Introducing the one, the only... Harold the Wonder Hedgehog
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My darling boy and prickly pumpkin muffin, charming and shy. I found him at a pet store -- I was looking for a baby, but found 3-year-old (middle-aged) Harold instead, stuck in a tiny cage in the bright sun and surrounded by a cacophany of screeching birds -- how's a poor noctural hedgie supposed to get a good day's rest in that?! Seriously grumpy (with good reason), he was applying all of his admirable defenses toward driving away anyone who came close to him, and doing a very good job of it. It didn't work on me, though. Instead, he won my heart, and I had to offer him sanctuary. He had been returned by his previous owner because he wasn't friendly enough, but he tells me that he didn't think she was friendly enough either! |
There is a fragment of a poem by the Greek poet, Archilochus which says: 'The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing'. The one big thing that Harold knew was that the world was a scary place. Something like a cactus crossed with a Mexican jumping bean, he rolls in a ball with nose and feet tucked safely inside and pops, thrusting his prickles at whatever is close while making the cutest little barking and chuffling noises, kind of like a little bitty steam engine with hiccups. When everything is quiet and still, he will slowly come out of his defensive posture and look for somewhere to hide, preferably a nice soft blanket. |
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Cute as he is in "cactus mode", when he does give me a glimpse of his big black eyes and pointy little nose, he is adorable beyond words. My heart melts into an ooey gooey puddle. Preferring to sleep all day hidden under blankets, and coming out of hiding to eat and run on his wheel only at night when all is dark and quiet, he's not the most exciting pet, but I find him an absolute joy to have around and now find it impossible to imagine life without him. Every afternoon I pull him from his cozy bin, tuck him into a fleece blanket or one of his special hedgie sacks (also fleece, because it doesn't make threads that could wind around his delicate little footsies and cut off circulation) and he spends the rest of his day sleeping on my lap -- a warm little bundle of hedgie love. Hedgehogs, perhaps more than other small creatures, have to get used to the idea of being cuddled. While he came to me with the big idea that people are scary, I've learned that with time and patience and a lot of gentle love, they can change their big ideas. While he still resists being picked up, once he is comfortably ensconsed in his little bag he happily settles against me to continue napping, and now has come to expect it. The one day when I was busy elsewhere and didn't pull him out for cuddles, he got very angry with me. When took him out the next day, he wriggled out of his sack and bit me in the armpit and held on (he'd nipped me before, but never held on like that -- ouch!) and it took a lot of sweet words of love and promises to never neglect him so again for him to forgive me. But once he did forgive me, he became more the cuddle-butt than ever. |
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Some hedgies are very playful, enjoying small stuffed animals, cat toys that jingle or crinkle, and especially the toilet paper tube -- they stick their heads in and act all goofy and silly and are highly entertaining. Alas, Harold is a very serious boy and has never shown much inclination to play.
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Above you can see Harold sniffing a stuffed purple mouse, but once he figured out that it wasn't food and didn't do anything, he lost interest. Now it has become my Hoo-kitty's favorite toy. By the glazed look in Hoo's eyes, you might be able to tell he is under the influence of catnip. I'd heard that some hedgies also enjoy a bit o' the nip, and at right you can see that Harold does indeed find this interesting. I have not yet determined whether he gets "high" on it as cats do (he has not shown me any especially playful behavior after having it), but he sure gobbles it up -- then anoints.
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In hedgie terms, anointing refers to when they find a scent that they find particularly enticing; they lick this up, then work up a froth in their mouth and spread this on their backs. Nobody knows exactly why they do this, but it seems clear that it is an attempt to spread this scent on themselves, as perfume or disguise. It seems every hedgie has it's own taste. I've heard of some hedies that do this with strawberries (making for a pink hedgie) but Harold has so far done this with catnip, a bag of mulch in the back yard, and a couple times with my scent (which I took as a compliment). |
Bath-time! Yes, even hedgies need baths. They tend to poop and pee on the run, which makes sense when they are actually going somewhere and leaving it behind, but when they are running on a wheel, it just keeps coming around again, and can get a bit icky on the footsies. So the paws need to be washed. I've heard of some hedgies that really hate the bath, climbing up arms to get away, and one that starts coughing and sputtering like he's being drowned at the mere sound of running water! (Silly boy!) Harold will climb out of his dishpan tub if I let him (and go scampering across the counter at a pretty good clip, leaving cute but dirty little footprints behind) but for the most part he's very well-bahaved in the bath. The first time, I had to put him in as a ball, but the water inspired him to unroll, and since then he has always been willing to step in on his own. He lets me rub his feet (up to a point) and his soft little belly and never tries to bite me there, which I much appreciate. Getting to feel his little feet walking on me and his soft warm belly through the hedgie bag is pure bliss, but getting to rub that little belly and stroke him without making him pop is beyond bliss, something which words cannot describe. |
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After the bath, my boy needs to be dried. Even cuter than usual, and extra-snuggly! |
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After toweling, he's popped into a clean hedgie sack to finish drying in my lap. Being adapted for the warm temperatures of Africa, and having no fur under his quills (and very little on his belly), I have to make sure he doesn't get cold.
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Adventures on the couch Here you see Harold's "ooh!" expression. During the day, he comes out of hiding only when forced. I do this to him only occasionally and briefly, knowing that he doesn't much like it, but I so much enjoy seeing him and so much enjoy sharing his cute little mug with others, sometimes I cannot resist. Now, after it gets dark and he's had a lot of cuddles, he will sometimes come out of his hedgie sack on his own. Sometimes he explores the couch and finds a snuggly spot behind my back, and sometimes he gets adventurous and goes mommy-climbing. I especially like this, even when he pokes me in the chin. |
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| Getting to know the rest of the family |
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My Angel-Dog truly lives up to her name. She loves all small animals, and is supremely gentle and respectful. She learned early on that it scares Harold when she moves, so when he is close to her she holds very still and lets him sniff her all over. |
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When I first brought Harold home, I was more concerned about my Hoo-kitty's reaction, being the predator he is, but I was surprised to find that Hoo was actually more scared of Harold than Harold was of Hoo. Even before he saw the prickles, he seemed to know that the scratchy noises in the bin were not being made by a defenseless little mouse. Above left, Harold is under the hat. This is Hoo's first sniff. Some time after that, Hoo bravely approached Harold when he was uncovered and gave him a direct sniff. Harold hid his nose under his quills (you can't be too safe!) but kindly refrained from popping, so Hoo didn't get poked (unfortunately I missed getting a picture of this). Hoo then sat down to wash, and after his wash, I put Harold (in his hat) by Hoo for the picture at right. It seems Hoo is getting used to the idea of having a hedgie in the family! Now he often joins Harold in my lap during our evening cuddles, the big challenge for me being keeping Hoo from sitting on top of Harold -- Harold likes his warmth and purring, but he doesn't much appreciate being squished.
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Hedgie Belly
What's he got under those quills? A soft and warm and squishy belly! Seeing him from this angle (on a glass table) I first worried that he was a bit chubbier than I had thought, but I am told that this is what he's supposed to look like. (The rule of thumb on hedgie weight is that they should be able to roll up tightly, as he has proven he can, but they shouldn't look like a squished twinky when unrolled, which he doesn't -- he's perfect!) The thing that looks like a belly button is actually his "privates". |
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 Squished nose! This makes him look like he has rodent teeth, but in truth they are very sharp and pointy insectivore teeth. |
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Outdoor Adventures
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Weather permitting, I sometimes take Harold outside for a bit of an explore. I always bring one of his blankets (often one of my old fleece jackets) so he has a familiar place to hide when he feels the need. |
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First he discovered that he could travel some distance while still being covered by a sleeve, carrying it with him -- he thought that was very cool! And don't you love those back feet! Then he gets brave and leaves the cover of the sleeve. Below left, he heads out on his own. (I picture him with a tiny red bandana tied on a stick -- a hedgie hobo napsack.) He got almost 4' away from me before his bravery waned and he came back to hide under my knee. I found it so heartwarming that he thought of me as his safe spot! |
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| Above, he has found bag of compost that he thinks smells very interesting -- so interesting he has to anoint. | |
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After all that excitement he feels the need for a little nap, but leaves his tail sticking out. Yes, that is a hedgie tail. Could anything be cuter? This is the first time he let me see it -- usually he keeps it tucked in and hidden. |
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Harold's Friend Lucy |
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Lucy the Hamster is the bright and shining star of HamsterTracker.com, where her dad, Mattijs, blogs about her many exciting adventures. I highly recommend this site! You can watch her live on her web cam and see zillions of adorable photos, or participate in Hamster Tracking like Harold, Hoo, and Angel.
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I don't think Angel was too interested in the card as such, but I know if she got to meet the real, live Lucy she would be in love, and very gentle. (She's known a rabbit, many kittens, and even rescued a drowning squirrel once!) With Hoo I would have much more reason to worry about a small animal without Harold's defenses , so I won't be getting a hamster. We'll have to settle for a picture. |
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Hedgehog Poetry Harold has inspired me to write a couple poems. "Hedgerhoggy" is of course a parody of "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Caroll (the original can be read here). I wrote the limerick when Harold first came to me and it is now a bit out of date, but I still find it enjoyable. |
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‘Twas prickly, and the padded toes “Beware the Hedgerhog, my girl! She took her blanket fleece in hand: And, as in patience she did wait, In and out and through and through “And, is thou slave to hedgerhog? ‘Twas prickly, and the padded toes |
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Hedgehog Holloween Because he's my little pumpkin, Halloween is a special time for Harold, and he couldn't wait to get into his costume, but since he's not the sort to put up with me actually dressing him up, I did so with his picture in Photoshop. First I was going to make him into a jackolantern, but he didn't want a scary face, so I did this silly one instead, and I think he looks more like one of those pom-poms with the eyes and feet (they have a name, though I'm not sure what it is). Next, a turtle costume seemed appropriate, since he's so good at hiding in his shell. I doubt we'll be going trick-or-treating though, because he doesn't eat candy, and it's unlikely anyone would be giving out the meal worms and beetles he likes for his treats.
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