mixtures, e.g. Cat food with scrambled eggs because the diet would otherwise be too one-sided. It is also important that the food for hedgehogs is generally unsalted and unseasoned.
