# Loki of the North



## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Well I had something totally different posted tonight which includes a few questions, but then I had a turning point with Loki that kind of said "this one will be easy", so I deleted what I had and restarted.










Behold, Loki of the North, named so since there is already another Loki hedgehog on this board (Sela). This is the name given to him by his previous owner, I liked it so i didn't feel the need to rename him.

Since after the joy that was my Vera, I decided to see how two were. Of course this falls into Vera's story, as several days before the arrival of my 20 week old Hester Sue, Vera became sick, and soon passed away. So for only a short period of time my house had two hedgehogs, one who was very sick and being taken care of, while the new arrival was just left to the wind. Of course after Vera passed, I began the social work with Hester Sue, which as you can read in her thread, she's a piece of work.

I've developed the bad habit of watching Craigslist, eBay Classifieds (which was the US version of Kijiji), and have posted a few rescues up on HHC from what I find, I came across this guy. What really caught my attention was the fact he was only a couple of towns over, Vera came from Oswego New York, which is a good 3+ hours from home, and Hester Sue came from Cape Vincent New York that was 2+ hours away. There is only a couple of breeders here in New York, in Western NY which might as well be the south pole to me, so I became interested in Loki due to the fact he was only two towns over.

So i struck up a conversation with the guy. The story is simple, and it seems I've become the frat house of college hedgehogs. Hester Sue was a hedgehog who's owner is going to college in the fall, sadly she came from a bad home who's owner did not socialize with her and the girls mother became the 'caretaker', and not an overly good one for hedgehogs. She was more or less sold just to be 'rid of'.

Loki on the other hand came from a caring owner, who is also going to college in the fall and pets are not allowed in the dorms, and he didn't want to 'sneak him in' just in case of being caught, and just the general stress of strangers all around. Sadly the college he is going to, one of several local, has also had some 'pet problems' involving other dorm members and more or less animal abuse. Someone had a small finch which was bought as a joke for one friend, who grew sick and annoyed at it, so they proceeded to torture it with sound, ended up in a trunk with a big booming stereo and killed it.

Loki was described as a cuddler when woken up in the afternoon or early evening, enjoys snuggling armpits and just being held. Loves to wheel and plays tug of war, said was friendly to people and would lower his quills quickly once he got a good smell.

The guy himself is going to college with the idea of becoming an exotic vet that would be capable of taking care of the really strange ones, such as hedgehogs and for around this part of New York, even ferrets to a degree. Closest good vets are 1.5 hours west of my location and there's no interstate around here. (I'm in the northern most part of New York, across from Cornwall Ontario right on the border).

So he came home a week ago Saturday. Isolation from Hester is being done in the same room, I have the cages seperated at maximum distance, air filter box between the two, and I don't cross handle them daily unless I take a shower, and have been dedicating every other day to one or the other.

One funny thing that caught my attention was I had asked about age several times in our e-mails back and forth, and never got a straight answer, until I was there to pick him up. Turns out he is 2 years old, and this is his second rehoming. Doesn't matter to me, yeah I want a baby at some point in my 'hedgehog career' but the older ones need homes too. So I took him.

[ March of the Hedgehog ]

I picked him up a rainy Saturday morning (June 5th). Guy lives out in the country on a horse farm, also had learned that his mother is a vet who teaches the vet tech courses at the local college, thus very proper animal oriented people.

We talked for a bit, he had Loki in a shoe box with his hedgie sack and little pop tent (thats the same size as he is). He gave me that, and his old cage, and off we go home. I check a few times on the short drive, 30 minutes maximum, and he kind of bounces around in the box from his sack to his tent. You look one time and just saw the sack filled up, look again and his butt was sticking out of the tent (he fits in, like a glove).

I had originally written this post as more of a record of questions I had, I was unsure if I was socializing with him correctly, Hester Sue's sessions are totally different since she is a beast, a nice beast, but since he was suppose to be socialized well, I know it would be a different path. All his days this week have involved him in his sack, sleeping on me while I sit at the desk.

When he arrived here Saturday, he stayed in his sack until Sunday Night / Monday Morning. He came with a Comfort Wheel, and was living a storage bins with some sort of wood bedding, he was changed over to my own bins and fleece. But I attached the Comfort Wheel to the side of the bin with the base on, and it seemed kind of tall, took it off and then just secured the wheel with no base. Went to bed early, which my room is kind of an apartment too, so its my tv, computer, bed, cages, etc. The cage itself is on the other side of my night stand, so close to me while sleeping.

Not sure what woke me up that night, roughly 3am, had gone to bed at midnight. For some reason turned on the light, and found him in the wheel. He is a big fella, first time on the scale tonight and he's 456 grams. I thought Hester was big at (420 grams) while poor Vera was a mere 295. Sadly his bulk had made the wheel press against the side, and no longer function. I felt bad for him, reached in which of course made him run at 90 for his sack, took the wheel out, put the base back on, put it back in the cage and then take a small tool kit for computers I had laying around, wrapped it in fleece and made a step in front of the wheel, went to bed.

Wake up Monday, I find him in the bottom of the wheel, I think shocked cause the second I wake up, the lights come on in the cages (6:05am). I open the cage and put my hand near him, and of course visor down with a big huff and some clicking. I check his food and water (and Hesters) and go do my morning routine. Checked on him again before I left for work (12 hour shift).

That night I decided to put up a cover over the front of the cage, he hadn't come out the previous nights, so I felt maybe with the whole change of habitat and surroundings, maybe it'd help if he was kind of hidden. Did the trick, did that and turned off the lights, about an hour later I hear the wheel start going.

Did this all week. His days have been Monday - Wednesday - Friday for socializing which as said, involved him in his sack, laying on my stomach here at the computer desk. Every once in awhile he'd spin around, take a look at me, and spin back in.

Now I had been contemplating trying to dump him out of the sack to socialize with him, but the first night I did find green poop in the cage, didn't want to stress him out too much. But last night, he was actually out and about in his cage, and I decided to reach in and grab him. Balled up, made lots of noise, did come back out quickly but was very cautious. Spent maybe 10 minutes on my bed, he explored just a little but visored up to everything.

Then tonight is when I felt, everything was going to be good with him. Again snatched him out of his cage tonight, balled up and popped and clicked at me. Picture above is us at the desk with him under my desk lamp. But tonight he actually explored, was less grumpy once he came out of the ball, did get into my armpit but wanted to annoit, and I didn't feel like having my flesh bitten (she's bit me once after much licking and me knowing it was coming). It was cool and of course the pictures below is from our quick 30 minute session.

Well what kind of told me everything was going to be alright, was the fact that he let me pet him (minus any face or underbelly touching) with minor or no hissing. And well, not to be gross but when I put him back in the cage, he seemed cool enough with his new home to basically make 'love' to his hedgie bag aka "boy time". I felt if he is comfortable enough to do that, without the cover over the front of his cage, that he'll bond quickly and well with me. He's sleeping (of course) right now, and then he'll be back up and wheeling at 3am. The other thing was there had been a lack of poop in the cage, and well I found a man size one after a short period of wheeling, before we had our session.

So I present, Loki of the North, of the Hedgehogs of Saint Lawrence County. Can anyone roughly guess his color, cause this was an issue with the owner. He wasn't exactly cheap for a 2 year old, but from what I see proper rehoming price range. But he was described as a "Liver/Chocolate" hedgehog, and that he had more browns than the traditional salt and pepper, which of course I know he's confusing the colors that people like to call S&P, but since those are rare.

I can work on more pictures if needed. He has no pinto markings, the quills are uniformed with no patches.





































Mask is very light, white around his eyes, and his nose is a brown grey color. Not the best of pictures, but concidering even I didn't know what he really looked like until last night.


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## Keltrey (May 31, 2010)

He looks like he will fit in just perfect with Hester Sue. Congratz! :mrgreen: P.S. I couldn't help myself with the image macro.


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

Loki is just adorable and I am so glad he will have such a wonderful home! The story about the finch made me physically and emotionally sick. I was so sorry a about little Vera, but at least she knew she was loved at her end and left this world in style. I am looking forward to more pictures and stories with Loki and the infamous Hester Sue.


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

welcome Loki!

i am so happy when animals find a good home. i mean seriously happy. it's something good about the world that i otherwise don't fancy at all.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Kudos to you for taking little Loki in! He'll have a great home with you.


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

Nice essay, Puffers. -shot- He's a real cutie, but have you noticed that his ears look a little tattered? I'm sure you know what to do about that, but I just thought I'd point it out, just in case you hadn't noticed.

He actually looks almost identical to my Loki, who is a silver snowflake pinto, (although he doesn't show any pinto, as far as I can tell; maybe he just carries the gene) supposedly. He doesn't really look silvery to me, but that's what his breeder said, and I don't really know if he fits into any other colour category. (I'd post a picture and ask, but my camera happens to be MIA at the moment.)

He and Hester Sue have lovely contrasting colours, so pretty. I wants to snuggle them both. <3


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Actually the tattered ears was one of the first things I noticed about him, when his previous owner showed him to me (when he was in his shoebox for the trip home), he spun around in his bag and looked out at us for a minute. My eyes got drawn to the ears. The other thing was what looked kind of like a sore spot on his side, along the quill - fur line and just a light redness. I haven't checked directly since he's been mostly in his bag all week, but thinking about it, might be his wheel. He's got a comfort wheel and the running space to me doesn't seem wide enough, he's a big boy, so I'm thinking since he loves to wheel, its probably that, if he even still has it.

I did notice the contrast in color last night when redoing my signature picture, they basically got the same pattern on their quills, same faded face mask, hers is a chestnut shade and his is grey with a touch of brown. I wish both pictures were of the same position too, but she is one to sit and stare for a moment like that in the picture, he was either full out balled or doing the unballing dance.


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

I adore all of Hester's expressions. That little face of hers shows so much, doesn't it? Anybody who says animals have no emotions obviously hasn't met Hester Sue. ...And most dogs, for that matter.

The looks on her face in the pictures you've shown us...precious. <3


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

Sela said:


> Anybody who says animals have no emotions obviously hasn't met Hester Sue. ...And most dogs, for that matter.


those people just don't like animals.


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