Deter cats but encourage hedgehogs

[Stokenhillhodgehegcollective]

Does anyone know an effective way to deter cats while encouraging hedgehogs? I’m tempted by a sonic cat repellent but I’d hate to disrupt the poor hodgehegs!

[Annig]

Good morning
I assume that you want to deter cats from coming into your garden to eat the food you put out for the hedgehogs. I know little about sonic repellents but read a few posts back that someone had observed their visiting hedgehogs had been affected by the one they had used. My experience over the last few years of feeding the birds and hedgehogs (for what it’s worth) is that if you feed one species you will invariably attract an/other and I have had to adapt the way I feed both in order (in my case) to deter rats. In doing so I no longer have the pleasure of watching the squirrels antics as I have to use cages, trays etc to catch falling food. In terms of the hedgehogs I supervise their feeding from March until they stop visiting usually in November. I have read that feeding stations help deter the predators so maybe this would be an option. Best wishes.

[Nic]

Hi

I’m not sure what Annig said, that post doesn’t seem to be showing, for some reason.

But I wouldn’t use a sonic cat repellant with hogs around. The cats won’t do the hogs any harm, just maybe eat their food. So I think the best course of action is to create a feeding station which the cats have trouble getting into. There are loads of ideas on the forum, but also on the gallery (accessed via the home page).

Some hogs prefer to eat outside and for that you can use some perspex type sheeting on bricks or earth filled flower pots. If you make the sheet big enough it will put the cats off, whilst still allowing the hogs lots of ways of escape, so that they still consider it’s outside. With many ‘cat proof’ feeders you might find some cats which get in, but at least it’s made more difficult for them.

Good luck.

[Annig]

I tried to edit my post and then it disappeared so here goes

Good morning
I assume you want to deter cats from coming into your garden to eat the food you put out for the hedgehogs. I don’t know anything about sonic repellents ( but I see Nic has responded). My point is that if you feed one species you invariably attract others I have found that the only way to deter unwanted species is to adapt how you feed them. I think Nic’s suggestion of a feeding station is a good one but wouldn’t work for me as in my case it was rats, so I have had to feed the birds using cages, trays etc and subsequently lost out getting a daily visit from the squirrels. In terms of the hedgehogs it is supervising their nightly feeds from March until November or whenever their visits stop ( this is a real commitment as I never miss a night, so I have to holiday in the winter months) but the pleasure I derive is worth every second of getting wet and cold. Luckily I am retired as I couldn’t have provided this service if I was working. I hope you resolve your problem. Best wishes

[Coley]

Good evening, Annig,
Cats, and rats ..I find feeding hedgehogs, attracts a lot of wildlife to the garden, not necessarily a ‘bad thing’..unless it’s rats
We have large gardens surrounding our house and we are adjacent to a bowling green and horse paddocks and stables…in short..hedgehog heaven.
But in recent years we have had a bit of a ‘rat problem’ …don’t get me wrong, every species deserves its corner/niche.
And watching them in the garden, robbing the bird feeders, their ‘acrobatics ‘ are amusing (and at times amazing) but when their population starts to ‘get out of hand’…then it’s a problem for both the animal and human populations.
Enter the ‘feral cat’ Likes hedgehog food, but likes rat even better, doesn’t bother the hogs…most seem afraid of them.
Balance restored….not the bank balance, unfortunately…..its amazing how both feral cats and hogs decline the ‘cheap end’ of cat and dog food😁

[Annie]

My hedgehog has taken over the cat kennel again this year. I watch him on the cameras happily coming in & out during the evening. He’s used all the bedding I put out for him. Hopefully he will use this space to hibernate as it’s getting close now. The kennel is very close to my back door but as long as I don’t get too close he seems pretty happy. Though yesterday I didn’t realise he was in the feeding box and put the feeding dish right on top oh him. No harm done as he went back to the kennel within the hour.
The cat & visiting fox seem wary of the hog, so all good in the garden.

[Author]

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