It’s easier to stop the cats getting at the food than rats, because you can put it in boxes with appropriately deterring entrances. What they eat: Slugs, snails, beetles and earthworms, birds' eggs, nestlings and carrion.
ANSWER: Pets and hedgehogs. "Cats are undoubtedly a monumental threat to songbirds, but it's magpies that incur the wrath of the average bird lover," says Birkhead.
Often adult hedgehogs will be sufficiently protected by their spines but sick or young hedgehogs may be killed. Leave areas of the garden 'wild', with piles of leaf litter and logs. Dogs can and sometimes do attack hedgehogs. "If … Dogs can and sometimes do attack hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are small, insect-eating mammals that can be found in Africa, Eurasia, southeastern Asia and Borneo, as well as New Zealand, where they were introduced in the 19th century.
Many hedgehogs are killed unintentionally by humans: on the road, with lawnmowers, strimmers and garden chemicals, and in bonfires. Rats don’t tend to like cat food as much as some of the hedgehog foods, so you could try that, although you might encourage the neighbourhood cats instead.
So magpies are misunderstood. ANSWER: Pets and hedgehogs. RATS are not only a pest but also a health hazard, carrying a number of diseases. Cats are less of a threat as they will usually leave hedgehogs alone after investigating them. Hedgehogs are a gardener's friend, as they eat snails, slugs and insects. If attacked they roll into a tight ball so only their spines are exposed. (I have found that if I ever have a rat around the cats seem to be mysteriously absent!) Ticks on hedgehogs (seen as greyish shiny lumps, often behind the ears) are not usually a problem unless there are dozens, which can lead to anaemia.
These animals are covered with prickly spines, which they use as a defense mechanism against predators by curling into a ball when threatened, making them appear to be a very painful snack. Often adult hedgehogs will be sufficiently protected by their spines but sick or young hedgehogs may be killed.
Hedgehogs are good runners, proficient climbers and can even swim. These are an attractive nest as well as a home for the invertebrates (slugs, beetles) that hedgehogs like to eat.
Hedgehog fleas do not live on dogs, cats, humans or inside houses, they are host specific, so your pet cannot catch fleas from a hedgehog. Make a hedgehog a home.
Cats are less of a threat as they will usually leave hedgehogs alone after investigating them.