# I lost my daughter's hedgehog one hour ago - 1pm



## Yang (Sep 26, 2015)

I took him outside, in my front lawn when I was doing garden work, I though maybe he like to eat some worms in the field, but seems he did not see them, just hided under bush and later walked under shove. I went back house for 15 min., after I went out again, he was not there anymore. I could not find him anywhere. I even went to my neighbours drive way, lawn , not there at all. What can I do? He just came to my house 3 weeks and nevder been outside?
I live in Vaughan ontario.

Thansk


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## octopushedge (Apr 26, 2015)

Oh boy.

I hate to say it, but he's probably good as gone. Your mistake was walking away and not keeping a constant eye on him. Hedgehogs can move very quickly and cover a lot of ground. That being said, because it's day time, he likely tried to find a dark, hidden space and went to sleep. Your best bet at this point is crawling all throughout the under brush and hoping to stumble across him. Check underneath any decks and porches as well.

Frankly, you need to prepare yourself to break the news to your daughter. Ontario is rife with hawks, eagles, and owls, as well as outdoor cats. You need to get all hands on deck and find him ASAP


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## WinterGalaxy (Aug 10, 2015)

Never leave a hedgehog alone outside. They're not like dogs - they'll wander off, as you've seen. Birds of prey could snatch them while you're not looking or they could get poisoned by pesticides, other animal's feces, etc. It's a controversial subject on whether you should allow them to be outside or not.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal. He's probably hiding under something - check everywhere that he could possibly be. Under the car, inside a bush (they don't call them hedgehogs for nothing). Try putting out his favorite treat, like mealworms, if you have any (not earthworms or worms you've found outside because they may have been exposed to poison). Check _everywhere_. If you say you have a garden, have you checked all the plants, gardening supplies, etc? They are known to end up in places that shouldn't be physically possible for them to get to.


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## Yang (Sep 26, 2015)

My front driveway is open, so maybe he walked to neighours area, I searching everywhere many times already, and I also put his cage outside, his wheels inside and his favourite egg yok. I am worring if he walked too far from my house and does not known how to come back.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Unless you have a solid fence, possibly buried into the ground, the driveway may not have been his escape route. 
As others said, check under EVERYTHING. Look for anything that looks like it may have been disturbed. 
I don't think the cage being outside will work in this case unfortunately. He's got lots of freedom now, cage is really un appealing. 
If after searching every place he could or couldn't hide you still don't find him, your best bet may be to wait until dusk and hope he's close enough you can hear him waking up. 
You also may want to contact any local lost pets people, if local radio stations keep listings, craigslist things like that in the event he shows up in someone's yard.


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## octopushedge (Apr 26, 2015)

As I said before, call up any friends/neighbours you have and ask them to help. The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be, and sometimes other people can help you think of things you didn't before.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Its probably got less to do with him knowing how to get back than him not caring if he comes back or not. Unlike dogs and cats hedgehogs don't recognize a yard as being their home. You pretty much need to get down on your hands and knees and crawl to look under every tree, shrub, plant, bush and vehicle. You also need to do the same with any building he could have gotten in. Remember if a hole is big enough for his head that he can probably crawl through it.


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## Yang (Sep 26, 2015)

*my hedgehog missed*

Acutally only one thing I am worring if he can survive outside since he never been outside


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

It depends on the temperature, as long as its between about 74-78*F he won`t go into hibernation (which would be fatal) and as long as no dog, cat or other animal attacks it.


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## Yang (Sep 26, 2015)

It getting dark now, but I still did not see him eat the food I put outside for him


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

As said already, as long as its light out he will be hiding and sleeping somewhere. He'll only be active at night, as long as it's not to cold.


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## octopushedge (Apr 26, 2015)

You keep treating this the same way you would treat a lost dog. Listen to the advice we have all given you. Clearly what you are doing is not working, so try out what we've suggested


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## Yang (Sep 26, 2015)

I think I lost him


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Keep looking anyway. People have had lost hedgehogs turn up days later, even weeks. Post "missing hedgehog" signs around your neighborhood. Advertise online in local groups. Ask all of your neighbors in the surrounding area to keep an eye out. Get permission to go through yards yourself and look under all bushes, plants, porches, etc. This isn't a situation where you can wait for him to come back - you need to get out there and look. He's not going to come back like a dog or cat. He needs you to find him or it's very likely he's going to die. It was an accident that he got lost in the first place. But if you don't try harder to look and give up now this easily, then you will have actually failed him and your daughter. You owe it to both of them to really try to find him, which means continuing to look intensively for at least several more days.


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## Yang (Sep 26, 2015)

I ! found ! him! His name is Steve.

He is eating! I can hear, It has been more than 2 days. 

He just hidden underneath my garbage bin in my Garage. Tomorrow is our waste collecting day, so I went to garage, took my green bin outside, then I came back to take other bins, he just sat there like a dream. 

I have been searching my neighbour area from time to time, left food outside in the night, but all the food ate by other animals, because even in the night I check every hour. Anyway finally I can breath now.

Thanks for everyone's information and support.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Fantastic news!


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Great news!!!! Now, keep him inside. If you choose to take him outside again, don't take your eyes off him for a second.


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## pigthehog (Sep 30, 2015)

Yay!!!


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