2016 Monkey Year - Chinese New Year

Cotton: Happy Chinese Lunar New Year to my followers and readers. May the God of Fortune blesses all of you in 2016. Huat ah!

My mummy has been busy with her work in Jan-Feb since the start of 2016. Then my god-siblings - 2 guinea pigs, came to board with us for a week so she did not have time to update my blog. I am quite comprehensive though because she compensated me with many nice imported herbs, local grown leafy vegetables and home-grown herbs as well. Not forgetting those daily treats from daddy. Hence I am satisfied and forgave my hoo-mans. :)

This is my 2nd year of CNY with my mummy and daddy but is Cindy Charcoal's first CNY with us as my wife. This year is a special and memorable year for us because I overheard that my mummy and daddy discussing to bring us to house visit too! My mummy asked me if I am okay to do house visit with them and of course I welcomed the idea, because I always charmed visitors with my handsome face and cuddly fats that I always get more treats from them in return. So I gave my mummy the green light and started cleaning my playpen by licking around. Then my mummy said no no....not visitors to our house but we are going to other people's house. Oh! What a waste of my licking but nonetheless, I told her up to her.

On the morning itself, my mummy began preparing our food. See....fresh fennel, radicchios, blueberries and lettuces. Yummy!!!!

Then my mummy put Cindy charcoal and Pignic in the stroller first. Look at the 2 ladies.....Although wifey looked physically larger than my sister, their weight are similarly close! Wifey weighed 1.17kg while my fat piggy sister weighed 968g!!! Holy grail!!!

Now that's me - the white, charming and handsome bun. I looked a bit grouchy because it was a bit squeezed. I have a fat bum, you see.  

Me and my piggy sister trying to tell my mummy if this was the best way she going to put us through the journey. I think the answer was an apparent YES. Argh!

My questioning look.

The first stop was to my mummy's University mentor's house. There was a garden in the terrace house and so wifey and I helped ourselves to it. Whee!!!!

Got scolded by my hoo-mans for bullying a Chi-huahua

Cindy simply did not run or binky around the garden. She just laid at the side and enjoy the serenity ambience of the garden.

Not for me to stay-still. I binky, and did many bunny-500 runs. Yipeeeeeee

Cindy just simply refused to move. Maybe she was shy.

Our 2nd stop was my maternal grandparents' house. We got our red-packet!!!!! I love grandmother because she likes me very much. She is impressed that I do not afraid of her small dog - hey, I worked with large dog at hospice and learning journey so I do not fear of dogs. She also impressed that I am very toilet-trained. Of course I am, else I get spanking from my mummy. She even impressed that I can be cuddled and because of my medium sized and fats, I was cuddled like a newborn baby. Well, I am okay to be handled because I am used to it.

When I came home, I was still very upbeat and energetic. My parents were amused at my high energy despite going to 2 house visit today. However, the following day, I slept like a log. I love sleeping with AC turned on. Life is good for me. :D

5th - 7th nights of night time free roaming for Cotton

Last night was Cotton's 7th night of free roaming without supervision around the house and we did a little experiment to prove our initial hypothesis that - he totally loves the AC (air-conditioned) and it can calm and makes him very obedient.

On his 5th night, we decided not to turn on the AC because earlier in the evening, it was raining heavily so the weather was cool - no point to turn on the AC. We also thought it was a good opportunity to observe Cotton's behaviour on AC-less day.

When we released Cotton from his playpen that night, he dashed to his favourite spot at our room - within our expectations. However, after a while, he went back to his playpen and so I had to "invite" and "escorted" him to our bedroom. I slept quite early that night at about 9pm or so while Uncle Hubby slept later at midnight and he told me in the following morning what he observed Cotton between 9pm and 12am.

Uncle Hubby said Cotton was initially lying on his favourite spot and after near an hour or less, Cotton became active and went to the other bedrooms. Then after a while, he came back to our room and wondered around before going to the other bedrooms again. He did this 'strange' behaviour for a while and before Uncle Hubby was turning in for the night and went to the kitchen for a sip of water, he saw Cotton in one of the other bedrooms sniffing stuffs around, seemingly searching for something.

At the middle of the night, Uncle Hubby was awoken by Cotton's activity who was in our bedroom. According to him, Cotton was digging around his favourite spot and at one point, hit/kick our bed devan quite hard. However, I was too deep asleep that I had no knowledge of the hitting bed devan incident. Uncle Hubby said I slept like a pig....hmph!

The next morning when I awoke, Cotton was at his playpen - quite unusual compared to his 1st - 4th night previously. He was at his playpen looking around behaviour before he hopped to his litter box for his breakfast and rested at his playpen.

On his 6th night, we turned on the AC for the night and Cotton did not enter immediately but continued resting at his playpen. This time, I did not personally invite him and waited instead. Indeed, after 5-10mins later, Cotton entered our bedroom and wondered around for a while before he rested at his favourite spot. That night, he roamed in-out of our bedroom quite often but we did not bother much and continue our sleeps. And in the next morning, guess where did I find Cotton? Yea, you got it - at his favourite spot in our bedroom. Haha

Cotton's first multiple binky action!

Cotton did his binky!!!! Woot!

And I am in luck that I was able to film his multiple binky action. When he found his latest resting area in my bedroom with AC, he been doing multiple binky non-stop. Uncle Hubby and I could not believe our own eyes. Was that binky he did, we been asking ourselves?

He did so many times that there was enough opportunities for me to film him doing so. I was so happy and elated he still binky and I thought he might never be binky again due to his sad past and paranoia to human but he has proven otherwise. There's hope in life!

I think he loves the AC a lot.

The first time he did his binky was when he was found digging at our TV console and Uncle Hubby shouted at him. Uncle Hubby saw his binky jump but that was a single jump. Uncle Hubby thought Cotton was sneering at him by twisting his butt at him for shouting at him but I told him, no no. When a rabbit does a binky, it means they are extremely happy. Why would Cotton be 'extremely happy' when being shouted at? It must be because he found a new hide-out.

This time round, the theory is proven - he found a new hide-out and condition is great (that's why he does multiple binky non-stop). I am happy too that Cotton is extremely happy. :)

Cotton's 1st night sleeping outside his playpen unsupervised!

Last night (06-Apr-2014) marked Cotton's first night to sleep outside of his playpen without any supervision. I am proud to say, Cotton did very well - no poo or pee was found at our room or anywhere in the house, other than his litter box on the next day.

The room was purposely ajar to facilitate him to go out to his playpen to get his food and drink. The room is kept constantly at 27 degC and I think he loves this temperature, given the recent haze and high temperature (about 30 degC at our living room).

Both Uncle Hubby and I did not have the heart to chase or carry him out of our room last night as he totally enjoyed resting at our room but we needed to light out for the day. So in the end, we agreed to let him have the free roam without supervision and if he failed our trust - such that he poo or especially pee, then no more such freedom for him again. I am so elated that Cotton did not fail us both :D

We are still debating if to continue to allow him such freedom without supervision at night. If this works, then we would consider freedom without supervision at both day and night. By then, his playpen will be folded to the storeroom.

Well-done, Cotton. Keep it up.
 

His latest favourite resting spot at our air-con room

Sleeping with Cotton on my bed

It always been my dream to sleep with Cotton on my bed and hug him like my small pillow....finally, my dream came true. I think turning on the air-conditioned helps...hahaha

I did this twice with Cotton and on his first time, quite expectedly, he felt nervous with heart beats fast. Then the 2nd time we did again (that's about after 1-2hours later), he was feeling much better. His heart beat no longer beating fast and in fact, he seems to enjoy the hug-sleep-in.

Currently, I need to held to him to get him lie down. We are still building our trust and relationship and I personally think it is a great progress, given that it is only 1.5 months of relationship together only.

I am confident that one day, he will naturally lie on his own will next to me on my bed and let me hug without a finch. I hope that day will come soon. :D