Hedgehogs

Froglet

Welshwoofs wrote: »

If you find a 200g hedgehog at this time of year it's an Autumn born juvenile and almost certainly won't make it through the Winter as it's not big enough to hibernate.

I'm a hedgehog carer myself, raised a few through the Winter last year. I use rabbit hutches for them, give them wet cat food (meat ones, NOT fish!) and some dry cat crunchies to keep their teeth in good order, along with a supply of fresh, clean water (they drink a lot!). The ones I took in last year I got from 190g and 200g respectively up to 900g and 1kg before I released them in a safe area the back end of April.

As Froglet says, slugs and snails are NOT their primary food source, if fact they will only eat them if there is nothing else. In fact many late born hogs taken in have got lung-worm due to eating slugs and need ridding of that if they're to have any hope of survival.

Rule of thumb, if you see a hog in the daylight at this time of year it needs rescuing. Once we hit November, if you see SMALL hedgehogs out, even at night, they need to come in and be over-Wintered.

Hi Welshwoofs.Good to hear of another carer.Our prickly friends need all the helpers they can get.Are you on the hedgehog forum or at least an occasional guest? If not please come and take a look, it would be lovely to meet you and hear your hoggie stories.I am on there every day so would look out for you.

lostinrates

Hoping a hedgehog carer is still up and around...

Spinathon is awake and scratching in his box like crazy. He's spilled his water which is in a heavy ceramic dog bowl. I'm about to put him in a dry box...but what to do about water....I don't want him to be cold and wet, but he can't be without water......! if I quarter fill it would it be enough?

pinkcandyflossprincess

hi
dont know much about hedgehogs apart from the one we have who comes into garden that everyone has seen but me:(
i imagine that they dont drink that much water overnight, could you pop an ice cube or two in perhaps so they slowly melt rather than spill? I do this for one of my cats after i dropped an ice cube once and he loved it so i pop some in his bowl now.
i imagine wet catfood if thats what you are feeding is quite moist too so will provide some liquids ?
I am very envious but slightly worried that you seem to have hedge hogs appearing by magic in your house:eek::rotfl:
do we get pics?:o

lostinrates

pinkcandyflossprincess wrote: »

do we get pics?:o

sure, I can take some when I find my camera. (I put it in a bag sometime over summer and can't find it now:o)


If the wildlife hospitals theory is correct there might be a litter of hedgehogs all wandering round my house and I just haven';t seen them all yet :eek::o

I wouldn't be too envious. Though Spinathon is cute I'm trying not to look at him too much because I doubt its good for him to get ''tame'' or too trusting. he's VERY noisy right now scratching away. Its not a happy sound, and though I know its the right thing to do to feed him it does feel a bit horrific, because he sems to be making it clear he doesn't want to be in the box!

Welshwoofs

lostinrates wrote: »

Do you keep these in the house?

Yes, you can't keep them outside because it's cold and they'll attempt to hibernate (and will then die if they're not fat enough).

I put them in a spare bedroom last Winter, but this Winter they'll go in the garage.

They like to make their own beds, so I put a lot of straw in there and they arrange it themselves.

Welshwoofs

Froglet wrote: »

Hi Welshwoofs.Good to hear of another carer.Our prickly friends need all the helpers they can get.Are you on the hedgehog forum or at least an occasional guest?

I'm actually not! I should go have a look

lostinrates wrote: »

Spinathon is awake and scratching in his box like crazy. He's spilled his water which is in a heavy ceramic dog bowl. I'm about to put him in a dry box...but what to do about water....I don't want him to be cold and wet, but he can't be without water......! if I quarter fill it would it be enough?

Just fill the water bowl back up again - they are messy beggers and often tip over their water and stamp through their food. Hedgehogs do drink a surprising amount so I would refill.

Your hog is probably afraid - have you got his box somewhere quiet and dark? After a couple of nights they do settle right down. Mine generally start chatting away to me after a week or so; they know when food is coming. They've got quite a vocal range when they get going.

lostinrates

Welshwoofs wrote: »

Your hog is probably afraid - have you got his box somewhere quiet and dark? After a couple of nights they do settle right down. Mine generally start chatting away to me after a week or so; they know when food is coming. They've got quite a vocal range when they get going.

Thank you! I left it half full in the end, but in future will fill more.

I'm certain he's afraid....but I look forward to him chatting in the future.

rising_from_the_ashes

Lostinrates well done for taking him on ..... silly mummy hedghog for having babies in your house somewhere she must've sneaked in when the door was open during the summer and thought "oh this looks nice and cosy";)

Would love a pic too!

Welshwoofs

Here's some hedgehog cuteness. This is Dexter, he was one of my ones last year who went from 200g to 1kg on release. He was released in May near where my Mum lives (middle of the countryside, no big roads around) and still pops by her house a couple of times a week for a nibble on some chicken or cat food.

rising_from_the_ashes

There's really only one thing I can say to that ......

awwwwwwww:D