Originally when I peeked under Herbert's spines I was pretty confident in my assessment of the tackle situation, (albeit quite small and furry) however now I am beginning to have my doubts. It's largely a matter of toilet ettiquette that has cast doubt in my mind. You see apparently little boy hedgehogs are far more likely to pooh in their beds than little girl hedgehogs (I am now restraining myself from further comment) - I'm told it's something to do with not having to share a bed as a grown up whereas the girls of course have babies to consider at some point. In the last few days Herbert has been quite scrupulous in exiting the bed chamber to dump his/her load. So for the minute we are pondering whether we should change our little guests name from HErbert to SHErbert - maybe I'll have another peek and see if anything is clearer.
Anyway sexuality aside the hedgehog is making great progress. His weight has increased from 140gms on the day he was found to 350gms and he's moved on from completely mashed food to lumpier chunks and some nibbly bits (raisins, kitten biscuits and nuts) as well as developing a keen taste for worms and slugs (good hodger!). I'm keeping all contact to a minimum so am having to curb all my impulses to stroke and cuddle even though he is so adorable cute. He still retains his roll reflex and will freeze and roll into a ball at sudden noises or when picked up and he's quite vocal with hissing and grunting to warn me away - all of which are positive signs for his re-introduction to the wild.
(this picture shows how much he's grown in 3 weeks)
The trouble is that the leaves have started falling and there's a nip to the air so autumn is definitely arriving and the thoughts of little hedgehogs should be now turning to building their nest for hibernation (or a hibernacula). It's now a race against time to fatten him up enough to get him through the winter ahead.
