Help! Two Hedgehogs & a Nervy Newb (long)

[Needlemouse Newb]

Hello All

So glad I’ve found this site!

I agreed to take a couple of Hedgehogs from a rescue (one was “ours” that we took there and the other was one that needed a new home for release). As they’ve both been in a rescue over the winter, the idea is to house and feed them both until they’re fending for themselves (hoping a couple of weeks or less?). Bought two “houses” and made a couple of feeding stations from plastic boxes. Both were moved in yesterday, then we left them alone.

This morning I went to collect their food dishes and noticed one of them had mouse poo in it 😱. Probably no way of stopping mice getting in but is it a serious problem or just inevitable? Only one feeding station had mice poo in it, the other didn’t. Should I move the “mousey” House and/or feeding station or would that be stressful to the Hedgehog? I don’t want to stress them out, being relocated from the warm rescue to a cold, rainy garden is probably stressful enough but I also worry that they’re not getting enough food if mice are eating it.

Btw, The mouse feeding station had just a scrap of food left. The non-mouse had all the wet cat food eaten but some dry Hedgehog biscuits were left.

I need to get some kind of outside camera so I can watch over them. Took me ages to get to sleep last night, thinking of all the possible calamities that could befall them.

The real problem is I’m a terrible worrier about anything new and just need my hand held at first. Anyone got any advice please for my situation? (My Hedgehog situation, not my daft anxiety 😆).

TL;DR Should I move a newly relocated Hedgehog or leave it be?

Thanks for reading my rambling!

[scoobysue]

I have a little mouse going in my feeding station and i have a camera seeing it happen, but to be honest i wouldn’t worry about it, the mouse only takes little bits of food and he is not a problem for the hogs.

[Nic]

Hi NeedlemouseNewb

Welcome to the Forum!

I agree with scoobysue – I wouldn’t worry about it either and in answer to your question – not a serious problem and almost inevitable. But don’t worry too much, mice eat very little in comparison to a hedgehog. They do, though, take food and cache it. So fingers crossed the hogs get there first to get their fair share!

I would leave the houses be for now. Good luck with both the hogs. I hope they do well. I do recommend having a night camera, though – adds a lot of interest to the hedgehog viewing experience, getting an idea of what they get up to when we aren’t looking.

Good luck and happy hog watching!

[Needlemouse Newb]

Thank you, both for your kind replies 😊

Just needed a bit of reassurance. I didn’t think of mice eating very little, common sense I suppose, but I was too frazzled to think of that.

Now to find a camera…

[scoobysue]

Hi glad we could be of help good luck with your Hogs, a camera i bought about 5 years ago is brilliant. I got one with rechargeable batteries , would be very expensive if not to keep replacing ordinary ones though. Let us know how you get on . xx

[Needlemouse Newb]

Hello again
Just thought I’d update now I’ve had the Hedgies a couple of weeks.

The first couple of days leaving food in two separate stations, one station where food was being eaten (but mouse activity noted) and one where only wet cat food was eaten. We then got a camera which triggered about 6 videos on the first night and 5 of them were of cats! Putting their heads in the non-mousey station and nicking the food. The 6th video was a fleeting glimpse of a hedgehog walking by.

So, we attached a drain pipe to the entrance of the “cat” station and for two nights none of the food in there was touched. No videos either. I nearly posted on here to ask if it was normal for them to avoid new things but I thought it probably was and I should wait a bit longer. Last night some food was finally taken from there, hopefully by a hedgehog.

The other feeding station is an upturned fish crate and the cats can’t fit in there. Now also getting some good video of the hedgehogs. Last night was the best ever. 7 videos and only one of a cat, walking past the food stations then going next door (good riddance).

One hedgehog has a widows peak and the other has a smooth semi-circle shaped hairline, I don’t know which is which though.

So I’m quite content now, they’re both still alive and eating the food. Still don’t have footage of either one exiting or entering their houses, though. I don’t want to look inside in case they’re using them and would be stressed by me taking the roof off!

Thanks again, it’s nice to know there are good people here, willing to help if needed.

[Nic]

Hi NeedlemouseNewb

It’s lovely to hear about the two hedgehogs. So pleased to hear they are still visiting! Glad that you are enjoying watching them and also that you managed to get a camera.

Keep up the good work! – looking forward to the next instalment!

[Author]

Posts