This is Chappi. She's a pygmy hedgehog living in Mexico.
Chappi has lived with her mom since she was just one month old: "When I first got her, she was like a little breathing cactus."
"Chappi has a totally sweet personality. She loves being around people, and she's never in a bad mood."
Pygmy hedgehogs are known for being very cautious. In the beginning, Chappi was wary of her human companions.
"Apparently, Chappi was taken from her mother earlier than usual, and when I got her she was undernourished and underweight. She was obviously weak."
At first, Chappi had trouble sleeping, and seemed lonely and would often stay up crying. Chappi's mom would let the hedgehog sleep on her chest at night.
Chappi also hated being cleaned, and at bath time she would ball up and peek out through her spines. But once she got her own Chappi-sized tub, she started to enjoy bath time.
Chappi also suffers from Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome, which makes walking difficult for her. When Chappi is too weak to walk on her own, her owner puts her in a little Lego wheelchair to help her get around.
Since walking can be painful for Chappi, even with the wheelchair, her mom doesn't make her move around unnecessarily.
"I massage her legs often so she can be as healthy for as long as possible."
Stay healthy, Chappi!
This post was translated from Japanese.