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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:
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39
bluebluezoo · 10/09/2019 18:16

They love peanuts

Pretty sure peanuts are bad- seem to remember a post by a rescue, they tend to get stuck in the hedgehogs mouth, then they can’t eat, get an infection and slowly starve.

Rightsaidmabel · 10/09/2019 18:45

They'll be fine with cats.My neighbour's tabby tom used to hang out with 3 hedgehogs in my garden and look at me as if I was intruding when I chanced upon them."We're chilling here,buzz off"!
I currently have at least a pair,responsible for 2 hours of huffing at a time,as they circle each other nose to nose.Apparently it's a courtship thing.Checked last night and the littler one was the huffer.
They eat Dreamies with chicken,(apparently fish is a no,not sure why)drink water from a shallow bowl,slugs are scarce (thanks guys!)and also any left over bird food like suet granules that is on the ground.I used to sweep this each night for fear of attracting rats,but the hedgehogs seem to do a swift hoover early on.
They have a cozy hibernation spot under the garden shed and plenty of leaves to come for bedding.You can buy hedgehog houses!

beela · 10/09/2019 19:01

We set it up a trail camera by our bowl of hedgehog food. I have discovered that ours visits at around 11pm, 2am and 4am. The neighbourhood cats visit in between those times, and occasionally a little mouse. More recently we've caught a fox on camera too.

I'd love to have little hoggy babies in the garden though 🦔

Noconsent · 10/09/2019 19:20

foxes!
I call stealth boast :)
mind you, the security lights did go off once and reveal a badger in all its glory wandering down the snicket.

ContinuityError · 10/09/2019 19:24

We have foxes too (not in the garden though). The driver of the last local bus in the evening used to bring food and one of the foxes used to wait at the bus stop for him.

beela · 10/09/2019 19:28

A badger?? Living the dream.

JapaneseBirdPainting · 10/09/2019 19:29

We found a hedgehog in our garden pond unable to get out. Unbelieveably (it was our weekend home then) it was still alive but very tired.

So, if you have a garden pond please make sure you have an escape route of some sort... we have stacked up rocks. The frogs love them and small animals can use them as a ladder.

Noconsent · 10/09/2019 19:30

painfully jealous thinking about frogs on ladders now.....

AlwaysOnAbloodyDiet · 10/09/2019 21:18

I really can't believe this, after weeks of hourly every 10 minutes nightly checks, I went outside at 9pm and there s/he was.

Feeling so happy and quite emotional about it - I'm just so besotted with wildlife and feel so lucky & privileged to share my garden with them

Giant hedgehog living in my garden
AlwaysOnAbloodyDiet · 10/09/2019 21:24

Now I'm worried about the flash from my phone, but I didn't shine it directly at the eyes....

Rowenaravenclawsdiadem · 10/09/2019 22:38

I’m so jealous. I want a hedgehog called Les. That’s a fab name.

Blackcap · 10/09/2019 22:56

Although badgers are a delight they are the only predators of hedgehogs. They have such tough snouts they can flip a hedgehog over on its back and attack it's soft underside. Better not to invite them into ones garden.

QuimReaper · 10/09/2019 23:04

How can I encourage hogs in our garden? We're in London and sadly I don't think there are many! I love them though, and we currently seem to be running some kind of Slug Casino given how many of them come sliming out at night, so we could definitely offer a hog a feast Envy We're overrun with big bolshy urban foxes though, do they pester hogs?

NineInchSnails · 10/09/2019 23:56

We have one too! Shuffles about the garden on its own exact same route every night. I saw it first last year and it has returned this year again which I'm thrilled about- it's so speedy! (And fat)

I'm always surprised by the snuffling sound it makes, no wonder they're called hogs :)

It's called Leonard.

Wavescrashingonthebeach · 11/09/2019 00:16

Love love love this thread! I am obsessed with watching out for them at night. no i wasnt addicted at one point staring out the patio doors all night
Ive seen a few out and about lately and my Dad proudly told me that the poop on his lawn is from a hoggy.
I get so sad when i see them on the roads Sad ive moved a few off the roads in the past to save them. People drive too fast why cant they stop and chase them off the road!
I think theres something really nostalgic about them is it just me or do they take u back to your childhood?
Hoggy sex though must be a bit tricky for Mr Hog! Owch haha!

Also...
one of the foxes used to wait at the bus stop for him.
Really tickled me, did he have his thumb out waiting for the 33a?!
Happy hog watching all & pls keep the pics & updates coming!

Bodyonme · 11/09/2019 00:23

Aww I love hedgehogs! At my old house I had one called Gilbert. He got so comfortable with me he used to walk across my feet! I have a video somewhere of him scoffing his cat food - as PP have said, they're very noisy eaters!

In ten years I've never seen one at our current house. We do have foxes though and bats! I still miss Gilbert though!

Rachelover60 · 11/09/2019 03:02

Quim reaper, I'm in London too but there are plenty of green places in the capital, woods and parks, plus gardens. You can' make hedgehogs come into your garden, they just do sometimes. My Les came every evening during his waking period, for two years but no sign of Les or any hedgehog this year.

spidersonmyceiling · 11/09/2019 06:37

You can make a catproof feeding station out of a plastic box littlesilverhedgehog.com/2016/06/20/build-a-hedgehog-feeding-station/nd don't.feed peanuts as they can get stuck in their.miuths ànd they can get infections or starve to death. No mealworms either

CocoMitzie · 11/09/2019 06:55

Concur with others if it's ourmt during the day will need taking to a wildlife rescue. Otherwise cat food (not fish flavour) dry or wet and plenty of water. Leaving part of your garden a bit wild, logs leaves etc gives somewhere to sleep. Don't leave too much food as they need to forage for their own insects slugs etc. Gardening chemicals and slug pellets will kill them.

stucknoue · 11/09/2019 07:00

We have them in our garden, the dog finds them highly amusing and calls me over (he makes chirping barks to call us whenever he's curious or needs help), they roll into a ball so are safe from normal household pets and foxes. Apparently cat food is good but slugs are aplenty here so they don't go hungry

WestBerlin · 11/09/2019 07:05

@FeelUselesss George looks like an African Pygmy hedgehog! He might be an escaped/released pet as they’re not indigenous to the UK.

AlwaysOnAbloodyDiet · 11/09/2019 08:22

I'm going to the supermarket today for my guy - I'll feed him small amounts, now and then.

What kind of cat food is suitable? Are nuts ok, or are they too hard?

AlwaysOnAbloodyDiet · 11/09/2019 08:29

@QuimReaper
Plant some evergreen bushes or hedge. Mine lives in the Laurel hedge

userxx · 11/09/2019 08:39

@AlwaysOnAbloodyDiet Dry or wet cat food, any of the meats no fish at all, if you get wet food make sure it's in jelly and not gravy. Hogs also drink a lot of water so make sure there's a full bowl for him.

userxx · 11/09/2019 08:42

@Collateralbaggage What time was that photo taken at? It looks quite light. Hogs out in the daytime is usually a bad sign.