Friday 17 October 2008

Oh how sad :(

I have to write and tell you what happened today, I got up and went down stairs to open the blinds and feed the cats. As I was dishing up their breakfast I noticed something on the garden and thought to myself 'that looks like a hedgehog' and then as I was thinking surely not at this time of the day, I could see another one about a foot behind. They looked really small and I felt a pang of worry, so in my dressing gown and flip flops I trudged out into the garden. And I'm really sorry to say that the two little babies weren't alive.

I then had an awful flash back to the night before, I had gone out to fetch Oliver (one of my cats) when he was acting really strange. Pacing back and forth and refusing to come in I bent down to scoop him up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something, as I looked over it sprinted round the corner of the house. I am assuming that it was a fox as I didn't get a good look at it. Thinking nothing more than Oli was frightened of the fox I brought him in and went to bed.

As I looked at the two little ones on the grass I felt sad and that had I'd looked in the garden I could have saved them. For some reason I thought I'd better check to see if there are any more, as I walked round the side of the house I saw that our ivy bush was almost destroyed and when I looked in further I saw the mummy hedge hog and what I believed to be a baby. She was quite friendly and came to the hole. I went straight back in the house frantically trying to find a number I could call to help them, knowing that if they stayed there tonight there was a chance the fox could come back.

After about 2 hours of calling various societies and the RSPCA I was told to get them into a box with a hot water bottle and another number to call. Getting the babies was easy (oh and I say babies as when I went back to check on her there were 2 not 1) they were calling out for her but she was too busy eating the cat food that I had put down. Once the babies were safely in the box and snuggled into the blanket and each other, I turned and the mother was going down the garden I followed and tried to get her but she disappeared through a gap in the fence. I gave up and called the number, the lady I spoke to at the rescue place was lovely she said that unusually hedge hogs were having a second litter this year due to the changing seasons but that they would not have survived the winter as they'd be too small. She said that she would take the babies in and that I should continue to feed the mother and just check that she's OK.

A 20 min car journey later and the baby hedgies were at the rescue place, the lady checked them out and said that one was a girl and the other a boy. Unfortunately the girl was wounded and had fly eggs in her wounds, this is really bad, and she said as long as she got all the eggs out and she saw a vet she would have a chance of surviving. The boy however was being really cheeky and helping himself to food.

I'm so pleased that I tried to save the little ones, but I'm so so sad that the other 2 didn't even stand a chance and I'm worried for the mother who is still out there!!!! I will do my best to make sure she is alright. I will keep you posted!!

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11 comments:

  1. Hello Emma,
    It is a great pleasure to visit your nice and interesting blog for the first time.
    Best wishes from Brazil:
    Geraldo

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  2. Awww... Poor little hedgies! It was really sad reading about the ones who didn't make it but it was also nice reading that the other 2 were saved. You did a really good job! *huggles*

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  3. Always sad to see little animals suffer. We dread when spring comes because birds set up nests all around our house, and every time the baby birds hatch out. something clears the nest out. Every year!

    Don't blame yourself for what happened. As hard as it is for us, this is just the nature of wild creatures. At least you were able to help two of them and probably the mother too. I hope all turns out to be okay for all of them.

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  4. I enjoyed your post about the hedgie rescue -- babay hedgies are the cutest thing...glad yourescued the two that you could.

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  5. That was great of you to invest so much time into saving those hedgies.

    It reminds me of when I volunteered at the zoo (as we don't have wild hedgies here) and the little guys would seriously chow down on the cat food.

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  6. I'm so glad that you were able to save those two! It hurts my heart that animals die, but sometimes it's so that others can survive. That's just nature.

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  7. Hello! Firstly thank you for visiting my blog. Secondly - thank you for saving the hedgehogs! Oh my, what a worry. I'd have done exactly the same. Has the mother come back?

    Take care. :-)

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  8. I'm so glad to hear you saved two little hedgies from freezing this winter, hedgies are so adorable don't you think.

    And a quick thank you to you for visiting my blog, it made me smile from ear to ear to hear from another blogger that they like my sewing, you've made my day xx

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  9. fly eggs. i am now going to be disturbed all day! ew----------

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  10. oh no, what a sad story, I think you did well to save two of the babies though, and it sounds as if the mum will be ok.
    : )

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  11. oh no. poor little hedgies :(
    i hope the little babies are doing well. xx

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Hi, thanks for taking the time to read my blog and leave me a comment. I love hearing your thoughts and comments.... Emma xx