T here are a number of animals that compete for the food I intend for hedgehogs. These include neighbourhood dogs, a proliferation of uncontrolled domestic cats - the scourge of British wildlife - rats, mice and other small rodents, squirrels and the occasional fox. Some are liminated by their diurnal M.O., but not all. Animals smaller than hedgehogs will inevitably be able to access food intended or urchins. Excluding animals bigger than hedgehogs is comparatively simple although it took a while to exclude all the cats as will become apparent. This image shows an early feeder. It was roofed over completely but shown here without most of the tiles to reveal the hedgehog. Most cats were able to get in and, after eating everything, out easily.

I established a fixed place for the feeder at the back of the house, away from the road and overlooked by windows. The final version has concrete roof tiles resting on 4” concrete lintels with a toughened glass central sliding lid that gives easy access for the food. The bit of hosepipe on the ‘rear’ edge of the glass is to protect it from chipping against the back wall when closing. As of 2020, outdoor lights were installed to illuminate the scene which the hedgehogs appear to tolerate. It is usually pretty obvious when a hedgehog arrives for dinner as the stainless steel dog bowl in which I put the food makes quite a clatter as the hedgehog shoves it around.

A number of people on the internet advocate using a plastic storage box in which they “cut a hole of about 4 or 5 inches”. In my experience those dimensions are far too lax. Some adult cats will easily get through a hole 4” x 5”. Also use of plastic is a no-no. Apart from environmental objections, such boxes are too light-weight and easily blown over unless weighted down. They would fall easy prey to vigorous investigation by dogs, foxes and some cats, let alone badgers. 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 can get through a gap 4” square. Each end of my feeder is ‘choked’ with bricks to leave an entry hole no bigger than 4” square. Even so, one cat was still able to get in and reverse back out - until I put a rock in front of the entrance which prevented it crawling in. But you have to admire the style.

FELIX HOUDINI