Our New Addition

It has been absolute ages since I last blogged about my pets and I do apologise.  I’ve had so much going on.  Today I want to talk about the newest addition to our family, Atticus Finch.  Finch is a rescue dog and he is a Pomeranian cross.  We’re not overly sure what he is mixed with but our guess is a long haired Chihuahua. 

We wanted Gatsby, our little pug to have a brother and to be socialised with other dogs.  We really wanted some company for him and to give another little dog a happy and loving home.  We decided to visit the DSPCA and see if there were any dogs that would be matched to us.  The staff there were very helpful and introduced us to Finch.

Finch was in the shelter with his sister.  Both dogs had lived in a home with over 200 dogs.  Finch’s sister had already been adopted so he was going to be on his own and he isn’t great on his own.  He was a very quiet little chap with a sweet little face.  I held him for a few minutes and gave him as much of a snuggle as he would allow.  He was very shy.

Later that afternoon we brought Gatsby to meet Finch and took both dogs for a little stroll.  They were indifferent to each other.  At first I thought this was a problem but the staff assured me that this was best case scenario as if the boys didn’t like each other or were incompatible they would have fought straightaway.

Later that week we went to collect Finch and bring him home.  I was very nervous about how he might react to his new hedgehog and guinea pig brothers.  We were told that as soon as we got out of the car we should walk the two boys around the block before bringing them into the house.  When Finch entered his new home he was inquisitive about his new brothers but wasn’t bothered by them, nor did he bark or attack them.  He sat on my knee and on the couch for his first evening and tried to take in his new surroundings.

He was incredibly nervous of both us and Gatsby for the first few days. Both boys had a few small scraps to decide which one of them was the alpha but it wasn’t anything serious.  Finch didn’t know his name and didn’t understand any basic commands.  He also wasn’t used to the lead so at times that was difficult.

So how is he getting on now?  He is still a little shy and is not always great with new people but him and I have become great friends.  He follows me around the house.  He loves his brothers and running around gardens.  He gets very excited for his walks and bounces out the door.  He still has a few funny quirks.  He takes his food from his bowl and runs away with it, eating it in hiding.  He cowers when anyone pets him from behind.  He is nervous of approaching people and he likes to hide in confined spaces.  Each week that passes I see another positive change in him.  His tail is always wagging and he usually has a cheeky grin on his face.  He loves a sneaky slice of ham as a treat.  Ear rubs are his favourite.  He can’t be without Gatsby and adores playing with him.  He lets me put hats and outfits on him and sits still while I do it.

Finch still has a few problems but he has come such a long way and we love that he is part of our family.  He had a tough start to his life but he is happy and spoiled in his new forever home.

Pygmy Hedgehogs as Pets

 

Our pygmy hedgehog Pumpkin is the first pet we got together and we’ve had him for about a year and a half.  Some people might find a hedgehog a weird pet but we adore him.  We actually talked about getting one for about four years so it wasn’t a decision we rushed.  I’m glad we waited because we got the hedgehog that was perfect for us.  He is the best little boy.  For anyone considering getting a hedgehog as a pet I have put together some information for you.

Spikes – Quills

Hedgehogs are spikey creatures and yes they can hurt at times.  When we first got him, we were using oven gloves to pick him up! This lasted a few days really but we were very lucky.  I’ve heard of people that couldn’t pick up their hedgehog for months.  His spikes softened somewhat as he got more domesticated and he doesn’t really hurt us anymore.  I’ve had naps with him, I play with him and give him hugs and kisses all the time.  He feels rough but not spikey.  He lets me play with his spikes and he seems to like it.  Once again I do need to say that this isn’t the case for everyone.

Hedgehogs can spike in different ways.  They make a deep sigh or a hiss and they can lightly spike as a warning or to show mild irritation.  They can also roll into a ball and give the full spikey blast and it will hurt.  They do this when they are distressed.  They can do this for seconds or hours. 

The spikes are called quills.  Young hedgehogs start to quill which essentially means they shed some of their spikes.  This is normal but if too many quills are being shed then the hedgehog needs to be examined by a vet.  As an adult if a hedgehog starts to lose a lot of quills they really need emergency medical attention.  I will talk about hedgehog health in a separate post.

Teeth

As much as one thinks a spike from a hedgehog will hurt, I can promise you it is nothing in comparison to a bite.  They have fangs and can really chomp down if they feel like it.  I’ve been bitten by Pumpkin two or three times since we’ve had him.  Usually they don’t bite for malicious reasons, it is normally something like a nice smelling soap or shower gel that they think is food that makes them nip.

Diet

I have seen posts and videos with hedgehog parents offering grapes as part of a hedgehog’s diet.  Please do not give your hedgehog grapes.  So many animals are allergic to them and hedgehogs are included.  Grapes will sicken and possibly poison your poor hog. 

Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant so never let them have dairy.  I read before that they like scrambled egg whites but Pumpkin didn’t take to them at all.  His main diet is cat nuts.  These need to be very good quality nuts.  Pumpkin has Royal Canin.  A bag will last months because they don’t eat a lot.  They also need mealworms in their diet.  This might seem a little bit gross but they absolutely adore them.  They need to be live and the hedgehog can’t have too many of them too often as they are quite fatty.  Mealworms are a great way to blackmail your hedgehog when you have to cut their nails or do something they don’t like.  Always distract them with mealies!

Heat

Pygmy hedgehogs originate in Africa so they need heat.  They will be cold if you don’t supply them with an additional heat source.  You really don’t want to let your hedgehog get cold because it will get sick or go into hibernation.  Pygmy hedgehogs do not hibernate so they will possibly die if this happens.  The best way to keep them warm is to install a heat lamp and separate light source.  We have ours on a timer so Pumpkin is always between 18-20 degrees and he loves it. He has a fleecy insulated little bed in his house and he’s very happy.

When we got him we were assured a regular cage was perfect for him.  This isn’t necessarily true and a glass style cage would have been better because the cold wouldn’t get through.  We ended up insulating his cage with tinfoil and this did the trick.

  

Sleep

As I mentioned, pygmy hedgehogs do not hibernate.  They are nocturnal though.  Some people train hedgehogs with lights to change their sleeping habits.  We do have lights for Pumpkin but we haven’t changed his natural sleeping rhythm much.  Generally speaking he wakes up at about 7pm.  He’ll sit with us in a snuggle sack or play, whatever he feels like for a few hours.  When we go to bed at 11ish, he runs on his wheel.  They love running and can run up to five miles in a night.  This is great exercise for them and great fun.  He goes to sleep again at around 6 or 7am.  Sometimes this alters, for example it is 4pm now and he’s wide awake.  Their sleeping pattern can be great because during normal working hours, he or she is fast asleep and will be awake when their pet parents come home.

Play

Hedgehogs like to explore and play.  Now they can be moody so if they don’t want to, they’ll definitely let you know.  Like other small animals they like to run through tunnels.  They also like to explore the house.  A word of warning, they are incredibly fast and they’ll vanish in the blink of an eye so always play with them. 

They like little tug-of-war games sometimes but use something soft like a baby towel.

Running is for sure the favourite activity of a hedgehog.  They don’t really fit in normal gerbil wheels so special ones can be bought.  Carolina Storm in the states has amazing wheels.  Pumpkin adores his. 

Snuggle sacks are a must.  These are essentially fleecy bags that they sit in, sleep in and dig in.  They also keep them warm and cosy when they are out of their heated houses.  These can be handmade but you need to be very careful about how they are sewn because hedgehogs can get their teeny toes caught in them and they can break easily.

Cleaning

Pygmy hedgehogs need baths.  Most of them tend to like them and they roll in a ball and float on their backs.  They are little spikey boats.  Pumpkin, however, hates to roll on his back.  He may be the only hedgehog in the world that hates it.  He tends to do a doggy paddle around the sink instead.  The water needs to be warm, not too hot and it is vital to get the right shampoo that doesn’t irritate them.  Aveeno’s baby shampoo is great.  You won’t need a lot.  They can be cleaned in their sink bath with a toothbrush.  Their nails tend to get quite dirty (when they run in their wheels, they poop so it gets on their toes) so you’ll definitely need to get at them with a tooth brush.  Make  sure they are rinsed and towel dry them. 

Nails

Their nails grow very quickly and can become ingrown so they do need to be cut regularly.  This can be a bit of a job because holding a spikey hedgehog that doesn’t want his or her nails cut can be tricky but mealworms will be your best friend.  Be very careful cutting their nails because as with most animals, there are veins in their nails.  Only take off a tiny amount.  A normal nail clippers will do the job.

Personality

Pumpkin is the sweetest little boy and we are very lucky.  He is a very loving pet and we couldn’t ask for better.  He is so caring.  Like other pets, he picks up on moods.  If he feels I’m upset he will snuggle into me more or gives me a big grin.  Hedgehogs smile and it is adorable.  He also laughs.  If something happens like the dog falling off the couch or something he thinks is funny, he opens his mouth wide, shows his teeth and makes laughing motions.  He likes to climb on us and play.  Sometimes he’ll put his paw over my finger and hold hands.  He loves chin rubs and kisses on his ears.  He humours me and lets me put hats on him.  He really is a special little boy.

Pygmy hedgehogs really are the best little pets.  If you have any questions, please do get in contact with me.

January Sales

January can be a bit of a sad month but there is one serious positive, the sales. I picked up some great bargains, most of which can be found on my beauty blog, www.rubylainemakeup.com.  I did get a one or two lovely bits for animals and animal lovers that I want to share with you.

I'm in love with my new pug mug.  It is so cute.  I got this in Boots for €6 in the half price sale.

The next item I purchased is a fleece throw from Penneys.  It was reduced to €5.  This is so soft and gorgeous and has planets, stars and astronauts on it.  There were other patterns too.  I  got this to make snuggle sacks for my hedgehog as he loves them. I'll do a tutorial on how to make them soon.  

Finally I got some tshirts in the toddler section of Penneys for the dog.  These weren't on sale but they were €7.50 in total for the two of them so they were a great deal.  Gatsby is nearly 6 months old and I got his tshirts for a 6-9 month old baby.  The sleeves on the Batman one were a bit long so we cut them.  He's adorable in them.

I hope these bits and pieces were of use to you.  I'd love to hear about any pet related bargains you picked up.

Our Pets' Christmas

Today is probably a bit of a depressing day for a lot of people as it is the first day back to work.  The Christmas festivities are a now behind us.  To cheer myself up and hopefully you too, I want to share my pets' Christmas Day with you.

This is Pumpkin's second Christmas with us and the first for Thor, Loki and Gatsby.  I had stockings over the fireplace for each of the pets and Santa came on Christmas Eve and left presents for them.  On Christmas Eve, we all snuggled up on the couch in a blanket and watched Beauty and the Beast's Enchanted Christmas. 

Gatsby was the first of our babies to find out what Santa brought.  We put a bow on him and put him under the tree as a cute present.  He actually didn't mind the bow at all.  Santa brought him lots of edible treats, squeaky toys, chew toys, anti-slip socks (which he wasn't so fond of) and a cuddly toy penguin.  He loved all his gifts but his absolute favourite was the toy penguin. It hasn't left his side since he got it.  Unfortunately he chewed the leg off his penguin which meant I spent New Year's Eve performing emergency surgery and sewing it back on.  

For Christmas he wore his Santa jacket for the day and came with us, as did all the pets to my parents' house.  He played for the day, was spoiled rotten and enjoyed some turkey and ham.  My mam got him another chew toy and a book for teaching him tricks and  training.  He had a great day and slept the whole way home snoring his brains out.

Thor and Loki were next to open their stockings.  They had chew toys, treats for their cage and a cardboard tunnel.  They didn't have as much animation as the other boys and kind of just pee'd everywhere!  They really did love their tunnel and chewed it to bits before lunch.  They came with us and played with Gatsby at my parents' house.  They had little Santa hats but only wore them for a few minutes.

Pumpkin was probably the most excited out of all the babies.  He ran around the sitting room, played with his new goodies and had a big smile on his face.  He got some mealies which were probably his favourite thing and a new snuggle sack.  He was thrilled.   He's such a happy little boy.  He sat on my knee with Gatsby in the car and had a great day at my parents' house.  He had a little Santa hat too.

I had such a lovely Christmas with my pets.  They are the sweetest little creatures.