I have a hedgehog!

[julie19]

I am so pleased - I love hedgehogs, I heard noises coming from the outhouse yesterday morning so when we got home we quietly nosed around & spotted it curled up fast asleep on some straw in the corner.

 

[louisedan]

Thats lovely. I saw a programme,a afew years ago,that said not to give it milk or catfood as it isn't good for them and just to put water out.I don't know if thats still what the experts say though.

 

[julie19]

I have put some water out & some peanuts last night & some of the peanuts have gone. I hope it stays.

 

[niknaks]

Awwww cute! Take a pic

 

[judimac]

That'll take care of your slugs!

 

[Donnie46]

Oh that's great, we had one in our garden when the children were small, they called him Hector, we used to leave out some water and a saucer with some dog food on it and he ate it every night, and then one year he just didn't turn up again. but he was lovely.

Do be careful though because they are usually full of flea's!!!

 

[avisk]

I think they are lovely creatures.

They are indeed full of fleas, but to be honest they aren't that cuddly anyway, so I doubt if you will be picking it up!! (Also, they can bite!)

Anyway, hedgehog fleas only live on hedgehogs (the technical term is "host-specific"), and won't trouble you or your pets.

On the St Tiggywinkles website they say never to give hedgehogs bread or milk, but you can feed them cat or dog food. Loads more information on their website, particularly this factsheet:

http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/images/PDF/PDF%20Fact%20Sheets/Garden%20Hazards%20Affecting%20Hedgehogs.pdf

I never knew that badgers eat hedgehogs! That's my new fact for the week!!

 

[julie19]

Thanks Avisk, I will take a look, it is in our outhouse which we were planning on cleaning out this weekend but I have banned the OH from doing it now, if it moves on we will do it & then build a hedgehog house to keep in there as there is stuff everywhere, I have been in last night & moved everything which may have fallen & hurt it so it will be ok for now

 

[avisk]

That's one lucky hedgehog you have there!

 

[sarahm85]

I love hedgehogs. I'll always remember when I was little and my grandparents were looking after me and my siblings during school holidays whilst my parents were working. We wanted something out of the garage to play with in the garden so my grandma helped us look for it. She found a carrier bag with what she thought was a ball in it looking at the lump, went to brush it away with her hand and got prickled! Fortunately the hedgehog was OK once we put him/her out on the lawn!

 

[cheekychinchilla]

Awww, Hedgehogs are such cuties!!! You can buy proper hedgehog food from a lot of pet shops now Looks like dried cat food!
But with the warm weather he probably has more than enough food at the moment.
How lucky of you to get a hog!

 

[JenMumof3]

I remember finding an injured one in a park local to me, me and my mates witnessed a group of lads kicking it about, it was only as we got closer we realised what it was, so we popped into the vets which is infront of the park to let them know!

Also in pontins 18 months ago there was one by our chalet most nights, my kids were made up with them.

Hope he returns
Jen x