Two semi-ferals live in my courtyard, a female, about 6 yo, a male, 3 yo, both fixed.
They are lovely and don't go around much. They have a cat house in the most sheltered spot of the yard, and dishes for fresh water and food that I give them at least 4 times a day, every day. They also have vet care when needed, so I could say they are rather well tended.
The problem is that a hedgehog is visiting my courtyard every night after 8pm. It arrives, goes straight to the dishes, eats whatever is left in them, sometimes it tips them over and moves them around. And finally it drops a "souvenir" next or into the dishes before leaving.
I love all animals, and tried to leave some hedgehog food that I have bought for it. The fact is that it eats both its and cats' food, or even that the boy of the ferals eats the hedgehog food.
Raising the cats' dishes a bit doesn't help, the hedgehog is able to climb. I also have a garden table and I tried to put the cats' dishes on the table, but the female does not jump on the table to eat, so she can't eat at night
How could I solve this issue without harming anyone? I know that in a couple of months the hedhehog will hybernate, as long as the winter is cold enough, but I need to solve the problem during the other moths of the year.
Thank you.
They are lovely and don't go around much. They have a cat house in the most sheltered spot of the yard, and dishes for fresh water and food that I give them at least 4 times a day, every day. They also have vet care when needed, so I could say they are rather well tended.
The problem is that a hedgehog is visiting my courtyard every night after 8pm. It arrives, goes straight to the dishes, eats whatever is left in them, sometimes it tips them over and moves them around. And finally it drops a "souvenir" next or into the dishes before leaving.
I love all animals, and tried to leave some hedgehog food that I have bought for it. The fact is that it eats both its and cats' food, or even that the boy of the ferals eats the hedgehog food.
Raising the cats' dishes a bit doesn't help, the hedgehog is able to climb. I also have a garden table and I tried to put the cats' dishes on the table, but the female does not jump on the table to eat, so she can't eat at night
How could I solve this issue without harming anyone? I know that in a couple of months the hedhehog will hybernate, as long as the winter is cold enough, but I need to solve the problem during the other moths of the year.
Thank you.