Giant hedgehog living in my garden

[SinkGirl]

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.

Nothing to add
Just enjoying the pictures

Can anyone post a link to a good hedgehog box? There are so many I’m not sure which is the best one.

We had a visitor about a month ago according to NDN but I haven’t seen it yet.

One of my cats has clearly had An Encounter with one of my resident hedgehogs.

He went zooming out of the door to investigate a noise and then did an almost cartoon-like skid to full stop when he realised it was Mr Hog, and backed away quickly!

The others like to watch them shuffling about from a distance.

My son has seen one. It lives under the neighbours pile of junk.

I managed to unearth one last year clearing garden debris, so bought him a house feeding post etc. Never seen the ungrateful bugger since . Oh and the cat goes mental for the hedgehog food.

I did see one scuttling across the drive last week

We have had regular hedgehog visits this summer - noisy things they are too. I hadn’t seen a live hedgehog for about 40 years.

They seem to have a regular route through the local gardens. Our cat doesn’t know what to make of them at all.

This is the smaller one in the late evening.

Dinsdale!

None of my cats have ever harmed a hedgehog, not even the feral cats, too prickly.

Hedgehogs have fleas. Ensure you check your cats if they are getting close to him.

I have them in my garden. One came in the house once, I shooed him out with a cushion and promised to buy him a home which I did. It's been under the fig tree for a couple of years now but I don't know if he uses it.

I still see them on my garden now and then, I put out water and food. They are lovely!

This chap was at my previous house.

My hedgehog is huge as well! He comes in the house at night and eats the cats food - particularly the biscuits. I can hear him from upstairs as he is such a noisy eater. He sometimes will snuffle in the cupboard under the telly or under the bookcase.
I don't always sleep well due to chronic pain so it's lovely to come downstairs and see him.
The other night he was actually IN the cat bowl.
Hilariously the cats totally ignore him even as he walks past them.

@HedgehogRescueHERBY

You have made my day. Especially with the very detailed explanation of both males & female HH lives and pictures ! Commuting into work and smiling. We are in C.London, so do not have any HH or at least I haven't seen any.

TroysMammy the fleas on hedgehogs are host specific and will not survive on other species.

@FamilyofAliens this is mine. Not cheap but it’s very sturdy. The top lifts off & it has the entry for preventing cat access.

www.arkwildlife.co.uk/Item/2451/HGHO-03/Royal_Hedgehog_House.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIro310O3F5AIVCbDtCh0KKgy7EAQYDCABEgK_RPD_BwE

I've not seen mine since about January. I first saw him a year ago, so I'm hoping I might catch a glimpse soon. Something's been eating the food, and I do hope it's Mr H, just in ninja-mode. To friends' amazement I could almost guarantee their seeing him if they were at mine at the right time.

@MrsFezziwig

Thank you!

My friend has three cats, and a very healthy hedgehog population in her garden. She's had the hedgehogs for about five years, and they bring their babies every year. Some of the babies are so used to her they eat from her hands.
l doubt cats can harm a healthy hedgehog. They have very good protection and if they felt threatened they'd roll into a ball.
l knew l had a hedgehog visiting my garden (my friend recognised the poop on the grass) but l'd never seen one until Saturday night. l came home from work when it was dark, pulled my car up on the drive, and l could see something shuffling about on the lawn. lt was a hedgehog! l'm ridiculously pleased about it. lt wasn't a huge one but it was tootling about quite happily and went off in the direction of next door. l'm hoping it comes in my back garden. We get some spectacularly big slugs on the decking, and it would have a proper feast on those!

I've had hedgehogs in my garden for decades. I bought a house for one last Autumn and had one hibernate last Winter. I converted the house into a feeding station in April and have had one sleep in there on and off since. Hedgehogs can have 2 litters, one in Springtime and the other in Autumn. Sadly the Autumn hoglets have a real struggle to cope with hibernation which happens around end of October depending on the weather. Most aren't strong enough to cope alone as Mum only feeds them for about 3 weeks. If yours is pregnant listen out for them as they aren't quiet babies.
I made a separate feeding station by using a Wilko storage box with a hole cut into the end, I then fitted a large curved gutter part I bought from Wicks. I connected the two with ducktape. This has been a real success and because the guttering is curved cats can't get near so the food I leave out is secure! I feed mine every night, I use dried cat food and he/she loves it, wet or dry dog & cat food is perfect.

Having hedgehogs in your garden is such a joy, but they need all the help they can get so feed them (no milk) if you can to fatten them up for the long winter, good luck 🦔

www.hedgehogstreet.org/

What time in the evening/night are you all seeing them?

I had a couple, I like to think they were married and had a little hoggy wedding

Coming across this thread has reminded me of literally stumbling across something in my garden as I arrived home late one night with my ddogs. I stood on/or kicked something and stumbled, the ddogs were going frantic running round the garden sniffing, all excited.

I got indoors and re-emerged with a torch, and spotted a really large hedgehog. So large that I was confused about what it was, but with the light on it, it was clearly a hedgehog!!

I think it comes by at around 1am each night; I stayed up to check for many subsequent nights as I was so worried I'd hurt it.

So noisy with the snuffling! Relieved to say hoggy repeatedly returned, same time and same route around the garden and footpath (where I tripped over it).

So thrilled to have one, and saw one, not so large, at a previous address too. Again, around 1am. Which is ok to be out spotting, I guess, if you're already up!

I want to post a pic now so will be on the lookout again.

The ddogs were fascinated, hog seemed not too bothered just stood still, frustrating the ddogs!

Generally when it's dark, sometimes they come out at dusk, alwaysonabloodydiet. However they've given my garden a miss this year :-(.

Thank you.
I go out every 30/60 minutes until I go to bed, but haven't seen my guy for months
I think I'll have to stay up until after midnight and check in the early hours of the morning.

I know they're there, because I see the poo on the lawn

Yes, I have googled hedgehog poo