Hello, my little hedgehogs 🦔 Here is a quick update (and a longer special introduction!)
The past few months have been almost as uneventful for me as they have been for this little blog. I have not been able to read a book apart from the classical texts covered in my literature classes, and I have a strong belief that reviewing Beowulf or war novels is too much of a deviation from the atmosphere I created with my bookshelf.
As I have mentioned in a previous post, I started university studies back in August. Being enrolled in five courses certainly occupies all of my time. As the semester reaches its last weeks, I will hopefully be reading regularly during the winter break.
At least, I will not be reviewing them for now. Assigned readings have a different overall experience than a book read of one’s own interest. One day, I may revisit one of the books and read it of my own volition.
I have finished one book since my last two reads in September. A post on Ali Hazelwood’s Check & Mate will be scheduled for the first week of December.
Unfortunately, the semester is at its climax. As I rush to complete coursework for my five classes, overburdening myself with stress by also preparing for a week-long vacation out of state right before finals, I hope to start off on a better foot for the Spring semester. I want to learn from my mistakes and poorly planned expectations, making sure I have time to rest between essays, projects, and portfolios.
Thankfully, I have a new friend that has helped me regulate some of my stress (and my sleeping schedule, surprisingly).
I would like to introduce you to Grotto!
For years, I have had this unspoken obsession with hedgehogs. The most open I’ve been about my love for these prickly friends has been with the theming of this blog, calling you all my little hedgehogs and the like. Otherwise, I have never really mentioned this silent adoration to anyone.
Over the last year (truthfully it was beyond that, but this year is especially relevant), my mom had me accompany her to a local exotic pet store. They carry a number of pets, some of which they breed. Of their selection, albino hedgehogs were one of them.
A month ago, the beginning of October, a new litter(?) of hedgehogs were finally old enough to be sold. I observed their tank when they were growing each visit, and a few weeks ago, I convinced my mom to let me bring one home.
Unfortunately, things did not go smoothly and according to plan. As cute as the babies were, I think it is obvious by the pictures I posted that the hedgehog I have come to own is not a one month-old baby.
Grotto is approaching ten months old, as long as the age given to me by the store is correct. He had been the last of a previous litter to still be unadopted, spending the first nine months in what I’ve always found to be the loudest pet store I have ever entered. They have a wide selection of birds, and the hedgehogs were posed at most ten feet from where those chatty avians were displayed.
Hedgehogs are easily frightened prey animals, and I’ve found that he seems a lot more relaxed in my significantly quieter home. Occasionally, the tv in the other room is on, or I watch videos without headphones, but it is nothing like the dozens of birds he had previously spent most of his time around.
While one of the employees was attempting to gather one if the babies, another brought over this grown boy. I held him, and he stole my heart.
I had a lot of anxiety going into this, pet ownership. The reasons behind it has left me deeply hurt, and I had a constant back-and-forth with having any faith in myself to do anything. It transcended pets, and I was struggling in my day-to-day life.
On October 28th, the culmination of therapy and pep-talks from friends and family led me to ask my mom if I could go with her to the pet store, and I made my decision.
To top it all off, I forgot my wallet at home. My mom and I ended up agreeing to split the cost, a compromise I reluctantly agreed to, given my presently unemployed circumstances. It was comedically unfortunate timing, forgetting my money the day I fully intended to take home a pet of some sort.
The previous day, I had thought about getting a pair of female rats, like my friend, or a pair of mice, but upon visiting him and hanging out with his rats in my jacket, I realized my respiratory system could not take it. I actually worried about hedgehogs, too, but I justified my worry with “they’re mostly quills, how bad could it be?”
It hasn’t been bad at all. Well, the only thing that bothers my nose is the smell of Grotto’s pee, but that’s why I’ve switched him to a daily rotation of fleece bedding. Otherwise, my over-sensitive system has been fine. (Phew!)
My empathy for this little guys has been somewhat overwhelming. Although hedgehogs are not known for cuddles, I am not that disappointed. I relate to him a lot, wishing to be undisturbed during the day, minimally handled, and easily frightened. In the evenings, we spend time together after he wakes up. Some guides recommend spending an hour with them, handling them, and I’ve seen some videos where this happens in the middle of the day.I
Instead of forcing Grotto to adhere to my schedule, disturbing him in the light of day, I’ve allowed myself to adapt to his schedule as much as he has naturally adapted to mine. It hasn’t been unreasonable; he gets up once or twice in the morning and afternoon to eat and drink, then he goes back into his nest of fleece for a few more hours. At around 8:30pm, he wakes up, and I give him time to run around in his play pen or try to climb on me (with plenty of support since he’s really bad at it).
I am still trying to help him learn how to use his wheel, but he’s just as stubborn as I can be with trying new things.
In any case, I hope to have the time to read soon! Next semester will not be as rough as this fall, but education has to take priority. I also want to wish everyone a happy holiday season! (A happy New Year, too, if I wind up too occupied!)
Sorrin Reads 