Two Households, Both Alike in Dignity

Haha, okay this is not Romeo + Juliet, there are no tragic lovers involved in today's post, and nobody is drinking poison. BUT there are two households; Phinneus has two households he could end up in while I am in Africa, to be exact. As I type, Little Man is settling down in a fleece blankie after and exciting quarter of an hour of running around as I clean and pack up my school-year residence. He was good and didn't poop in a inconvenient patch of carpet for once. His wheel was absolutely disgusting- clean one night usually means the next is extra terrible- and his fleece shows the evidence of a full night of chomping, pooping, and scooting. Hedgehogs are not like other small pets, they require a little extra TLC to keep them in good working order. Phinneus needs his clean blankies, a clean tank, daily food and water changes, daily wheel cleans, and daily snuggles. A bit more than little Pherb the hamster, or Renn and Raven the gerbil sisters require. Still, the work isn't bad and the reward of having a sweet little hedgehog companion on your life is more than enough. So who is willing to take my little hoglet in for a few months? We will find out soon. For now he is still in my care to coddle and generally make a fuss over.

New Camera New Phinneus!

Well, not really a new Phinneus, but the new camera sure turns out fabulous pictures of the little hog.

Little PhinMaster was dragged out of bed and made to sit for photos while I experimented with the new camera. Now that he's back in bed I am going over to Matt's to photograph the new kitten and Rodrigo Cat-Face.

Nasty Weather

Nasty weather. Play rehearsals. Too much to do. Enjoy these wonderful photos.

A Spring Day With Phinneus and Flowers

A day or two ago the temperature was finally warm enough to take Phinneus outside to stretch his legs. I don't know if hedgehogs get cabin fever, but I felt bad that he had been cooped up all winter. I gathered him and my camera and headed for a sunny patch of skilla. I placed him in amongst the flowers and it was as if he had completely forgotten that outside existed! He sniffed every inch of greenery in front of him and then stuck his little snout high in the air to sniff the breeze. He even tried to munch on one of the little blue flowers; it must have been the first bit of plant life he has tasted since he was a tiny hoglet. After a while he began to look worried and lost so I caught his attention by rustling my foot in plants so he could find it. The little critter rushed right over to plop himself on my foot and reassure himself that he was not in iminent danger. After this I scooped him up and brought him over to the grass so he could scoot around. Of course, he version of this was to huddle under his fleece blankie and sniff at months old rabbit pellets. Happy spring!

An Update on the Gerbies

Remember when I posted about the tiny little gerbil pups Matt and I got? Well here's a update: they are getting so big! Their beautiful honey colored fur/fuzz is giving way to gorgeous black speckling so that they look like moving piles of sand (much cuter than sand, though). They are shy little girls, and usually only want something to do with people when their is food in your hand or else if you represent and exciting new piece of furniture for them to crawl over. Their coloring changes just about every day, so it's easiest to tell them apart by personality. Raven is usually the first one to be out scooting around. Then Renn will emerge if the coast is clear. A few days ago Matt installed a wheel for them so that they could get their proper exercise. They haven't exactly figured it out yet...so far they will just crawl under it or sit in it and eat a treat. If I remember correctly, Phin did this too, and he got the hang of a wheel. The gerbies are vastly entertaining; and not only to me, either. Rodrigo the cat loves to sit in front of their cage in pounce-ready position. If the gerbils are especially excitable, Pherb (their upstairs neighbors on the bookshelf) will get up too and demand attention for himself. I love having a shelf full of critters.

Stress Relieving Snuggles

I'm just going to put it out there that science is HARD for me. I regard the subject as more of a comforting bedtime story- something you can learn about for fun- than as a hardcore element of education. So when I come home after a stressful three hour science class I really enjoy pulling out Phinneus for a snuggle. He is such a little nugget.

Hedgehog Literature...For the Well-Read Hog

Today's post is dedicated to some of my favorite hedgepiggy reading material. I've mentioned before how I sometimes receive mysterious packages in the mail containing hedgehog items. I've amassed a collection of hedgehog plushies as well as books and they are all quite delightful. Some of the books I have received are "just for fun"- little nature books featuring hedgies full of gorgeous photos and fun facts. I also have some hard core research info books written by people determined to document the entire history (and I mean entire as in going back to prehistoric giant hedgehogs which roamed North America) of the species.

I would like to share my favorite hedgehog books so far. These two are a good mix of fact, legend & lore, and wonderful anecdotes. They are easy to read (and by this I mean that they are meant to be read by people who have not studied zoology and don't have a phD in hedgehogology) and enjoyable.

First is The Hedgehog's Dilemma by Hugh Warwick. Mr. Warwick has studied hedgehogs for decades and is a member in good standing of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. He is an expert in his field, as well as an excellent writer. Here is a link to his personal blog. You will find me on there if you search for "tattoos". Just fyi :) Here is a description from Amazon.com " The Hedgehog’s Dilemma, Warwick gets to the bottom of the sudden boom in hedgehog popularity and examines the relationship between the hedgehog and man, covering both the mammal’s natural and un-natural evolution, from despised vermin to much-beloved beast. A historical and cultural exploration of the hedgehog, this is an engaging, informative, and charming look at the fascinating world of hedgehogs.

For more than twenty years, Hugh Warwick has tracked hedgehogs across the globe in the slim hopes of coming across the hedgehog’s tiny, but unmistakable, pawprints. Warwick isn’t alone in his endeavors. In England and Wales, the Environment Agency, Great Britain’s leading environmental group, recently selected the hedgehog as its new mascot; while in America, which lacks a native hedgehog species, fanciers flock to the biannual Mile High Hedgehog Show to celebrate en masse the little spiny urchin. But why does the hedgehog seem to have such universal appeal?"

Next is The New Hedgehog Book by Pat Morris. Mr. Morris is an intellectual leader in the field of hedgehog research and hs written numerous scientific research papers on them. He was Senior Lecturer in Zoology at the University of London for some time. Here is a synopsis from amazon.co.uk "The first "Hedgehogs" book was published in 1983, and was a bestseller. Its unique blend of humour and scientific observation proved to have enduring appeal and the book has reprinted many times. Much has happened in the last 20 years, which is included here: a worrying decline in hedgehog numbers, the North Ronaldsay saga and the Uist problem. New research has been undertaken on the success of rehabilitating and releasing hedgehogs to the wild and on the effects of slug pellets. The book also critically evaluates designer hedgehog homes."

If you are interested in getting to the bottom of this hedgehog business, I suggest either or both of these excellent books!