I haven't had much time to blog lately. M has been battling a nasty virus the last two weeks and has been generally out of commission, so I have been preoccupied with other things. There have been a few interesting developments the last week to ten days (at least in my mind). Nothing of great significance all by itself, but collectively I think it shows that their trust is continuing to develop.
About a week ago we had a late tent time - we didn't get started until a little after 10:00 p.m. Normally I shoot for 9:15 or 9:30 at the latest. We were set up in the family room, and the only light was from the Christmas tree and the TV. About 11:00 p.m. the lights on the tree went off (on a timer), so it was dark. CB, sitting on my knee, started to bark. He continued to bark for a minute or so. Foehn did not seem to be paying too much attention to it, and I could not quite figure out what he was trying to communicate. About 10 minutes later I decided to call it a night (and it was past their dinner time), and laid their pouch on the floor of the tent as usual. Foehn went and checked it out and then came right back out. CB didn't appear interested, and that was unusual. I waited for five minutes and they still weren't interested. This was the first time they have not gone to their pouch since they started doing it regularly. Perhaps the dark was their cue to play. I left them in the tent and to put their food in the cage. I turned on the light in the room hoping they would get the hint. Sure enough, when I looked in the tent after placing their food they were both in the pouch, looking out at me as if to say "What are you waiting for??" One of these nights I'm going to have tent time, or part of it, in the dark to see if this behavior is repeated.
CB has discovered that he can crawl into my shirt between the buttons, and now that has been part of his nightly routine. It's warm, and it's familiar. The first few times he did this he would crawl in one side, around my back, and come back out from the other side. The last couple of nights he has crawled to my left side and settled in. I think he likes the heavy flannel shirts I've been wearing. Usually I can feel him grooming, but the last two nights he has curled up and gone to sleep. This is supposed to be his exercise time, so after five minutes or so I reach in with my hand, cup it around him and help him out.The neat thing is that he has not jumped out of my hand or tried to bite me, but lets me hold him in my hand inside my shirt. CB has been "hand shy" so this is a big step,although he still tends to avoid my hand outside the security of my shirt.
CB catching 20 winks inside my shirt
No comments:
Post a Comment