Halloween Hedgehog

Happy Halloween from Hedgehog Town!

*Note: This is not Phinneus.

Home Away From Home

Matt moved into his new apartment last week and this weekend I am bringing Phinneus to stay...sort of a trial run. I set up a cage out of grids and laid down a couple of pieces of fleece, and then added in Phin's spare wheel and an igloo to complete the home away from home ensemble. Now my worry is that Phin will liner dive (burrow under the fleece) and get his little stick legs stuck in the grids. I am going to try and devise a solid base for under the liners out of cardboard. Luckily Matt has a lot of boxes lying around from the move yet. The trick with the compilation cardboard base is to make sure that Phin can't get at the tape holding it together, because the little weirdo loves to eat tape and tape residue. That just can't be healthy for him.

Tis The Season

As a wise hedgehog owner on HHC wrote, tis the season for...hibernation. Hibernation is dangerous for pet hedgehogs as their bodies are not equipped for it. THEY WILL DIE IF NOT GIVEN HELP. It is important to be aware of the hibernation issue and take preventative measures. But first of all, what causes hibernation attempts? Cool temperatures (most people agree that anything below 75 degrees Fahrenheit is too cold) and lack of light. Less daylight signifies the shorter days of winter, as do low temperatures. If you come home one day and your hedgehog isn't moving and feels cold, pick her up. Feel her belly. If it's cold then that is a sure indicator of hibernation. The best thing to do is to steadily warm her up. DO NOT place your hedgehog in hot water as this shocks their system and could cause drowning. Nancy on HHC has a great post (which in turn inspired this post) about how to deal with a hibernation attempt. Here is the link.

A good, reliable heat set up is important. This fall I have invested in one of my own, and while it was a chunk of money, it is required equipment for hedgie ownership. I have a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) in a porcelain lamp fixture clamped to Phin's cage. This is connected with a thermostat (graciously purchased for me by Matt) which controls the temperature. It is set to 79 degrees, and shuts off when the temperature gets too hot. On the cage itself is a thermometer. There is also a lamp with a daylight spectrum bulb plugged into a timer to make sure Phinneus (and Pherb) have twelves hours of daylight and twelve hours of night. Here is an informative how-to of heating your hedgehog's cage. I read this over carefully several times before investing in my setup, and it's working great!

So remember, houses are drafty, and your hedgehog is more sensitive to temperature flux than you would think. Better to take precautions than end up with a hibernation situation on your hands.

An Impostor and A Grateful Owner

This is another Lol Hedgie photo I found, thanks to a friend who sent me the bumper sticker version. It turns out, there's a fair number of these little gems floating around.

I am a very grateful owner. My hedgehog can cuddle like you wouldn't believe. He is quite entertaining to watch- especially when it comes to feeding him mealworms. He had stayed pretty healthy and happy, and doesn't seem to be in any danger of getting overweight no matter how much I spoil him with treats. And finally, he doesn't make noise. I love cats and dogs, but when you are rudely woken out of a blissful sleep on the morning of a rather important and daunting test in comm and civ by the yowling of a relentless cat, the last thing you think is, "Gee, I'm so glad my companion is the mild mannered feline."

I have two cats back home myself, but while I am away at school I rarely see them. It just so happens that I seem to be the biggest cat lover in my household (besides a brother who has long since moved out) as my parents love to complain about the cats. And let's face it, I do too sometimes. Sometimes they deserve it for yowling, barfing, unlawful killing of wildlife and small pets, etc.

My main point is this: I love cats, but I love my silent hedgehog more on morning like this.

Man About Town

I found this photo (apparently there are a whole hash of lol hogs on the internet) and had to share!

Phinneus is becoming a man about town. Or rather, a hog about town. He accompanies me regularly to rehearsals for my theater class, and today he came to see the final product of my first foray into directing. Granted, it was only scene, but I spent considerable time and effort on it, and my actors were putting their all into it, so I thought Phin could wish them to break a leg. He arrived in class in secret; Matt bundeled him against the chilly fall day in layers of fleece and inside a bag. Then he oh-so-casually passed the bag to me, where it sat warm on my lap. Quilly friends always make the day go much more smoothly.

Tattoo Friends

I have been in contact with Hugh Warwick (notable hedgehog expert, and author of 'The Hedgehog's Dilemma) via email and he asked for some photos of my hedgehog tattoo to post on his blog. A few days later his post, containing me!, appreared, and here it is. Mr. Warwick is happy to be at the starting end of what is becoming a trend in people getting hedgehog tattoos. I say, all of us should get together and have photos taken of our tattoos "meeting" each other...where appropriate, of course.

I am just giddy about appearing on Mr. Warwick's blog post and we having been sharing emails back and forth for several days. It seems that a new book is taking shape in his mind, this time about people who have a great love of animals, like himself and the hedgehog, except with different critters. From this, he hopes to choose another suitable animal tattoo.

On to more domestic matters, I arrived home from San Francisco late last night and had a happy reunion with Phinneus. He was extra curious and lively last night, exploring every book and cranny of the floor area he could find. While in California I did my usual search for hedgehog souvenirs and came up with a delightful set of three playful hoglets made by Schleich. I carried them around in my pocket while I explored the city (which, by the way, is the most beautiful city I have ever seen) and took some silly photos of them "visiting" Alcatraz. This is the photo at the top of the post, of course.

Far and Away

this weekend i am far and away from my hedgecreepie. i flew to san francisco on friday (and what a long and trying day that was) and am supporting my mother in her first ever half marathon. phinneus is at home with hedgie daddy, matt, and seems to be in fine form. i was showing off his photo today to the relatives who have also come down for the race...most people show off pictures of their kids, i show off pictures of my hedgehog. i also spent some time searching for what has become my "costumary" hedgie souvenir. this time i found it at a toy store in the mission district call 'the ark'. it's a great place! anyway. i bought a little sleich model of three rolly polly baby hedgehogs. you must forgive all the lower case letters and typos- i am writing this on my phone and for some unknown reason it won't let me use upper case. so for now, good night and wish my mother well. miss you matt and phin phin!

Hedgehog Pajamas

This weekend I was away from my little hedgepig for the second time ever. Matt had the plumb role of hedgeiedaddy and took care of Phinneus, Pherb, and the other assorted creatures that we have (newts, frogs, fish, snails). Anyway, my mother and I went to Target as is tradition and we spotted the most adorable hedgehog pajama pants! How often does one come across hedgehog printed anything, so needless to say we snatched pair. They are cotton and quite cozy. Here is a link to the Target page. Soon I will take some photos while wearing them and having Phinneus sitting nearby. As I type this he is rootling around in a liner on my lap and nearly fell off onto the floor, so clueless is he.

Phinneus was extra charming last night when I returned home. He didn't anoint like mad this time (as he did when I returned from vacation earlier this summer) but then this was only a few days, and last time it was a week. I will be leaving him with Matt again in a few days as I run off to San Francisco. Good thing Matt and Phinneus are so darn cute or else I might not come back...

Spud

Meet Spud, a spineless hedgehog who was found wandering around in March. He was brought in to St. Tiggywinkles since it was obvious that he would not survive long on his own. The kindly staff there were puzzled over Spud's massive quill and hair loss, but did everything they could think of to not only relieve this skin malady, but also help him to recover what he lost. A hedgehog with no quills is completely defenseless and would be very cold without their fur. Luckily for Spud and St. Tiggywinkles, Spud's quills are growing in again! In the second photo you can see what a great recovery this little guy has been making. We can only hope that this progress continues so that he can be released and go about his hedgehoggy business once again.

I, for one, thing he is adorable, and I am so glad he was rescued in time to save him. Good luck Spud!

A Warm Gooey Moment

As I write this Phinneus is in his towel in my lap. Matt fed him his favorite treat- giant mealworms (live)- and now he has been snuggling in this warm spot for a good 45 minutes or so. Basically, he is like puddy. Just now his rear end became visible and his little hind leg stuck out for a stretch and gently kicked my middle. It tickled! Anyway, this warm gooey moment is brought to you by mealworms, towels, and and the Hallmark channel.

Catching Up

This lovely photo was sent to me by a good friend. I have been very busy all week what with work and school and was cracking up under the pressure. Luckily, this relieved it somewhat. Where do I even begin with this? Hedgehogs riding roosters? Hedgehogs in kilts with bagpipes? I must say, hedgehogs have been known to make quite a lot of noise. Look here if you want to hear the evidence. Just be warned: make sure your computer's volume is turned down!

In other news, Phinneus will soon be making the rounds to rehearsal with me for my theater classes yet again. He made himself famous with the last one, and now there's a whole new group. He is so very popular.