12 down to 2

My what a blustery few days!!

I spent most of the past weekend coating my new and, as yet, unbuilt shed with weatherproofing. I say shed but really its going to be my Hedgehog Hospital/Hotel, where all my sick, injured and orphaned hogs will stay whilst they are with me for care and treatment. Once it’s built it will be great!! There’ll be room for 10 pens plus a separate heated pen for the tiny babies (those below 200gm) plus plenty of room for my hedgehog medications, food and homeopathic/alternative remedies. I’m not sure yet if I’ll have room for my microscope but I’ll certainly try. There will definitely be room for my treatment table however. Being a hedgehog carer is not as simple as you might think, with all that kit, all the medications and the fact that hedgehogs, being able to curl up into a tight little ball, are not the easiest of patients to treat. There are tricks as to how to uncurl a hedgehog but some are determined not to let you see them, no matter how badly they need help!

My microscope is, perhaps, my best tool when it comes to the more difficult to diagnose conditions. It’s surprising how quickly I’ve come to recognise some of the weird creatures which can survive inside an animal. The really strange thing is how weirdly exciting it is to take a sample specimen from a hedgehog, be it skin scraping, faeces, mucus etc and then look at it under the microscope. The first time I saw live intestinal worms was bizarrely thrilling. I could make out the head, the eggs still inside the adult worm and the whole time it was wriggling everso slightly (I do apologise if you happen to be eating or have eaten recently!).

Back to my hedgehog hotel; it’s being built next weekend by my husband and father-in-law and I’m really hoping the weather stays fine so I can get it all sorted. Now the weatherproofing is done, that’s one less job. I also re-weatherproofed all my current hedgehog boxes and outdoor hutches just in case, and just in time considering all the hail and sleety showers we’ve had here today.

I’m now down to 2 hedgehogs and even they will be off to a new garden home this Wednesday. All my releasees (is that a word or did I just invent that?) are doing well in my garden, despite the weird weather. I see them most nights and always see the evidence of their visits in the morning!! I think they are also acting as a great deterrent to the local cats, who used to use my back garden as a litter tray but now seem to be keeping well clear. All the better for my hogs!!