Hi, newbie here. Sorry to jump onto this thread but we (my wife and I) have the same problem with cats eating the hedgehog food that we put out.
Food used
We use Asda kitten (dry) food with a bowl of water
Feeding station
We use a 32 litre (width 40 cm, length 59 cm, height 19 cm) clear plastic box upside down, with the lid as the floor. A circular entrance of 5 inches (12.7 cm) in diameter was cut, using a drill, at one end. The food and water bowls are placed on the opposite end of the box. A couple of bricks hold the feeding station down in case of strong winds. The clear plastic box is useful for our wildlife camera to film hedgehogs moving around the garden and inside the feeding station.
Cat problem
Last year, whilst we had cats in the garden we didn’t have them enter the feeding station. This year we do. Whilst cats may give way to hedgehogs, they will eat a lot (if not all) of the food before a hedgehog has the chance to eat the food. Plus I don’t want to waste the food feeding cats. Yes, I know it ironic as I’m using kitten food.
There is mention of placing a brick in front of the entrance. Could I do this inside the box? If so, how far away from the entrance should I place it? Would a single brick be enough?
I’d like to be able to film the hedgehogs entering the feeding station so another idea is to make a new feeding station but with the entrance hole (still circular) on the corner of a long side and use a clear cylinder (an old 2 litre coke bottle with the ends cut off) glued in place. The trouble is that a 2 litre coke bottle is only 9.5 cm in diameter! Would this work? Is a coke bottle (9.5 cm diameter big enough)? What length should the cylinder be in order to prevent a cat from entering?
Any other suggestions for a clear cylinder or tunnel that is inexpensive to utilise? Any other suggestions?
By the way, we also get birds (mainly Blackbirds) entering the feeding station and taking some food, which I don’t mind – just as long as it’s not cats.
Many thanks for reading.
