Gills logs and blogs.

Fostering hedgehogs.

At certain times of the year rescues become overwhelmed by the numbers of hogs they admit. Many of these can be orphaned or abandoned hoglets who are treated and raised successfully but simply too small to release.This means that hutches meant for sick and injured hogs become full of well but small hogs and this is when fosterers are a huge  help to rescues.
Some need to be overwintered as they are simply too small to risk hibernation.

Here at Pricklington Palace I have a network of lovely people who foster healthy hogs under my supervision and they feed, water, weigh and clean the hogs out to ensure that they are kept in a comfortable and clean environment. The hogs are then returned to me for release or are released with the fosterers if the environment is suitable.

What do you need and what is expected of you?

• A love of hedgehogs/wildlife.
• A suitable environment. The more space the better, but a rabbit hutch ot large plastic box can be enough. This should be placed in a quiet, sheltered spot and the hedgehog be submitted to as little disturbance as possible. Hogs are good climbers and diggers so the environment should be resistant to their escape attempts.
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• To monitor the hog I ask that they are weighed regularly (timings can vary) so you will need the facilities to do this. Any changes of behaviour, loss of appetite or changes in the appearance or consistency of droppings are reported to me ASAP.
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• You do need to check the hog daily.
• The hog may be with you for a few weeks to a few months so be sure to ask as many questions as you want to before committing.
• You will need newspapers and suitable bedding (Torn or shredded paper and/or dust free hay). Hogs like to create a nest which is warm, safe and private and so they need bedding to do this.
• The hog should have access to clean drinking water and kitten biscuits at all times. Wet food can be added at night when the risk of fly infestation has reduced. You will need at least a couple of shallow heavy bottomed bowls.
• They should not be introduced to family pets or shown to every visitor that comes to the house. Hedgehogs are shy, nocturnal mammals, hard wired to be wild and they do not enjoy being handled or stroked. 
• You should be able to recognise flystrike, ticks and fleas and this should be reported to the rescue without delay.
• Hogs should not be fed anything but meaty cat food, or hedgehog food, biscuits and semi moist hedgehog food. Occasional banana and scrambled egg (without milk) can be offered.
• Hedgehogs should not be out and about in the day. If they are I would like to know.
• You should always wear gloves when handling hedgehogs. they carry a number of zoonotic conditions (conditions that can be passed to humans)., and you must wash your hands thoroughly after attending to them, using a nailbrush.
• You should not offer to be a fosterer if you are in any way immunosuppressed, pregnant or vulnerable.
• Children should not attend to hedgehogs unsupervised but it is a great opportunity to educate them to be the carers of the future.
• The environment will need to be warm or a heat pad offered in winter months if the hog is too small to hibernate.

It is not just a matter of feeding and cleaning, these hogs need to be moitored. A loss of appetite, weight loss or unusual faeces can be signs of a serious problem and time is of the essence.

Offering a secure garden.

From time to time hedgehogs are admitted that are discovered to be blind, may have had  a limb amputated or have scarred lungs or other disabilities which makes it impossible to be returned to the wild. These can still live a good life in a suitable garden. Such gardens have to be absolutely  secure. If there is a way of escaping the hogs will find it.

Gardens should  

• Be Pond free. (Some ponds may be acceptable but these must have suitable escape ramps).
• Be as large as possible.
• Be Free of dogs.
• Not be constantly in use, so busy family gardens may not be the best.
• Have a mixture of foliage and some long grass or wild areas for the hog to forage in.
• A shallow bowl of water must be available at all times.
• A suitable hedgehog house should be available.
• The hedgehog should be allowed to live as wild a life as possible but monitored to ensure it is safe and well.
• They need support feeding every day of the year so if you go away you will need to make arrangements for someone to do that for you.

All the above information is for guidance only and is not meant to be prescriptive. Some hedgehogs are better in smaller gardens and some may need more monitoring than others depending on their condition/circumstances. I would urge potential fosterers to read up a little or attend a talk to learn a bit about how hedgehogs choose to live and replicate that as far as is possible. They are not pets, they do not want or need lots of interaction. They are lovely and often quite comical to watch and it is very satisfying to know that you are helping one (or more) survive. I am always available to ask questions, or offer advice and if your circumstances change the hog can be returned to me. Fostered hedgehogs should never be moved on without my permission.

Foster carers are very much appreciated (even if i forget to tell them that often enough). By taking a healthy hog you make room for a sick one to be admitted .