# Found Hedgehog Pennsylvania



## versacepapi (Jul 29, 2017)

hi i found a hedgehog in my backyard in the middle of the day and i am very confused because they dont live in the US and i dont know what to do should i keep, does it have rabies, would it be better for me to call someone to get it. help.


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

Is there a way to find out if someone lost his/her pet in your area? They are not native to the US indeed so all loose hedgehogs are/were pets.

Rabies is unlikely, but he might have parasites such as fleas. If you have no experience with hedgehogs it might be a good idea to get him to someone who does. You could contact the Hedgehog Welfare Society to see if there is someone close to you who can take him in. They also have a Facebook group.
Until then, try to keep him in a warm place (they can't handle temperatures below 72F very well) and give him some water. You can give him cat kibble to eat. Do you have a picture of him? Does he appear sickly/thin/slow? They are not supposed to be out during the day, he could have just escaped or he might been living outside for a while and could be sick. Glad you found him as these are animals bred in captivity and from warm climates originally so he might not have survived being outside!


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## Lopi (Apr 11, 2017)

versacepapi said:


> hi i found a hedgehog in my backyard in the middle of the day and i am very confused because they dont live in the US and i dont know what to do should i keep, does it have rabies, would it be better for me to call someone to get it. help.


I don't know if hedgehogs get rabies. Foxes maybe, but as far as google knows hedgehogs don't really get rabies because they are domesticated here in North America.

Unless that hedgehog got bitten after wandering away from it's family, (I hope someone didn't just abandon it) I think you're safe.

The best thing to do is locate a rescue as quickly as possible and get the hog to them.

In the mean time, did you bring the hedgehog inside? They are sitting ducks outside because they are someone's pet. Also the fact that it was out during the day means it's probably scared/confused. They usually only come out at night.

If you have the little fella inside, try and keep it somewhere safe where they can't escape. A plastic storage bin works great, and keep it away from your other pets if you have them. Give it water in a small dish, a few old t-shirts or blankets to hide in and get to work on finding a hedgehog rescue in your area.

If the rescue is unable to take the hedgehog, or it will take a while before you can get the hedgehog to the rescue, check back in with us and we'll give you more detailed information to help you out.


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## versacepapi (Jul 29, 2017)

in PA its illegal to own hedgehogs so putting up flyers may be a bad idea so im not sure. i currently have it in a large storage tub with a towel and water. i will try and to conact someone to save him/her


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

Ah shoot, didn't know that (I'm not in the US). The HWS group is an open group so it might not be a great idea to post there either, but there's a lot of rescuers in there. If you want I can post there for you (and ask around with the people I know) you can message me if you want with more info. 
And thank you for helping the little hog! If they're illegal over there he might have been dumped but yes it would be difficult to find the original owner. It's best to get him rehomed out of state.


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## Hogsmeade (May 31, 2013)

Hey there! Where in PA did you find him? I'm in NJ, right next door!


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## Mjskates (May 14, 2017)

Can you post a picture of it?


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## versacepapi (Jul 29, 2017)

the pittsburgh area


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## versacepapi (Jul 29, 2017)

Here is two pretty awful pics of it


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## Lopi (Apr 11, 2017)

Yup definitely someone's pet, but given they are illegal in your area I wouldn't go putting up "is this your hog" signs.

If it's going to be spending a few days with you, you might need to go pick up a few things like really good cat food. Might cost $15-20 but the little guy is gonna need to eat.

Also if you have a small cardboard box you can flip upside down and cut a hole in he'd really like that in wherever you're keeping him. Hedgehogs love hiding. It will make your life and his easier, trust me.

Don't feed him anything until you get some cat food, sounds weird but it's what they eat and probably what he was eating before he escaped/was abandoned.

Also you're a really good person. Like top notch for what you're doing. 

Best of luck and check back in with any concerns!


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## Lopi (Apr 11, 2017)

Forgot to mention... To me he looks either young, skinny or both. He really needs some food. If you can't get high quality cat food, they tend to enjoy plain ground beef fried up with nothing in or on it, plain chicken (again nothing on it) or a plain scrambled egg (nothing in it). 

People don't tend to keep good cat food around, so that might make your life easier until you get him a new home. 

Make sure wherever you're keeping him is warm. That type of Hedgehog is from Africa where obviously it's quite warm. If you are comfortable in a t shirt near where he is, it's probably ok for the time being. 

If it's going to take time to find him a new owner, make a trip to Walmart and get baby blankets. The fleece ones. Hegehogs like fleece and it keeps them warm. Won't set you back much


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

How is the hedgehog doing?


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