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Which of these is better for a one-year-old hedgehog? And, maybe just as importantly, which of them is she more likely to eat? We had a big bag of food that she's basically run out of with. And we can't remember what kind it is, so we're trying to figure it out. And in the meantime, we need to figure out what we can get her to eat. Happily. Or at least as happy as hedgehogs get.
G: Between the two in your picture, I'd lean toward the Purina Kitten Chow.
Here's why:
Purina Kitten Chow
Meow Mix Kitten Li'l Nibbles
So I'd rank them:
That's harder to predict.
Many hedgehogs are little food snobs and get attached to whatever they've been eating. If she's reluctant to try new food:
If she's healthy and just needs a replacement until you identify the old food, I'd buy the Purina first. If she turns her nose up at it, you can always crush a few pieces slightly or moisten them with a few drops of warm water to bring out the aroma.
Can you describe the old kibble?
A surprising number of people use the same few cat foods for hedgehogs, and there's a decent chance we can identify it from the description.
Also, since she's now one year old, she no longer needs kitten food specifically. Once you're through this transition, I'd actually recommend moving her gradually to a good adult indoor cat food, since it usually has a better balance of protein and fat for an adult hedgehog.
M: The old stuff was rounded. Might have been Purina One. It could be the shape, not just the size. Given her teeth and my experiences with various foods, particularly pretzels, hard pretzels, eat enough of them, and you start to feel like you don't want any, even if you're hungry, because of just what it does to the rest of the mouth, even if it's healthy.
G: I think you're onto something, and it's something people often overlook with hedgehogs.
A one-year-old hedgehog has all of her adult teeth, but that doesn't mean every kibble feels the same. Hedgehogs don't chew like cats—they tend to crush food between their molars. The shape, surface texture, and hardness of the kibble can make a big difference.
Your pretzel analogy is actually pretty apt. It's not that pretzels are impossible to eat; after enough of them, your mouth just says, "I'd rather not." A hedgehog can't tell you that, so it may simply seem picky or stop finishing meals.
If your old food was:
...then I'd be inclined to try to match that experience rather than just the nutrition.
Purina ONE kitten formulas have small, rounded or pillow-like pieces that are generally a little less angular than Kitten Chow. The Kitten Chow in your photo has more blocky, squared-off kibble.
If your store carries Purina ONE Healthy Kitten, I'd actually choose that over either of the two in your picture. It tends to have:
If the only choices are the two in your photo, I'd still probably buy the Purina Kitten Chow, but I wouldn't hesitate to:
That changes the bite without turning it into paste.
One other thing came to mind because of your previous hedgehog. Sometimes when an older hedgehog starts refusing food, it's dental disease. Your current girl is only about a year old, though, so unless she's had an injury or another health problem, I'd put kibble preference much higher on the list than tooth disease.
One question: Has she actually stopped eating, or has she just slowed down as the bag got near empty? If she's refusing food altogether, I'd approach it differently than if she's simply becoming less enthusiastic about a food she's had for months.