# How to cope



## fossilfueds (Nov 29, 2017)

I recently gave up my APH for rehoming (only Saturday he left) and I am absolutely not coping and was wondering if anyone has been in the same situation and can offer advice.

I got my little guy when I was going through a really tough time in my life - a present from my family when I most needed purpose - and I wouldn't be overstating anything when I say he saved my life. He helped me through some really tough times; nothing was more important to me than gaining his trust enough for him to fall asleep on me when I was doing homework or watching TV.

Fast forward a couple of years (I had him for very nearly 3 years - felt like so much longer!) and now a university student, I left him in the care of my parents while I was studying. Obviously it would have been unreasonable for me to ask them to 100% take on hedgie parent duties especially as my dad has bad animal allergies; all I asked was that he got some time in his playpen in the evenings and was fed properly, cleaned out, interacted with at least a little bit etc. Unfortunately he was never very popular with my mum so when it came down to it the only real interaction he got was when I came home for holidays and some weekends; he was fed and cleaned out but this pretty much became the extent of it. I knew this wasn't at all fair on him and I could see it was having an affect (he wasn't letting me handle him as much as he used to, health checks he used to handle no problem became very difficult) and decided that it would be better for him to find a new home where he would get the attention and care he deserves.

As far as I know he's still with the local breeder I contacted to help rehome him and they've been a big help and found somewhere for him, which I'm happy about, but there is still a big part of me that feels like I let him down and that I made the wrong decision and should have fought harder to keep him. i don't know what I can do to ease my mind; I know I've done the right thing for his welfare but the heartbreak is becoming too much to handle. I can't stand the thought that when he eventually dies I won't be there or even know he's gone. He was such a big part of my life for so long and I don't know how I can handle going home and him not being there any more and never seeing him again.


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