Our new addition!

On Thursday we had a new addition to our family - meet Herbert (I wanted to call him Hogwort but Amy over-ruled me!)

He's a baby hedgehog (hoglet) approx 4 weeks old, 140gms and orphaned so will be staying with us until he's big enough to make it on his own. For now he's living in a crate in the garage with a snuggly bed made from an old towel, shredded newspaper and a little hay. He's chowing down on chicken kitten food mixed with a little goats milk and although he has 4 ticks is otherwise healthy and alert. I'm hand rearing him with support from an official carer of the British Hedgehog preservation society who have an excellent website packed full of information and hedgehoggy facts.

If you find an injured or sick hedgehog you should always contact them or the RSPCA and ask for advice before removing an animal from the wild. Since Herbert was found alone in broad daylight and calling near to another dead baby hodger it was clear he needed help and wasn't going to make it on his own. We're now trying to build his weight up to  around 600gms so that he'll be able to be released into the wild ready for his winter hibernation. Will keep you posted on his progress! 

Comments

[dottycookie]

Oh, he's adorable! I love hedgehogs. We have quite a few that trundle through the garden though I think the slugs this year were too much even for them!

[Chris]

This little chap is so lucky to have been found by you guys he is so cute. Good luck with the feeding.

[rohanknitter]

He is soooo cute!
I want one!

[nikki]

Oh my goodness!!! He is SO cute!! What a wonderful thing to be doing...

[Anina]

Aaaaw! He's so cute! Good luck.

[blueadt]

He's gorgeous!

Is he going to start a new line of toys????

[marie]

Oh Julie, Congratulations on the latest addition to your family! Herbert is a cutie.

I was reading about another hedgehog rescue the other day and now I can't remember which blog, but they took the baby hedgehog to the vet and it was not a happy ending....I do hope that Herbert makes it.

Marie x

[Ali]

Are they really called hoglets? How fab.

[Shannon]

He's so cute! He is so lucky that you found him. Keep us posted.

[lazylol]

Oh, he is cute! I am glad you found him.

[Kate]

So adorable! Good luck with him.

[Robyn]

Ok that is the cutest thing I have EVER seen! He is adorable. And very lucky to have you helping him along the way! Gosh! He is so cute. Are the ticks gone...I hope?!

[Caroline]

Hedgehogs are so cute; they remind me of Peter Rabbit stories and English gardens. Don't some people keep them as pets?

[Georgia]

Oh, he's beautiful! They're bigger than I thought they would be.

[Monkee Maker]

So sweet, and like blueadt above, I hope you'll be studying him closely for inspiration for a knitted hoglet!

[Michaela]

Great minds think alike Monkee Maker - I was going to say the same thing! Whatever happened to the knitted foxes? Come on Julie, enough knitting for yourself, pick up those needles and hurry up with more bunnies, monkeys, foxes, hedgehogs, cakes, whatever...

[Sue]

Oh he is so cute. We dont have hedgehogs over here. We have echidnas but I think they are much spikier than those. I hope that he gains some weight so he can go and live in his natural habitat.

[nicolette]

Hi Julie, you saved a lovely little hedgehog! Aren’t you inspired to make a knitted one? I can imagine how it will look! I hope the little cutie will soon be strong enough to return to his natural surroundings!

[Jane Weston]

He's so cute! We had a hedgehog living under our deck, but we haven't seen him this year...he must have moved out! Good luck with him.

[Annelies]

Lots of success in taking care of this little hedgehog. You have to make a little knitted one for your children for when this one is large enough to make it on his own.

[Craftydramaqeen]

How cute! Love the Branching out scarf.

[theresa]

Glad to see another phote here--& good luck in rehibilitating him back into the wild!

[theresa]

Glad to see another phote here--& good luck in rehibilitating him back into the wild!

[Dorien]

Herbert is so cute, and lucky! I remember when I grew up we saved some from drowning in a canal because there was no way out.
He will be a happy little hedgehog in no time!

[samantha]

when my daughter saw the photo of Herbert she asked if we could meet him. I told her of the difficulty of living in a different country to Herbert - she is not very impressed to say the least!! We look forward to more Herbert updates.

[Kim Bunney]

I want a Herbert!!! He is adorable....As cute as the baby Hares (called Leverets!)we sometimes hand rear when found on our property. But when they grow, they soon revert to their wild nature, so they have to go back to nature again!

[Kim Bunney]

I want a Herbert!!! He is adorable....As cute as the baby Hares (called Leverets!)we sometimes hand rear when found on our property. But when they grow, they soon revert to their wild nature, so they have to go back to nature again!

[Thimbleanna]

OhMyGosh!!! He's SO CUTE!!!! We almost got one years ago for a pet, but decided against it as I'd read that there's been some concern here in the states over keeping them as pets. But how fun and admirable that you're doing a rescue! And like so many others, the first thing I thought -- how exciting, maybe we'll be seeing knitted hoglets. But never, ever stop with the bunnies! ;-)

[Ebren]

Too cute! I wanted to house some of the transplanted Scottish Isle hedgies a few years ago, but we have badgers in the next field and they wouldn't have lasted long . . :(

Keep us posted with lots of sweet photos, please!

[Caroline Bletsis]

Good luck with him, hope he makes it. I've got lots of snails and slugs in my garden he could have to eat!

[claire]

Oh, he's so cute!

I bet the children love him. And you've got another baby to nuture. I can send you lots of snails from my garden if you run out of food!

[Janice]

He is SO adorable and lucky to have been found by you!!

[Hope]

How sweet! I want a hedgie soo bad!

[carolyn]

Well done Julie, keep us posted!

[Clare]

He's so sweet. Once we found a nest of weeny hoglets in Mum's compost heap. They were tiny and made lots of squeaky noises. We put the compost heap back together as best we could and kept an eye on it to make sure they were ok. It sounds like Herbert has been lucky to find you to look after him.

[Kati]

Oh, he is darling, when will there be a little knitted hedgehog in his honor? Kati

[Maddy]

One of my lasting memories of growing up in the UK is of my Dad bringing home a hedghog that had been hit by a car. I think it must have died as I don't recall seeing it again, but I do remember holding it and being amazed at it's weight and soft underbelly.

[sheila jones]

what a lovely shape to the badgers head you are very clever if you work out the rest please keep me posted . I'm not very good at knitting but would like to have a go at knitting a badger.