feeding station has now become popular

[Hedgie Lover]

So I set up a feeding station using a plastic storage box – after 3 weeks of feeding them outside, and now, the hedgehogs use it every night – at first I think only the big hedgehog (who I call ‘mummy’) was using it – but the little ones happily go in it now – I’ve realised it takes them a while to trust something new. And also, all the slugs and snails have taken a liking to it – chilling out in the tunnel I made with bricks with a wooden top, and some go in the box to nibble at the dry hedgehog food – so it’s turned into a bit like a hedgehog restaurant – a small dish of dog food for starters, first come first served, hedgehog food and cat biscuits for main, and the odd slug or snail for afters.

The mummy hedgehog comes to the garden a bit later, but a little one, who I think might be nesting near by – comes early and quite frequently during the night – I know it’s her as she makes a little snuffle sound sometimes when she eats – and one of them, another little one, makes a huffing sound when she is eating bit like (humph humph humph) noise.

So far I know I’ve got a minimum of three – as there is big mummy, two small ones that are male (who I’ve seen biffing each other) and a little female, as I’ve seen a little male sniffing round her and she was making a sort of fast (choo choo choo choo) sound at him, i think it might have been hissing rather than huffing – but it worked as he ended up running off.

I might have more. I think the little ones have grown a little bit since I first started feeding them, so makes me think they might only be 2 or 3mths old.

I find the odd cat in the feeding station too – but they quickly come out when they see me. And I saw a fox in my garden last week which worried me a lot – some people say they leave hedgehogs alone, is that true, would they eat one if they were really hungry – last thing I want is for the fox to eat the hedgehogs – I would be heartbroken.

[Hedgie Lover]

The little hedgehog that makes a little snuffle sound when she eats – always, no matter what, steps in the water bowl and never ever walks around it – no matter where I put the bowl, she still insists in stepping inside it to get to where she wants (inside the feeding station) – as soon as the hogs come out, the water bowl is dirty again — it’s quite cute but why does she do this? Does she not realise it’s a bowl and is used to stepping over things in natural habitats and not walking round things?

I find rabbits do this also, my rabbit, rather than walk one inch to it’s side to get around my foot, would rather nudge my foot with it’s nose until I move it – I’m looking after a friend’s rabbit at the moment, and she does the exact same thing – so funny and so adorable. Rabbits can be a bit bossy though.

[Author]

Posts