Roliana

I'm very very upset.

My spiny furbaby - my hedgehog -- died tonight/this morning around 12 am or 1:40 or so. 10/24/09, meaning he lived around 5 years or so. 4-5 is common for African pygmy hedgies, 6-8 being tops, so he lived a good life. I'm just so sad that it took almost half a week before he passed on.

I miss him already, I keep jumping when I hear one of the dogs making noise thinking it's him. He used to scratch so cute, making little thumping noises in his cage inside a big old empty cardboard box for his home. Here I am at 2 am, sobbing away because one of my fur-children is gone.

I don't think I'll get another. It hurts too much...besides, we have the dogs and a parakeet now.

Quilly was a grumpy little guy from day one, although the breeder assured me he was cheerful and that his brother was the angry one. I found her through her website and forums dedicated to hedgehogs and we shuffled off to buy one after I argued my case quite eloquently to my husband. He knew how much I loved hedgies and he was willing to have the "spiny turtle", as he liked to joke, in the house. I held him in my hand and although he balled up - my others had not done that and they're not supposed to -- he didn't intentionally use his spines and I was happy. We got a discount because I drew the woman a cartoon and we went home proud new fur-parents.

After some consideration I chose the name Quilliam Dinsdale, a pun on the quills he had and a Monty Python joke few people get. After smelling what he made after he'd noshed a few bits of cat food, my husband added the Shatner bit, and thus Quilliam Shatner Dinsdale became his full name.

He lived on for 5 years with us and a good amount of time with the breeder, so he may have been 6 years or so ( a huge lifespan) and yet it hurts and I miss him already.