Next, don’t worry about the cats. Cats rarely bother hedgehogs. I have three and they were scared of the hedgehogs, even when we had a nest with tiny babies. The only problem most people have with cats is they will eat the food left out for the hedgehogs.
How big is the small one you’ve seen? You wouldn’t have seen a newborn in any case, as they don’t come out of the nest until they’re a few weeks old. Either it is a baby belonging to the other hog you have seen, which is possible, if it’s very small and just started coming out, or it is a juvenile that is just hanging around. Possibly both- it could be the adult hog’s offspring from earlier in the year. Either way it is highly unlikely to present any problems for the other hog. I had someone else’s half grown juvenile hanging around when the babies were little, and they all got on famously.
You are correct in that they don’t usually stay with each other, but there are exceptions to this. One is obviously mother hog with babies. The other is if they are nesting in a large area, like under a shed or decking, they will have separate nests within the larger area. There have even been reports of two hedgehogs setting up separate nests in hedgehog houses, although that is unusual. I can’t see any problem with them both sleeping under your decking.
It’s great that you are leaving food out for them and you are leaving the right food. If it’s regularly getting finished, you could leave out a little more, they have big appetites for such tiny creatures. Are you leaving water as well? That’s important, as sometimes it’s difficult for them to find water. I found mine didn’t care for tap water and the rainwater was more popular- I suppose it’s what they are used to.
As for potential babies, it is possible that she may be expecting or already has a nest full of hoglets. It’s not the ideal time but they can and do have second litters later in the year. Unfortunately there’s no way to tell for sure until you see them come out. They will usually stay just outside the nest for the first few days, then start wandering all over the garden. Just keep an eye out, but there isn’t anything specific you need to do, they sound like they are pretty happy. If you become urgently concerned about one of them, you can call BPHS for advice and they can help you with how to proceed. Otherwise, there are experts on this forum that can help with your queries. Nothing is too silly to ask, so please chat away and keep us posted with how they’re doing.
