Out of the Flying Plane, into the PhD Program.

Hey ya'll

I guess I just came here to say that I am back, in my home sweet home in KL, and that things are starting to go back to normal again. There is always the sense of holiday withdrawal syndrome, but since Ray has been putting up in my room for the past few days, I say that it really could be worse. He really does give me strength, and I am very thankful for every moment we spend together. Meanwhile, I've really started to get hooked onto this "blogging with the phone" thing. Sure I can't adjust the position of my pictures... But everything else seems so easy somehow!

But going back to the point, not everything will be going back to the way it was following my return to KL as this return also signifies the commencement of my enrollment into the Monash University PhD program. That's right... I have finally heard from both the Australian campus (regarding my admission) and the Malaysian one (regarding my full scholarship and stipend).

To be honest I must say I am simply quite terrified of the prospect at the moment! Nothing like a bunch of people reminding you that your future (for the next three years at least) is set in stone huh? Good job guys! Keep up the pressure. Only... It isn't really set in stone is it? And I always face the pressure of potentially screwing this up... But worse, disappointing or failing the community I intend to research. Oh Goddess give me the strength and foresight to see this through, and to never lose track of my goals! I will begin in March.

In the meantime, I guess I can still take a moment or two to put everything in order, and to enjoy myself (while I can!), starting of course with my dearest animal friends, and my insect collection. Cookie, at least, seems genuinely happy about having me home though, I am not sure if be is just happy about the resume of the constant flow of treats, or if he truly enjoys my company.

Until I have more then,
Cheers.
Cyren.

A trip to Dr. Jenny's

Hey ya'll

so sorry for the lack of posting, but I came home to quite an emergency last night when I found Honey (our female glider) not in her usual sleeping spot next to Cookie (our male) in the pouch, but curled up on the floor. I dismissed this at first as I thought she had come down to eat but then I noticed a strange abrasion running down her back. I picked her up, to get a close look at the wound, when I noticed that something was not right at all! Her left leg, which was tucked under her body, seemed to be held at an awkward angle, and when not in use, dragged behind her as if it was broken! Naturally I was quite alarmed and started to panic! My baby... my poor baby! What do I do? Who do I call? Are there still any exotic vets in Kuala Lumpur? Thoughts flashed instantly to the sad fate of our two baby budgies, Cumulus and Nimbus who did not manage to receive treatment fast enough, which was when I resolved to do WHATEVER IT TOOK to get my Honey the necessary treatment she needed! Once again, I am indebted to the (sometimes) remarkable wisdom of the online community who directed me to Dr. Jenny of Hands "N" Paws that could treat serious condition in gliders! 

I emailed her first thing that night and was quite shocked to get a reply in less than half an hour later! Please note that this was already quite late into the night and I was only expecting a reply earliest by the following day! Without hesitation I told her, "I'll bring her tomorrow (meaning today, in present time!)" and an appointment was made to see Dr. Jenny the first thing she gets into clinic at 12.00pm.  

The trip to the vet was quite uneventful, save for the cries Honey made from time to time (no doubt due to the pain she must have been going through) which honestly tore into my heart each time it happened, but we finally made it and Honey got a chance to curl up and sleep a bit while I registered her and we waited for Dr. Jenny to arrive. As it turned out, we didn't have long to wait and, considering we were the first and only ones there, managed to see the doctor in under 20 minutes. 

Dr. Jenny performed a rather through inspection of Honey, and when she was done declared that we were really dealing with two separate but correlated problems here. 

1. First of which was her leg. It appears that, very likely due to some play time accident, that Honey's ankle had been completely dislocated with a possibility of a fracture. To treat this Dr. Jenny did some massaging of the afflicted limb to help move the bones back into their correct place but told me that Honey's housing arrangements had to be changed. A splint, she explained, was quite impossible for Honey because of her remarkably small size, so the best method of promoting a quick and proper recovery would be to house her in a climb-free environment such as a terrarium. Bedding such as pieces of towels and sleeping pouches were also discouraged as they may entangle the limb and cause further damage.
2. The second issue was regarding Honey's skin condition which had worsened dramatically in a relatively short span of time (several hours, by count of how long it takes that I'm out at work and then back home). As it turns out, the leg injury (which obviously put her in pain) caused her to lick the afflicted and surrounding area obsessively causing some sort of over abrasion of the dermis resulting in swelling and redness. This, we would treat with topical lotions and creams. Dr. Jenny has shaved her too (there was some struggle when this was done, and I had to steel myself to her cries) in the lower region and this is to prevent saliva buildup (from her licking) that may cause the skin to be further inflamed. 

In addition to that, Honey was discharged with a series of anti-inflammatory pills to be taken, as well as antibiotics. I never knew, before this, how challenging it could be to feed a small animal medicine (especially when it tastes foul!) but I will persevere! We've also gotten a tub of ensure (calcium rich food formula) to feed her as it will promote bone growth and recovery. The whole thing, all expenses included, only cost me RM43. Which is not just reasonable, but extremely cheap in my opinion and a LOT less than I was originally ready/willing to pay to get my baby back into tip top shape.

Honey in her make-shift sickbay. Rest is very important now I think. 

Cookie, was also brought to the vet, and I was told that he was a glowing example of good health save for a rather full anal gland (which is used to ward of predators and mark his territory) which I was told by Dr. Jenny is not really anything to worry about because he probably just had no reason to use it. He also got his annual deworming treatment and was very compliant about it. GOOD BOY COOKIE!!!! Anyway here's to a speedy recovery for Honey. Cookie misses her a lot, but I dare not let them play together for fear she gets over excited and injures herself. For now he is content with sitting next to her terrarium sick bay and watching over her as they eat their meals on separate sides of the "glass".

ps. Thanks for all of your wishes and prayers everyone. I (and I'm sure Honey) appreciate them all very very much. 

cheers,
Cyren

Love at First Sight

Hey ya'll 

we're celebrating a rather momentous occasion today as two of our most darling animal friends finally got acquainted and appear to be enjoying each other's company very much! I first got Honey as a companion for Cookie several months (almost three, I think) ago when I noticed him pining for attention and companionship! Of course as his "best friend" I was only more than happy to provide him with it and we used to enjoy hours of each other's company, him sitting on my shoulder and playing with whatever else I happened to have on my person while I go about my work. But after awhile I began to realize that my companionship can never be a full substitute to the sort of companionship a strapping young glider needs. And that's when Honey came into the picture. Of course I did not introduce them together right away (she was small and needed to adjust to her new home first) but I did make sure that their cages were placed side by side. Still, there never had been any interaction between the two. Until today that is, when I allowed them take their meals side by side. 

Dinner was quite uneventful with the two of them fastidiously keeping to their own feeding bowls, but once they had polished up all they could eat, curiosity got the better of them and it was straight off to the "getting to know yous".  Well I must say that they hit it right off from the start! It was like love, or at least friendship, at first sight, and Honey proved to be quite the forward little girl as she started rubbing her nose all over Cookie's chest the instant they met! Cookie himself was quite the gentleman and did not try "anything funny" if you know what I mean! Instead, he consented to allowing her to cling on his back while he made his way up my shoulder. 

When playtime was finally over, I was about to separate them for bed when Cookie went into his "room" and made a little noise that caused Honey to come in right after. I waited for them to settle down before I peered inside to make sure that everything was okay and true enough they were cuddled up and fast asleep, Honey clinging tightly to Cookie's back. The light from my nosiness disturbed them somewhat and Honey woke up and made a noise which prompted Cookie to crawl out of bed, give me what I imagine was an apologetic look, before he pulled the blankets (really an old handkerchief) from my hand to cover her with it.  I suppose its rather safe to say that this marks the beginning of a very beautiful relationship.

Cheers,
Cyren

What I look forward to Everynight

Hey ya'll 

things have been pretty much "steadying" itself in the natural world (from my perspective at least) and though it is National Moth Week in the states (oh how I long to participate) I have not seen a vary many variety of moths in our housing area, perhaps on account of the incessant rains and unpredictable haze. I have some butterflies on the spreading board that could perhaps be revealed soon but they are really nothing new and I'm in no rush to do so. What's good about this hiatus, however, is that it is finally given me the time to get back in touch with my performing side! I never truly realized how much I missed singing until a couple weeks back when I made my mind up to audition for the Broadway Academy's Splash Show Choir! The auditions went pretty well, I think, and I belted out my rendition of On My Own (from the musical Les Miserables) as well as the title song of Mamma Mia to fairly good effect although, I suppose I could have done MUCH better...( who are we kidding, eons better) for the dancing segment of my audition. All in all I have a pretty good feeling about it though, I suppose we can only wait for the announcement at this point. In the meantime, I'm so glad I have my "babies" to accompany me every night! Some people have dogs that greet them when they come home. some people have cats who will rub against them affectionately. Well I have both, though, instead of the cats (mom doesn't like cats even though I do) I have Cookie and Honey, and though they may be small in size, they sure make up for it in terms of attachment. 

Ps. I'm totally rocking this new look lately where I wear striking and (seemingly) mismatched colors! I kind of like it!!! Makes me feel like I jumped out of a retro gym-robics video. Or maybe that a lion ate a parrot and threw up all over me. Okay, I'll admit this post is pretty weak as it gets... but no worries, I will find something more substantial to write for my next update. I think it is high time I made another visit to the Ampang Forest anyways! There are some danaiid butterflies I can find there that my Spanish corespondent, Alejandro, would love I think. 

pps. Do you think Cookie looks overweight in that picture? I'm afraid he may be getting overweight.

Cheers,
Cyren

Honey, Honey~ Pet World Expo @ Mid Valley

Hey ya'll

School is finally out for the semester and that means that my time at work is also (about) finally over!!! Of course, I end the first semester of my stint as a sessional tutor at Monash University with a somewhat heavy heart (the students have certainly been an amazing bunch), but the other part of me just can't wait to enjoy my three weeks of rest and recuperation. Of course, part of that "resting period" will involve a lot of me getting back in touch with my delightful animal friends! And speaking of animal friends, the holidays could not have come at a more opportune time.  It all started today when I decided to bring Cookie along on an excursion to the 2012 Pet World exhibition at the Mid Valley Megamall convention hall. I had taken Cookie for a "ride" on my shoulder yesterday, and he behaved most admirably by not straying from my person at all times. As such, I felt reasonably confident about bringing him out today though (excusably), in the security of my waist pouch, and indeed he was so well-behaved it really exceeded my expectations. Not one moment of crabbing or a single "escape" attempt the entire outing!!! *ps. I think my gliders really do prefer to ride in waist pouches as opposed to the traditional bonding pouches when they get older. Something to do with more space to stretch out in, I suppose. Cookie has utterly rejected being placed into the bonding pouch. In fact, he objects to that particular arrangement with a passion!* 

Waking up for tea-time/treats

Somewhere in the middle of our little excursion, we also managed to procure a new addition to our little family. A beautiful baby female sugar glider that was going on offer for a price that could not be matched. That, and the fact that I have been contemplating getting Cookie a companion for some time now, eventually sold the idea to me and before I knew it, I was cradling my new darling Honey gently in my cupped palms. Cookie reacted to this arrangement most agreeably, which I take as a good sign but as a precaution I will not be introducing them until they are roughly the same size (so those of you who wish to request for babies... WAIT! I'm not running one of those deplorable suggie mills here...). Honey, unlike her namesake, has a pretty crabby disposition though and by that I don't simply mean that she can get crabby at times. Now, I've heard of moody gliders, but she is actually the first who pounces and takes little bite out off my hand (even when I'm feeding her in a seemingly calm fashion). Oh well, nothing that good old-fashioned love and patience can't overcome I'm sure!!! Oh, and I nearly forgot...

Honey! Named after my favorite organic sweet-treat!

Cheers,
Cyren.

Jungle Gym

Hey ya'll 

Those of you who know me, or who have been following this blog for some time now, will probably also know that when it comes to my animals, nothing can be too much!!! I absolutely love spending time (and sometimes money >.< ) on then, lavishing them with nothing but the most balanced of diets and the best habitats I can possibly set up for you see, while I firmly do believe that animals can make wonderful companions for human beings, I also stay true to my principals that animals ARE unique from human beings and therefore have very different wants and needs. These wants and needs should then be acknowledged, and fulfilled by their human companions wherever possible. For the last few months that Cookie has been with me, he lived in a fairly large cage that I used to house my birds in, but as he began to settle down and fall back into his natural exploring instincts, I could tell that the cage (though large enough to house a pair of small parakeets) was not adequate for my dear Cookie. It just did not have enough space and angles for me to hang the hammocks and swings and artificial foliage upon which Cookie can jump and climb. No, a new habitat was needed and I knew just the place to find one. One week of research (I thought of making one on my own) later, and several trips to sugar glider and exotic animals forums, I eventually found someone who was willing to part with a flexarium for a fairly reasonable price!!! Unhesitatingly, I agreed! A flexarium would be exactly what I needed to construct an adequate habitat for Cookie and that is precisely what I spent my entire day on.

The "flexarium" which is really just some really strong nylon netting pulled across a PVC frame was surprisingly light for its size and equally easy to set up. I could see, despite it being a pre-loved object, that it was in a very good condition with no tears or runs in the netting at all (I was afraid that I might have had to replace this!). Decorating was a bit of a challenge because unlike a conventional cage, a flexarium does not have bars upon which I can hang stuff and one needs to be careful with clips in case they leave runs/tears in the fabric. I finally managed this by using fine safety pins (on the outside of the cage so that Cookie doesn't accidentally hurt himself on one!) and hung all manner of things in such a way that gave him both the freedom and space to jump and climb to his heart's content.

Cookie just woke up, and is exploring the cage! I tried taking him out but he seems quite eager to get back in and just climb every inch of it!!! I think he loves this new environment a lot better!!! 

Cheers,
Cyren

Greetings from Cookie and Me

Hey ya'll!!!

Sorry for the lack of posts and/or updates recently but I've just been so caught up with work!!! Final assignments are due soon, and so are the class tests/exam period so you can just imagine how hectic things are right now! Indeed, I seem to have come upon the misfortune of falling sick!!! And right at the start of the weekend too!!! How bleak is that! I even had to cancel my forest hiking trip with Joanne (you remember her, from the Light Trapping experiment?) on account of this recurrent fever that just won't seem to leave me be! Go away virus!!! You're so not wanted!!! In the meantime I've had to minimize my contact with Cookie significantly (I don't want to risk sneezing on him or accidentally "transferring" something to him and my poor boy has been pining for his daddy. He will constantly come up to the bars of his cage and call for me when I come home only to be told in as soothing a voice I can muster with half a blocked nose "no baby~ maybe next week, when daddy's better." I think in some small way he knows that I'm not feeling well because he does try so hard to not be in my way. Speaking of which, we have been getting along really well these past few weeks and I think he's beginning to adapt to the idea that I'd be in work most of the day (so he now spends it sleeping) and only back to play after it gets dark. He's gotten so cooperative that I no longer get crabbed at (even when I scoop him out of his bedroom when he's half asleep) nor bitten at all. In fact, we just had our first nail trimming session earlier this week with not so much as a squabble or a peep from him. 

Anyway aside from that things are going pretty well. Cookie is pretty happy, because his nails no longer snag on my clothes when he wants to watch the world from one of my shoulders and so am I because now he won't tear runs in my shirts (AND SKIN!!!!) when he does so. Also, one of the spiders molted recently (I won't say which just yet so that I can blog about them all in one post) and so did Archimedes, our resident mystery (leopard) gecko! He's grown quite significantly in terms of size since them and I think is starting to show some of the beautiful markings he will no doubt possess when he matures to full size. It is on that note that I shall leave you to convalesce. 

Cheers
Cyren

Cookie Monster

Hey ya'll!!! 

I would like to introduce you to my little bundle of joy!!! I know it is not uncommon these days, for people to speak of their companion animals as if they were their children, but Cookie really has become something like a son to me... if only because of his dependency and attachment to me as his primary caregiver!!! But let's not allow me to get ahead of myself and let me begin first by introducing the latest addition to our growing family (and this one actually feels and behaves like a family member, opposed to the Tarantulas which kind of just sit there looking beautiful)... Cookie!!! 

Cookie in his pouchey! 

Now, I'm sure many of you do not need an introduction to what sort of animal Cookie is (they are becoming ever so popular in the exotic pet trade) but for the benefit of those of you that don't, he is a sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps).

Though small and rodent-like in appearance, sugar gliders (or Suggies, as they are colloquially called) are really marsupials which means that they are closer related to possums, and even kangarros, than squirrels and/or rats and can thus be distinguished from the latter by the possession of a marsupium (or pouch) in female members of the species!!! Furthermore, unlike placental mammals (a majority of mammals fall into this category) which incubate their developing young within an internal womb until they are fully developed and ready for birth, Sugar gliders and their marsupial relatives give birth to under-developed fetuses that develop externally, which is to say within its mother's pouch.

As their common name suggests, sugar gliders have a natural disposition towards sweet food stuffs (they feed on a variety of fruits, nectar, tree sap and insects in the Australian wild) and are able to glide through the air for quite an impressive amount of distance for such a small animal using a pair of patagium (the extra folds of skin that is stretched between the animal's wrists and hind legs on either side). Though similar in terms of locomotion to flying squirrels, the two animals are in fact non-related and only came to be so through a process known as convergent evolution (where two distinct and unrelated species, evolve similar traits). But enough with the animal trivia lesson!!! 

Cookie's stay-at-home living arrangements. Note: an exercise wheel and a soft-toy have been recently added.

I got Cookie through chance, more than anything, and the short version of it is basically that he was rejected from his previous family for his unpredictable, and sometimes violent mood swings. This I knew, through instinct more than anything else, was possibly nothing more than a cry for a little bit of love and attention. True enough, after suffering from several bites during the initial stage, I can safely say that I have bonded quite well with Cookie and have not been bitten since though... I do get crabbed at sometimes when he is feeling cranky, particularly when he is woken up accidentally from his slumber. But what can I say eh? Boy's will be boys...  Speaking of which... he is also surprisingly intelligent and was able to learn to operate the mechanism of the zipper, his cage lock, and the lock on all my other invertebrate cages within a week of his living with me!!! I've had to be extra secure lately just in case Cookie decides one day to make a meal out of my mantids or spiderlings!!!

In all seriousness though, sugar gliders (as rewarding and amazing as they may be) are not a "for everyone's" pet. They are not like hamsters or guinea pigs that may be bought and left in a cage at home for lengthy periods of time while its owner is busy. Incidentally I would much rather recommend that someone get a tarantula or a leopard gecko (they seem MUCH MORE EASIER TO CARE FOR). Being highly social animals, they constantly crave attention and will enjoy spending lengthy periods of time with their owners, even if it is only to ride around their owner's neck while they sleep in one of those bonding pouches. Cookie, for instance, follows me around almost everywhere. I take him with me when I know I am not going to have too strenuous a day and will pack lunch for him (several pellets and a slice of apple) and sometimes some treats (various other fruits and vegetables and fruit flavored yogurt drops). Cookie's breakfast and dinner consists of a mix of dried pellet food and live insects (gut loaded meal worms) which are essential to keep him on a diet as close to his natural one as possible (many glider owners make the mistake of feeding them nothing but fruits and the dried stuff... which can be quite detrimental to their health). 

As you can perhaps tell, I have grown attached to the little biter as much as he has grown attached to me, and though he does not always get along well with other animals... and humans (Ray included, for now), I still love him to bits!!!

When we go out together, with you in my pouch... I feel like a Papa Seahorse, or a Mama Kangaroo!!!

Cheers,
Cyren.