The Hedgehogs & Hoglets Thread

[Malx]

If you're going to take on the mantle of a carer, I'm afraid you've got to be prepared to take the knocks as well as the triumphs, so "Be strong, grasshopper!"
[Sorry, I obviously watch too many films/TV...]

So glad to hear Spikey's back in Town, but then again, when he goes walkabout once more (as he inevitably will), don't be too downhearted.

Nutkin sounds like a weird sort of hedgehog, not eating meat. I take it you've offered him/her 'proper' meat, not just meat-flavoured biscuits etc? Odd, but interesting!
I think you're right not to dive in and abduct the fellah/lass for weighing just yet, as there should be a good month or so before conditions start to become touch-and-go for hedgies' weight - also it'd be a betrayal of faith if you put him/her off (what may become) their cosy new des res.

As Ian Hislop said on HIGNFY recently, "you don't fatten a pig by constantly weighing it".

[dickybird]

you can do it!!

my vixen too hasnt appeared at her usual time either.....but i'll try to keep positive.hope you can too.....

dickybird

[pattie may]

Hi Marcia,

Have you got the new hedgehog yet? If not I'd go and fetch it. The lady may think she's feeding it the right things - as per your instructions - but I think you are better geared up to take care of it. If it has problems you need to sort them out now and not get a poorly hedgehog that you can't cure. I would hate for you to lose another one.

Harvey is eating everything I put out for him - he likes chicken supermeat - and weeing and pooing for England (smelly boy!). If he's awake he sits in his nest box and peers at me when I look in the cage.

I assume Snuffly is still with us as I haven't heard any more news.

[Marcia]

Hi all,

Argh, it's been a bit frustrating... This old lady now wants to look after the hoglet herself. The hog seems to be fine and alert. She's fed him goat's milk and water yesterday. She's been offering it some cat food and she said the hog's been showing interest, so hopefuly it will start to eat some soon; she'll give it some dry mealworms too. She's keeping it warm in a box with newspaper, towels and old thermals

I did make a point that the hoglet needs intensive care and that it will propably need to be kept indoors until next spring but she said it would be fine. I told her to take it to the vet at the slightlest sign of problem and she said she would. What else can I do? I'd rather raise the little mite myself but I can't force her to hand it to me.

I'll be phoning her (despite my difficulties & her determination to tell me the whole story of her life) to check on the hoglet. She might do well, who knows... She looks after feral & abandoned cats too, so maybe I should trust her and give her a chance.

---

Second night without Spikey... the weather's been so dry, I wonder if he's getting any food... Nutkin ate all the Rusks and all the cereal and nuts, left all the meat-based food (mealworms, wet Iams, dry Spikes Dinner, dry Hedgehog Food). I think it's a female, that's not a lad's behaviour She didn't sleep inside the hoghouse today but moved a bucketload of hay inside it.

Malx, loved the Ian Hislop quotation we resisted the temptation and didn't disturb Nutkin. How's your supplies collection going? Already got your wire cutters?

Dickybird, do you have any camera to monitor your vixen? I hope she's getting the food you've been leaving to her. Best of luck.

Pattie May, thank you for your advice, I'll do my best to try and convince her to hand it to me. Great that Harvey is doing well, loads of poo and pee are always good news! I hope Snuffly is recovering well.

[Marcia]

Oooops
I was wrong. I went to clean the hoghouse and I've found Nutkin sleeping inside! I quickly covered her again and shut the roof. You wouldn't believe how much hay she brought inside!!! She made a ball of hay as big as a football under the fleece blanket and she's sleeping in the middle of this cosy ball, clever hog. I checked the video again and realised that she came back home as late as 6am. Teenagers, eh?

[Malx]

Hi Marcia, no, still not got the complete kit, but at least I've found a local shop which sells all manner of colostrum-type products etc etc. I may just order the lot online from Hyperdrug or someone - will save the mortal social shame of queueing up at Boots with a pack of hypodermics. (I'd probably feel obliged to buy a pack of condoms too, just to deflect from my personal embarrassment... )

Regarding this old lady of yours, I hope she understands that hedgehogs don't want to be mixing socially with feral cats!!

Regarding Nutkin, is it worth trying her(/him) on a scrap of meat-based meat, if you see what I mean? My Fatso always gobbled down all the cooked chicken he could lay his paws on, but left the dried stuff for a last resort.

[pattie may]

Hi Marcia,

Perhaps Nutkin moving into the house has sent your Spikey elsewhere. Is there any chance you can get a second house? I'm going to get some more built as my house is also occupied. Large male I think as I picked and weighed a 2LB male a couple of nights ago. The little female has been missing for a couple of nights.

I hope you get your hands on the little hoglet. I still think he/she would be better with you.

[Marcia]

Originally Posted by Malx

will save the mortal social shame of queueing up at Boots with a pack of hypodermics. (I'd probably feel obliged to buy a pack of condoms too, just to deflect from my personal embarrassment... )

Malx, anyone who would see you at Boots carrying hypodermics and a pack of condoms would think "heck, he's going to have a hell of a party tonight!". Nobody needs to know that you're actually spending your night syringe feeding a hoglet and blowing funny balloons to entertain the little mite.

I tried to give Nutkin some boiled chicken, she completely ignored. Last night I spread a tiny teeny amount of peanut butter on every morsel of Spikes Dinner. It worked, she ate them all

Pattie May, Spikey used to shove and bully Nutkin before. Now he's not even coming to eat his food anymore... so I assume that he's left the area (there are beautiful fields around our place, I like to believe that he's happy there)... But nonetheless, I'll ask Husband to build a new 2-bedroom house.

---

Today marks 4 weeks since Spikey's been released. Which means that he's now been free in the wild for the same time that he'd been captive. I hope he's fine wherever he chose to be, I hope he has the time of his life. Go, Spikey.

Marcia

[pattie may]

Hi Malx,

If you only need the plastic syringes and not the needles why not ask your vet for the odd one. I've ask my Mom's vet and mine and have a collection now.

[pattie may]

Hi Marcia,

Any news about the little hoglet?

Maybe your Spikey is coming later at night? Do you leave food out for him?

The one who visits my food dishes comes very late, even after I've gone to bed, but the food is all gone in the morning.