Hedgehogs!

[GingerKitCat]

I received my first ever hedgehog visitors this evening! Super exciting

I took part in the Homebase garden goals challenge and created a wildlife garden. My garden had been pretty wildlife-friendly up until this point but I added extra pollinator-friendly planting, a wildlife pond, lots of mini log piles and a big heap of grass cuttings and dried leaves in a secluded corner.

This seems to have done the trick! I think the pair are an adult and offspring but both are enormous! I mistook them for giant rats from the kitchen window

They were snuffling round some bread I'd thrown on the lawn earlier for the birds. Unfortunately bread isn't ideal hedgehog food. I added a few slugs (yum!) and a handful of crushed cat biscuits as per online advice. I'll make sure I don't leave bread out going forward.

I'd love to feed them wet cat or dog food (chicken or turkey flavour apparently ) but fear my greedy feline overlord would scoff it before they got a look in.

Does anyone else have resident hedgehogs?

I'm tempted to build a hedgehog house following the Gardeners World template

I just went to check on him and he's gone. I guess that's a good sign but the area I'd expect him to have travelled to I couldn't see any sign of him. How fast do they travel?

Fingers crossed Whisky

I've bought some chicken in jelly dog food in preparation. I bet they don't show up tonight!

Please don't feed hedgehogs mealworms, they give them metabolic bone disease. To supplement their natural diet of caterpillars and beetles (sadly in decline due to `tidy' gardens) they desperately need supplemental food. Kitten biscuits (Tesco and Sainsbury's make the best as they are high in meat content and good value), as well as plenty of water in shallow bowls.
They are feeding up now for hibernation so anything you can do to help will be much appreciated.
If you follow @hedgehogcabin on Twitter you will learn so much. She also has a great website hedgehogcabin.info/