Some people have domestic pets like cats, dogs rabbits,other people like feeding
By jugsjugs
@jugsjugs (12967)
July 22, 2010 2:25pm CST
wildlife like birds.Then there are people out there that feed hedgehogs,they use cat food to feed the hedgehogs,which encourages cats into their gardens to eat the food that they have put down.A lady near me was feeding the hedgehogs and she was forever moaning about peoples cats coming in her garden,so what she done was got a proper hedgehog house that they could go in and eat the food,which put the cats off from going in her garden after the food.I know a person that has got hedgehogs aswell as cats and she was shocked to see all the fleas on a hedgehog aswell as ticks that they have and that they also carry alot of germs.So if you do not want to feed all the cats where you live do not encourage the cats in yaour garden when feeding hedgehogs.No matter how well a cat is fed it will always make room for more food.
6 people like this
17 responses
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
22 Jul 10
Usually the outdoor wild cats are hungry as they don't get fed on a regular basis, so they are going to eat when they can. Hedgehogs are soooooo darn cute! I would think just about any animal that lives outdoors will have fleas and ticks, and alot of them die from this. The babies can die easily from too much blood being sucked out of them if they are not treated.
You are right though, if you don't want stray cats in your yard, don't feed nothing else other than the birds with seed. You might get a chipmunk or squirrel but I don't think the cats will bother with it.
1 person likes this
@jugsjugs (12967)
•
22 Jul 10
Like you say people know that if they put certain foods out then they are going to get certain animals wild or tame in their garden.A cat will always go for a walk to hunt out food no matter haw well cared for they are,as it is in their nature.Cats kill birds sometimes to eat other times just to kill them.
2 people like this
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
22 Jul 10
I had two cats...the one in the picture Kash, and her sister Tyler. Now Kash would eat all day long, and as you can tell from the picture, was chunky. Tyler on the other hand would not...she would just eat a couple times a day and be happy with it even though food was left out all day. But, they were both inside cats, and I don't know if that made a difference? They did not go out prowling at night or during the day, just stayed inside to play.
I know that cats will hunt birds, and sometimes just kill them for the sake of the hunt, and other times eat them...not my cup of tea, yuk, lol!
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
23 Jul 10
Not all cats are hunters, though. I have had some lazy things that would play with prey animals rather than kill them. 
@pmbhuntress09 (1608)
• United States
22 Jul 10
I have never fed a hedgehog before, nor do I think we have them around here in NC. But I do have a problem with possums getting into my trash, and they carry rabies like racoons do. So I try not to leave anything out that they may get, I have enough problems already with the feral cats in our neighborhood, I don't need any more strays, or even neighbors cats coming to eat.
I know what you mean about cats will always eat more, My house cat is never happy even when he has 4 plates sitting in front of him.
@jugsjugs (12967)
•
22 Jul 10
They do say that cats can have more than one feeding home and that feeding home do not realise that it has an owner that also feeds it.I can not see why people moan about cats being in their garden if they keep putting cat food down for a hedgehog,as even with a well fed,cared and loved cat it will still eat what it finds no matter whos garden.
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
23 Jul 10
You know, you can keep the cats out of your garden by spraying it with coyote urine. It also keeps deer out and you can purchase it online. Just thought I'd pass on that little tidbit. I imagine it would keep just about any prey animal away from the garden, including possums and raccoons.
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
23 Jul 10
Of course cats will be attracted to the food, when your neighbour is putting food meant for CATS, for hedgehogs!! haha =D It's gonna be the same thing, when someone were to feed a wildhog with dog food, and i'm sure dogs will definitely try to get ahead of the wildhog for their 'food'.. lol =D
DUn those hedgehogs eat other kind of food, to prevent such a confusion??
@krajibg (11922)
• Guwahati, India
22 Jul 10
Hi jugsjugs,
Well I don't have any hedgehog or cats as pets but I surely own a couple of rabbits. OMG, they are the worst of all I guess. They are kept in a makeshift house but when things come down to feeding them you are a burnt out case.
There is no limit of their eating and dumping. Just go on supplying food day in and day out but still when they happen to see you they leap upwards in such a gesture as if you had never given them food.
I am tired of these creatures. Sometime feel like gifting them all to some who would love to pet them.
1 person likes this
@jugsjugs (12967)
•
22 Jul 10
I know what you mean, as i have a rabbit and mine is the same.Our rabbit seems to eat all the time and even when he has loads of food he will still greet you like he wants alot more.As for the pooing i do agree,but i got some rabbit food the other day off a friend and it was shaped aswell as looked like poo,the rabbit liked it.
1 person likes this
@krajibg (11922)
• Guwahati, India
23 Jul 10
Are there special rabbit foods? Just curious. I got fed up with them really.
@sagar21 (1579)
• India
23 Jul 10
Hi..jugsjugs..
I love feeding squirrels..actually I enjoy their eating style..
hmm cats I hate the stray cats...but some look cute..hmm I'll not fall into their cuteness....they are always...cunning....
forgot to tell I like feeding fish..
we have this pond near our temple(worship) with lots of fish...actually..its done as an offering to GOD...
thanks for sharing ..
have a great day/night..
hmm cats I hate the stray cats...but some look cute..hmm I'll not fall into their cuteness....they are always...cunning....
forgot to tell I like feeding fish..
we have this pond near our temple(worship) with lots of fish...actually..its done as an offering to GOD...
thanks for sharing ..
have a great day/night.. 1 person likes this
@jugsjugs (12967)
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23 Jul 10
All my cats have been sorted all bar one,i have 5 cats.I do agree that there are alot of cats out there that have not been sorted aswell as there are alot of people that leave cats and other animals behind when they go away and move,but like you say it is not the animals fault.I know a farmer that has loads of cats that are all wild and he lets people on his farm to feed them,they help keep mice and other things down,like he say they are not hurting anyone.
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
23 Jul 10
If more folks would spay/neuter their pets, we wouldn't have the problem with strays and ferals that we have. So don't blame the cats, blame the people who didn't spay/neuter their pets and then didn't take care of the litters that were produced as a result. 
SPAY/NEUTER ALL CATS!!! 
SPAY/NEUTER ALL CATS!!! 
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
25 Jul 10
Ain't that the truth. I let my cat out at night and the other day I saw him in the back yard so I went to get him to bring him in for the day. He had just finished eating most of a baby rabbit (a wild one) and he was stuffed and huge. I picked him up and brought him inside and he still went to his dish for breakfast!!!
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
24 Jul 10
I didn't know that hedgehogs ate cat food.
A student brought a hedgehog into my class once and it was a show stopper. She got it in a state where they are legal to have as pets, but in my state they are not legal, so it was a special treat for us to get to see one. It was such a tiny little thing and terribly shy. Being a domesticated hedge hog it did not have any fleas or ticks on it. But I suppose, just like any other wild animal, it harbored some germs. Years back I used to know a boy who would not go out with any girl that had a cat because of the germs. He came over to my house ONCE, lol, and was horrified to learn that I cat a cat. That was the end of that relationship and a good thing, too.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
23 Jul 10
Some cats will, some cats won't. But a feral cat will eat whatever it can find, because who knows where its next meal will come from.
We don't have hedgehogs here...
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
23 Jul 10
I have one that overeats. Therefore, I am going to have to start "meal feeding" them...
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
23 Jul 10
My cats never overeat. They lay in the food bowl to tell me to fill it. Then of course they walk away and don't eat. They also know where the 40 pound food jug is if for some reason I forget to fill the bowl.
1 person likes this
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
23 Jul 10
I have a friend with a family of hedgehogs in he garden. Hedgehogs don't carry germs or ticks if they are healthy and well fed. They are clean animals. They don't leave poop everywhere. When kept as pets, they are easily litter box trained. They are wonderful shy creatures. I try very hard not to scare them when I'm feeding her cats. The hedgehogs eat the left over cat food. They eat fruit that falls to the ground. They also eat small bug in the garden. They are great to have around.
@cupkitties (7421)
• United States
23 Jul 10
Then they run into the problems like the people who live in bear country. It may seem cute to put out some yummies and see your favorite animal but its also very dangerous to not only the animal but yourself. The animal will forget how to hunt and people can be harmed by the animals who come to get the food from them.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
25 Jul 10
Well, I am one of those people that doesn't like to feed wildlife at all. It isn't that I don't want cats in my yard because all of the strays always find their way to me anyhow. The reason that I choose to not feed wildlife is because if I feed them something, then there are more and more animals that come into your yard. Then, you are never able to harvest anything from your garden. Heck, even the fruits of your garden tend to attract the wildlife.
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
23 Jul 10
Eau contraire! If a cat is well fed, it will not eat anymore. I leave food out for my cats all the time rather than give them "meals" and they don't eat till it's gone. Only the hungry ones will go after food...usually the stray and feral cats.
@jugsjugs (12967)
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23 Jul 10
I have 5 cats and they are forever eating, aswell as killing things to eat aswell.I also had a diabetic cat that was over weight and that would eat until it was sick.In the cats home where i used to help out the cats in there were the same,they would eat out of their bowl/tray and then they would eat out of other cats bowls/trays.I have a womans cat that comes into my house and eat my cats food yet we both feed our cats on thge same tinned and dried food and yet it will come here aswell as eat at hers,thankfully my cats do not mind.
@derek_a (10873)
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23 Jul 10
I have hedgehogs too, but I don't feed them because it may attract cats that will kill the blackbirds that nest in our trees. I was looking on line the other day at instructions of how to build a hedgehog house and to have one that the roof will lift off, will he useful to put food in there for them. A good idea.. _Derek
_Derek
@sumiirajj (1983)
• India
23 Jul 10
Hi friend,I have seen too some people who love to have domestic pets.But I dont know why I hate to have pets.Some people cant even live without their pets,I have seen them even talking to their pets and they love to have them even in their bedrooms while sleeping.But hygenically I feel its not good to have the pets inside the house as you said they carry lot of germs which will affect our health in the long run.I have even heard that cats will keep on eating howmuch ever is there.thanks for sharing,happy mylotting.
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
23 Jul 10
Hello friend
I don't have any pet cat now, but stray cats, they are pet of none enter our home soil our beds, one is seen sleeping over UPS of my computer; last night when has torn the plastic cover on my scooter seat, i am really fade up lol..
Thanks for sharing.
Welcome always.
Cheers.
Professor
Cheers.
Professor
