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Original poster

Giant hedgehog living in my garden

243 replies

SinkGirl · 09/09/2019 21:07

A few times I’ve heard rustling in the hops plant by my kitchen and now I’ve seen it - a whopping great hedgehog.

I’m worried for the little guy - there’s so many cats in this area, will he get attacked? How’s he getting enough to eat?

Can’t put cat food out, the cats will eat it. What should I do? He’s so cute.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
39
Noconsent · 09/09/2019 23:56

Wishing you hedgehogs CTRL

SleepyKat · 10/09/2019 00:01

Yes, buy or make a hedgehog feeder....the cats won’t be able to get in.

ahagwearsapointybonnet · 10/09/2019 00:02

If you get some dry food, it's less likely to attract cats. Also a dish of water is good (not milk, it's bad for them!). The ones we've had mostly seem quite unafraid of cats and some were not even that bothered by humans and sometimes came quite close.

If you feel like getting a hedgehog house, hide it away under some bushes or something and cover it up a bit with twigs and stuff, they like somewhere fairly hidden (our neighbour proudly put one in the middle of a bare border in full view, and was surprised when none moved in!). But they often like living under or behind sheds and similar best. Oh and make sure there are gaps in/under any fences or walls in your garden so it can roam around!

NextTrainGoesToBEROWRA · 10/09/2019 00:10

FeelUselesss your pic didn’t upload, please try again!

Loving everyone’s spikyman pix.

CTRL · 10/09/2019 00:11

@Noconsent thank you Smile

Davros · 10/09/2019 00:24

I've gone to heaven. Lots of lovely photos of hedgies, love them. Please post more as I don't have my own

maras2 · 10/09/2019 01:54

Can't link but google Spiny Norman.
He was gangster, Dinsdale Piranha's imaginary hedgehog in the Monty Python sketch. Smile

managedmis · 10/09/2019 02:01

Loving these pics 🦔 🦔

hussandchips56 · 10/09/2019 05:45

Ha ha @Maras2 I was about to ask if he was shouting 'Dinsdale where are you.' 😁

Sexnotgender · 10/09/2019 05:52

We definitely had hedgehogs, since getting our dog I haven’t seen them though🙁

SadVillageGirl · 10/09/2019 05:55

I had a fatty outside my door last night (my two cats hid terrified!!) - I took a photo but not sure how to upload!

maras2 · 10/09/2019 07:12

hussandchips Grin
The oldies are the best.

HedgehogRescueHERBY · 10/09/2019 07:13

Hi, pleased you all care about your hogs. UK hogs should not be out in the day and shouldn't have ticks or fleas as this is a sign of illness. A shallow bowl of water is great they'll also eat cat or dog biscuits. Please don't feed mealworms as this can cause metabolic bone disease. They don't like being bugged too much but they don't care about camera flash. They don't like camera noise though as clicking makes them jump. They aren't a fan of any of the noises you'd usually make at a cat the clicking and chuchuchchuch makes them wary.

The bigger the hog the older really. They aren't territorial as such but live alone and don't play well with others. They are only social as hoglets and if very very old with a good food source.

You could try sex your hog. Wear gardening gloves and roll it onto its back. As it uncurls to turn over (you'll have to be patient) you should see a penis if it is a boy. Girls are difficult as everything is at one end but I'm sure you can sex it by penis/no penis! You can see only the foreskin it looks like an extended belly button in the middle. The older the bigger! When curled boys usually end up with their nose on their willy.

Blackcap · 10/09/2019 07:16

Please, please don't, as others have said, ever give hedgehogs food containing fish. Only offer cat food or special hedgehog food and no milk, just water. If milk is given they will get digestive problems and die! We feel very blessed to have about six visiting our garden every evening and throughout the night, perhaps more. I haven't yet managed to recognise them individually. They vary in size from quite small to two absolutely huge ones. I can't walk in the garden after dark for fear of kicking one!! They were mating a couple of months ago but disappointingly no babies, maybe next year. I absolutely love them as do several of my neighbours. Hope you all do really well in loving them and caring for them too!

Lonelycrab · 10/09/2019 07:19

Any excuse to post a hedgehog pic!

Here’s mine...

Giant hedgehog living in my garden
Original poster
SinkGirl · 10/09/2019 07:21

How exciting to see everyone’s lovely hedgehogs - mine is in the same spot each night lately, a big hops plant gives him lots of coverage so I’m sure it feels like a lovely place to sleep. I haven’t seen him come all the way out.

My cats eat dried cat food and would drink any water available I’m sure but I may try and hide some anyway. If I can coax him out I’ll get a photo.

I’m in Dorset and I’ve never seen one in real life before either! I hope everyone gets hedgehog visitors.

OP posts:
HedgehogRescueHERBY · 10/09/2019 07:27

Your hedgehogs will know you are friendly as they'll know your smell from your property and any food you put out will also have your scent on. Cats don't bother adult hogs but will kill or play with hoglets as they are temptingly like mice. mum stays with hoglets all day and feeds them. At night she has to leave them to feed herself and they sleep in the best as they are diurnal like us and not nocturnal like mum. If you suspect hoglets are present please keep cats in at night. Dogs can damage hogs and hogs can damage dogs. Terrier types are the most dangerous to a hedgehog and can cause significant damage. Any picked up by a dog need a check up at a local rescue centre. I only know about West European/British hedgehogs. So if you are elsewhere not all this info is relevant.

Boy hedgehogs will have quick fights they look like sumo wrestlers. Head down and charge. The loser is usually smaller and ends up in a ball and then is rolled away. Evenly matched in size and strength can go on for a few minutes if shoving but they know that they can sustain significant damage so fighting is brief and is usually over food or women. Boys can travel 3km a night and girls 1km. They usually nest hop but older hogs do this less and find a place they like and stay there.

Courting can take several hours though coupling is only minutes long. The girl will huff and do a spin the bottle motion keeping the boy in front of her. He will try to circle her getting gradually closer every time she lets him behind her. She will huff and huff. If she's interested she'll let him get nearer but he will keep his face turned away and prickles bowed to protect his eyes in case she changes her mind. If he gets close enough he will pick her face and stroke her. If she accepts she flattens herself down and he will mount while holding her prickles in his mouth. She can change her mind at any time and we get boys in with some dreadful abscesses on soft areas! They each have multiple partners and boys do not stay to help with the washing up!

Pregnancy is 35 days. Hoglets are bald for the first few hours of life. A litter usually between 3 and 6. They stay with mum for 6 to 8 weeks then she kicks them out or she moves out. The usually live to 2 or 3 but can live to 10.

Shout the rescue if I can help at all.

Good luck

sashh · 10/09/2019 07:28

Here's my cat ignoring one of the visitors.

Some hogs are quite friendly, last year I had at least 5 visit,they got used the time I put food down so the cats didn't get a look in.

Giant hedgehog living in my garden
HedgehogRescueHERBY · 10/09/2019 07:29

Here are some of our patients

Giant hedgehog living in my garden
Giant hedgehog living in my garden
Giant hedgehog living in my garden
HedgehogRescueHERBY · 10/09/2019 07:32

Here are the babies and newborns. (Mum can kill newborns if she things you are a predator. Please stay away from nests. She'll kill them quickly so you can't kill them slowly - she doesn't know if you are nice, your eyes point forward so you are dangerous).

sashh · 10/09/2019 07:33

HedgehogRescueHERBY

I had a little fiesty one, a big hog would be eating and I'd see this significantly smaller hog run up to it and head but it, the big one just ignored it.

PurpleDaisies · 10/09/2019 07:38

This is a lovely thread!

This is my little spiky friend.

Giant hedgehog living in my garden
Original poster
SinkGirl · 10/09/2019 08:04

In my head hedgehogs are quite small, so it’s interesting to see lots of hefty ones too - I honestly didn’t think it could be a hedgehog because of the size of its rear end when I saw it a few days ago and have been keeping my eyes peeled for missing pet rabbit posters!

My cats do like to creep up on him but I’m sure they’ve never attacked yet as they’d be spiked I’m sure! Obviously he feels reasonably safe here as he’s in the same spot each night this week (I hear him rustling around even if I don’t see him).

OP posts:
HedgehogRescueHERBY · 10/09/2019 08:27

I love reading all your stories.

Wild British/west European hedgehogs can eat fish they just often don't like the artificial flavouring that goes with it. Almost all pet food contains fish because it is cheap! If you look at the meat content % you'll be shocked. Whiskas and Felix can be as low as 4 or 8 % we use pedigree chum 'loaf' as it is closer to 50% but biscuits are best for outside then the flies don't lay eggs on it. We use Tesco kitten biscuits or Burgess kitten biscuits when we can. Never give any hedgehogs cow's milk. They don't need milk except as a hoglet and that is a specialist job. Adults need water and food.

I love that you all love them.

Parkandride · 10/09/2019 08:34

I love all these hoggy facts!

We have to do a torchlight garden check before the dogs last wee as we occasionally get a hedgehog visitor, the dog thinks they are the best thing ever sadly even if he gets prickled so I like to avoid confrontation.