Advice For Hedgehog Found 20 Minutes Ago In Garden

Duggy747

First up, we haven't touched or gone near it to disturb it, we know what could be involved with the likes of it. Where we live is nowhere near woods or open grass, just a big estate with very small, closed off gardens that have no bushes or trees.

Basically, nowhere for it to hide.

We can't see where it could have come from as the only way into the garden is through the alley where we had some local kids run come into it yesterday and today for some reason (Ran off when they saw the GF and I thought they did something in the garden). They're the type of kids that wouldn't surprise us if they were the ones who put it there.

I was standing at the back door about 20 minutes ago having a smoke when I heard nibbling, turned on the light and there was a hedgehog eating some slugs right at my feet, no more than a foot away from me. He looked up at me, wasn't phased and went back to eating.

He just slowly went on his way on my path eating slugs before going into the grass behind some tall grass and sitting down, very relaxed, uncurled, and not bothered by our presence at all.

I closed off the alley for the moment and went back to him after a while where he was still in the same spot, still unphased by me. That's his current spot at the moment.

Just wondering if there's any advice on what to do with him, if he leaves the alley he's out onto the road where the wild cats (this estate is swarming with them) / cars will get him.

EDIT: Just to add, it's pretty big. About the same size as our guinea pig, if not bigger.

muddypaws

They can get in very small spots, and are surprisingly fast movers when they want to be, so I'd just leave it be, he's probably enjoying the quiet of your garden and will be on his way when he's ready.

Edited to add that I've never seen a cat go for a hedgehog, I don't think they're stupid enough, my dogs on the other hand, have had a few run ins.

Duggy747

muddypaws wrote: »

They can get in very small spots, and are surprisingly fast movers when they want to be, so I'd just leave it be, he's probably enjoying the quiet of your garden and will be on his way when he's ready.

Edited to add that I've never seen a cat go for a hedgehog, I don't think they're stupid enough, my dogs on the other hand, have had a few run ins.

Just making sure, our garden is walled off so the alleyway is the only way it would've gotten in. Cement wall with no holes anywhere, garden was dug up a while back so got to see the full layout. It's a tiny garden too, really small.

We were wondering because some teens went into our garden yesterday and today where they were up to something so we're wondering if they had something to do with it. They legged it when they saw the GF come out the door.

Where we live, and on the side of the city where there's little to no forestry / shrubary / places for it to live or hide, it's pretty unusual to see a hedgehog out here.

There's literally no grassy area near here unless he made long trek up the road and up to us at the top of the hill of the estate.

Will leave him be, was just asking for advice, thanks!

muddypaws

If they brought him in yesterday, then he must have spent last night and today happily in your garden, maybe he is enjoying the peace and quiet. Would you leave the gate open to the alley overnight for him to go in and out?

muddypaws

There is a nature forum, maybe post in there, as I'm only going on my own limited experiences. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=406

teotihuacan

make him a bacon sandwich

DBB

Hey OP,
Leave him be, and open the gate again to let him out.
Hogs have reasonably big territories and have a good mental map of their area too, so it's likely that your garden is part of his route, he's been doing what he's doing for a while, and knows what he's at
Don't worry about cats going after him. Cars are his big nemesis but what can you do?
If he's eating and moving freely, he's fine

Duggy747

Cheers, he seemed pretty calm and didn't give a shìt about me when he saw me. I'll open the alleyway up for him and let him do his thing, was only closing it until we figured out what to do for him.

Thanks

nancicreedon IAABC

It would be a good idea to get on to vet nurse and wildlife expert Bev Truss at TheHogsprickle on facebook, she's a hoggy expert!

pawrick

yep as everyone else has said just leave him be. We found one in my gf's garage about two years ago and thought it was trapped but nope it's a regular visitor ever since as it's been stealing the cat food left out there and seems to hibernate under the decking in the garden. Since then there have been small ones running about too and the cats have never gone near them, they might stop and look as they scurry about though but that's about it. She leaves some cat food out for them to build them up for hibernation and they seem to be doing well in the area around her small semi rural estate, one even came up close to her last night to get a slug on the ground.

Yappyhour

Get in touch with The Hogsprickle (www thehogsprickle weebly com) they are a wildlife rescue in Co clare specialising in Hedgehhogs and the woman that runs it is a vet nurse and wrties in the Clare champion a column about wildlife. They are on fbacebook as well

TheChizler

They're pretty good climbers, could have crawled up a trellis or hedge or something to get in. I'd say it's grand.

Alun

I wouldn't worry too much about cats either. We used to have a regular hedgehog in an old house we lived in where the gardens were all open at the back and our cat would occasionally meet him/her in the garden, but the hedgehog would just roll into a ball and wait for the cat to get bored and walk away. As soon as the cat went, it'd unroll itself and wander off again.

Pumpkinseeds

My parents cats were afraid of the hedgehog that lived in their hedge, it used to eat their tinned cat food and the cats ran when they saw it coming.

New Home

I've a couple of families of them coming to eat the cat food - and water - I leave out for them, they're wonderful! When my 7.5 kilos cat wants to get out of the house, he checks both ways to make sure the coast is clear before venturing out, he's afraid of them (he probably learnt from a bad experience...).