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!!

Looking for the giveaway post click the image on the right side.