Rescued 'baby hedgehog' turns out to be a pom pom from a hat

March 27 (UPI) -- A Cheshire, England, woman rescued what she believed to be an abandoned baby hedgehog and took it to a local animal hospital, where veterinarians told her she had actually rescued the pom pom from a beanie hat.

The Lower Moss Wood Nature Reserve & Wildlife Hospital said in a Facebook post that the "kind soul" rescued what she thought was a very shy baby hedgehog and took it home.

She brought it to the animal hospital the next day, concerned that it hadn't "moved or pooped all night," veterinarian Janet Kotze told The Independent.

Veterinarians then informed the woman that she had actually rescued the pom pom from the top of a beanie hat.

"She was an older lady, maybe sixties or seventies, well-spoken and well-meaning," Kotze said. "She said she could see something on the roadside that looked like a hedgehog."

"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," Kotze said.

The animal hospital praised the woman for her good intentions.

"Remember, kindness knows no bounds, even when it's to a faux furry friend," the Facebook post said.