to have rushed downstairs naked at 10.30pm?

[ScrotalPantomime]

well DH and I did last night

We'd just gone to bed and DH heard a noise, so being paranoid types he looked outside and saw a hedgehog!

We were so excited we ran downstairs straight away and looked out of the window. We were just about to give up on seeing it again when DH realised it was outside the front door trying to climb into our watering can. He climbed out of the window to go round and see it - I should point out he'd put on trousers by this point :o

Managed to open the front door and see it really close up and get a photo. Went to bed grinning as I'd never seen a hedgehog up close before.

AIBU and just an insufferable nature geek?

And also - what food should we put out?

I was actually tempted to get a HedgehogCam - don't worry though, there's no sandpaper about

Cat food is good ( I think) NOT bread and milk. We have a hedgehog hut in our garden but no hedgehog . Will you post me yours?

I don't think the Royal Mail allows you to post hedgehogs, Trumpton.

I would love a hedgehog in my garden. Yes, I think cat food is the thing and a saucer of water. They suffer from thirst in dry spells - maybe that's why he was climbing into the watering can.

Glad you got a good photo...

Might be a good idea to put the watering can out of reach of your new guest. IIRC they find it hard to climb out of water and will eventually get tired of trying and drown in it (if you've got a pond, you might want to put a ramp in it just in case hedgie falls in).

can you put the photo on your profile?

I was very excited to see a bat outside my house one night last week. We are in the town but next to a park and I have seen them before, but only twice in nine years.

It'll be back - watch out for fleas!

I have a family of hedgehogs living in my garden, I love them because they have eaten all the slugs so that's one problem I don't have in my veggie patch. Last year I caught two of the little ones sunbathing on my lawn.

It's true they are riddled with fleas.

dry cat food goes down well and a few bowls of water. If you do have cats/dogs be careful of fleas. And then pretty much ignore them really, the more you just carry on around them the happier they'll be in your garden, well at least this has worked for us for the last feww years.
We had a family here last year (got a good look at them as we slowly moved the food nearer the door, Mum and 3 tiny little things, so sweet)
My cats and they seem to have an understanding
And from the noises that were coming from the garden last week I think there'll be more babies this year too.

Our hedgehog used to get stuck between the wall and the garage in our garden and cry so we stuck the trunk our old Christmas tree to make a bridge and he trundles across happily now.

I don't leave him and his family food. I am a meanie and make them eat our slugs and grubs. They aren't starving.

Hedgehogs love cat food, but don't put it out unless you're sure you want him sticking around - they are full of fleas.

Also, if he finds a mate be prepared to be woken up a lot more frequently. Hedgehogs are extremely noisy lovers

Very . DD was after one or two as pets, luckily she sees to have forgotten this idea.
I was told on a thread I started about them that they reek.

make sure its not fish based cat food. If you are in the droughty areas it might be really thirsty. We have some very bold foxes (much more than usual - I think one stuck its head through the cat flap a couple of nights ago) at the moment and I think it is down to desperation for something to drink.

Some expert advice:

www.thehedgehog.co.uk/diet.htm

Thanks all :)

Moved the watering can and put food and water out. Got to see it guzzling it all down last night.

SO cute. Annoying I can't cuddle it though!

We have bats too. Need to get one of those bat box thingies to put on the tree outside. (we don't have a private garden, just Borders and a front lawn)