Hedgehog

February 26, 2020

  Today our hedgehog Piper passed away, she lived 5 years in our care and was loved by everyone in the house. She passed peacefully in her sleep and is buried in the backyard.

   A few years ago we put her care in our sons hands, she got moved down to his room and it became his responsibility to take care of her. My son was experiencing a lot of behavioral issues and we noticed that once she was down there they stopped. He had a very close bond with her, when I informed him of her passing he cried for days. He kept running down to her cage to see her, he was very distraught.

   Even though she seemed like just a pet to those on the outside, she was a family member to us, her loss was hard to on all of us. Even though she was spunky, had a fierce attitude, and always got her way, she loved to run around outside, eat bugs, sit in your lap, and gave kisses.
 

    When she passed the ground was to hard to dig, we put her in a small box and set it in the garage, for the next few days every time James would become upset he would run outside and sit next to the garage door. We didn't understand what was going on and he kept getting in trouble for going outside without asking.

   A few days later after Pipers funeral services James and I were talking on my bed, I asked him why he was so sad, why he kept hurting others and being mean.
   He said that before Piper died he would go to his room and sit next to her cage and she would sit next to him and he would tell her how he was feeling and she was always there for him, now he goes to his room and she isn't there, he told me he is confused and lost. He told me that he was running outside all the time because because he wanted to be next to her, he was going to the garage to be near here, for a few weeks after we buried her he was going outside to her grave and would sit next to it and talk to her.

   We miss her a lot, but we know she is in heaven enjoying all the open fields and fresh air.