Mischievous Newt

Newt isn’t like normal pets . . . I mean, besides the pouch and tail, she is actually quite intelligent. Often, one of us boys goes out into the jungle to get Newt some types of leaves that she likes. Occasionally, when we come back, she won’t eat them; that is when we have to outsmart her. We put the plant up to our mouths and start to make a smacking noise. Newt is very jealous about food, and she will sit up and see what we are “eating.” She sniffs around it and tries to get it. We then reach down and give it to her. She will usually gobble it right up after that!

We also learned a trick to make her eat her oatmeal. Hudson usually makes her breakfast, and when he sets it down in front of her, she sniffs it, takes a few bites of the mash, and then looks up as if saying, “Do you really expect me to eat this?”

She then looks to see what we are having for breakfast. We usually eat oatmeal too, so we put a little bit of ours into her dish and then she eats the whole bowl.

After her oatmeal, she goes over and sees what Mom and Dad are up to. They always start the day with a cup of coffee, and Newt doesn’t like to miss out on the fun. She crawls up onto Dad’s lap and reaches out with her little hands hoping for a sip. Her big brown eyes look up pleadingly and it’s hard to resist.

Another mischievous characteristic of Newt is when she first wakes up in the morning. She is quite restless. We start school at eight, so there isn't much free time to obey her every whim. After we feed her, we get her all comfy on a bed and wrap her up in blankets. She seems very content and comfortable, and then right after we leave the room she squirms and gets all the covers off. The next thing we know, Newt is walking around in the kitchen, wanting some attention.

Although mischievous, these acts make our love for Newt grow. It wouldn’t be the same if she didn’t have these funny antics. Our Creator has made the cuscus an amazing and in its own way an intelligent animal.