So we finally found out what a sunroom is really for. Simple really, don’t know why we didn’t cotton on sooner! It is of course for hedgehogs or hedgepigs as they are apparently known in the Antipodes. No, me neither, but Lodger who hails from those parts calls the little spiny guys that and being a vet, should really know.
So looking out of the window late yesterday afternoon, Lodger let us know we a have a hedgepig in the garden. At that point I had no idea what that was, but perhaps because of that I decided it was worth a look.
Cue teenie-tiny hedgehog snuffling around looking for food. Now because BBC Wildlife exists we didn’t need a vet to tell us that a. It was too small to survive the winter and b. It shouldn’t have been out at that time in the day. Because Cat is getting on a bit now, she has to have specially prepared food or else we have to be willing to face the consequences. Much like most Old Things. So we had some of this to hand and deposited a small pile in front of said hedgehog. One sniff and a few gobbling sounds later a new pile had to be deposited which was likewise summarily dispatched.
So we now had an underweight (a life limiting 300g) and very hungry hedgehog. What to do? Obviously leaving it where it was would be a death sentence so this is where the sunroom came in. Sorta. We emptied out a small plastic storage box, added shredded paper and more of Cats food and left the hedgehog in the sunroom to de-stress. Lodger had warned us that hedgehogs can ‘Poo for Britain’ and so it transpired. Trouble is they are also very adept at getting out of plastic storage boxes so previously alluded to poo was arranged around the room on the floor in short order. Fortunately a ceramic tiled floor so nothing that couldn’t be coped with. Don’t worry, that’s not bread and milk, we know that’s not good for hedgehogs!
Cue larger storage box. Followed by equally adept imitation of the Great Escape, but without the motor bike. We began to get the idea that this could become a tad tricky during the upcoming visit of close family complete with dog. Dog uses the sun room during stay. Chances of ugly scenes flashed through our minds so we reluctantly decide that the best thing for Harry (named after Houdini) or Harriet (not named after Houdini ) was to pass him (or her) onto someone who didn’t have family with a dog visiting in the near future. Not quite as simple as you might hope, but in the end Wife got in touch with Prickly Pals and we took Houdini over there this afternoon.
You can find Prickly Pals on their Facebook Page and as it happens they have an upcoming event which needs supporting. In the meantime if you chance upon a tiny hedgehog, it’s ‘way too late for it to be out and unless it’s at least 600g won’t survive hibernation. So just remember, this is one of the reasons Google was invented for and go find your local hedgehog sanctuary. We’re running short of hedgehogs and can’t afford to lose too many more. You know what to do.