When should I stop leaving food out for Harriet during hibernation?

[HarrietPrickles]

I gave ‘my hedgehog’ Harriet’s house a good ‘autumn clean-out’ a couple of weeks ago and replaced the bedding. About a week ago, lots of leaves and twigs had been dragged inside and there was evidence of activity – initially poo in the house’s hallway and then a much “fuller” appearance of the bedding in the sleeping quarters (yes, I did have a very gentle. quiet peek but only once), so I think there’s a good chance that she’s hibernating in there.

I’ve still been leaving food in Harriet’s feeding station, next door to her house, and this has been disappearing every few nights, although I don’t know if she’s been dining out there or if something else has been eating the food.

My questions are: is it likely that she’s hibernating, given that it’s turned much colder now? And, if she is hibernating in the house, should I still leave food out and if so, how often?

Any advice welcome, as this is my first winter with a hedgehog.

[stef]

When hogs go into hibernation they don’t just stop and hibernate. They go through a period where they don’t eat for a few days but will then eat/drink. This can go on for a while. It’s also possible the hog will change it’s mind and not hibernate at all, which is fine, they don’t need to. During hibernation they can also get up and move nests several times
It is essential that when or if they do start to hibernate they are not disturbed. Every time they are disturbed they use up some of the fat reserves they need to both survive hibernation and rouse at the end of it.
If the food is going every few days it sounds like the hog – if it were rats or cats it would likely go every night.
You need to leave water all the time – even a hibernating hog may get up for a drink and personally I would leave some food ( dry )
Hope that helps

[Author]

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