British shorthair cat tries to scratch an itch using a spiky hedgehog

Animal lovers may want to look away now as a cat desperately tries to scratch an itch – using a spiky hedgehog.

But while you would think the hedgehog would prove a bit prickly, this blue British shorthair appears to think it makes the perfect scratching post.

The 56 second clip posted on YouTube earlier this week shows the domesticated cat tentatively approaching the curled up hedgehog before rolling its neck around the bristles.

And far from looking in pain, the cat’s delight at his new found scratcher is evident as he closes his eyes and rolls around on the hedgehog.

He then has a quick break from his strenuous scratching – going for a lick of milk from a nearby saucer.

But the British shorthair – voted the most popular breed of cat by the UK’s Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) since 2001 – soon returns to the hedgehog to continue his back scratch.

Throughout the video the cat’s owners’ can be heard giggling but the hedgehog remains perfectly still throughout until the briefest of movements right at the end of the video.

Many commentators debated whether the hedgehog was real or fake – with many claiming it was just instinctively hiding its head for protection.