Hedgehugs Hedgehog Rescue

KIDS WHO,D AVE EM
OH dear all is not well with the roly poly family the babies are proving a handful now and mrs hog has found the perfect solution for all us harassed mums --she has gone to the furthest end of the cage and pulled newspaper on top of her head and wrapped herself up so they cant get a t her to pester to feed--clearly working on the usual hedgehog ploy --of IF I CANT SEE YOU YOU CANT SEE ME .The triplets were all huddled together and cross so we took the chance to weigh them again --all doing well with steady gains--- short of giving mum a packet of fags and a stiff drink I am afraid she is stuck with them a bit longer--we dont want to separate them just yet but clearly she needed abit of me time --dont we all !!--MAYBE SHE FANCIES A FEW ROWS OF KNITTING AND A CAPPUCHINO.Hate to come out with the old clichebut do you think she knows it only gets worse as they get older !!!

AUTUMN ARRIVALS
Two tinies in this week both under 250gms --probably left muma few weeks or days ago even .One very feisty /mega wormy and wont eat and the other eating everything but probably just as -- wormy and a bit dehydrated andboth females !!AND both out in the day struggling to find the food to get the weight on -

NO ROOM IN THE BED
Things are getting well --a little too cosy in the roly poly household
with legs and noses hanging out the nest as they s truggle to find room to spread out .Today mum chucke d out the clean bedding as it is getting so tight and the babies are growing so fast --so we have to decide when to remove them and let mum get on with her hibernation preparations --she will probably go out to a foster carer as the building site is not the right place to release her --but the roly polys will stay with us till spring unless they prove a handful and then some lucky person will ge t them to care for through the winter
--it all depends on how full w e get .Please start feeding your wild hogs early now --even a s early a s late afternoon --and the higher quality food you can give --the better -- there is a cold snap coming and this may well make some hogs decide thats it -- and start to hibernate .Comet has already started the process and is now rarely seen in the garden --.Squatter ha s his card marked and if pauline sees him looking a bit thin he will be scooped up and brought in for a course of lungworm and xmas at hotel hedgehugs -- w e cant afford to lose any of them this year

THE HEDGEHUGS GUIDE TO FIVE-A-DAY
A HOG the size of a MELON out in the afternoon unless bleeding or injured /got fly eggs or a broken leg can be left to potter and feed--he is just stocking up --so please feed him
A HOG the size of a GRAPEFRUIT will need to be weighed --and if under 500gms at this time of year may need support during the winter in an outside hutch or garage.
A HOG the size of an ORANGE MUST BE WEIGHED AND THE ABOVE rules apply to him to but he may well be well under the 500gm mark and will need overwintering --at least until he makes the magic 650--700 gm .
A HOG the size of an apple --will definitely be too small and need help for winter .
A HOG --the size of a satsuma is an emergency -- and will need heat and bringing in immediately -- contact a vet or hog carer
ANY HOG smaller than this is mega urgent --he will need to be kept warm and get help as soon a s possible --give mashed up cat food --meat based and water .
NEW BORNS /WHITE SPINES MEAN GET HELP FAST --DO NOT HANDLE --WEAR GLOVES /KEEP WARM AND GE T THEM TO ONE OF OUR VETS
HOGS the size of small dogs do not need to be kidnapped !!!!--and brought in unless clearly injured-- w e have had one or two well meant kidnappings and have had to return the hogs to the original site and let them get on with it --HOPE THIS HELPS !!!

POORLY LITTLE SCRAPS
The two little hogs who came in this week are both quite poorly --this often happens that once they start eating the symptoms show up -- they both have ahuge worm burden possibly lungworm - so we are just hoping they can pull tthrough the next few days --w ehave them on heat and areconstantly changing disgusting bedding --little pumpkin is the weakest but delilah isat least eating --its so hard for them -- just glad they both came in before the cold snap .Billy has tucked himself up and been asleep for two nights --he is showing classic pre-hibernation behaviour --curled up tight as aenut and huffing when even approached -- this means wehave to discontinue his medication -but it cant be helped. We have also taken the blackout cover s off the roly poly cage as wewant to see just what they are all eating-- prior to removing the babies .Tarquin is also snuggling down --wendy ha shad to cut his claws which grow incredibly quickly and he never bothers --just lets us do it, It is quite cold in the garage tonight so one or two might stay in the nest boxes --no sign of little dot dozing though she is as active as ever and hercules is too small to allow to sleep so we may be introducuing a heat pad into the cage this weekend .IT is a different season and brings a whole new set of problems and routines--where oh where did the summer go !!

THE PUDDINGS STEP OUT
For the first time tonight seen two of the roly polys out and feeding from the main dish and as its getting a bit smelly in there will be moving mum out shortly -- its remakable that all three have survived --all credit to the builders I think on prompt action .Squeak has started hibernating and billy is definitely dreaming away--sounds like agood idea to me after the week we have had here

TWINNIE SQUATTERS
PAULINE DID WONDER WHY THE FEEDER BOX WAS WRECKED THE PAST FEW NIGHTS AND NOW WE KNOW --both squatters sharing an amicable supper --seems they have declared a truce in the face of the oncoming winter --they look so cute side by side --absolutely identical even pauline couldnt tell em apart .Sadly the news on our two young ones isnt so good and we are losing one of the girls brought in this week -- the infection is just too far advanced -- she is wrapped up warm and safe and slowly ebbing away ,The other litttle female looks a bit better but she is also up against it --pneumonia is ahuge killer at this time of year and pauline had the awful job of going to the late night emergency vet with one of beths rats which sadly couldnt be saved--such is the aggressive nature of condition--not a good night and all very upset by it -- thanks though to the lovely staff at abbey house in morley who were brilliant and to castleview who checked out the other cage mate this morning .Billy has woken up in a bad mood so had another jab for his trouble and the roly polys continue to bloom -- time for big changes there this week I think --kids need to leave home and le t mum get a bit of shut eye -- any similarity with anyone w e know is purely co-incidental !! Have a good sunday everyone -- xx

LEAVING THE LEAVES
One of us had an argument with a pruner this week and the job had to be abandoned due to amassive amount of blood /pain and swearing -- this also left a huge pile of branches and leaves by the side of the garage --which set us thinking --WHY DO WE ALL NEED TO BE SO TIDY AT THIS TIME OF YEAR.? So lets do ourselves and wildlife a favour and leave some piles of branches and leaves in corners of the garden --the hogs will appreciate it for sure and it will save anyone else having an excrutiatingly horrid and extremely painful finger like the householder here and getting no sympathy from anyone and not even getting a thank you for trimming the offending tree and not even being offerred a cup of tea and a bandage --just complaints about all the blood on the kitchen floor -- not that anyone feels bitter or hard done by you understand !!!!!!!!

BEING THE UNDERHOG
A rather disturbing confrontation is going on in the roly poly family tonight --today was the big eviction of the babies --mum got a cuppa and watching emmerdale with a fag as we speak but the youngsters are squabbling .Seems PAULINES cute little lad is being cold shouldered by his siblings who are literally hogging the warmest spots and pushing him out onto the top .Dont panic though we are onto them and extra bedding ha s been put in and extra food dishes --and if they so much as huff a t him when pauline is watching they will be out and into another cage --we might even put him back with mum --he isnt the smallest but clearly they just dont like him --0r sense something is odd about him or worryingly that he is vulnerable This often happens and usually they sort it out but w ewont be taking any chances with the little lad --BULLIES YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!!

HEDGEHOGS GETTING SMALLER
Another one in today even smaller than the roly polys so he has just left mum and wasnt coping --thanks to eileen for spotting him/her -- these little ones struggle so much .
THANK YOU to eileen for her donation to help support the little tot and also to PETER --who once again has sent us a generous donation --and to david and jean for the food drop and papers -- it all makes such a difference. We are filling up fast an old la d has come in with an eye missing and the other one almost blind --he has a terrible chest and we have called him percy --once again his arrival was down to a vigilant feeder of hogs who ha sbeen keeping an eye on him and decided it was time to act .Percy is in a poor way but was a regular in the garden--so we hope we can ge t him fit enough to go back in the spring --thankyou to audrey for all her helpand being such a fantastic release site for us .Little delilah isnt responding as well as we would like and it s hard to know what to try next --w ehave started her on the lungworm regime and have all fingers crossed-- the next few days will be crucial--it s hotting up here -- heat pads on for the first time in ages and the roly polys seem to have settled their differences -- in the interests of snuggling up without mum !!

JUVENILE UPDATE
Our set of youngsters have turned a corner and all ate well and trashed their tanks last night --looks like the lungworm and antibioitcs is doing its stuff for them --it can take us up to 48 hours to get a young hog stable and eating and its a nail biting time till they do --but even little delilah was scoffing last night and eileens little freckles had licked the plates clean --let s hope it continues.Meanwhile LITTLE DOT isnt so pleased a s she can smell the milk being mashed up with the baby food and it sdriving he r nuts .Dot is a handrear and by no means little but she hurls herself a t the bars when she smells the milk and looks pathetic --even when we come through the door with it she is out and almost begging for a taste .POOR little dot time s is tough when you aint the baby anymore and she just doesnt like it !!!Welcome to the real world LITTLE DOT and deal with it --says WENDY -- shes a hard woman !!!

AUTUMN AT THE RESCUE
This is one of our busiest and most expensive times -- food bills rise and our vet account goes through the roof with lung worm drugs and strong antibiotics. We also turn the heat pads on and as many of the smaller hogs are in plastic tanks the cleaning out takes longer and is messier -- this year thanks to PETERS donation we will be able to pay for many of these things and this is a huge relief as we have yet to have our main fundraiser .People just dont realise how many invisible costs ar e involved in running the rescue --we take no money out for electricity but there are still cleaning products /paper towelrolls /gloves -new heat pads .dishes as w ebreak alot !!/ parasitic treatments /disnfectants /gels and sprays and it all adds up as does the huge amount of stuff needed to store.We know its not very exciting to be told that your donations bought 4 packs of blue paper rolls or a gallon of trigene but it is all just a s important as the food . THE roly poly babys alone have polished half a tin of esbilac in a week as we continue to wean them onto the solid cat biscuits and so many of the autumn arrivals need specialist care --so please dont be upset if we tell you w e bought something abit dull with your donations -- if you could smell tarquins bed every day you would see why rubber gloves /paper towels and a cage spray are so important --bless him .

THURSDAY ADMISSIONS
Well today they fell in with the doors a s one of our regular hog carers arrived first thing with alittle scrap who waited till she was going out the door to walk past and look pathetic and it s a good job she did as she is only 250 gm --in fact w e reckon her million fleas weighed more than her !!!Later came in another very tiny hog -just left mum and very cross at being kidnapped --but also even smaller and once again it was vital she was picked up --both are in together and w e hope they will ge t on .Our next admission was an older hog --quite poorly with a chest that sounded a s if it was full of rattles he is also grumpy so we called him grumbles --he is in a poor state and its doubtful he would have made it even to xmas like this -- so he is on an antibiotic and heat and w ewill start him on lungworm soon as he has the look of a very wormy hog -Dot was very intrigued by all the goings on and clearly thought there was the chance of a sniff of milk --but she was wrong this time .Once again we seem to be getting mostly females in as we do in autumn --no one knows why though --but its the same every year here --males early in the year and girls in autumn ----not that we dont love our old and young lads but its the females that wehave to get well and get back out there.So that was today --it ha s been an odd day --need to lie down ina dark room with a gin and tonic or bar of choc I think .

RAINING HOGS HERE
Yet more in today -one lad in such an awful state and he has died withinhours --so sad but he was safe and warm in the garage -- the other may well be a kidnap victim as she is almost 800gms --came in via a local vet so she can have a weekend here and then be released as w e are filling up fast and space is at a premuium now --also w e know our limits and if w ehave to say no we will do -- as no way are we fit enough to repeat the mammoth task we had last winter .All the new tinies have settled in and our poorliest hog -GRUMBLES is still with us --so thats good--meanwhile news form carers is that hogs are going to sleep early and looking at the forecast who can blame in -- batten down the hatches hogs winters here and its a long time till spring

4TH BIRTHDAY EVENT 16TH NOVEMBER --OUTWOOD MEMORIAL HALL OUTWOOD WAKEFIELD
Preparations are now under way and wehave hot new s on the event -- there will be a special appearance by the ROLY POLY TRIPLETS --if they behave that is and our old lad TARQUIN is having his own stall with TARQUINS LUCKY BAGS --he is staying up all night to fill and decorate the bags so come along and make his efforts worthwhile --it takes alot of chicken whiskers to keep the old lad happy .Honest john will be doing his regular and amazingly good tombola and w ewill have a craft stall and a sales stall -- with more stock a s we sold out last year .Other hot news is a cake --YES A CAKE STALL all freshly made on the day and this year w e are asking for a donation of £ 1 entry but that puts you into the draw for ahoggy hamper --good or what -- get the date in your diary now -- this is our only fundraiser of the season and w ereally need to do well .Dot would also like a stall but have told her there isnt much call for he r papier mache poo models -- shame but the truth hurts dot --so stop doing it you naughty girl !!!

DOTS NASTY DAY
Poor LITTLE DOT --there she was just having a nosey out the cage and sniffing on the off chance of a bit of milk when bang -- four nasty pointy things were shoved in her bum making her literally hopping mad !! She almost hit the roof and charged at wendy she was so cross --and why have we put her through this -- well we have to clear any traces of lungworm before she goes to he r winter home and today was day two of the regime and its four nasty jabs all at once .We often find that the handrears are especially soft and to prove the point wendy then injected a hog who wa s only 250gms- but from the wild and he never turned a hair or pricked up a spine, Mummy pauline in an effort to appease her cam e out with the milk and cookies but she was having none of it and continued huffing and hopping for agood half hour .However at supper time tonight she wa s back nosing through the bars looking sheepish and grudgingly ate her tea while not turning her back on us .Reckon she will be on to wendy now --best get the gardening glove s out for the next jabs --they dont like it up em you know !!

ALL ROADS LEAD TO HEDGEHUGS
Well thats how it seems --two more in today both tiny one little soul dragging a back leg --the other a s mad as a hatter and now exhausted and having eaten his whiskers is safely asleep on his heat pad .We are only able to take in the most needy cases -- all the ones coming in are under 300 gms and while we appreciate hogs under 600 still need help w ejust have to draw the line somewhere .A hog can be overwintered in a garage or shed --keep him warm with plenty of bedding and good quality cat food -- you will need to clean out the feeding area every day --but his chances are better if you can do this for a borderline hog rather than leave him outside. People also use indoor guinea pig cages high sided storage boxes even cupboards and you can buy a small heat pad to ensure a small hog stays awake until he reaches the magic 600 gms --we have lots of fosterers who do this successfully every year .We have to make the tiny ones our main concern -- these always need medication and it can take us weeks to get them stable -- hope this bit of advice helps as we are getting enquiries about hogs just under 500 gms and we are virtuallly full up here already-- thanks --pauline and wendy

THE BONFIRE NIGHT DEBATE
As a rescue we took the decision when w e opened never to release hedgehogs around halloween or bonfire night unless to completely secure gardens-- we know this is at odds with other rescues but we feel that living in such a busy part of the county there are too many risks for newly released hogs .There isnt just the obvious chance of being burned by crawling into a wood pile but the real risk of abject cruelty from people -- so called trick or treating etc and spotting a hog out at night --w e have had cases before and having seen the results of such cruelty we dont risk it .This is a personal issue for us though and each rescue knows its own area .Whilst we cant avoid a hog crawling into a pre set bonfire wecan avoid some being tormented and tortured by people who see it as a laugh .Personally if pauline can catch little squatter he will be coming in for a few days for worming treatment to keep him out of the way .Its a sad state of affairs that we feel like this and we wish it was different .Please be hog aware even for garden rubbish fires and clearing --last year w ehad a mum and babies sent to the local tip with the garden rubbish --!!

SQUATTER AMBUSHED
WE,VE GOT IM --just nabbed him a s he started his supper --he is very wormy and chesty but a good weight so he will get the full treatment--put him in cage under dot and he wasnt impressed-- of course which squatter it is we dont know as we have had two coming to the release box -- but think the other ha s already gone to sleep -- hope so or we will have two of em trashing the joint

WHO SAYS OUR HEDGEHOGS ARE DAFT
An undiscovered talent has revealed itself to night here at the rescue --the hogs arent budging --not even dot is nosing around /percy is quiet and grumbles is hunkered down --the tinies are all deep under their blankies and even squatter is asleep --Now our hogs dont have the luxury of 24 HOUR SKY NEWS neither do they get up to date papers but they know in their knowing, twitchy, little noses, and spines thats THERE BE A STORM A COMING FOLKS !!-and they aint taking no chances .Mind you BILLY WAS up but then w e know he already is three sheets to the wind --if you see what i mean !.So this new disclosure that the hogs can predict weather better then paul hudson and the met office has led us to wonder just what else they might be able to foretell --EATHQUAKES /METEORS . THE NORTHERN LIGHTS --WHO KNOWS. So stand by your beds cos this might be our last post on facebook --we are off to bigger and better things --pauline is going in the garage with a list of numbers on alarge sheet to put in the cages and see whos poo predicts next weeks lottery numbers --SEE Y,ALL IN VEGAS !!

4TH BIRTHDAY PART FLYERS
LISA IS already doin g these so keep costs down can you please email us on the web site if poss and we will send you one via tinternet --we dont want to post many this year a s it costs too much --posters and flyers will be ready soon and to be honest it wouldnt be fair to make TARQUIN and DOT lick all those stamps would it .
OTHER NEWS TODAY
Th e little hog with the broken leg also had internal injuries and died today -- poor little soul but the other tiny one we feared we were losing seems to have turned a corner --well w e hope so. Also the chocs remain intact but it s been touch and go-- might need to scoff em if the storm hits and we are marooned or doomed for days here -- wendy already got the candles ready and tins of corned beef and tea in case the roof blows off --personallywouldnt mind a trip to oz -- didnt see any hedgehogs in the movie so might be safe -- but cant stand munchkins -- !!

WHEN THE STORM HITS AND THE LIGHTS GO OUT
1= Go out and eat worms
2--Try poohing in the dark
3-Have a romantic meal of mealworms by the light of the moon
4-Scratch your fleas out
5 Rearrange your bed
6.Read last months wakey express
7 --Count your worms .
8-Plot your escape when the wind stops .
9-Check if the meat fairy has magically filled your dish again .
10 --Ask tarquin and Percy to tell tales of when they were young uns .
11--Be glad you aint under a bonfire .
12--Do a spot of wall smearing .
13-FRIGHTEN the babies with tales of GIANT SLUGS
14--Plan your halloween costume .
15-- MAKE as much a s mess as you can by morning .
ALL IN ALL ITS JUST ANOTHER ORDINARY NIGHT AT THE RESCUE --hope wendy still comes down with the tea and kit kats though even if the roof blows off

HELLO HOG FOLLOWERS
The staff arent too well so we hogs have taken over the rescue for a few days --we have had such fun today mixing up all the cages so they wont remember who iswhere --some of us have got new cages and some of us have new roomies !!!The nasty plastic cage s have been scrubbed and put away and even the soppy little runt that pauline is so fond of has been moved in to a bigger brooder --we hate favouritism here and we are all cross that soppy little jam pudding got picked to do the halloween photos -- dont they realise some of us are a s big a s pumpkins in here !!.Billy was so hacked off at not being picked he pulled all his dishes into his bed and said some rather nasty un -hog like words that sounded like --" well sod off till spring then "--we are outraged as no one is allowed to swear in the rescue !!Anyway it got a bit dull after that so we had a pumpkin carving session -- the old toothless wonders against us young uns -- and we reckon our smiley face one is the best --percy would insist on putting a grumpy face on theirs even though TARQUIN told him it wasnt the done thing .I dont know where we are going to find the energy to trash the cages tonight its been such a busy day --but a hogs gotta do what a hogs gotta do -- yours truly --LITTLE DOT

AHOGS WORK IS NEVER DONE
Call it the weekend that s a laugh no wonder our ladies have gone A W O L --we have been cutting up towels /shredding paper /pricking our feet on staples /scrubbing dishes and all without a decent cup of coffee or a mealworm in sight .The babies are driving us nuts and we are sure we werent like that -- how can they spread so much so far--dont they know someone has to clean it all up and w e arent their mothers .!Percy had a good idea about doing a few crosswords to pass the time but by the time we got it sorted he had poohed on 6 across /3 down /and the answers so we gave up . Dot thought a bit of tooth grinding and gnashing of teeth wa s in order but when we explained it would be wasted till she could ge t her teeth back into wendy she thought better of it .
So ,there was nowt for it but to read the papers --seems theres a heat wave due in august and the olympics are coming to london --katy price has got married again and elton john is apparently gay - well I suppose old news is better than no news .We are having a bit of trouble opening the cans of whiskers --but dot is sure she can manage to get the ring pull open jus t needs a bit more chewing and hanging on to
wendys arm thats all .All in all its bit dull here -- you would think someone would have brought us a tele in then we could have watched autumnwatch -- mind you no chance of seeing the like of us on there either --we dont have stripes /stink /or f ly south for the winter --bet we could give PACKHAM a run for his money with poo samples though --AMATEUR !!!--ANON OF HEDGEHUGS

WHOO GIVES A HOOT
Theres a definite wildlife theme going on this year --our spies have reported stags heads being hung in very unlikely places /foxes adorn mittens /scarves/ cushions and even hot water bottles --but what we residents here at hog central dont get is whats all this owl thing going on --ha we thought harry POTTER WAS BAD ENOUGH the world went owl mad-- and all we got was being used in croquet matches in some stupid alice thing with a rather tasty mad hatter (--it has to be said .)Spies report local garden centres awash with the nasty feathery things -- and I for one am really brassed off == you want old --I CAN DO THAT --you want wise ==THATS ME TOO!!
you want a lopsided head that can turn in all directions -- !! ha MINE HAS BEEN LIKE THAT FOR YEARS-- bring it on --am available for any modelling jobs PLEASE CONTACT MY AGENT FOR DETAILS -- --SPECIAL RATES FOR BADGER RESCUES AND AUTUMNWATCH -- --YOURS --TARQUIN