Concerning Hedgehogs

The snow settled in on the evening of the 3rd, and the cold weather seems to be here to stay now. As much as I don't like the cold weather, I know of a little beastie who likes the cold even less than I do.

Algerian Hedgehogs, like my sweet little Hazel, can't stand the cold. If their surroundings are too cool, they will become lethargic and will try to hibernate. However, since they are a desert species, they don't have the proper metabolism to hibernate properly, and most who do try will slip into a coma a die.

That's why I always have a heat emitter aimed at Hazel's pen. Unfortunately, I'd failed to account for the draft coming in from a nearby window. I'd checked in on her before we'd left for dinner on Sunday night, and she was showing the first warning signs of hedgie-hypothermia - cold paws, dry nose, and a wobbly gait.

Layne and I quickly rearranged her pen to move her bed more directly into the path of the heat lamp, and I gave her tons of extra blankets. She seems to be doing better now, but I'm still checking her regularly. When the radiator finally kicks in, it should more than negate any drafts getting into her pen, but I still worry about her. She's quilling right now - shedding last year's quills and regrowing a whole new set, which always lowers her immune system and her appetite, so any extra stress on her system could make her very sick. Poor little quillbeast.

And now, on a cheerier note : A Bunny Sticking Its Tongue Out At A Grumpy Hedgehog.