Pets for longer life

I am nearly a 40-year-old woman and I have never had my own pet. I couldn't have just any pet because we already have a very large doberman named Madonna and most pets could be eaten by her. Madonna barks at cats and bullies other dogs; she is a little high strung. So I chose a pet that lives in a cage…and happens to  require temperature control, a light schedule and hours of bonding time.

My baby, Persephone, is a three month old hedgehog, and is a lot of work. She has an exercise wheel that she uses every night and does most of her pottying on it. Yes, it's as messy as it sounds. She huffs at you when she is scared and jumps with her quills standing up so that you get poked. Hedgehogs are nocturnal and are prey animals so they take a lot of time to get used to you because they think you are going to eat them, most likely.

My husband had a Doberman when we got married. She was his baby. He took her with to worksites, she slept at the foot of his bed and she ate about everything that he ate. He covered her up when the house was a little chilly and even had a doggy coat specially made for her. I thought she was spoiled rotten. I guess she was, but he was happier for having her in his life.

Now, I understand that a pet is not just a pet. We spend a lot of our time with our pets. Dogs will follow you around and make you feel like a hero every time you come home, even if you were only gone for 10 minutes. Persephone has stopped huffing at me and trying to poke me with her sharp quills. It makes me happy. Even taking care of her hedgie house, aka cage, makes me happy. Research shows that people with pets are happier and healthier. I get it.

Last night, I had a dream that Persephone died. I realized the attachment I have to her when I woke up crying and went to be sure she was okay. The death of a pet for some can be more traumatic than the death of a human family member. I have patients that cry over a pet's death and then apologize because "it was only a dog." I believe that pets are worth the mourning that we do when they die.

I am going to enjoy my baby and all the work that goes into caring for her. I am going to feed her mealworms, no matter how icky, so that she has a good, comfortable and long life. She is making my life longer and happier. Oh, and pokier, too!