Shouldn’t hedgehogs be hibernating by now?

[Springersrock]

We have a visiting hedgehog. I think it’s living in a plastic storage shed thing we have in our garden.

I’ve been leaving food and water out and it seems happy and healthy enough but we’re at the end of November now so I’m a bit worried it’s still out and about, although I guess it hasn’t been particularly cold yet.

Is there anything I should do for it? A little house or something to encourage it to hibernate?

We have cats, who are leaving it alone so far, but our boy cat is an arsehole so I’m not sure encouraging it is the best idea

I spoke to our local RCPCA who weren’t really interested and the little local wildlife group don’t seem to be operating at the moment

Thanks!

Hibernation can take place any time from October to April, but in a warmer winter you may still see hedgehogs out and about in December

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/09/when-hedgehogs-hibernate/

There is an app called hedgehog street where you can log sightings so they get a picture of where they are in the country & there are information pages on there too.

If you see it out in the day time it isn't good but other than that it's still quite mild. So it might just be fattening up still.

If you are worried about him, pick him up and weigh him. If he weighs less than about 450g he is too small to hibernate and will need help to survive the winter.
Phone the Hedgehog Preservation Society for advice.

Thanks!

I normally see it around 10pm ish, then again about 6am ish mooching back up the drive. I’ve never seen it during the day.

My lazy arse never cleared up all the fallen leaves from the trees in my garden so they’ve all blown together in a heap against the shed and he seems to be snuggling down in them

As you say, it hasn’t been particularly cold yet, so I’ll keep my eye out.

I’ve been giving it the little free sachet of posh cat food you get in a box of Sheba, but if it’s likely to be around for a while longer I’ll order some proper hedgehog food.

I’ll have a look for the app

Thanks!

Its warm, their food is still active
so they are still active

the one I am looking after at the moment LOVES cat food
(ideally straight from the cats bowl)

Yes, he seems to love the cat food, but only the wet stuff. He’s ignored the dry food.

I wasn’t entirely convinced my cats weren’t sneaking straight out and nicking it but I saw him eating it last night. He was scarfing it down.

Aw. You know to avoid the fish varieties of food? I think...

Greyish
Yup. Meat recipes ideally, and crunchies.
The one I'm feeding currently weighs 200g and is eating a 100g pouch of cat food a day !

Yes. My cats would kill me in my sleep if I gave away the fishy ones anyway

He gets the little free sample that comes with a box of Sheba. It’s always chicken

I’ll see if I can weigh him. He looks pretty good from what I’ve seen

I meant to add, I’ve ordered some proper hedgehog pellets

I also ummed and ahhed quite a bit over the little hedgehog houses

The one I'm feeding is TINY so cannot go back outside yet.
Last night she escaped from her box and went and found the cat bowls.
They were VERY unimpressed
The lid of her box is now firmly secured

OP how lovely of you to care for this hedgehog. Reminded me of the village with the hedgehog highway featured a few weeks ago.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8805995/Animal-charity-demands-urgent-ban-lethal-Aldi-hedgehog-house.html

They don’t need to hibernate. Hibernation is nature’s way of dealing with lack of food. If there is food about they will still be about, even in snow. They may hibernate for a few days/ weeks or all through winter. Hibernation is not constant and they will go in and out of it, coming out to look for food before going back in. Policy here is, not to pick up and take little ones into rescues but feed them in situ, that’s more natural and less stressful for the hog.
Also it is perfectly fine to feed fish varieties of cat food, there is no reason not to.
They are pretty little things and it’s lovely that you’re all feeding them.

Thanks!

I kept seeing on lots of website that I shouldn’t feed the fishy variety but if it’s ok, then that’s cool.

This was the house that I kept looking at, there doesn’t appear to be anything inside or a plastic roof that I can see.

I have some that don’t hibernate, even when it’s snowing they trundle up for food. I don’t give them as much tinned cat food during winter as it can freeze or be too cold for them.

the little one I am looking after has had her lunchtime explore in the garden and is now back in her box
not putting on weight, but certainly eating sleeping and pooing plenty
hopefully she will survive

We were having this discussion last week. DH's records (yes, he is that nerdy) show that the hedgehogs stopped coming to our cafe at the start of November last year. This year they are still coming.

Interesting to read that they don't need to hibernate. I had no idea!