To ask you to please help hedgehogs and other wildlife prepare for winter

[Pricklesinperil]

It is literally a lifeline for them as the weather gets warmer.

if you’d like to know about other ways to help, please go to Help hedgehogs

thank you

Note from MNHQ - please do read the Op's latest update (October 2022) before responding.

Evening bump - it's been very hot and dry today, please remember to put out a dish of water for any hedgehogs who might be visiting your garden

It's not just hedgehogs. I've put water out for the birds today. They are finding it hard to get water.

Bump for today. Last night our smaller hog's first drink was a good 5 minutes...

Love the photos FlappyFish 🤗

My hedgehog visitor was very thirsty

My hog was thirsty too - and very hungry! He was feeding for a fair bit longer than usual. A couple of weeks ago I was seeing two hogs in my garden, now it's just one. I'm hoping that nothing's happened to the other one 😕

Both hogs visited last night and ate loads of food and had a long drink. Either one of them came back again or there’s another one around because I heard the plate being bashed around again after hog no 2 had finished hoovering up their dinner.

my Hog was either having or asking for sex again at 3am 🤣🤣his/her food consumption is very erratic- some times it’s all gone sometimes none sometimes just a bit- same with the water!

@blobby10 They are noisy aren’t they! I was late putting the food out the other day and walked down to one shouting at the other. I’m also finding the same with the food, one day both bowls polished off and the next hardly touched.

I’m not allowed to be late putting out the food - the cat sits by the back door yowling at me because she wants to (a) steal a couple of mouthfuls first, and (b) see the hedgehogs!

@Eckno yes noisy little things - I was half asleep when I heard them this morning and managed to recognise what the noise was before I trawled the house looking for the source of the dripping/knocking noise which I've done the last three times I heard them! Still hoping for some hoglets under the shed but maybe next year x

I haven’t seen my hog for a few weeks now but am continuing to put water out, I’m refreshing at least twice a day as it’s proving very popular with all the wildlife here.

I put my phone out next to my water station yesterday evening and left it on time lapse. No hog pics but did get this beautiful robin.

Loving all the pics.
That’s a good idea with the time lapse on your phone - great picture of the robin.

(Little early evening bump).

Late bump to remind everyone about putting out food and fresh water.

Lovely robin! I’ve been topping up water during the day as well. I’ve also restarted putting bird food out just in case the insects and green things might be drying up a bit too in this crazy weather. They’ve eaten all the stuff today, so hopefully it’s helping. Also carrying on putting cat food out nightly for hedgehogs, I reckon the slugs are all probably hiding away in the heat.

What can I do to help the birds? I am not sure where to put water as there are a lot of cats around here. On the ground? On a table?

I doubt I’ll get hedgehogs due to the fences. Sadly.

Perhaps a table might be better but I think the main thing would be to put it somewhere not too close to bushes or places cats could stalk the birds.

I use an old paint roller tray but anything quite shallow would do. Used to use an old tray from an oven. They like to get in and splash around a bit so change it often.

We have a water bowl on the ground as well as one higher up. We feed the birds and find the more birds there are the less the cats catch them - more eyes to look out for them stalking in the bushes 👀.

My cat wouldn’t know what to do with a bird if it laid down in front of her and said (channelling Squeeze) “take me I’m yours”.

She is fond of the hogs though.

Bumping as it's so hot - please remember to put some water out - for hedgehogs and othere wildlife 🙂

Thank you all! You are all wonderful to have kept bumping this thread 🌟
I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s hedgehog updates and will answer any questions separately.

Thank you again, I can’t put into words the wonderful feeling of people actively caring about hedgehogs and wildlife, especially in this heatwave

@Mabelshouse Good question, thank you for thinking about the birds. The RSPB gives this advice on choosing the best spot for water for birds

here’s their link for making a simple bird bath RSPB - make the perfect bird bath

@Mabelshouse sorry, just seen your note about fences. You can create hedgehog highways. Please just chat to your neighbours- 99% of people are happy to help hedgehogs once they understand what help hedgehogs need! it’s just a case of starting a conversation.

Here’s information from Hedgehog Street about hedgehog highways, it also includes links to resources to help you start a conversation Hedgehog Highways
please post back on this thread if you have any questions- we’re all happy to help

Evening bump

Is there anything I can put out in place of cat food? I forgot to buy any today. I don't have any pet food except for layers pellets for the velociraptors.