Sadly I made no videos in the early days and hardly took any photos, probably because I was so preoccupied with getting her to like me and worrying about all the things I was sure I was doing wrong. As a consequence of this I don’t have much for comparison but when I think about it really hard I can see that we have come a long way. She does still partake in the occasional bite though it’s more of a “What’s this?” nibble than an “I hate you” chomp. I can now pick her up even when she’s in prickly ball mode whereas in the beginning I only ever picked her up with gardening gloves on. She doesn’t really pop and hiss like she used to though she is prone to flinching and can put on a good huff when she feels like it. I did wonder if it was just me. I feel sorry for her, looking back. I’m sure my nervousness made her worse. I know I’m so much more comfortable with her now but she has improved a lot too. I don’t think she’ll ever be a cuddly hog (and yes, before you ask, they do exist). Her interests include running, exploring, “rearranging” (demolishing), eating and foraging and if she’s not doing any of these then she likes to be sleeping. If I try to get her to sit and watch TV with me she makes it quite clear that she would rather be alone. However, she does seem quite keen to involve me in her exploits. I sit on the floor with her while she has her run and she happily climbs all over me. A friend pointed out that she wouldn’t do this if she didn’t feel safe. I must say I felt pretty proud of the pair of us in that moment. I’m also rather proud of my BeechBumb. When I declared that I would like to re-home an African pygmy hedgehog he replied with something along the lines of, “As long as you look after it” but I think the two of them are now quite good friends. He comes to say hello when she’s out having a run, will happily “babysit” her while I vacuum her cage and he’ll even pick her up just to be sociable. Yes, we’ve all come along quite nicely.
I think that’s enough wordiness from me for a bit. Wouldn’t you rather see her for yourself? Here’s how she was this morning:
I did give her a bath, as promised. She’s only allowed one every couple of months (so her skin doesn’t dry out too much) so I saved it for the big “hoggiversary”. It reminds of Charlotte’s Web when Mrs Zuckerman gives Wilbur a buttermilk bath to make him sparkle for the fair. Being lactose intolerant, Chutney’s bathwater contained an infusion of porridge oats instead of buttermilk but I’m sure it made her quills just as shiny.
This would be a good time to point out that an awful lot of the success I’ve had with Chutney has been down to other people. Firstly there’s my BeechBumb for sharing more than he ever intended. Then there’s The Sister Of My Friend The Doctor. She was instrumental in the re-homing of Chutney and has been a great support and hog friend throughout. I must also thank my Mum. She has provided a wonderful holiday home for “Lady Huffington-Smythe” (as she calls her) each time my BeechBumb and I have been away. The news bulletins from Chutsworth House both reassure and entertain. We wouldn’t be able to go away if it wasn’t for her
Special thanks go to a tremendous group of individuals who make up the National Exotic Hedgehog Rescue. Although Chutney didn’t come to me through them she has benefitted from their efforts nonetheless. I recommend the care sheet on their Homeless Hogs site as required reading for all those involved in the keeping of exotic hedgies. Their facebook page acts as home to a lovely little community where you can go for advice and support (or to spend countless hours looking at pictures of other people’s hogs). Sometimes they help in the smallest of ways that have the greatest impact. It was so reassuring to know that almost everyone with a hedgehog struggles with cutting their nails. I think this gave me the confidence and will to persevere and after 11 long months I finally succeeded in trimming the nails on all 4 of the little wriggler’s paws! Thank you NEHR!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my account of Chutney’s first 12 months in Buckinghamshire but what I really wanted to do with this post was give you an idea of what caring for her has meant to me over this past year. I am grateful to the wonderful friends and family who support me with all manner of things on a daily basis and recognise that, without them, I wouldn’t get very far at all. This year has been particularly “challenging” on the job front. Needless to say their help has kept me afloat but I think Chutney deserves a bit of credit here too. Instead of this being “the year that work very nearly got the better of me” this has been the year that I had an exciting, positive new focus. The year that I opened my life to caring for a strange little creature and got a whole lot back in return. The year that sitting back, watching and learning became more important than rushing and doing. In short, it’s been the year of the hog.