He was almost three years old, and we’ve known him since just about the hour of his birth in our living room.  He was the only hedgehog in a quite unexpected litter to a rescue girl (Lovey Junior) who we were helping transport to Florida for a forever home.  He was unquestionably the sweetest tempered hedgehog I’ve ever known.  I’ve got, of course, lots of photos of our dear boy online.

Thanks for your well wishes and support … We’re missing him terribly already and expect to hassle poor Dexter with a lot of attention (and most probably, lots of treats) in the coming days.

Speaking of photos, I think this one of Tenzing fairly well sums up his current condition. While he’s not as spry as he has been, he’s pretty chill. We’re feeding him baby food out of a syringe twice a night, and he’s just thrilled to lay on his back and enjoy being bottle fed. Silly little monster.

Dexter is also doing very well. He’s settled into the household well, enjoying time on his wheel and generally being the sneakiest little hedgehog I have ever seen. He sleeps in a fabric hat under a pigloo, and he is very good at not being seen out of said pigloo. I can drop a few treats in a dish, leave the room, and come back to find them mysteriously gone, but no sign of the hedgehog who ate them (presumably).For the curious, no, the boys do not get along. Tenzing is determined to … well … woo Dexter and Dexter wisely is having none of it. He’ll do a header right off the sofa to get away from his dirty minded big brother.

Right now, Tenzing is recovering well from surgery … eating well and jogging moderately on his wheel. I am supplementing his usual diet with some watered down baby food (turkey being the favorite) in a syringe. I think he’s enjoying being fed like a baby, actually. Right now, there is some swelling around the incision, which is healing nicely, but nothing beyond what appears to be normal healing and scarring after surgery. He’s perkier than he was before the surgery, and his appetite is terrific.

The biopsy indicated that while there wasn’t a clear border for the tumor (e.g. there wasn’t a clear mass we could just remove) the division rate is fairly low. All in all … I don’t know what to expect. This could progress very quickly or very slowly. He’s perky and reasonably active, which is a sign that whatever is left of the tumor isn’t draining too much of his resources. I am just so grateful that we have had this time with him however long it lasts. I was so scared that he wouldn’t make it through surgery — he is so wee and it was such a big mass. I just couldn’t bear dropping him off and never seeing him again.

Right now, when either Chopper or I are home and awake, Tenzing is almost always up with one of us. I think he’s getting a tiny bit tired of all the attention!

So, keep Tenzing in your thoughts and prayers. We’re going to continue to spoil him rotten and do everything in our power to ensure he is comfortable and happy.

Our friends Chris and Shawn brought Snoopy the hedgehog, our longtime hedgehog buddies Lynn and Eric joined us, and Nicholas came with his mom Allison, my coworker.

Nicholas, being young in body (as opposed to the other young in spirit attendees) had a wondrous enthusiasm about meeting the hedgehogs and envisioned a very creative system of ramps and tubes around the apartment for Tenzing and friends to burrow in. One day, if I have the tools and the talent (not to mention the patience), it would be a hoot to build it. Of course, Chopper says I am not allowed to operate power tools without adult supervision. Those of you who know me well understand that this is an entirely prudent regulation.

Photos are naturally available.

And for those of you who inevitably ask “why the hedgehogs,” I already have a response for you. As for the other question, “why have a birthday party for a hedgehog?” I have to say, well, if you don’t just get the answer to that question intuitively, I will never be able to explain it to you satisfactorily.

The birthday boy enjoyed some time sniffing around Snoopy, running in his ball, and generally being tremendously cute, as is his wont. He later enjoyed his presents, a lovely jar of freeze-dried crickets from Allison and Nicholas, and a set of fleece blankets for his cage from Lynn and Eric.

Our friends Ashley and Andrew were in town, and had their lovely girls Tiptoe, Mandy, and Buttercup with them. Tenzing got to meet both Tiptoe and Mandy, but his heart (or, we assume, his heart) was given to Mandy alone. We have photos of the event for your enjoyment.

Just don’t laugh at Tenzing — he is, after all, the equivalent of a teenager.