How do you catch a hedgehog?

[YesitsBess]

This prickly butthead is Jumanji, she/he visits every night to eat all the cat food and, if you're stupid enough to be sitting outside with your shoes off, attack your -worms- toes.

Usually we just greet each other of an evening, however the last couple of visits I've noticed she has something around her neck, it's like blue plastic. It isn't stopping her eating or behaving normally - yet. But ideally I'd like to get it off of her.

Unfortunately she is very fast (hedgehogs can run and it's hilarious) and I don't have a trap.

Any ideas? She's sat opposite me munching a slug at the moment so I don't think she's is imminent danger.

You are a girl who knows where her towel is.

Oven gloves

Thankyou H8H8H8 I'm prepared for fleas (I've picked up hedgehogs before, just never one quite this ridiculously fast and cunning!). Used to have to deal with flystrike on sheep. Not fun...

I'll see if I have a box to put her in and maybe I can drop her off at a wildlife place tomorrow and get her a once-over. I'm very fond of the tiny psychopath.

Picture of a baby we rescued last year for entertainment while you wait!

Yes, they are really loud

@H8H8H8, it's so cute. Thanks for the photo

You are amazing. They’re in such decline so great to have someone looking out for them.

If you cover her with shredded newspaper in a box she’ll be grand overnight. If you have dog/cat food (wet or dry… check no milk content. They’re not fans of fish but contrary to popular belief it doesn’t harm them) then even better.

Have you got a 'stick' vacuum cleaner? Put it on max, and you may be able to pick it up. 🦔
I haven't tried it myself but I'm sure something like this worked in Tom and Jerry some years ago, so might be worth a go?

Fish flavoured cat food, that should say.

I'm an experienced hedgehog handler! We have a lot of hogs nearby, so I regularly pick up stranded youngsters and ill hedgehogs to take them to a rescue.

I don't bother with a towel. If you just put your hand on her, she will almost certainly freeze. It takes only a light touch then to close both hands round her gently and pick her up. If you don't apply pressure, the spines won't hurt your hands.

I leave uneaten cat food out and a little dish of rainwater.
I live in a town centre but have the garden wildlife-friendly.
There is a visiting hedgehog

Just seen you’re feeding her cat food regularly 🤦🏻‍♀️

That’ll serve me for tapping out too many posts in quick succession.

I’m too excited for a live hedgehog rescue thread! 🤣🤣

@Billybagpuss

You are a girl who knows where her towel is.

always know where your towel is!

H8 can I call you H8? It feels like we're acquainted now, yes she sounds exactly like that. And she snorts.

She's eaten all the wet food, so have put out some lactose-free biccies, bonus being I will definitely hear her once she starts munching those. She has the table manners of a warthog.

@Fozzleyplum

I'm an experienced hedgehog handler! We have a lot of hogs nearby, so I regularly pick up stranded youngsters and ill hedgehogs to take them to a rescue.

I don't bother with a towel. If you just put your hand on her, she will almost certainly freeze. It takes only a light touch then to close both hands round her gently and pick her up. If you don't apply pressure, the spines won't hurt your hands.

Absolutely not I attempted picking her up once before (can't remember why) and I'm lucky to not have a prosthetic hand now. I cannot overstate how bolshy this hedgehog is.

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles

Have you got a 'stick' vacuum cleaner? Put it on max, and you may be able to pick it up. 🦔 I haven't tried it myself but I'm sure something like this worked in Tom and Jerry some years ago, so might be worth a go?

HAHAHAHAHAAAAAA. I will have the hoover as backup. She'll probably eat it though.

You absolutely can @YesitsBess! 🤣

Yeah, they’re not the tidiest eaters! We have 4 bowls out most nights and they generally overturn them or poo in them. Or both.

Yup, she loves a nice loud plate disco whenever I'm here alone so she can freak me out, the sod! I've found a little box now and made some holes in it and I've got some clean sheep wool (don't ask) will that do to cover her? No lanolin left.

And the biccies are fishy ones! Score!

She usually rocks up again about 9pm just in case there's any plates she hasn't made a noise with, so am in the porch, with my towel and my book, doing an Elmer Fudd impression in my head.

Be vewy vewy quieeeeettt...

We have one in our garden every night, our dogs are going mad over it. and it causes huge problems with us not being able to let them outside in the evening. Any one know of any ways to politely get them to re-locate?

@tatyr

It might need a quick once over when the blue plastic is removed to make sure it hasn't cut into the flesh, so a trip to a hedgehog rescue /vet may be needed

Sorry I missed this initially. Yes if it's cut in or she has any of the other myriad problems a hedgehog can suffer from - thankyou all for my things to check list - I will take her to a proper wildlife place for an MOT.

What it looks like is the ankle part of one of those blue shoe covers you get at swimming pools? No idea why she would get stuck in one of those, unless it had bare toes in it!

Be vewy vewy quieeeeettt...

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🦔

I would worry that sheep wool could get tangled in her claws.

Any paper at all around the house?

GOTCHA

Yes, give sheep's wool a miss, too likely to tangle, even the towel would be fine if you've got no paper

Okay hedgehog people, it looks like a plastic ring from a milk bottle or something? She perfectly chilled in her towel in a laundry basket. Still eating.

It's not cutting into her that I can see so am going to attempt careful removal because that doesn't look like any fun AT ALL.

Oh fab!! Lucky little hog!