An eccentric English writer named Charles Caleb Colton once said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” I have to disagree with Colton’s statement, as I believe parody is actually the sincerest form of flattery.
Recently, an amazing parody has been making the rounds on YouTube. The Regina Monologues posted a hilarious video, “Wrecking Ball- Hedgehog Parody," featuring a cuddly hedgehog in a gauzy, white body suit (appearing to be a medical stocking or sleeve) akin to the style portrayed by Miley Cyrus’ controversial video for her hit single Wrecking Ball.
Just who is this superstar hedgehog? She’s Regina, the hedgehog world’s “It Girl” who even has her own blog: Hedgehog Monologues.
In addition to singing along with the lyrics (or lip-synching?), Regina can be seen waddling down a runway with the wrecking ball crushing through styrofoam walls, suggestively rolling around on her back, and even waggling her tongue at a hammer just like Cyrus does in her video.
It turns out the Regina actually has an underlying health condition that’s contributing to her plump body shape.
According to her YouTube page:
"Regina has a medical condition which caused her obesity. While she is cute and fluffy, her weight is not ideal, and she is on a limited diet and under veterinary supervision. However, she does not let her medical condition affect her sense of humor!
In the beginning of 2012, I noticed she wasn't using her wheel as much, and she started to have some..., lady problems. So I took her to the veterinarian, and the vet did an ultrasound and ran some tests, and found that she had abnormal bacteria and possibly pre-cancerous cells in her uterus. The vet felt it was best to spay her ASAP as a preventative measure because cancer is so prevalent in hedgies. So, in February 2012 she was spayed. After she was spayed, she stopped using her wheel completely and began to gain weight despite no changes in her diet. I spoke to her vet about it, and she said that it's common for activity levels to decrease and for weight gain to occur after being spayed. I've asked three different veterinarians what I can do, and they all say the same thing: I can't force her to lose weight, and the best thing to do is just encourage activity as often as possible."
I’m so glad to hear that Regina was spayed (ovariohysterectomy), as doing so is an important part of responsible pet care for many species due to the high degree of illness prevention yielded by the surgical procedure. Additionally, if you house more than one hedgehog of the different sexes (male paired with female) in the same cage and they are both sexually intact (i.e. not spayed or neutered), you could end up with a litter of baby hedgehogs for which you are responsible to provide medical care.
Before seeing this video were you familiar with hedgehogs? It's not a creature commonly seen as a companion animal, yet it certainly can make a good pet. Of course, before you run out and get a hedgehog, learn more about their care and carefully consider if this creature is an appropriate species for your household and suits your abilities as a care-providing owner. Review the helpful information on Hedgehog Welfare Society Health/Education webpage.
The hedgehog may not be the right pet for all living situations and is actually considered to be one of the Top Ten Worst Classroom Pets according to petMD. Why does the hedgehog get this unflattering distinction? Evidently, “Hedgehogs are nocturnal, which means they won’t be in a good mood if they’re woken up, and will likely bite as a result. Falling under the "exotic" category, hedgehogs have very specific environmental needs, and their quills can be very irritating to young children.” It’s also important to note that keeping hedgehogs as pets is banned in certain states, including Pennsylvania and California.