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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
userxx · 11/09/2019 08:46

@FeelUselesss That's does not look like a wild hedgehog, have you still got him? I'd take him to a rescue as he's not meant to live outdoors, they need warm temperatures.

AlwaysOnAbloodyDiet · 11/09/2019 08:52

Thank you @userxx

Collateralbaggage · 11/09/2019 09:22

@userxx

Photo was taken around 8pm.
I put water out but he only stayed a few minutes before running off into the hedges.
He was about 6 inches in length.
We’ve not seen him since.

Noconsent · 11/09/2019 09:49

Pleased for you AlwaysonabloodyDiet.

I am going to add some dry cat food to the basket.....

userxx · 11/09/2019 11:21

@Collateralbaggage Phew! I panicked then. It was miserable last night at 8pm where I am, dark and rainy.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 11/09/2019 21:09

We've just seen ours but he went under the shrubs before we could get the camera! I've left him out Some dry cat food, maybe that will entice him back

RosaWaiting · 11/09/2019 21:49

Lovely thread
I don’t have a garden and loving the hedgehog pics, thanks all.

AlwaysOnAbloodyDiet · 11/09/2019 22:05

Mine is having his supper.

I think I've overfed him, ooops. Maybe I'll take some away?

He's happily crunching away ❤️

AlwaysOnAbloodyDiet · 11/09/2019 22:06

Or she!

hogshonour · 11/09/2019 22:16

I am on hog-watch tonight, want to share a pic of my giant hedgehog too.

Feel so honoured to be witness to wildlife, and glad they are surviving.

Learnt a lot from the thread, so thanks for the specialist advice to rescues, etc.

AlwaysOnAbloodyDiet · 11/09/2019 22:31

I hope yours makes an appearance too @hogshonour

🤞

hogshonour · 11/09/2019 22:33

Oh are you watching tonight too? 🤞 Looking forward to pics Smile

AlwaysOnAbloodyDiet · 11/09/2019 22:36

Yes, scroll up to 10pm Smile

userxx · 11/09/2019 22:38

@AlwaysOnAbloodyDiet You do realise your life will now revolve around feeding time 😉

hogshonour · 11/09/2019 22:40

Oh, hadnt realised you were on a watch for your hog, yes I saw that, it inspired my decision to see mine again and to put out food, now I know about the litter timings. Although, mine could just be an older fat boy!

I will be very worried if I don't spot him (although he comes quite late and not sure I can stay up for it) because until I do i will worry I did him some harm, I think.

Off to do a quick check now, but its earlier than I've ever seen him before.

Maybe he'll come earlier if he knows there'll be food!

LaBelleSauvage123 · 11/09/2019 22:46

We have two that have been visiting for about two weeks - have been putting food and water down most nights and have taken a few pics and some video with a wildlife trail camera ( which sadly I can’t transfer to my phone).

Giant hedgehog living in my garden
rededucator · 11/09/2019 23:03

What food do you put down for hedgehogs?

HedgehogRescueHERBY · 11/09/2019 23:05

@FeelUselesss the hedgehog you have pictured isn't a British Wild so if you are in the UK the hog you have needs rescuing as it isn't native and will die over winter.

@TroysMammy hedgehogs when we'll do not have fleas. A well hedgehog has no external parasites. I've cared for over 1000 hogs and only 13 have had fleas. Hedgehog fleas are host specific and cannot live on other animals. Hedgehogs wash their fur with their tongue but scratch their prickles to groom so often look like they have a full infestation but actually they are just checking they look sexy for a night on the town.

MEALWORMS are bad food for hedgehogs and cause metabolic bone disease.

MILK is unnecessary for an adult hedgehog and all hedgehogs are lactose intolerant.

FISH UK and West European hedgehogs can eat fish but don't necessarily like the artificial flavouring. Almost all pet food contains fish.

UK hedgehogs hibernate with a sudden drop in temperature so some have actually hibernated in the past week or so though I'd expect them to wake again before winter properly kicks in. They generally sleep when night temps fall below 6C for a week and wake up when above 6C for a week. It isn't a precise science though. I'd expect mid to late November to mid April for hibernation. They lose 2 to 3g per day in hibernation and can hold their breath for 2 hours when hibernating!

They tend to have babies in July and October in England but it is weather dependent and slightly different in other parts of the UK because if differing climates. This year we have been running early because of the weather being warmer earlier.

HedgehogRescueHERBY · 11/09/2019 23:10

They can climb 12"/30cm at a time. They'll climb dry stone walls, chicken wire and trailing ivy. They can swim for 20-30 mins.

They get stuck in football nets, peashoot netting, ponds (drown or get hypothermia) and uncovered drains way more than they get poisoned by slug pellets but still - please don't use slug pellets just go round and pick them up in a bag and dispose of the slugs they way. The slimy sods give hedgehogs lungworm anyway! 🤮

Noconsent · 12/09/2019 00:01

I left a badminton net in the hedge a few years ago then had to cut it off a trapped hedgehog :(. She hogged off on her own four feet though

MontStMichel · 12/09/2019 08:15

Why do they have babies in October? How do they have time to get up to sufficient weight for hibernation.

We had one hedgehog house (got another one last week, so now got two), and suspected two were living in it, as two appeared at the same time near the food and water bowls (a yard from the hedgehog house).

I went out one night to fill the bowls. One hedgehog ran off into the bushes; I looked down and there was a massive one at my feet - it was as surprised as I was, and also ran off!

Anyway, DD heard two huffing and puffing at each other in the garden recently! I wondered if they were mating, but thought it was late in the year for babies to survive?

(Photos of previous inhabitant)

Giant hedgehog living in my garden
Giant hedgehog living in my garden
hogshonour · 12/09/2019 09:18

MontStMichel

So lucky to have two! How do your pictures look like broad daylight?

About the hoglets surviving this late, pp specialist advice, read further ^thread

Blackcap · 12/09/2019 09:28

How can I tellthe difference between a non-britishhedgehog and a British one? We have about six feeding in our garden. They are various colours ranging from light to quite dark and smallish to very large. We had a similar number last year.

AlwaysOnAbloodyDiet · 12/09/2019 10:04

I'm amazed that they can have such a litter!

Does Papa hedgehog stick around? Shock

@hogshonour Did you see yours last night?

I'm already excited about tonight Smile @userxx I don't mind at all Smile

hogshonour · 12/09/2019 10:21

I think I need to build some night owl stamina! So, no, nothig to see last night, but I have only ever seen him when coming in quite late at the weekends. I am out tomorrow night, so if I have a late home, I'll have to remember to tread carefully when I come back! I will be getting photos if there are any sightings. I checked several times,but from my experience they have quite a set schedule! So I could look all night and then still miss the visit.

I would love to have one of those wildlife cams up.

Will try finding one.