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

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

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?

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

Can't see why not if it gets used to it

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

Cat and dog food is what is recommended for feeding hedgehogs, but milk is
not good for them at all

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?

It it has a good supply of food, it would be more likely to breed, you could
end up with dozens :-)

Tom

On Aug 13, 7:58 pm, "Tom" wrote:
aquachimp wrote:
1)
Can / would a hedge hog use a cat-flap

Can't see why not if it gets used to it

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

Cat and dog food is what is recommended for feeding hedgehogs, but milk is
not good for them at all

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?

It it has a good supply of food, it would be more likely to breed, you could
end up with dozens :-)

Tom

Ta for that

"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.

"Tom" wrote in message
...
aquachimp wrote:
1)

It it has a good supply of food, it would be more likely to breed, you
could end up with dozens :-)

And many, many times more fleas.

Mary

"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

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

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?

Have a look here .........
http://www.thehedgehog.co.uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesticated_hedgehog
Jenny

On Aug 13, 8:51 pm, "JennyC" wrote:
"aquachimp" wrote in message

ups.com...





Last evening whilst we were watching telly, we heard a noise 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

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

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?

Have a look here .........http://www.thehedgehog.co.uk/http://...cated_hedgehog
Jenny- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

How curious.
So, contary to what most of us think... , they generally do not eat
snails/slugs unless desperate and indeed, slugs/snails... even
unpoisened ones can kill them via a lung disease.

And wood bedding, esp. ceder should be avoided as hedge hogs are
allergic to wood oils.

My thanks to all who have responded.

"aquachimp" wrote in message
ups.com...

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

Yes, I'm sure one could.

I encountered one of the little blokes while we were both out for a walk the
other night and it had no problem scaling quite a steep kerb at a run.

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

I don't think the hedgehog will complain! It might get a bit overweight, but
that might resolve your catflap question.

:-)

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?

I am reminded of an NF Simpson play in which a well-meaning family offered
their left-overs to a neighbour, only to find her appetite was so great that
they had to buy more food so as to have enough left-overs to keep up with
her.

Let the little blighter eat slugs and snails, I say.

--
Brian
"Fight like the Devil, die like a gentleman."

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
et...

"Tom" wrote in message
...
aquachimp wrote:
1)

It it has a good supply of food, it would be more likely to breed, you
could end up with dozens :-)

And many, many times more fleas.

...that are probably hedgehog-specific fleas.

Still, I understand the concern psychosomatically scratches leg.

:-)

--
Brian
"Fight like the Devil, die like a gentleman."

On Aug 13, 10:57 pm, "Brian Watson" wrote:
"aquachimp" wrote in message

ups.com...

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

Yes, I'm sure one could.

I encountered one of the little blokes while we were both out for a walk the
other night and it had no problem scaling quite a steep kerb at a run.

Interesting. My query was not so much about whether it can be trained
to do so, but whether it, (rather than say, mice) might be the secret
midnight cat-food scoffer.
BTW I doubt mice... most unlikely given the antics of the cats on that
point. But the cat flap is a good 10 metres from the food place and
technically, in a different room too.


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

I don't think the hedgehog will complain! It might get a bit overweight, but
that might resolve your catflap question.

Custom made flap for a rather large big-boned moggie. (high and wide-
ish)The hedgehog would have to be very, very big (7kg+)

:-)

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?

I am reminded of an NF Simpson play in which a well-meaning family offered
their left-overs to a neighbour, only to find her appetite was so great that
they had to buy more food so as to have enough left-overs to keep up with
her.

Let the little blighter eat slugs and snails, I say.

Ah, but according to one of those links that Jenny C posted, only 5%
of their diet consists of s/s and they'll only eat them when faced
with starvation and on top of that, the s/s are like carriers or
somefink of a hedgehog lung disease.

But I have noticed beetle munching have stopped entirely (-:

--
Brian
"Fight like the Devil, die like a gentleman."

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
et...

"Tom" wrote in message
...
aquachimp wrote:
1)

It it has a good supply of food, it would be more likely to breed, you
could end up with dozens :-)

And many, many times more fleas.

I'd rather the fleas than the slugs!

"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

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

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?

best source for information is at http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/
downloadable hedgepig fact sheets
Derek

Do not feed the hedgehog a fish based product or milk. Water is ideal.
I have fed hedgehogs for some thirty or so years and I find, from their
droppings, that beetles are their main source of food. On many
occasions I have seen a slug in the act of eating from the hedgehogs
bowl but when the hedgehog arrives it ignores the slug. However, I
think that they eat very tiny slugs, those which have not long hatched
and they certainly suck lob worms.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

"Tom" wrote in message
...
aquachimp wrote:
1)
Can / would a hedge hog use a cat-flap

Can't see why not if it gets used to it

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

Cat and dog food is what is recommended for feeding hedgehogs, but milk is
not good for them at all

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?

It it has a good supply of food, it would be more likely to breed, you
could end up with dozens :-)
Tom

The old Romany (gypsy) way to cook a hedgehog is to roll it in clay and bake
it in the embers of a bonfire. When ready, the clay is broken open and the
spines come away still embedded in it.

Jenny :~))

"Emrys Davies" wrote in message
...
Do not feed the hedgehog a fish based product or milk. Water is ideal.
I have fed hedgehogs for some thirty or so years and I find, from their
droppings, that beetles are their main source of food. On many
occasions I have seen a slug in the act of eating from the hedgehogs
bowl but when the hedgehog arrives it ignores the slug. However, I
think that they eat very tiny slugs, those which have not long hatched
and they certainly suck lob worms.


A 1992/93 study of urban hedgehog population distribution overseen by Dr
Doncaster of Southampton University found a strong correlation between high
hedgehog population density and earthworm availability (assuming no
badgers!), suggesting that earthworms may be their most important live prey.
However, like most predators/scavengers, they are opportunistic feeders.