Hi laurabiding
You’re right you should not feed mealworms to hedgehogs because they have an imbalance of phosphorous and calcium which leads to calcium being leached from the bones. Calci-worms are the larvae of a different insect. They have a better ratio of phosphorous and calcium, i.e. more calcium than phosphorous.
I understand that the calcium levels can vary quite a bit according to what they are fed on. The concern is that as they become more popular, people may try to produce them more cheaply and they may be fed on worse food – literally, rubbish – and end up with not such a good level of calcium.
For me, the jury is still out, I’m not sure that we know enough about them and their other nutritional content yet and how good they are, or otherwise for hogs. I would definitely not think them suitable to be fed on their own and would only use them as a ‘garnish’ to something else. But also check that the ones you buy have a decent level of calcium in them (in relation to phosophorous). It may include the information on the packaging, or you may need to contact the producers. But it seems likely that they are better than mealworms.
It is possible to stop cats from eating the hog food, you just have to try all the suggestions which people make on the forum and see what works best for you and the cats in your area. Some cats will also eat those meusli type foods. So I think your best bet is to try to cat proof the area you feed in and stick to what you’re feeding now. Hogs often don’t like a change in food type, either.
If you have a camera, watch how the cat is entering the area and block that. I.e. if it is entering at an angle, block that angle, etc. But also bear in mind that a cat can get under something quite low, but not necessarily if it’s narrow at the same time. A very short narrow and shallow opening a cat might manage, but not so much if it is longer. Sometimes it’s trial and error to find what the hogs in your area can just manage to negotiate but the cats can’t.
Good luck!
