"aquachimp" wrote in message
ups.com...
Last evening whilst we were watching telly, we heard a noice in the
kitchen akin to what the cats make when the pop in for a bit to eat
and there is some dry food out for them, (crunchy-bits, my wife calls
it).
However, on checking which cat had returned home, lest a stray had
sneaked in, ... it turned out to be a hedge hog. The back door been
open....
We were delighted. I'm plagued by snails/slugs that wont eat the dam
stuff I've planted for them (lettuce, nasturtiums, etc) but will go
after my one and only cytisus, a jap maple, some climbing plants,
roses and so on.
So, like I say... delighted to see a hedge hog.
We turned the kitchen light back off and shut the living room door.
We could hear it crunching away. Then silence. Checking moment later,
we saw it was sipping the milk... then gobbled the tinned cat food.
Much later, it was gone.
I've noticed recently that the cat's bowls have been unusually licked
clean.
So; I have 3 questions.

1)
Can / would a hedge hog use a cat-flap

Yes, if it had an incentive to do so.


2)
If we allow it to continue on the cat food, will that be bad for it?

No, but avoid 'bread and milk"


3)
If not bad for it, if we put some food out for it (we would like to
keep it and maybe the bribery would help), will it not bother with
slugs and snail anymore?


Hedgehogs are not likely to become totally preoccupied with food left out
for them, so should continue to take some live prey as well.