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AIBU?

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Original poster

Help!! Hedgehog

36 replies

CybermanAshad · 04/05/2023 17:55

Posting for traffic.

Got home earlier and at the back of our road found a poor small hedgehog stuck in a glass jar. Managed to pull his head out, took him into the garden, he ate a whole pouch of cat food and then fell asleep wrapped up in my jumper.

He seems unharmed just a bit traumatised.

What shall I do with him? Call a rescue? Release him on the road where we found him, take him to some nearby woods?

DS wants to keep him, so do I but with my sensible head on I realise that isn't what's best for him.

Help!! Hedgehog
OP posts:
iwantmyownicecreamvan · 04/05/2023 17:59

Call a rescue, if hedgehogs are out during the day then there's something wrong. he is a juvenile sothey can feed him up and release him somewhere safe.

Dashel · 04/05/2023 17:59

Maybe contact a local hedgehog charity for advice? They might want to give him a check over

Ohdearwhatnow4 · 04/05/2023 18:00

Agree call a rescue and they can advise.
How sweet though

Shouldbedoing · 04/05/2023 18:00

If it was meaty catfood, one he's had a sleep and a good drink of water you can let him go free in a nice hedge or similar. If it was fishy catfood I'd be tempted to keep him caged another day because apparently fishy food makes their poop smell of fish and they can be picked off by predators. So let that pass. Probably newly out of hibernation so they're hungry and bewildered at best.

NotDavidTennant · 04/05/2023 18:01

I would call a rescue for advice.

loveourplanet · 04/05/2023 18:01

oooh I started a thread earlier about Hedgehog Awareness Week!

This advice comes from Hedgehog Street

Gently cover the hedgehog with an old towel or fleece to make it feel more secure and offer some meaty cat or dog food and water. Once you have the hedgehog settled somewhere quiet indoors, call the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) on 01584 890 801.

Did you know hedgehogs are nocturnal? This photo was taken at night using clever filters to enhance the lighting conditions. If you ever see a hedgehog out during daylight it could be a sign of distress. Check out our online guides that can help you ta...

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society

http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/

AllAboutMargot · 04/05/2023 18:02

Well done you - you've saved her life!
There will be a local hedgehog rescue, call them for advice.

Bloodynitpickingpixie · 04/05/2023 18:03

Maybe @Halstead is about for advice?

Original poster
CybermanAshad · 04/05/2023 18:04

Yes, the road at the back of our house is pure concrete with lots of cars and parking spaces. That's where we found him, in one of the empty parking spaces with his head stuck in a jar of Pesto! He is now named, Pesto :-)

He's still sleeping wrapped up in my jumper. The cat food was meaty not fishy

OP posts:
Original poster
CybermanAshad · 04/05/2023 18:06

loveourplanet · 04/05/2023 18:01

oooh I started a thread earlier about Hedgehog Awareness Week!

This advice comes from Hedgehog Street

Gently cover the hedgehog with an old towel or fleece to make it feel more secure and offer some meaty cat or dog food and water. Once you have the hedgehog settled somewhere quiet indoors, call the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) on 01584 890 801.

Thank you :)
He's currently wrapped up in my jumper having a nap. Has eaten a whole pouch of cat food and has a fresh bowl of water available. Will start making some calls.

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 04/05/2023 18:06

You need to weigh it . It should be 600g or more.
Any less and it needs some TLC before release so try and get it to a Rescue
Over that and it can be released at dusk into a wooded or bushy area close to where you found it

nickdrakeslovechild · 04/05/2023 18:07

loveourplanet · 04/05/2023 18:01

oooh I started a thread earlier about Hedgehog Awareness Week!

This advice comes from Hedgehog Street

Gently cover the hedgehog with an old towel or fleece to make it feel more secure and offer some meaty cat or dog food and water. Once you have the hedgehog settled somewhere quiet indoors, call the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) on 01584 890 801.

This is the correct advice. A hedgehog out in the day is never ok. They are critically endangered and need all the help we can give. Please please contact a rescue.

Bloodynitpickingpixie · 04/05/2023 18:13

Presumably it was out and wasn’t okay because it was stuck in a jar though.

Chenford · 04/05/2023 18:13

Hi - this is Halstead (with a name change) - thanks for the tag @Bloodynitpickingpixie

If the hog had its head in a jar, it absolutely needs to go to a rescue initially - please don’t let it go yet… It’s potentially starving (certainly looks very underweight from that photo) and could probably do with at least a few days under care before being let off into the world.

Hopefully you’ve managed to get in touch with a local one?

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 04/05/2023 18:15

If it’s asleep wrapped in your jumper then it’s already your baby.

Obviously call the rescue for advice. Advice on what your new baby needs in it’s new home.

Original poster
CybermanAshad · 04/05/2023 18:15

Hi,

Contacted a local rescue. A lady will be arriving within the hour.

Think he is starving. He gobbled an entire pouch of cat food in minutes.

Another photo of him

OP posts:
TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 04/05/2023 18:16

You could tweet Brian May.

He knows about hedgehogs.

Chenford · 04/05/2023 18:17

By the way - very understandable of your DS @CybermanAshad but in the wild, hedgehogs roam up to 3 miles a night; they can get pretty stressed if kept in enclosed circumstances so it’s never a good idea unless specific circumstances apply. However, if you pop food and water out each night, you’re likely to get regular visitors to your garden (hopefully without accompanying jar!)

On the off chance, whereabouts in the UK are you OP?

Chenford · 04/05/2023 18:19

Great news, OP

A PP is correct - they’re in serious decline in the UK at the moment - some sources say they could be extinct in the UK by 2025 if the decline continues at current rates; so they really do need all the help they can get.

Original poster
CybermanAshad · 04/05/2023 18:21

Chenford · 04/05/2023 18:17

By the way - very understandable of your DS @CybermanAshad but in the wild, hedgehogs roam up to 3 miles a night; they can get pretty stressed if kept in enclosed circumstances so it’s never a good idea unless specific circumstances apply. However, if you pop food and water out each night, you’re likely to get regular visitors to your garden (hopefully without accompanying jar!)

On the off chance, whereabouts in the UK are you OP?

We're South Kent Coast. :)

OP posts:
Original poster
CybermanAshad · 04/05/2023 18:21

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 04/05/2023 18:15

If it’s asleep wrapped in your jumper then it’s already your baby.

Obviously call the rescue for advice. Advice on what your new baby needs in it’s new home.

I wish I wish!

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 04/05/2023 18:23

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 04/05/2023 18:15

If it’s asleep wrapped in your jumper then it’s already your baby.

Obviously call the rescue for advice. Advice on what your new baby needs in it’s new home.

It’s a wild animal FFS

Chenford · 04/05/2023 18:27

CybermanAshad · 04/05/2023 18:21

We're South Kent Coast. :)

Show quote history

Ah ok, not my neck of the woods (I know/work with quite a few in my area but I’m Norfolk).

Anyway, you have a rescue on the way, that’s the main thing.

Thanks for caring 🦔 ❤️

RowenaRosewood · 04/05/2023 18:32

I wouldn’t feed him any more, if he is starving he needs to have little and often to start with, I think??

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