Hi Pennypitstop
Yes, rats would eat hedgehog food, but hogs themselves could be the culprit – especially with a fairly small distance. i.e. one could be trying to see if there is anything underneath (mimicking what they might do with a stone). Alternatively the bowl could have been caught up in a biffing session when males can sometimes roll each other along quite a long way.
But it could also be a fox or a large bird i.e. a corvid.
Sounds like you may need to invest in a camera, or even borrow one for a few nights to find out what really happened. Let us know if you get any evidence.
