Pets

Took these along the way to Komala's a East Coast Park for some delicious Masala Thosai. I am totally behind these notices to pet owners to pick up after their pets. I do. I bring along small plastic bags whenever Tiger goes out. You can be eco-friendly by using those plastic bags the supermarket provides when you buy fruits. 

And Tiger has a new teddy! My gift to him to for being such an angel.

And here is Super. He was so cute. I put in a toilet roll for him to play about. Instead, he decided to put his head into it to sleep. Hedgehogs are nocturnal and they try to avoid the light. His sister Sonic is a grumpy fella who edges him out of the hut all the time, so here he is, fast asleep.

Of Hedgies and Worms

Yesterday I was cleaning out the tank of my hedgehogs, Super and Sonic when I noticed something moving in their food bowl. I took a closer look. Amidst all the leftover kitten pellets was a maggot! YUCKS!! It was truly disgusting.

I thought, Okay leave it alone...maybe Sonic may like to have a snack for tea. So I ignored its wriggly presence and started cleaning out the sawdust, poop and wee.

Now you're thinking, what's sawdust doing in the tank? Well, it came in a sack as wood pellets. When it gets wet, it disintegrates into sawdust. The function is to soak up all the smell and urine and stuff, and make the tank a wee (no pun intended) bit more rustic and warmer for my hoggies.

As I scooped bits painstakingly with a spoon, I noticed another critter making its way along the tank, so well, that goes into the food bowl as well. Then another, and another. By now, this was getting disturbing. I came to realize that the maggots were not two lonesome creatures trapped in the bowl for company, but I probably was looking at a whole platoon of them, thanks to the mother fly circling me intermittently. 

It took me a long time to make sure every single worm was out of the tank before I filled it with kitten litter made of recycled paper. It's a grayish colour and comes in strands. Nothing romantic about it, just utilitarian. 

Now the question is: why do hedgehogs favour meal worms but leave maggots alone? Do they taste different? Or is it a matter of the latter being served freeze-dried? Well I may never know. Someone please enlighten me.