# *Sigh* I feel like a terrible hedgemom today!



## SaltAndExtraPepper (Mar 4, 2011)

I'm so sorry, Carlos!! I feel like I shouldn't even look into your eyes today >_< Maybe if I confess my horrible deeds to HHC, I'll feel somewhat redeemed.  

My first strike was this morning and the dream I had.

In the dream, I was at a pet store, for some reason I was with my mom. I was actually there to pick up some things for Carlos. But then, in the middle of the store's floor, was a tank. With one hedgehog inside. He was all white (not quite albino-white) with a pink nose and dark ruby eyes. I picked him up, and at first his "quills" were the softness and consistency of down feathers (...geeze  :roll: ) But after holding him awhile he was pokey as any other hedgie. I decided that I must have him! I wandered the store picking up all-new housing supplies for my new hedgie and was very excited to get home and introduce him to Carlos.

But then, while I was in the back corner looking for a suitable cage, I got distracted by the fish tanks. There were three huge species of eel, and I fell in love with them all and decided that someday I would get a giant tank and get one of each eel species. ((That part of the dream is not unlike me.... I love almost every animal I see and always want one as a pet 'someday' :roll: )) ...And as I went back to shopping for hedgehog supplies, I began to wonder if I had enough cash in my checking to buy it all in one trip. :lol: 

Then I woke up, and felt sad that I wasn't getting a second hedgehog. Then, I regained my sane mind, and felt very guilty for Carlos that any part of me could ever want anything other than him.  And Kuma, too! I've had my dog Kuma for a pretty long time.


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## SaltAndExtraPepper (Mar 4, 2011)

My second strike, is almost unforgivable.  

I was on the rescue forums of this site, and seeing some people make post about their local craigslist listings, I decided to check mine and clicked the "pets" section. No hedgies. (Why was I looking in the first place?? Noooo idea!! Just curious I guess...)

So, for reasons unknown to me, I typed "mouse" in the search bar. And oh my goodess did I ever swoon at the little guy I saw. He was a four-month-old black and white mouse up for adoption. "He looks like a mini panda! Pet only, please do not feed or breed" rehoming fee, $5. I wanted to email the person _so badly._ He had a black head and shoulders, with a big white belt across his middle and a black bottom and tail. In the photos, he was cupped in the owner's hand and looked so tiny and alert. But I have no supplies for more pets, I have no morale support from anyone to get another pet. Getting another pet right now is not even feasible and nowhere close to responsible, not to mention how it could/would drain on my precious savings account. :shock: I don't know what got into me!

It was crazy. I had to close my laptop to keep myself from sending the person an email. It took me at least a minute to regain myself and steer myself away from that rash decision. Then I felt guilty for Carlos all over again and woke him up to hold him >_< I think he could sense my near-treachery and guilt, cause he was way, way huffier than normal. (Normally if I wake him up, he just falls back asleep in my arm or just behaves calmly.)

So now I feel like a pet-cheater and a horrible hedgemom. I have no idea why the dream and the mouse-encounter had to happen in the same day but boy did I feel ungrateful for the lovely pets I do have :| I mean I know I love animals, and adore having and taking care of pets... but I'm driving myself nuts today! :lol:

I think it may be because yesterday I found out that my boyfriend who I spend much of my time with, is leaving for a six month (minimum) deployment next month.  I guess when I stop and think about it, a clingy part of me wants to rashly jump into a new responsibility to make it easier to cope when he leaves. D:

Any therapists wanna try and diagnose me? Has anything close to this happened to anyone else? Anyone wanna just throw rotten tomatoes at me?


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

You terrible, terrible hedgiemom!!!!! :twisted: 

Hahaahaha I'm joking :lol: Of course you are not a terrible mom for feeling that way  
I often get this way with pets too... and I am definitely not in a situation where I could own more pets, but I still check Kijiji and Craigslist for any hedgies needing homes... I was going to run a rescue too (but as a student, I don't think I have much time to spare for another hedgehog atm...).

Just remember, you are still Carlos' mommy, whether or not you choose to get another pet in your life! As long as you take the best possible care for him, and love him as much as you love him right now, you aren't cheating and you are still being a wonderful mom


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## Guest (Aug 10, 2011)

Its alright i feel like a horrible Hedgiedad each time I go to the pet store to get meal worms, crickets, and pinkies for my girls and see Celeste's sister still all alone in her small home one Hedgehog Complete Diet from Exotic Nutrition.com and a water bowl to go with her igloo and no wheel . She isn't overweight surprisingly and every time I visit I handle her and she's puffy about it but as real sweetie overall. I wish I had the money to care for her and get her out of there and I feel terrible everytime


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## SaltAndExtraPepper (Mar 4, 2011)

shaelikestaquitos, Oh my gosh, that response was enough to choke me up :') I am turning into such a softie, and I can tell it's only gonna get "worse" from here  Thank you for your very kind words, expressed in such a way that also made me feel understood. Totally made my day! :mrgreen: (Isn't it great when it only takes that much..?  )

I also want to run a rescue, as soon as I can. (I am also a student) While I am comfortable in the academic life, it also frustrates me that I can't sustain all the goals I have. I want to run an animal shelter/rescue specializing in several species including exotics and hedgies.  But I digress. I needed to vent to a people who might understand where I'm coming from, and I feel so much better already. :mrgreen: I can't thank you enough.


TWOCOGAR, I understand your feelings completely, but you shouldn't feel bad... I think in a way, it would be worse if you got her and took away from the resources that you dedicate to your two lucky girls.  But I get how it'd hurt to have to see her living in unfavorable conditions, especially if she's sweet too. Do you think there is any way you could speak to the store's manager and advise him to give her a wheel?? Even if it meant you had to donate one to them, I'd buy one of LarryT's wheels and have it sent to you if it meant the pet store hedgie could at least run....


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## Guest (Aug 10, 2011)

SaltAndExtraPepper said:


> shaelikestaquitos, Oh my gosh, that response was enough to choke me up :') I am turning into such a softie, and I can tell it's only gonna get "worse" from here  Thank you for your very kind words, expressed in such a way that also made me feel understood. Totally made my day! :mrgreen: (Isn't it great when it only takes that much..?  )
> 
> I also want to run a rescue, as soon as I can. (I am also a student) While I am comfortable in the academic life, it also frustrates me that I can't sustain all the goals I have. I want to run an animal shelter/rescue specializing in several species including exotics and hedgies.  But I digress. I needed to vent to a people who might understand where I'm coming from, and I feel so much better already. :mrgreen: I can't thank you enough.
> 
> TWOCOGAR, I understand your feelings completely, but you shouldn't feel bad... I think in a way, it would be worse if you got her and took away from the resources that you dedicate to your two lucky girls.  But I get how it'd hurt to have to see her living in unfavorable conditions, especially if she's sweet too. Do you think there is any way you could speak to the store's manager and advise him to give her a wheel?? Even if it meant you had to donate one to them, I'd buy one of LarryT's wheels and have it sent to you if it meant the pet store hedgie could at least run....


I've offered it and they insist they know what is best for a hedgehog and I just sighed, apparently the store manager of the shop is never there when I come in, I intend to right letter asking they provide it, but they also keep hedgehogs together when they get them so a wheel would only end up with fighting in the long run so even if she's the only one right now eventually they'll get more and I fear it'd be dangerous cause they can't fit multiple wheels in that enclosure.


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## SaltAndExtraPepper (Mar 4, 2011)

TWCOGAR said:


> I've offered it and they insist they know what is best for a hedgehog and I just sighed, apparently the store manager of the shop is never there when I come in, I intend to right letter asking they provide it, but they also keep hedgehogs together when they get them so a wheel would only end up with fighting in the long run so even if she's the only one right now eventually they'll get more and I fear it'd be dangerous cause they can't fit multiple wheels in that enclosure.


What a thorny situation :| I hate that hopeless feeling like you can't do anything... It seems like they could put a wheel in, at least while she's the only one, then remove it when they add more hedgehogs... Ahh. Well hopefully a knowlegeble person will buy her, like you did for Celeste...


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

Don't feel bad, you aren't a bad hedgie mommy. The guilt that's felt is only the tip of the iceberg of the love you have for them, the other part is probably the way they know just how to get what they want lol


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## ProjectParanoia (Jan 27, 2010)

Oh gosh, sweetie, don't worry. That happens to me all the time! I don't mean to, but I look for hedgie pictures everywhere when Delia's fast asleep, and sometimes I'll run into a rescue that I just SWEAR I have to have (little pink noses have caught my eye), or a bald rat. I'm so glad they don't have them at my pet store because I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to resist!
It's not that I don't appreciate or love my pets, because I do, I just...want. I guess it's a normal human instinct. I'm going into business so I can work with animals. I want to have a small, humane pet store. After time, that might just evolve into a rescue, because it seems to be developing that way!

And TWCOGAR, can't you report that to the USDA or something? I don't think they should be allowed to sell an animal they don't even know how to take care of.


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## lehaley (Jun 25, 2011)

My boyfriend and I stopped by a little mom and pop pet store tonight. I've been looking for a CHE and haven't had any luck finding the right one. The only one I've found was $40, which I've decided is just ridiculous since I could get one much cheaper on Amazon. Aaaaannnnyway, we were wandering around looking at cages and I noticed two hedgies in one of the tanks. They didn't have much room to roam around let alone enough room for a wheel. I was tempted to ask to hold one, but they were both fast asleep in igloos. At the very least, the store had them in separate cages and they appeared to have some kind of cat food in their food dishes (it was star shaped and looked too big to be a commercial hedgehog food to me). I'm not gonna lie, I wanted to take them both home.


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2011)

ProjectParanoia said:


> Oh gosh, sweetie, don't worry. That happens to me all the time! I don't mean to, but I look for hedgie pictures everywhere when Delia's fast asleep, and sometimes I'll run into a rescue that I just SWEAR I have to have (little pink noses have caught my eye), or a bald rat. I'm so glad they don't have them at my pet store because I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to resist!
> It's not that I don't appreciate or love my pets, because I do, I just...want. I guess it's a normal human instinct. I'm going into business so I can work with animals. I want to have a small, humane pet store. After time, that might just evolve into a rescue, because it seems to be developing that way!
> 
> And TWCOGAR, can't you report that to the USDA or something? I don't think they should be allowed to sell an animal they don't even know how to take care of.


They have their permits and rights although I sent something to the eastern USDA HQ I haven't heard anything


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

SaltAndExtraPepper said:


> shaelikestaquitos, Oh my gosh, that response was enough to choke me up :') I am turning into such a softie, and I can tell it's only gonna get "worse" from here  Thank you for your very kind words, expressed in such a way that also made me feel understood. Totally made my day! :mrgreen: (Isn't it great when it only takes that much..?  )
> 
> I also want to run a rescue, as soon as I can. (I am also a student) While I am comfortable in the academic life, it also frustrates me that I can't sustain all the goals I have. I want to run an animal shelter/rescue specializing in several species including exotics and hedgies.  But I digress. I needed to vent to a people who might understand where I'm coming from, and I feel so much better already. :mrgreen: I can't thank you enough.


No problem ^_^ Yes, it is quite frustrating being a student... On top of that, I am an international student... so I am not at my home country at the moment. So that's even more restraining in terms of what I can do to help


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

We've all had those feelings...like I get super jealous when I see pictures and videos about how all of your hedgies are so cuddly, calm and letting you touch them without huffing. :mrgreen: I really should be grateful for Harvey. He really is a sweet guy once you understand his language, routine and meet his needs. Which is what it's all about.


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## SaltAndExtraPepper (Mar 4, 2011)

Thank you for the kind, understanding words everyone  I always thought I was lucky to have Carlos just because he's an awesome pet and is so cute.. but I am also lucky because he's lead me to meet so many awesome people here on HHC :mrgreen: It's sweet to realize we have more than just pet hedgehogs in common. 

The thought of seeing a mistreated hedgie at a store makes me so sad, I want to do something about it :/ They say not to buy animals from 'inhumane' petstores, as to not support their business, but that just doesn't seem fair to the critters stuck there :|

ProjectParanoia, if you do start up your humane store/rescue, you should let me know so we can partner up  Thanks to this thread I was up late last night daydreaming about my shelter. I would probably name it K&C Hart, (Kuma and Carlos, my first pets, and my last name) or something like that xD it made me feel childish to fantasize about details like that but it was so fun.

shaelikestaquitos, I think it takes a bit of courage to be an international student :shock: I love traveling and seeing other places, but I can't imagine living away from home for any length of time. Good luck to you and your studies!

Rainy, I couldn't have said that better!  A hedgie's temperment is something we accept and love as soon as we agree to adopt one  Who knows? Maybe you and Harvey have a breakthrough right around the corner, maybe you haven't his favorite time to cuddle (It seems to me that Carlos is cuddliest if I wake him before 2PM, huffiest between 2 and 7pm, and hyper and most playful after 7 :lol: ) Annnd, who knows? Maybe when Harvey huffs that's just his hedgie way of saying he loves you


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## ProjectParanoia (Jan 27, 2010)

I fantasize about it all the time. Fantasies are great and normal, they push a person to their goals. And it'll be a few years, I'll be a college freshman this fall, but partnering up would be amazing


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