# Should I feed hedgehog?



## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

There's a hedgehog who has made a nest in the bush next to the cat run. Cats were looking at it for ages and I head noise but only realized it was a hedgehog the other day as I caught it out at night and it ran back in. Anyway, should I feed it? I heard funny noises could it have babies?


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

I personally would, as they are massively in decline.

You could always ring a wildlife rescue for advice. If it's under a certain weight, chances are it won't make it through the winter, and they may take it and feed it until it can be released.

Wrong time of year for babies.


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## PennyGC (Sep 24, 2011)

Yes I agree their numbers are down significantly - are you sure about babies??? If you're feeding some of the cat food would be a good idea.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

PennyGC said:


> Yes I agree their numbers are down significantly - are you sure about babies??? If you're feeding some of the cat food would be a good idea.


Cat food (wet) is ideal. NOT bread and milk!


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

I don't know about babies just a guess. Boyfriend has only seen a big one so maybe it's just one adult. Thanks for the advice. I shall put out wet cat food for it. No idea if it's underweight I haven't seen it. I go out at night but can never see it.


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## dorrit (Sep 13, 2011)

Many garden centres are now selling hedgehog houses (made from willow) and special hedgehog food.. 

If you can help these lovely little creatures please do...


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## Nico0laGouldsmith (Apr 23, 2011)

poultry cat food not fish  and a bowl of water 

only put it out quite late at night though and put it near to where the nest is otherwise cats will just come at eat it


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## Hedgelie (Oct 4, 2011)

Hedgelies are at significant risk and you should be feeding it.

There is a dedicated forum - probably the best in the world for European hedgehogs - filled with carers and rescuers who can give any advice and assistance that anyone needs.



Cat food is okay (not in gravy and not fish based) but kitten biscuits (such as Iams purple packet, Arden kitten biscuits with chicken, or Royal Canin products such as Babycat34 and 36) are better and last longer. Dried mealworms are usually much liked.

The food and water bowls need to be substantial because hogs are messy eaters and drinkers and will tip up anything lightweight. If the hog has juveniles now they need to be rescued because they will not survive the winter. A high percentage of hogs do not survive their first year.

If anyone sees a hog with small juveniles or sees any hog out in daylight please post on the forum above and alert members of the forum. There are carers and rescuers all over the country, all of them battling to keep alive an unique part of wildlife which is in serious danger of dying out.

If animal/pet lovers want to keep alive a creature immortalised as "hedgelypig" by Shakespeare all of us need to work together.


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

I have lots of them in my garden, some nest under one of the stud pens, others at the top of the garden presumably under the shed. I leave down dry cat food all the time both for hedgehogs and for outdoor cats. The amount of cat food consumed drops rapidly in the winter!

Liz


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

ok, may i ask why not fish? it's been eating chicken wet food. i assume it's the hedgehog i stick the food under the bush at night and it's gone in the morning. there is also water.


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## Hedgelie (Oct 4, 2011)

Biawhiska said:


> ok, may i ask why not fish? it's been eating chicken wet food. i assume it's the hedgehog i stick the food under the bush at night and it's gone in the morning. there is also water.


In general fish based cat food seems to upset what is a very basic digestive system - it's also not in their normal eating repertoire. Also people have found over the years that cat food "in gravy" usually leads to an upset stomach as well. In an emergency wet cat food is fine but, in general, kitten biscuits are much better and last longer of course. Whatever it is they need small chunks of food because they only have tiny mouths and teeth and cannot cope with large chunks of anything.

As to Autumn juveniles this is one of the biggest problems affecting hedgehogs at the moment. Perhaps due to our changing climate, hogs have started having second litters in the last few years sometimes as late as October/November. Depending on the Spring first litter times are normally June/July and that gives the young plenty of time to feed up.

There can be anywhere between three and six in a litter on average and unless these Autumn litters are rescued they will die because they will not make hibernation weight and the natural supply of food will dry up. At the moment many Autumn juveniles are being handed in or rescued all over the country. Whether it will be as bad as last year no one knows: we are all hoping not but the signs are not terribly good at the moment.

Last year there were some carers with well over 100 juveniles through the winter. I myself rescued an Autumn juvenile five days before Christmas out in the snow desperately trying to find food. It was very close to death when I rescued it.

Unless they are sick and underweight most adult hogs should be fine for hibernation but the little boys and girls have no chance of survival unless they are rescued.

Anyone lucky enough to have a hedgehog visiting their garden should do their best to give them help. If you have one visiting it is highly likely you have more than one which you won't see unless you want to sit up all night keeping observation! Also if they have a regular food supply they are less likely to eat slugs and snails which they tend to do only if they are desperate. It's very dangerous for hogs to eat them because they carry lungworm which transfers to the hog within about three weeks and can kill it if not treated.

Hedgehogs are now officially the 10th entry on the "most at risk" list in this country, a classification long, long overdue.

As I said earlier if anyone sees tiny hedgehogs, day or night, contact the hedgehog forum and they can alert the nearest rescuer/carer.


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

Hi

I've had a good look and I can't see any babies in there. I am sure there isn't. I also went and bought some dry kitten food for him/her.


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## Hedgelie (Oct 4, 2011)

Firstly thank you so much for taking the trouble to go and check. I think you'll find kitten biscuits will be easier from your point of view as well - tinned cat food even in the colder weather some are experiencing goes off so quickly. If you can run to it most hedgelies adore dried mealworms - they are also very good for them because they are full of protein and very close to a natural diet in any case. Beetles, caterpillars, worms and earwigs seem to be the top choices in the wild. Some will eat fallen fruit as well - mine have been eating elderberries on the ground and producing some rather interesting purple poos as a result.


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## Nico0laGouldsmith (Apr 23, 2011)

Hedgelie said:


> Firstly thank you so much for taking the trouble to go and check. I think you'll find kitten biscuits will be easier from your point of view as well - tinned cat food even in the colder weather some are experiencing goes off so quickly. If you can run to it most hedgelies adore dried mealworms - they are also very good for them because they are full of protein and very close to a natural diet in any case. Beetles, caterpillars, worms and earwigs seem to be the top choices in the wild. Some will eat fallen fruit as well - mine have been eating elderberries on the ground and producing some rather interesting purple poos as a result.


but no grapes or dairy products 

I would definitely invest in mealworms. . .nice and fattening for the little ones in the cold weather and if you put them under the bush cats wont eat them. . .birds might nick them but if you do it quite late they're most likely going to end up all for the hedgies


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

Where is the best place to buy mealworms? I shall go and get some on Saturday, been busy at work this week. 

The dry biscuits have all but gone. Now, I put them right under next to where the nest it, it's quite low down so I am certain it's the hedgehog eating them. We don't get any cats in the garden now. The two that used to visit have left with their owner when they moved. 

I am also putting down fresh water each day.


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

Just a thought!
I have been seeing hedgehog food in more and more shops of late.
so looks like people could have finally got the message about NOT feeding the bread and milk that is not good for hedgehogs.


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## Hedgelie (Oct 4, 2011)

DT said:


> Just a thought!
> I have been seeing hedgehog food in more and more shops of late.
> so looks like people could have finally got the message about NOT feeding the bread and milk that is not good for hedgehogs.


Yes, it is definitely worth repeating all the time that the old "fable" that hogs love bread and milk is not true. Desperate hogs will eat bread but it goes straight through them and is of no benefit at all. Milk is downright dangerous: they get virtually immediate diarrohea and become dehydrated very very quickly. When they get to that state you are talking about emergency treatment delivered quickly otherwise they will be gone.

I think the message is mostly across but that said members of the hog forum had to intervene within the last month when that advice appeared in a local newspaper. Everybody stormed in and, in fairness, they took the article off line, corrected it very quickly, and apologised. So, clearly, not everyone knows.

Hedgehogs drink an enormous quantity of water - people are often amazed at how much - and their urine is very "ammonia" (much worse than a cat, for instance).

But, as you say, no bread and milk under any circumstances.


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## Hedgelie (Oct 4, 2011)

Biawhiska said:


> Where is the best place to buy mealworms? I shall go and get some on Saturday, been busy at work this week.
> 
> The dry biscuits have all but gone. Now, I put them right under next to where the nest it, it's quite low down so I am certain it's the hedgehog eating them. We don't get any cats in the garden now. The two that used to visit have left with their owner when they moved.
> 
> I am also putting down fresh water each day.


Supermarkets and some garden centres pet sections charge the earth for mealworms. See if you can find a local pet shop or someone supplying fishing enthusiasts loose rather than pre packaged. My local supermarket has bird food mealworms at £3.50 for 100 grams - local pet shop price £2.

Most hedgelie nuts order in bulk - cheapest on the internet with free delivery are Maltby's of Hull from which you will see how much money the supermarkets are making. We have found some garden centres on a 400-500 per cent mark up. Cats won't normally bother with mealworms in my experience.

Keep up with the water, as mentioned prodigious drinkers.


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## Superash (Aug 23, 2011)

I used to have two hedgehogs came into my back garden every night at my old house when I first started seeing them I used to give them whiskers which I fed to my cats. But when they turned up every nite I thought in gonna have to compromise here coz I had two dogs as well so I bought them the Asda smart price cat food and then they buggered off!!! Cheek!!


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks. I'll try the local pet shop tomorrow. 
I would never have dreamt to give them milk and bread, never heard of that anyway. Would just assume it wouldn't be good


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## Hedgelie (Oct 4, 2011)

Biawhiska said:


> Thanks. I'll try the local pet shop tomorrow.
> I would never have dreamt to give them milk and bread, never heard of that anyway. Would just assume it wouldn't be good


As a sad addendum one rescuer has reported the arrival of four babies who were being fed by a well intentioned householder on milk. It was too late for three of them - the fourth is now okay. It's very dangerous for adult hedgelies - usually fatal for tinies as, sadly, here.


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

Well this little fella (or lady hedgehog) now has meal worms :thumbup:


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## Hedgelie (Oct 4, 2011)

Biawhiska said:


> Well this little fella (or lady hedgehog) now has meal worms :thumbup:


Well done! That should prove popular.:thumbup:


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

They are being eaten :thumbup:


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## Hedgelie (Oct 4, 2011)

Sorry I missed your post. It would only be a surprise if you have a hedgehog and they weren't being eaten - a few won't eat them but 98 per cent will and go for them first.

Crunch, crunch! :thumbup:

Please keep them going, if you can, because as I've said even if hogs hibernate they will wake up for two or three days and go looking for food and the further into the Winter we go the less natural food they will find. So kitten biscuits/mealworms if you can are SO important particularly to any only on the fringe of hibernation weight.

As an example I've not seen "our" hogs this end for around a fortnight but within the last two or three days one feeding station is being "monstered" night after night so it's either a new arrival, someone returning, or someone out of hibernation having a "feed up". They remember where food is so please keep it going if you possibly can.

The hedgehog nutters this end never leave them completely without food right through the winter because we know that even in a harsh winter like last year some will still be out and about in December and January.

I would once again stress that any hog, adult or tiny, seen out and about during the day needs immediate rescue and help. I understand links are not allowed on here but if you see this please just type in Hedgehog Forum on Google and everyone will pile in to help. 

And if any of you have built a bonfire of sticks, logs etc for November 5 PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE check underneath it before setting it afire. Hedgelies are very often their own worst enemy (after us of course). Such a construction looks a natural home for a hedgehog so please take the time just to make sure. Thanks everyone.:thumbup:


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