After meeting Barnabus in Professor Williamson's pygmy puff lesson, I knew we shared a special bond. Barnabus, like me, is not a trouble maker. He behaved himself in class even though I knew he was itching to join the other pygmy puffs in their mating calls or uprising attempts, whichever it was. Barnabus also worked well with the other pygmy puffs in our bowling group, showing that he is a social being. He didn't even put up a fight when another puff in the group was appointed captain. Instead, he worked hard to knock down as many pins as he could. I was proud to have him as my temporary puff.

After class, I decided it would be nice to take Barnabus out for some fresh air. We headed down to the Courtyard to spend some time getting to know eachother. On the way there, I noticed that Barny likes it best when he's riding on my shoulder. He sits upon my shoulder like it is his throne, just watching the world go by. He never looks as happy when I'm holding him in my hands or putting him on my head, something I'm wary of now that I know some pygmy puffs pull hair. I wanted to note his preference for transporatation so I can make him feel more comfortable while he's staying with me.

When we got to the Courtyard, I decided to take out some chocolate and have myself a snack. This seemed to excite Barnabus and I was curious to see if he would like some too. When I placed the chocolate near him, his tongue immediately went for it! He really enjoyed it and I couldn't help but feel a kinship with him because I too have a sweet tooth. This experience taught me that Barny loves chocolate but I plan on keeping him healthy while I have him so this won't be an everyday treat.

Lastly, while we were sitting in the courtyard, I started to pet Barnabus on the top of his head, gently. While doing this, I heard a faint sound, kind of like purring. Then, Barny appeared to be getting sleepy and relaxed. His little eyes kept opening and closing, the way a human's would when they are ready to go to bed. It was adorable. I assume that this petting action was the cause of his sleepiness and will have to further investigate whether or not this is an appropriate way to get Barnabus to sleep. I will look into this more at a later date.

Getting to know eachother in the Courtyard

Barnabus and I have been getting along really well since the class where we met. He seems quite comfortable with me and has been my constant companion. I decided it would be wise to figure out some of the things that he likes to eat and went down to the kitchens to gather different types of food. I decided on a banana, a cookie, a piece of broccoli, a cookie, a pickle, and a piece of chicken. I thought this was a varied enough selection. Bringing the plate back to the Hufflepuff common room, I had Barnabus do a little taste test. I was eager to find out what his preferences were for food, not that I had high expectations, he does eat snott afterall.

When I set Barny down in front of the plate of food, he immediately went for the cookie. This was interesting to me because I already knew he liked chocolate and this further supports my idea that he has a sweet tooth. After the cookie, Barnabus was introduced to the banana. He seemed to question the fruit at first, eying it suspiciously. After a few minutes he did try it though, seeming to enjoy the taste. I was glad because a pygmy puff living on sweets alone cannot be healthy. After the banana, Barny tried both the chicken and the pickle. He enjoyed both without having much of a reaction to either. I guess these are foods that he tolerates but neither are his favorite. Lastly, I wanted Barnabus to try the broccoli. This is where we had a problem.

When I set Barnabus down in front of the broccoli, he was not at all happy. He rolled his little body into a bowl and took off, towards the other side of the room. I was startled by this and took off after him. I can't help but wonder if he only dislikes broccoli or has a general dislike of vegetables. I cannot say I really blame him on the broccoli issue though. It's not my favorite food either. I will have to investigate the vegetable issue further in the time we have left together. One thing is for sure, Barnabus can eat a lot.

Food Tasting in the Common Room

After all the food tasting I had done with Barnabus, I started to notice that he was smelling like pickle juice. I, enjoying pickles greatly, did not mind the smell at first but eventually I could no longer take it. I decided that it was time to give Barnabus a bath, unsure of how he would react to the experience. I used only water and a wash cloth for this, not wanting to hurt him by using soap or shampoo. I wasn't sure if his body would react well to either of those. It was clear right away that he was not a fan of the idea as he became very nervous, shaking and squeaking. I tried my best to sooth him but it didn't work.

After placing Barny into the water, I noticed that he continued to be upset. He didn't seem to like being in the water so I placed him on my hand and then into the liquid, trying to calm him. This didn't work so I did my best to move quickly, washing his body by scooping handfuls of water over his head. Once I removed him from the bath, I towel dried him and he did not seem pleased with me. I can't help but wonder how pygmy puffs get clean when they are on their own. Perhaps they use their tongues like cats and dogs do? I'll have to read up on that to find out. All I know is next time Barnabus needs a cleaning I'll need to find a different approach.

Bathtime in the Dormitory

Since the last time I made an entry, I felt it was important to let Barnabus do some socializing. He seemed kind of bored with just me for company and I thought since the barnyard was now open to students, I would bring him there and let him play with the puffskeins. I think he was excited about this because when I talked to him about it he kept making lots of squeaking noises. So much so that several times I had to tell him to quiet down, didn't want a detention after all.

When we got to the barnyard, Barny continued to squeak and it was becoming more frequent the closer we got to the puffskeins. I noted that this behavior was quite similar to the behavior of the pygmy puffs in class when they were around eachother. I took it to mean that Barnabus knew he was in the company of his own kind and he was happy about it. I didn't really know how the puffskeins would react to him but I knew they were in the same family of creatures and figured it would be good to see how they reacted to one another, that's when I placed Barnabus into the pen with them.

Immediately, Barnabus attracted the attention of the puffskeins. The larger puffs began to hum rather loudly and at first I was startled by this. I didn't understand their reaction and wondered if I had done something wrong by placing Barny in the pen with them. Barnabus seemed at ease though, humming along with the rest of them and even approaching the largest puffskein. I wonder if that one was a female, especially since pygmy puff females tend to be larger than the males. I had a mini heart attack when Barnabus seemed to disappear into the puffskein. I thought that maybe "she" had eaten them the way guniea pigs do to their young sometimes. Luckily, after a minor freak out, Barnabus appeared again. He was simply cuddling with the puffskein, perfectly content.

I think that this experience in the barn taught me a lot of things. First, I learned that Barnabus is quite brave. He approached the larger puffskeins with confidence and they seemed to accept him. I also learned that maybe pygmy puffs need to be socialized a lot because he seemed much happier among other creatures than he is with just me. Next, I learned that mating season is probably approaching because Barnabus seems quite smitten with the large puffskein in the Barnyard. I think I'll have to make it my mission to find him a pygmy puff he likes though. I don't want the puffskein to crush him or anything. Hopefully I can introduce Barnabus to more creatures with the little time we have left together.

Fun in the Barn

After seeing how social Barnabus was with the puffskeins, I decided it would be entertaining for him to meet another pygmy puff. I met up with Logan at the Topiary Gardens and his Puff, Cap, met Barny for the first time. The two seemed to like eachother as Barnabus squeaked wildly at Cap and Cap came over and snuggled up against Barny. It was like they had been friends for years. I think that Barnabus is a particularly friendly puff because he genuinely seems to get along with most creatures that he has encountered, even if they don't like him. That was the case with my owl Jasper who I really think wanted to eat Barnabus. Good thing I stepped in...

When I was letting Barny and Cap play, I was able to share some of my knowledge about pygmy puffs and how to tell their gender. I told Logan that he should look at the brightness of his puff, the fluffiness, the size of the puffs body, and even the length of its tongue. I also went as far as to mention that one could search for the parts of the puff but I don't really want to get into that. I can't imagine going on that kind of search. It would be incredibly uncomfortable for me and Barny. In any case, I was happy to share what I had learned with Logan so he can use the information if he wants.

I'm pretty sad that Barnabus and I will have to be saying our goodbyes soon. I feel like we've become really close in a short time, bonding over our mutual love of sweets and socializing. I also think that Barny was nice company because his disposition always seemed to be positive, even if mine was not. I do think that my relationship with him kind of changed along the way. At first I felt like he was a little buddy of mine, he was so cute and precious and I just wanted to cuddle him. As time went on, I felt myself acting more like a mother to him. I was more concerned with his behavior and wanted to keep him safe and healthy and clean. I guess my mom would be proud of how I've been acting but me, well I'm not ready to be a mom yet! It's hard work! I also can't seem to get past the fact that Barnabus enjoys eating the things that live inside my nose. I can't even explain how yucky it makes me feel and I swear I would die if I ever woke up to find him feasting on boogers! That is something we will continue to be at odds about. One thing is for sure, I'll miss the little guy! I hope I can continue to visit him and watch out for him. I did become quite fond of the little fella. I also would like to see if he pursues his love of the large puffskein that he met in the barn. I know he would like to see her again...Ultimately, I had a lot of fun doing this assignment and learning about pygmy puffs and how it is to take care of them!

Meeting Cap at the Topiary Garden