stressed?

[smhufflepuff]

I was a very active little boy this morning. Mommy usually gives me a foot bath, then I settle into my bath blankie to get warm and dry while she squeezes out my washcloth (I stand on it during bath time) and dumps out my bathwater from my special tub. Today, I was so rowdy, Mommy had to use both hands to hold me. She said she needed even more hands. I went up and down and left and right and back and forward. I even went up into Mommy’s hood. Daddy got me out. Fuff that!

Mommy said I was adorable. She also thinks maybe I watched too much honey badger video. Mommy is silly. She says “hello Texie” and compliments me whenever I stick my nose out of my blankie. I did that a lot!

I am shedding quills lately – like 3 or 4 a day. Mommy’s not sure why, but she’s watching my weight and activity. And she’s making sure my skin isn’t too dry… though she forgot to turn my humidifier on last night after she said she would. Pffft! I’m sure she’ll turn it on tonight. She's hoping it's just dry skin or that I'm stressed out because there's a boy in the house during the day. He is fixing Mommy & Daddy's kitchen. I saw him just a little bit when Mommy talked about what to do if/when he needed to cut the power. He is full grown and knows about how to build big things. Mommy thinks that's great; I fuffed at him. He thought I was cute anyway.

The rest of me seems just fine. But it's my mommy and she worries about me.

I’ve been doing a very good job of running and pooping. These last two or three weeks, I’ve decided to poop just a little on my wheel and mostly in the corner instead of all over my wheel like usual. Mommy hunts for my poop every morning and takes it out of my house. It’s fun to poop in different places and watch her figure it out. It is a very good game.

 

[Kalandra]

Tex,

You tell your mommie that it is hard work supervising the active boy in your home while you normally would be sleeping. All that noise and I bet the house smells a little different from it too. You tell her that you just need some quiet and the house routine to be normal again.

I'd fuff at him and stomp my feet in protest.

- Tylda.

 

[lauralynne]

Your girls crack me up! (And hi Tex & Tylda! - And Tula!)

Hope Tex feels better soon!

 

[Sandi]

Awww Tex, I hope this new boy does his work fast and leaves soon so that you could get some quiet "daytime". Feel better Texie.

 

[smhufflepuff]

You are very smart Tylda. It does smell funny in the house to me! I will tell Mommy to make sure that my HEPA filter is on. She has to change the prefilter in my big one, but hid a lot of supplies away from herself because the boy is doing work, so she can't change it right now. I will tell her to plug in my smaller HEPA filter when she comes home today. Actually, maybe I'll just leave a sign up because I think the boy is leaving soon, it will get quiet again, and I could use some good sleep!

 

[Kalandra]

How are you feeling today Tex?

I hope the HEPA filter helps the smells out. You tell your mommie that if you get too upset when she is trying to snuggle with you to get some 100% chamomile tea for you. Just a dry tea bag near the opening of your snuggle bag may help you relax some. (PSST: it will likely relax her some too.)

When I was having my panic attacks, she told me about chamomile. I was skeptical about it, but she said it helped a couple of other rescues she had once. Since nothing would settle me, we tried it. Mom would get the chamomile out and it helped me relax very quickly. It smelled good and I forgot all about whatever I thought I needed to panic about.

I'm still certain there needs to be some feet stomping though.

- Tylda

 

[smhufflepuff]

Good morning Tylda,

Mommy needed some extra hands to hold me again today. It's like I just can't get settled right for my post-footbath snuggling time. She finds me extraordinarily cute, of course (mommies are known for finding cuteness in us).

I will tell her to get me chamomile. Did you know that it has the word "mom" in the middle of it? I bet that is how it works.

I agree on the stomping. It is very hard work to supervise the boy in the kitchen all day long. Stomping should help get the point across. Can you stomp a little for me when you have some time?

-Tex

ps. Mommy remembered to turn my humidifer & HEPA filter on last night and she left my HEPA filter on today!

 

[Kalandra]

Oh. MOM! That has to be why it makes me feel better.

Of course I'll stomp with you. I like to stomp.

 

[Kalandra]

Tex,

How have you been doing? Is the boy gone and things better again? Do you need me to give your mom a serious look and stomp my feet?

-Tylda

PS: I'll give her a serious look just in case....

See me giving her a serious look....

 

[shetland]

What a wonderful picture!

 

[smhufflepuff]

That is a *very* serious look Tylda! I am very glad my Mommy is seeing it.

I keep losing maybe three or four quills a day. I can feel new ones growing back in and I don't feel bald or anything. But it's not my normal thing. Mommy is saving my quills in an egg cup.

The boy is in the house again today. He didn't come in on Thursday, so I almost had the house to myself. But then Hedgiedaddy stayed home from work! Can't a hedgie get some sleep?!?!

Mommy has two HEPA filters going in my room because the boy is using paint. Mommy says he is putting it on the ceiling and on the walls. I think they are working very well, because I do not smell this paint in my room like how I smell it when I get my feet cleaned. You should have seen me sniffing all around this morning!! Mommy said it looks like I'm seeing with my nose. Which is ridiculous.

Also, Mommy and Daddy are getting a countertop today. Mommy said countertop is quiet by itself, but people have to drill holes in it for things like the faucet. She thinks it might be loud. I will need some stomping to help those people understand they should be quiet.

I think if this doesn't end soon, I will just pack up my hedgiebag and leave! But I only think that sometimes. I think different thoughts when Mommy is bathing my feet and snuggling with me. I like those times very much.

 

[Airyn]

Tylda: I love your serious look! I'm sure that look keeps your mommy on her toes!

Tex: If you packed up your hedgiebag and left, I'm sure your mommy would miss you terribly! I hope the installation goes smoothly and you get some sleep soon!

Thank you both for allowing those of us without hedgies to better understand how hedgie-minds work! Your discussions are beyond entertaining and incredibly informative! )

 

[lillybug29]

This is an adorable post!! I loved reading it! Does anyone have more information on the chamomile tea bags in the cage? I have a new boy and I think I traumatized him by bathing him before he trusted me. I want him to come out of his ball so he can learn to trust me and daddy. Daddy's been doing well with takin him out and laying him on his chest to just sit and feel breathing and know he's not always going to be subjected to a torturous bath, but he's been in a ball for 2 days now. He barely ate and didn't wheel at all.

 

[Kalandra]

Oh mom doesn't leave the tea bag in my cage, she puts it under my snuggle bag or at the opening of my snuggle bag while I'm out laying on her chest. She has tried to hang one on the top of my cage, but I live in a ferret nation, and the top of my cage is very tall so I cannot smell it as well. And she says it doesn't seem to have the same effect.

I find the smell of chamomile very relaxing, but sometimes I like the smell a lot and will come out of my bag to find it and try to nibble on it. Mom takes it away when that happens. She doesn't want me eating it.

Mom says if your hedgehog is still very new to you and is just quilly, to continue to hold him and just be patient. Trust doesn't come quickly. If you have a snuggle bag, give that to your hedgehog. We love our snuggle bags. They make us feel secure and even Ollie, who is a quilly beast, will uncurl and lay down to relax while in a snuggle bag on mom or dad. Lots of quiet time, oh and mealworms. We must have mealworms. Mealworms when we first come out of our cage to cuddle are best. We start to look for them as soon as mom wakes us up and take us out of our cages.

Mom only uses the chamomile as a last resort to get one of us to calm down when we are seriously stressing out. She hasn't even used it with Ollie yet, and he is a clicky, hissy quilly beast.

-Tylda.