Woman rushes sick hedgehog to vet only to find out it’s a hat pom-pom

By Alex Barton

March 28, 2024 — 8.40am

A British woman who thought she had rescued a “baby hedgehog” later discovered she was in fact caring for a hat bobble.

The inanimate object was brought to the Lower Moss Nature Reserve and Wildlife Hospital by a conscientious member of the public last week.

The “hedgehog” that was rushed to emergency care.Credit: Lower Moss Wood Nature Reserve & Wildlife Hospital

But upon arrival at the facility in Knutsford, Cheshire, volunteers realised the hoglet was a “faux furry friend”.

Dr Janet Kotze, the vet on shift, said an elderly lady brought it in after spotting “something that looked like a hedgehog” on the roadside.

Hedgehogs are stout furry mammals no more than a kilogram in weight, with spikey quills on their back.

Dr Kotze told The Independent: “From a distance you take it at face value. She didn’t handle it at all, she scooped it in a box with some cat food and left it alone in a warm, dark place. She did everything so well. She barely peeked at it because she didn’t want to stress it out.”

Dr Kotze quickly realised the item in the box was a hat, not an animal. She said: “It was pretty obvious to us but I can also see how she was mistaken. I went back out and said: ‘I’m sorry it’s just a bobble.’

“She said: ‘You’re joking! Oh my goodness, how did I do that?‘”

The 57-year-old volunteer said she had “never seen anything like it” in five years working at the facility.

The rescue centre later posted a photograph of the bobble on social media, showing it nestled in a box beside a bowl of food.

The charity wrote on Facebook: “Our hearts melted as a kind soul thought she was rescuing a baby hedgehog, only to discover it was a fluffy pom-pom from a bobble hat. This adorable ‘hoglet’ still got all the love, complete with some cosy TLC.

A hedgehog.Credit: Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa via AP

“Remember, kindness knows no bounds, even when it’s to a faux furry friend! Sometimes, even the most heart-warming stories start with a hilarious twist!”

It added: “Please remember, if you spot a hedgehog out during the day, it’s a sign something’s not right. Pop them in a box with a warm source and seek help from your local vets.”

Telegraph, London

Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here.