seem to have gained a hedgehog
Discussion
well yesterday we found a little hedgehog wandering around the garden at about midday and enthusiastically failing to find anything in the frozen ground. Decided it probably wanted to be bothered so went and weighed it - only 240 grams. poor hedgehog.
So i now have said teeny hedgehog in a large cardboard box with a shoebox in it to hide in and some dog food and water. Its had 3 plates of dog food so far so seems to have decided it isnt all that stressed by the experience. Hopefully can fatten him up enough over winter and let him out again in spring. Luckily i have mealworms, locusts and crickets for feeding the dragon so it can have some of them too.
tis tres sweet
any advice or thoughts welcomed!
(no that isnt it but i like that pic!)
So i now have said teeny hedgehog in a large cardboard box with a shoebox in it to hide in and some dog food and water. Its had 3 plates of dog food so far so seems to have decided it isnt all that stressed by the experience. Hopefully can fatten him up enough over winter and let him out again in spring. Luckily i have mealworms, locusts and crickets for feeding the dragon so it can have some of them too.
tis tres sweet
any advice or thoughts welcomed!
(no that isnt it but i like that pic!)http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/
These people are always willing to offer advice over the phone if you need it.
These people are always willing to offer advice over the phone if you need it.
well it's now been with us for 3 days....just weighed it and it's now 320g - so going in the right direction (it felt noticeably warmer and tubbier too)
I shall get it a wheel cos I think it will be funny - and i don't see how its gonna get much exercise otherwise.
(apologies for crappy phone pic)
I shall get it a wheel cos I think it will be funny - and i don't see how its gonna get much exercise otherwise.
(apologies for crappy phone pic)
Hedgehog feeding and wildlife rescuce worker son now home his advice is as follows:
Mix puppy food with water until gloopy and then serve this with good quality chunky dog food in 50/50 ratio
Dog biscuits soaked in water are also good food.
Fresh water changed every day. And change the food daily too. Feed once a day.
Where are you keeping it? It will need something to hide under.
If its weight starts to fall again, get it to your local wildlife rescue centre as it will need intravenous fluids.
It may be best to take him to wildlife rescue place anyway tbh
Mix puppy food with water until gloopy and then serve this with good quality chunky dog food in 50/50 ratio
Dog biscuits soaked in water are also good food.
Fresh water changed every day. And change the food daily too. Feed once a day.
Where are you keeping it? It will need something to hide under.
If its weight starts to fall again, get it to your local wildlife rescue centre as it will need intravenous fluids.
It may be best to take him to wildlife rescue place anyway tbh
Edited by blueg33 on Thursday 2nd December 20:34
Edited by blueg33 on Thursday 2nd December 20:36
hiya - thanks for asking your son and thanks for his advice
he's currently gaining weight and seems happy enough (i have been keeping unusual things for about 20 years so hopefully should do okay, and i know the shelter local to me is really busy currently)
thanks for food advice - have been feeding it pretty much that, but added in some meal worms and crickets which it seems to rather like. he's in a 5 foot x 3 foot box, with a shoe box to hide in - he's made a nest in it out of shredded paper, straw and bits of towel
got a bowl of water, which we're changing every day, and have been feeding early evening and then putting in another bowl of food before going to bed (which has been eaten by morning) Can i accidentally overfeed it easily does he know?
cheers
Night
he's currently gaining weight and seems happy enough (i have been keeping unusual things for about 20 years so hopefully should do okay, and i know the shelter local to me is really busy currently)
thanks for food advice - have been feeding it pretty much that, but added in some meal worms and crickets which it seems to rather like. he's in a 5 foot x 3 foot box, with a shoe box to hide in - he's made a nest in it out of shredded paper, straw and bits of towel
got a bowl of water, which we're changing every day, and have been feeding early evening and then putting in another bowl of food before going to bed (which has been eaten by morning) Can i accidentally overfeed it easily does he know?
cheers
Night
Hi Nightmare,
You've received some great advice from blueg33 and from your posts it seems the little one is doing fabulously.
Having checked your profile I notice that you are in Hertfordshire, and as I work as a Wildlife Rescuer in Surrey for Wildlife Aid (http://www.wildlifeaid.com), I've added some contact numbers below for you on local wildlife rescue centres in your county. Please phone them for advice; winter Hedgehog youngsters can be harder to rear than the spring babies and need more care. Please check his weight daily, any loss of weight or no weight gain, contact a centre as soon as possible. Hedgehogs do suffer from worms and a few other conditions that would require medical attention from professionals working with wildlife
I feel the most important message to you is; This Hedgehog is a wild animal. As cute and cuddly he may seem, please do not treat him as a pet. At some point in the future, from your posts, you will be releasing him. For him to have the best chance of survival in the wild, he needs to stay as wild as possible. You could inadvertently be signing his death warrant if he becomes too domesticated and humanised.
It is a great thing you are doing, looking after this little fella, however, please take the advice and remember there are professional organisations out the who do what you are doing all the time and they are there for advice should you need it.
Bishops Stortford - Herts Hogline - 07956 698946
Hemel Hempstead Swancare - 01442 251961
Royston Willersmill Wildlife Sanctuary - 01763 262226
...and you can always contact me for advice steve@wildlifeaid.com
Enjoy the little hedgehog and well done for what you have done so far
Steve
You've received some great advice from blueg33 and from your posts it seems the little one is doing fabulously.
Having checked your profile I notice that you are in Hertfordshire, and as I work as a Wildlife Rescuer in Surrey for Wildlife Aid (http://www.wildlifeaid.com), I've added some contact numbers below for you on local wildlife rescue centres in your county. Please phone them for advice; winter Hedgehog youngsters can be harder to rear than the spring babies and need more care. Please check his weight daily, any loss of weight or no weight gain, contact a centre as soon as possible. Hedgehogs do suffer from worms and a few other conditions that would require medical attention from professionals working with wildlife
I feel the most important message to you is; This Hedgehog is a wild animal. As cute and cuddly he may seem, please do not treat him as a pet. At some point in the future, from your posts, you will be releasing him. For him to have the best chance of survival in the wild, he needs to stay as wild as possible. You could inadvertently be signing his death warrant if he becomes too domesticated and humanised.
It is a great thing you are doing, looking after this little fella, however, please take the advice and remember there are professional organisations out the who do what you are doing all the time and they are there for advice should you need it.
Bishops Stortford - Herts Hogline - 07956 698946
Hemel Hempstead Swancare - 01442 251961
Royston Willersmill Wildlife Sanctuary - 01763 262226
...and you can always contact me for advice steve@wildlifeaid.com
Enjoy the little hedgehog and well done for what you have done so far
Steve
Hi Steve,
thanks very much for the post, welcome to Pistonheads and top man working as a wildlife rescuer....just out of interest (as you're in Surrey), do you know Andrew Cleave at Bramley Frith et al? used to work there in summer hols doing dormice surveys and the like
MrsN is doing a hedgehog weight chart - she likes graphs - so will put up over the next few weeks! First weighing was 249g, 4 days later was 320. We'll prob weigh again tomorrow, but I am very conscious of your concerns on domesticating it by accident - so will handle minimally. he's very bright eyed, snuffly nosed and tidy, plus its outputs are pretty normal (christ how much can one hoglet produce??) so will use that as a bit of a guide too.....they're not the most nervous of animals anyway, and I really dont want to scupper its chances when released.
making it a run would be possible....shame it produces quite so much mess with quite such enthusiasm...but yeah I get the feeling that otherwise its going to do cock-all bar sleep and eat!
just need to ensure the pythons cant get into the room he's in and all will be well!
thanks very much for the post, welcome to Pistonheads and top man working as a wildlife rescuer....just out of interest (as you're in Surrey), do you know Andrew Cleave at Bramley Frith et al? used to work there in summer hols doing dormice surveys and the like
MrsN is doing a hedgehog weight chart - she likes graphs - so will put up over the next few weeks! First weighing was 249g, 4 days later was 320. We'll prob weigh again tomorrow, but I am very conscious of your concerns on domesticating it by accident - so will handle minimally. he's very bright eyed, snuffly nosed and tidy, plus its outputs are pretty normal (christ how much can one hoglet produce??) so will use that as a bit of a guide too.....they're not the most nervous of animals anyway, and I really dont want to scupper its chances when released.
making it a run would be possible....shame it produces quite so much mess with quite such enthusiasm...but yeah I get the feeling that otherwise its going to do cock-all bar sleep and eat!
just need to ensure the pythons cant get into the room he's in and all will be well!
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