Try scattering a few dried mealworms in the entrance to and just inside the new house, and put some dried leaves/hay/shredded paper in the bedroom to give him the idea
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks but I'm not sure about that and I'm very stretched for time most days.
Update this morning, all food has gone including inside new house. Hoggy is still in cat house as usual hard to tell that even moved in fact. Again I covered him over better.
I have a feeling he won't be leaving the cat house though which with its big door I don't think will be that warm and the cat loves to.go.there when raining
They don't really need it warm Marc - they need it dry and just above freezing. They need their body temperature to drop when they hibernate. If that's the place he's chosen I'd leave him be - he knows best. But you could put some other towels, rags, shredded newspaper, hay etc in there for him to snuggle into - and perhaps give the cat an alternative shelter if she thinks lodging with a hedgehog makes things a bit crowded.
I don't think our hedgehogs visited last night - the food doesn't look touched - I've found they get a bit erratic in their visits around this time of year.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I put the food and water the other side of the garden - they find it - I think it's best not to attract rats, cats and foxes to the hibernation spot (your cat is obviously an exception as 'your' hedgehog seems to have adopted her).
The hedgehogs sometimes wake in a warm spell during hibernation and sometimes move to a different nest so don't panic if that happens. That's why it's good to keep some food out there during the winter so they can replenish any energy used when they wake. Dried food, chopped peanuts, sunflower seeds and dried mealworms are good for that as they don't 'go off' so quickly and can be put out for the birds if the hedgehogs don't have them.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
ok so ill finish the new home next weekend, kit it out and add some tiny feet i think and then move it to another location so he can maybe move later or tell his friends
ill leave food station where is next to Japanese rockery and growing area and may help me see him of an evening etc
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Try scattering a few dried mealworms in the entrance to and just inside the new house, and put some dried leaves/hay/shredded paper in the bedroom to give him the idea
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
cool, gonna have a quick look now and add some more paper
so the worms and cat biscuits i put out 1.5 hrs ago have gone. hoggy still seems in the house and unmoved. pondering who ate them now
so i have left more and some in the new house
i presume it would be better to get him to move into the new house? the cat house being a bit too open and cold for winter?
obviously he will dictate and may have to stay in the cat house and il offer more towels or something
Update this morning, all food has gone including inside new house. Hoggy is still in cat house as usual hard to tell that even moved in fact. Again I covered him over better.
I have a feeling he won't be leaving the cat house though which with its big door I don't think will be that warm and the cat loves to.go.there when raining
They don't really need it warm Marc - they need it dry and just above freezing. They need their body temperature to drop when they hibernate. If that's the place he's chosen I'd leave him be - he knows best. But you could put some other towels, rags, shredded newspaper, hay etc in there for him to snuggle into - and perhaps give the cat an alternative shelter if she thinks lodging with a hedgehog makes things a bit crowded.
I don't think our hedgehogs visited last night - the food doesn't look touched - I've found they get a bit erratic in their visits around this time of year.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Do you put food nearby as I did want covered box other side of garden
I put the food and water the other side of the garden - they find it - I think it's best not to attract rats, cats and foxes to the hibernation spot (your cat is obviously an exception as 'your' hedgehog seems to have adopted her).
The hedgehogs sometimes wake in a warm spell during hibernation and sometimes move to a different nest so don't panic if that happens. That's why it's good to keep some food out there during the winter so they can replenish any energy used when they wake. Dried food, chopped peanuts, sunflower seeds and dried mealworms are good for that as they don't 'go off' so quickly and can be put out for the birds if the hedgehogs don't have them.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
ok so ill finish the new home next weekend, kit it out and add some tiny feet i think and then move it to another location so he can maybe move later or tell his friends
ill leave food station where is next to Japanese rockery and growing area and may help me see him of an evening etc
Sounds good to me and your hedgehog house is looking great
I don't think you should use any wood preservative.
Don't forget to put fresh water out as well as food during the winter as well as the summer - it's important that they don't dehydrate.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
im fussy, and its not as good as planned, slight bodge job
plan would be to add a slanted roof and some fence panels etc so water falls off better
but its an ok start