Woman thought she had been caring for a sick hedgehog all night, but it turned out to be something completely different

A British woman was completely convinced she had spent a full night caring for a sick hedgehog until she drove it to a vet. There she was in for a big surprise.

Hilarious story from the English village of Knutsford, in Cheshire. A sick baby hedgehog was recently brought into the Lower Moss Wood Nature Reserve & Wildlife Hospital, an animal hospital. At least that was the belief of the woman who brought in the animal. She said she found it on the sidewalk in the evening and took care of it all night.

But, as can be read on the animal hospital’s Facebook page, it was not a hedgehog. What’s more, it wasn’t even an animal. It was a fluffy pompom of a hat, which had received the best care at the woman’s home. “I couldn’t believe what I saw,” said Janet Kotze, the hospital’s manager. “It was the first person to come in that morning. When I opened the newspaper-filled box, I couldn’t believe it. That’s not a hedgehog, I thought. But it wasn’t even alive. This was not an animal, I also noticed when I picked it up and felt how little it weighed.”

The woman was ashamed when Kotze told her that, the manager says. “But she was so sweet and her heart was absolutely in the right place. She took the box back with her and left quietly. I thought it was funny afterwards. She won’t be so wrong again.”

Although Kotze encourages people to rescue hedgehogs when they appear to be in distress. “During the day they should not be seen. If that is the case, take them to a vet or shelter.”