hedgehog

[eeksypeeksy]

We just had a hedgehog running about the garden tonight. That's good, right? They're big snail gobblers, I hear.

So should I try to befriend it? Feed it? Build it a house? Learn its language, then write and recite odes to it?

[ina]

Congratulations - and all of it, but don't feed it unless you have a shortage of slugs! I envy you; I've been wishing for a hedgehog (and been making "homes" for it) for years!

[Millymollymandy]

Don't feed it - and especially don't give it milk. The time for feeding hedgehogs is in autumn if there are babies about who haven't put on enough weight to see them through the winter - in this case wet cat food is best (I mean of the tinned, not biscuit, variety).

Other than that, enjoy and hope your hedgehog nests near you and is a regular visitor. It's a fabulous sight in summer just after dark when the hedgehogs and their babies come out to play!

[eeksypeeksy]

...in this case wet cat food is best (I mean of the tinned, not biscuit, variety).

I wonder if my local grocery has "Whiskas® Slug & Leatherjacket Buffet" in a can?

[ina]

Maybe that's a niche in the market...

[herbwormwood]

Don't feed it - and especially don't give it milk. The time for feeding hedgehogs is in autumn if there are babies about who haven't put on enough weight to see them through the winter - in this case wet cat food is best (I mean of the tinned, not biscuit, variety).

Other than that, enjoy and hope your hedgehog nests near you and is a regular visitor. It's a fabulous sight in summer just after dark when the hedgehogs and their babies come out to play!

Yes, I have heard milk can poison them. I think they will eat slugs too... and other garden pests. If the hedgehog has come to stay, your garden is obviously appealing to it and it has decided there is enough food, so I would not feed it. Except for what she says above. There is a danger in making wild animals dependent on humans.

[hedgewitch]

I want a hedgehog too

[ina]

Does anybody actually know why milk is bad for them? I don't want to dispute that it is - it's supposed to be bad for cats, too. However, if you work on dairy farms, you'll find that a lot of milk is consumed by creatures which shouldn't really be having any: Dogs, cats, and hedgehogs...
On one farm where I worked, the cats got a large flat bowl full every night. The hedgehogs had found out about it, and simply turned up at feeding time! It was rather amuseing to see the cats, trying to squeeze in amongst those prickly beasties. The milk didn't seem to harm either of them, but of course they may have crawled away with a very sore tummy and died quietly, with new hedgehogs turning up very night

[eeksypeeksy]

According to Tiggywinkles ("The World’s Busiest Wildlife Hospital"):

1. Milk is very bad for the teeth; bread and milk is especially bad, as it is too soft for proper dental care.

2. Many animals are intolerant of the lactose in milk which can lead to diarrhoea, dehydration and death.

3. Milk is iron deficient so in excess can cause dietary imbalance.

4. Milk will readily curdle if left for any length of time.

5. Milks that have been skimmed or semi-skimmed have had beneficial fat soluble vitamins removed.

6. In drought conditions animals may drink milk rather than water, to their detriment.

7. Milk is an ideal medium for the proliferation of harmful bacteria in the stomach and intestines.

But the Kent Wildlife Trust people say:

I feed my garden hedgehog milk and bread. Is this wrong?

There are conflicting views on this. The current thinking is that bread and milk won’t really harm hedgehogs in the wild because it is only a supplement to their normal diet. However, a varied diet would be better - try including meaty cat or dog food (not fish-based).

I would suppose there's a big difference between feeding a captive hedgehog exclusively on milk and bread, and leaving a bowl of milk out for wild beasties that happen by.

[ina]

Thanks for that! As with most things, too much is definitely bad... I wasn't going to feed them milk, anyway - my cat doesn't get any, either.

[FluffyMuppet]

And don't use slug pellets because if the hedgehog eats enough poisoned slugs he will die

[Millymollymandy]

One early winter I was feeding two baby hedgehogs. They must have been a really late litter because they were quite small and there was early snow that year. Anyway they came round every evening for some cat food and did put on weight. I don't know what became of them but hope they managed to hibernate OK (hopefully in the hedgehog box that we made for them!).

I named them Spike and Milligan. I do have photos but they are from before the days of the digital camera so too much effort to find them in amongst the many albums and scan them. Shame!

Oh and put out water for them too if you are feeding baby ones. It is a good idea to leave a bowl of water out for them in a dry summer too. I always leave out a large plant pot saucer filled with water - does for a bird bath too.