H edgehogs are lactose intollerant, as was Homo sapiens till about 10,000 years ago. Some remain so. In evolutionary terms lactose tolerance, a trait known as lactase persistence , is recent. The British Isles had only just emerged from the last ice age, the Devensian Glaciation, when lactose persitence in European populations appeared about 5,000 years ago. Hedgehogs have yet to acquire lactose persistence because they lack the lactase enzyme needed to digest the lactose (milk sugar) in cow's milk. Consuming dairy products can cause severe stomach upset, diarrhoea, and dehydration in hedgehogs. Homo sapiens are strongly advised not to give milk to Erinaceus europaeus even though they will consume it, just as humans consume much that is bad for them. If you really want to help a hog, make sure they have safe, easy access to a shallow dish of fresh water. Rain water is better than the chlorinated muck that comes out of taps.

H edgehogs eat meat but will inevitably come across dried meal worms spilled from bird feeders which they hoover up with gusto but it is generally not recommended to feed them to wild hedgehogs, especially in large amounts. Mealworms have a very poor nutritional balance, being high in phosphorus and very low in calcium, which is a big concern for the wellbeing of hedgehogs. The main problem is Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). The imbalance between phosphorus and calcium can cause the hedgehog's body to draw calcium out of its bones to balance the phosphorus, leading to weak, brittle bones and serious health problems like MBD, which can be crippling and often fatal. If you want to feed insects, Calci Worms or Black Soldier Fly Larvae are often suggested as a safer alternative as they have a much better calcium-to-phosphorus ratio but safest of all is to leave the selection of insects to the hedgehogs and just give them meat.

H edgehogs should not be given pork, especially processed pork e.g. sausages, ham etc. Because we had a dog staying at the time a hedgehog was first seen at the property, they got what the dog was eating; uncooked pet mince. Many people suggest tinned dog or cat food but as none of the dogs I have ever owned will eat the stuff I can't see any reason to inflict it on hedgehogs. Apart from concerns over the quality and composition of the ingredients, it is more expensive feeding them fresh beef mince. Some supermarket ‘value packs’ of mince contain pork which should be avoided. I buy the cheapest, unadulterated beef mince. Lamb would also do. I fill iceblock trays with the mince and freeze them. Once frozen the mince cubes pop out easily for freezer storage. One cube weighs about ½ oz [c. 14 g.] and currently [Oct 2025] costs about 8p. At present [Oct 2025], with only one or two regular visitors, I put one cube out a night, plus chicken flavoured cat biscuits, which claim to be 50% chicken with 80% of the protein being animal. The higher the meat content in the biscuits the better and tends to be reflected in the price. To ensure you are feeding hedgehogs, rather than cats and other opportunists, you need a simple shelter secured against any animal bigger than a hedgehog. A fully-grown hedgehog get through a gap no bigger than 4”square. But then so can SOME CATS For suggestions on cat-proof feeders and other hedgehog structures SEE HERE

H edgehogs dental equipment does not suit stripping flesh from a carcass. Their incisors do not meet in a cutting bite but project forward and are ideal for grabbing prey. I have offered hedgehogs left-over meat bones which they seem unable or unwilling to strip, unlike the neighbourhood cats who are more than happy to gnaw away. So whatever food you provide should ideally be small enough for a hedgheog to pick up and chew. For this reason cat biscuits are more suitable than dog biscuits as they are generally smaller.

H edgehogs need safe, easy access to drinking water. I have filmed hedgehogs drinking continuously for more than two minutes in hot weather. I put rainwater in a shallow dish which is always left in the same place. Their thirst seems unabated in winter even when there are plentiful puddles. Ponds can present a serious hazard if constructed thoughtlessly. A neighbour found a drowned hedgehog in their pond from which, once in, there was no escape as the sheer sides were unscalable. The further hedgehogs have to roam for water (or food) the greater the risk they face of being run over or predated. If you have hedgehogs coming to your garden it makes sense to provide them with water. Similarly, if you have a pond in your garden try to ensure it has a safe means of escape should any over inquisitive hedgehog tumble in. They can swim, but cannot scale a sheer sided pool.