Remember Me?

Phinneus update:  Nothing really, he's just fine :)  Phin is a strapping three year old these days, and getting more and more curmudgeonly.  I might actually have to buy gloves to wear when I trim his nails!  Other than that he continues to adore wheeling (and pooping while wheeling), the fattiest pieces of cat kibble, and dragging his food bowl into hiding under his wooden castle.  Since I posted last Phin has been moved from his giant Sterilite bin into a far larger cage that sits out in the open.  The accommodate for his need for darkness, even while he is sleeping in daylight hours, there is a second level, which is actually not accessible to him since I deemed the ramp to be too unsafe for a clumsy little hedgie.  The level functions only as a dark cave for him to lurk in.  He has two cage liners which cover only a part of the floor of his space, leaving some bare plastic.  This is actually a nice feature in the hot summer months.  The whole set up is much easier to clean and so much roomier overall!  Recently I adopted a mouse named Bacon.  Bacon ended up being a kind of roommate for Phin when our foster cat made an attempt on Bacon's life by knocking his cage to the ground from a high shelf.  Now Bacon and his cage are safely nestled in Phin's second level where both mouse and hedgehog are safe from marauding cats by way of sturdy metal bars.  Pet jail?  No!  Pet Paradise Getaway!  I will see if I can get some photos up soon of the setup.

The Return of the Camera!

My little red camera has been out of commission for almost a year because I couldn't find the little pack that charges the battery.  Well, I found a way around that issue and now my camera and I are reunited.  Here are some Phin photos to celebrate!

Injured Footsies and Daily Chorsies

A few days back when I went to check on Phin in the morning I was shocked to discover that his wheel had a solid track of blood on it. There were also little bloody footprints on his fleece and in his PVC tube tracking his night's route. *This is one of many excellent tips from Hedgehog Central- be sure to use LIGHT colored or WHITE fleece so that if your hedgie is oozing something s/he shouldn't you will know. After freaking out I removed Phin and cleaned his cage and all his accessories. Then I cleaned him, taking special care to gently clean and cleanse his footsies. I found the source of the blood, which was from a cut on one of his back feet. I applied some regular Neosporin (this kind is safe for animals but the kind with analgesic is not) and put him back in to sleep the day away. His eating, drinking, peeing, pooping, and walking was all normal, but I decided to keep the wheel out for two nights just to be on the safe side. I checked with HHC and one of the seasoned site moderators assured me that cuts on hedgehogs' feet were fairly common and not serious. She told me just to keep and eye on it, but that the wheel could go back in. I'm sure Phin wheeled all his pent up rage and energy that night! His cut seems to be healing fine and he remains his same self as always.

School has started up again- which is weird after being in Africa- and after I get home from classes I start my "farm chores". The soft fur rat (D'Artagnan) and the gerbils usually only need a small scattering of seeds and whatever small cardboard boxes or toilet paper tubes are laying around. They are low maintenance, yay! Phinneus needs his wheel cleaned, his water dumped and refilled, and sometimes both dishes need to be scrubbed to remove his poopy paw prints. His food only needs to be refilled every couple of days. Since I returned he and I have been waging a silent war of attrition where he eats everything except his Katz-n-Flocken kibble and refuse to give him fresh food until he at least eats most of it. That means that every 2-3 days he is down to nothing but Katz-n-Flocken and I imagine that leads to some frustrating dining experiences for him. If Phin needs a lot of care, so does Porthos, the half-flemish giant rabbit. Every morning when I wake up and let him out of his cage I give him fresh hay and pellets, as well as refilling his water bottle. His little box gets smelly fast, but I don't mind this very much as it is just such a relief to have an animal besides the cat who is littler trained. Porthos can be a pesk; for example, a moment ago he was nibbling the computer and me and trying to walk across the keyboard. He is too cute and snuggly to stay made at for long though. I think he knows this and uses it to his advantage...

So yeah, I live on a farm. Oh, and Matt takes care of the cat and assorted aquariums.

Here We Are Again, Naturally

Phinneus, Porthos, and I have moved back to the apartment with Matt and everyone is settling back into the routine. Sometimes Phin gets finicky (more than his usual quirks, that it) and decides that for some reason he doesn't want to wheel when he is in the apartment. Last night this appeared not to be a problem, however. He lived with my parents from October till January, which is the longest stint he's had their. It must be something like a 'country estate' for him.

During the four and a half months I was in Africa Phin must have forgotten me/decided I was not coming back because he doesn't respond to me like he used to. He is one big ball of hisses and quills. I think it's going to take a lot of treats and lap time to win him back.

Wisco Time

I've been back in Wisconsin for about a month and it's been busy and wonderful. Of course Christmas happened (not for Phinneus though- he's Jewish) and now I am preparing to go on a road trip with my mother and Matt up to see my grandma. I'll fill you in on the hedgehog homefront news: Phinneus doesn't seem to remember me, or else he is still pouting about my leaving for four and a half months. Thanks to the good care given to him first by Matt, and then by my Ma and Pa, he is in perfect health and still has his same old routine of wheeling, eating, sleeping, and pooping. He just doesn't warm up to me like he used to. In fact, he treats me like a stranger. He poops in his towel when I hold him and he hisses like and angry tea kettle 90% of the time when I am cuddling him. It's going to take a long time to win him back I think, but luckily I'm in this for the long haul. Maybe buying him more Hanukkah presents would have helped.

In other exciting news, Matt and I adopted a rabbit! AT LONG LAST I HAVE A BUNNY OF MY OWN. I've only wanted one since I was about 7. Originally Matt and I were going to buy a Flemish giant, which are huge 18 lb rabbits. Our kitten, Luis, sadly passed away from a rare disease in October and we were too heartbroken to get another cat or kitten (even though 3 people tried to give us theirs) so we decided instead to get a giant rabbit. Well one day about 2 weeks ago I saw a photo of a rabbit in the local humane society who was listed as part Flemish giant. We got in contact with his foster mom, who brought him in to meet us, and we were smitten. He on the large end of regular rabbit size, with a big appetite for cuddles and food, and a penchant for mischief and exploration. In short, he's perfect. We picked him up right before Christmas. Merry Christmas to us!

Phinneus the Famous

So, yes, I know Phinneus is already famous amongst people who know me, but now he is famous to complete strangers as well! Awkward Family Pet Photos (a part of the larger Awkward Family Photos) just released a book and Phinneus is in it! I submitted an old photo of him surrounded by my plush hedghog collection and boy does he looked pissed. Here is the link. Also, Phin Master is going to be in an upcoming Hedgehog Welfare Society calendar. I don't have the link for it right now (thanks shoddy internet!) but I will try to get one up soon so that everyone can race to throw down their credit cards and buy one- it's for a good cause!

First Hedgie Post in Africa

Hello hegdehog followers! This is my first post from Botswana (although not my first blog post overall. Check out my Africa blog here). I have been keeping my eyes open for hedgies, but I haven't seen any wild one yet :( I guess this isn't really suprising as they are probably all out hiding in the bush from the intense sun. Have I mentioned that the sun is about ten times brighter and hotter than at home in the US? Well it is. I have, however, seen a stuffed hedgehog on display at the Botswana National Museum, and seen some gorgeous hedgie artwork.

I am really missing my quilly little critter! Matt has been taking excellent care of him- maybe even pampering him too much as he is getting fatter! Sometimes when we are chatting on skype Phin appears for a visit. Last time Matt was attempting to trim Phin's nails- and not being very successful- and Luis the inquisitive kitten was supervising. I miss those cozy little scenes! I miss all my critters, but luckily Matt shares airtime with the pets in Madison.

I have been spending more and more time on HHC again after a hiatus. It's great to reconnect with fellow hedgehog fanatics while I am so far away. They always make me feel better about missing Phinneus. Plus, I love looking at all the cute photos people post.

Tattoos in Botswana are not very common. I have one local friend who does have some (and they are quite tasteful and elegant) but we are definitely in the majority. Sometimes people spot my hedgie tattoo and they are pleasantly surprised. They usually smile shyly and then laugh a little. That's about all the hedgehog related news I have here in Botswana. As you can probably guess my posts will be much fewer while I am here. For news and updates check out the link above for my Africa blog. It's called There and Back Again: Africa.