# hedgehog trap safety



## welshcrossy (May 28, 2015)

Hello All, can I please have your advice. I have an allotment with 28 ducks and since I'm close to a river a do have a number of rats in the area. I want to safely trap the rats without harming any hedgehogs. Is there any way to cover the traps so a hedgehog cannot access the inside? I do have a duty to protect my animals but also want to prevent any trapping of hedgehogs due to there decline in the UK. I would also educate other allotment holders to make sure they don't trap them also.

Any advice please is welcome. Obviously there's a huge health and safety aspect when it comes to rats but want to prevent any unwanted entrapment of hedgehogs.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

This forum is mostly geared at pet African hedgehogs, not wild European hedgehogs. You might find more useful answers on a forum for that kind of hedgehogs. However, I would definitely use a live trap of some kind - even if you catch a hedgehog, you can easily release them unharmed as soon as you find them. If you catch the rats as you'd like, you can then humanely euthanized them in whatever way you want. I can't say for sure, but I can't think of any kill-traps that wouldn't be dangerous for hedgehogs and other non-rat wildlife. Side note though, if you do use live traps, make sure you're checking them at least twice a day (morning & night), if not more. You don't want anything stuck in there for too long.


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## Soyala_Amaya (Aug 1, 2011)

I asked a couple of UK friends of mine your question, and one of them said an animal friendly solution is cats. Get some happy half feral barn cats, and they will take care of rats and mice, but leave hedgehogs alone. There are usually catch and release spray/neuter programs which can help you get some kitties onto your land that won't breed.


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## Ally's_Oliver (Feb 8, 2015)

I agree. Great idea! I live in the U.S., but our outside cats eat EVERYTHING. Including huge rats and lizards and snakes.


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## Soyala_Amaya (Aug 1, 2011)

The lady I talked to said that her farm cats are fairly feral, but they also tend to leave her chickens alone since they are fed and happy. She is in the UK, and says it's her favorite hedgie safe method.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

That...may be a hedgehog-safe method, but that's not at all a wildlife-friendly method. Plenty of cats will go after birds & other small wildlife too, as said. That's not good for those populations, nor the predator populations that depend on that prey. Cats can go home for food from the humans - wild predators cannot. Cats also have a tendency to kill prey animals whether they plan to eat it or not, which wild predators don't typically do. Cats are an invasive species & one that is extremely out of control. Too many people don't see them as a problem when they really are.

Edit - Another issue with using cats for this type of job is the risk to the cats. Wild prey animals can give cats parasites, and you can't always guarantee that animals haven't ingested poison, which can then poison the cat. Plus there are other dangers to the cats, even in the UK (regardless of how many people try to pretend that there aren't any dangers to outdoor cats over there). Cars, dogs, other cats, larger wildlife, etc. This isn't an animal-friendly solution any way you look at it.

Please, if you don't want to use kill traps that could catch hedgehogs, just use live traps and kill the rats yourself. Otherwise, check with hedgehog/wildlife rescues in the UK to see what they recommend that wouldn't endanger other wildlife.

Edit again - To be honest, I question that cats would even be a hedgehog-friendly method even without the other concerns. Not all cats are smart enough to leave hedgehogs alone, especially if they have a high prey drive. Cats have quite a bit of bacteria on their claws & teeth. All it takes is one scratch or bite and that often manages to kill many small animals simply due to infection. At the wildlife rehab I work at, we get TONS of cat-caught animals. They all go on antibiotics right away because otherwise they usually end up dying anyway.


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## Soyala_Amaya (Aug 1, 2011)

What you're saying makes sense Kelsey. I know cats are basically little serial killers. Someone else just suggested building little platforms for traps, the rats could climb the wooden legs, the hedgehogs couldn't.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

That idea sounds a lot safer. 

Also sorry for going a bit on the attack - outdoor cats are a very sensitive issue for me, with working at a wildlife rehab & being in Fisheries & Wildlife. It kind of drives me nuts that they're so normalized in a lot of countries, with how much damage they can & do cause. :?


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## Soyala_Amaya (Aug 1, 2011)

I know, I've actually made the same rant before, it's one reason why I like the catch/release spay/neuter programs. It doesn't euthanize the animals (booo) but it keeps them from breeding so it weeds the population down. We had one on my college campus and I volunteered to help catch and release and build winter shelters for the kitties.


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## Soyala_Amaya (Aug 1, 2011)

I've gotten the same comment from two people, though, that live traps for rats is fairly useless. They breed too fast and unless you check your traps constantly, you only get a few rats vs the breeding population. The rats can overbreed in food rich areas like a farm and hurt a lot of animals, including hedgehogs.


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## Ally's_Oliver (Feb 8, 2015)

Thanks for bringing up some great points Kelsey! We have 2 outdoor cats that are both fixed and stay current on their shots. They are essentially house cats, but since my dad is allergic, they stay outside. They aren't Feral in that sense and are well fed, but hunt occasionally for sport I suppose! But you are correct, they aren't very selective about their prey. I can see the potential issues with much more aggressive feral cats who are accustomed to hunting, and will likely pounce on anything in sight. Very interesting.


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

To the Original Poster,
Have you tried Mrs. Tiggeywinkle's web site or another hedgehog website in the UK?

I believe that Mrs. Tiggeywinkle has info about native hedgie safety. 

We appreciate you trying to avoid trapping native hedgies.


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

Are these those kind of traps which keep the animal alive? If so, you could just release it if you happen to accidentally catch a hedgehog.
Keep in mind these traps shouldn't be placed before dark because the food will attract a lot of animals including birds. Check them in the morning.


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