Friday, 26 August 2011

A little visitor

We had a little visitor in the garden the other day.  Very cute, and quite small, still has some growing to do, but he was very welcome.  Hubby did put on gardening gloves to pick him up - just in case of fleas, although there didn't seem to be any sign of them.  However poor little chap did have two ticks on his side so we popped him into the now redundant guinea pig run, and then looked up what to do about them.  Apparently either oil or butter smeared over them is the answer and we decided that butter might stay in place longer.  Having been treated we tucked him under a bush with a saucer of oats, raisins and peanut butter! I know it sounds strange but I read that in the Sunday Times newspaper, so assume it is good. 




'Prickles' as he became known soon trundled away ignoring the cats who were extremely interested in him.  Once said cats were safely in for the evening, I put out a dish with some cat food on, and did so for a few days.  Dish is definitely empty in the mornings but I'm not sure who is eating it! I used the chicken dinner which is my cats least favourite, but there are other cats around.  My neighbour has been putting out food for hedgehogs for years and regularly sees some, and although we hadn't seen one for years hubby spotted a full grown one on the lawn a couple of weeks ago.  By the time he called me it had totally vanished.  I'm really hoping that 'Prickles' or some of his friends would like to stay not least as I have vast numbers of slugs still eating flowers, leaves and plants, and the current favourite delicacy seems to be...   courgettes!

6 comments:

  1. He's so cute! We had 3 in our garden at one time years ago and what a noise they used to make snuffling about in the flower beds but I don't know what happened to them in the end they just didn't come one year. Keep an ey on your cats though if he has ticks or they might well pick them up too if they come into close contact either with himn or where he's been.

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  2. I could do with some little hedgehogs on my allotment. Interesting to see what they like to eat (slugs in particular - I can give plenty of those!).

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  3. I'm ashamed to say I read this too quickly at the beginning and you had me worried. Thought with the butter you were warming up to a hedgehog sandwich (remember the Not-the-9-o'clock-news flashes?) He is so cute!

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  4. I think he is still around as we had a little 'present'left on the lawn, well I suppose it could be counted as manure! I was really surprised by the snuffling noise as well, quite a lot of noise for such a small creature.

    Jill, you did make me laugh - hedgehog sandwich!!! And yes I do remember the not-the-9-o'clock news! For those of you who don't I will reassure you by mentioning that it was a comedy programme!

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  5. Thats so cute, I've not seen a hedgehog in decades.

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  6. wow hes cute. Im amazed you could pick him up. I bet he will come back as he knows hes going to get nice food x

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