Hi Susan8
Hibernation isn’t only related to temperature. I had a hedgehog here last winter and the temperature went down to -6 on occasions. That didn’t put him off at all – although water was a bit of a problem. The only days he didn’t make it here for food were 2 when the snow was too deep. Once he found a way through he was back nightly as usual.
I think if you are feeding cat food, rats are less likely to eat that, although cats could become a problem instead! But as Leon says, the main problem is if they get into the house, and if handling material where they may have been. Most places probably have rats around at some stage, people just don’t know about it. It doesn’t always work, but I usually try to make things difficult for them if they get near the house. For instance if they make a bolt hole near the house I fill it in and discourage holes under fences near the house. Rats like to have their regular runs. The holes in fences for the hogs can be further away from the house. The hogs here have their main access point at the other end of the garden from my house and have never had any problem finding the food.
I agree with Leon, about making your garden more hog friendly, but in the winter the hogs are also likely to need a supplement to wild food if they don’t hibernate. So I would leave some dry food out. I have another hog this winter not hibernating and whilst I see him doing a fair amount of foraging, he also has supplementary food. Not cat food because I have several cats who visit too. Occasionally a rat gets some of the hog food, unfortunately, but that can’t be helped.
Good luck with the hogs.
