Crappy Day

I've had another exhausting day. In fact, scrub that. I've had an exhausting few weeks. These kittens are, I suspect, just as draining as human babies. I'm just as tired as many mums say they are. No sleep through the night, feeds every few hours, bum cleaning... Oh yes, today's been the day of bum cleaning. Oh, and poo mopping. And even bathing!






Now, for those of you who are desperate to have a litter of kittens just for the "Oh, but they're so cute!" factor, please read on. For those of you who have already gone through this, yes, today's the day where I need the "there there, you'll be all right" kind of sympathy!





Someone's not using the litter tray, and that someone has a beautifully runny bum. That someone usually leaves their poo just outside the litter tray in a corner, which means that when the others come out from doing their business, what do they stand in? Well, poo is slippy, so naturally, they fall over, having not expected to have their feet go out from under them.





If any of you have seen a very young kitten get up, you'll know that, even if they fall onto their chests, they will never push straight up onto their feet. They have to roll around first. So, we have three long-haired kittens, one pile of runny poo in a high traffic location, and unsteady paws. Need I say more?





The Baby and Porker got so bad that I actually had to bath them, and neither were very pleased. The Baby was petrified of the hair drier too, but Porker, after his initial fright, was more confused, then annoyed about the big noisy thing we were using on him. He didn't rate the air being blown at him too highly either.





So, numerous baby wipe baths, then a real one, a pen clean and disinfect later, I thought I'd lie back for just a minute and rest. 20 minutes later, I smelled the distinctive, what can only be described as farmyard, odour and thought, "Oh great". By the time I'd managed to get to the pen, Porker had rolled, hamster had trodden in it and walked all over the pen, and the Baby, whose back end was sodden right down to her feet, had curled up in the freshly washed bedding for a little snooze.





out came the carrier and out came the kittens. In they went into the carrier, and I got to listen to their protests while I went into the pen. I didn't spot that those poo laiden paws had made it a little closer to the front than I thought, so when I knelt down in my nice clean jeans, the knees of them got unclean in a hurry.





So, numerous baby wipe baths, a pen clean and disinfect, old bedding wash and new inserted, a shower and a new pair of jeans later, in went the kittens, and out went the last of my energy. I'm drained, absolutely and totally. They're mostly clean now (I couldn't face another actual bath), but for how long? I've put an incontinence pad down over the poo spot in the big pen, and, after I cleaned and disinfected the bedroom one as well, I did the same there. hopefully that'll stop them from using the floor as a toilet, and if it doesn't, then I pray that the inco pad soaks up the worst of it before someone comes and takes a poo bath.





In brighter news though, hamster gained a whopping 33 grams between yesterday morning and evening. I thought my scales were wrong, but they weren't. This morning, he'd gained another 3! Weight gains have been less today, and Porker actually lost, but I'm not worrying. It's important that they get a little hungry when they start solids, because it encourages them to search for food. I did tell you I was starting them, didn't I? I remember mentioning that Tia's milk was drying up, and I suspect it's done so more now, because only Porker is showing any real interest in feeding from her, and he's an opportunist so it's hardly surprising. he loses interest very quickly though. Every single one of them will not eat from a dish if you put them down in front of it. It's almost like they're afraid of it, as they'll wriggle and run backwards away from it. To get them to eat, you have to hold them still, open their mouths, drop a bit of food in, and then wait for the thick Persian brain to kick in (it usually takes two or three tries and about five seconds of licking, chewing and thinking) and say "Hey, what you've got in your mouth really tastes nice. And you're hungry. Hmmm, why not have some more of that?" If you're Porker or the Baby, you'll allow your head to be guided to the dish as I lower my food laiden fingers down. Then I can slip away and leave you to eat your fill. However, if you're Hamster, you point blank refuse to eat unless it's on my fingers. It takes me about five minutes to get him to eat from the dish, and he'll only do so if I bury my fingers in the food and he can eat near them. He's such a silly clutz, that boy, but terribly sweet. He's the quiet trouble maker. If I'm helping one of the others eat, he's usually the one attacking the back of my arm, and as soon as you turn your attention to him, he lies perfectly still as though he were asleep!





To finish off today, the first kitten has been booked. I find this good news and bad all at the same time; good because I know the man he's going to live with, and I also know he'll be spoiled rotten and loved to within an inch of his life. Bad because it's really brought home to me that in seven weeks, these babies won't be mine any more and I'll have to give them up. I suspect I'll end up blubbing before the new owners have even gotten them out the door! Porker's owner (he'll remain nameless until he chooses to reveal himself), you have been warned! I am a total wet rag and I admit it. It does take a weight off my mind though. I'd be happy with this first litter going to live with people I know. I know all my kittens will be precious to me, but I think these guys will always hold a special place with me. They were my first, after all.





So, that's it. If anybody lives close-by and feels like cleaning mucky bums and scrubbing pens, I'd love you forever! The "oh, but they're so cute!" factor is sadly absent today, even though they are! Even covered in poo and spreading it all over the place, I still love 'em. Little monsters!

Day 31: Lots of Firsts!

Well, over the last few days, there have been lots of firsts! I can't remember exactly how many days ago it was when I last updated and I'm too tired to go back and read, so sorry if I tell you something more than once!






As you know, Hamster was the first to poo, but when I checked the bedding last night, I found the first real, solid poo. Who did it I don't know, but whoever did produced a lot for such a wee kitten! They've all been going in the tray to do wees though. It's sweet in a weird sort of way when you see the size of their teeny tiny clumps compared to Tia's massive ones. They haven't mastered pooping in there yet, or if they have, I haven't found it. But the litter tray has become a fun place to play and romp and beat each other up!





Today there were quite a few new things. It started this morning with the Baby. I've taken the bedding out of the day pen and just left a bedded bit at the front for them to snuggle up in. This was because when they were fighting, they were throwing the bedding around the place, knocking it into the water bowl, burying the food dish, getting stuck underneath it. They also couldn't manage to play with the ping pong balls I put in there for them because they wouldn't roll on the bedding. They're much steadier on their feet on the solid floor, and the ball rolls better. When I put them all in there this morning, the Baby ran around like a mad thing. She dived into the litter tray, then threw herself out of it again... Right on top of the ball! What a shock she got when it rolled away and dumped her onto her little fat belly on the floor. This simply wasn't on, so she chased it, then beat it into submission with a paw. Except that it didn't submit. it moved again, so she had to run after it and whap it a second time. This is the first time I've witnessed toy play with this litter.





Once this was done, I was interesting again, and she came running to the front and squeaking. When she climbed the bars and screamed at me, I knew she wanted a cuddle. But as I picked her up, she purred a little! Again, it didn't last long, but this is the first time any of them have purred when anywhere but their safe, cosy bed. She kept it up for a good few seconds too, and groomed me like mad when she was done. She's also pretty much stopped biting when she's playing with me now. She'll bat my finger with her paws, but when she grabs hold with both and drags it in towards her belly, it's almost like she checks herself before biting, then just licks instead.





They're all learning to put up with kisses. The boys fight it. Well, they're boys, so that's understandable, right? the Baby just puts her face up, then snuggles it against mine for a second. Don't worry. I don't kiss my cats on the lips! Too grosse, even for me! But when that little face lifts, it's awfully cute. I'm so glad that I know she's staying, because I think it would be very hard to let go of this one if she wasn't.





Their weights have been all over the place recently. I know it's time that they should begin to wean, but they just aren't interested in food since Porker's choking episode. Today though, myself and JP, a friend of mine, took them out of the pen one by one so that they wouldn't have the distraction of others to contend with. Surprisingly, the Baby wasn't the one with the first in this department. Porker was the quickest to catch on when I put a saucer of fresh, stinky food in front of him. After about five minutes of coaxing, his face was in the dish and he was sucking up that food like a little piggy! Only problem is that he almost needs to be held down when at the dish. He still thinks he's suckling, and for him, he's used to fighting others off. his strength was in pushing up tall so that the others couldn't climb on top of him, but when he does this at the dish, he loses where his food is and has to be guided back. Once he got started though, he seemed to love it! He hasn't been back to the dish on his own though.





Hamster was the next quickest. JP started him off, and he did have a small go at the dish, but he preferred just to eat straight from his fingers. The Baby was the hardest. She point blank refused anything, even a lick of food. In fact, she ran away from it like it was something horrible! She's the one I'm most worried about, as her weight is all over the place, so I opened her mouth against her will, and slipped my finger in at the side where, even to push it out, she had to lick it. I knew that that first lick was all it would take, and I was right. As soon as she got a taste, she was off, but she too wouldn't eat from the dish. She wanted nothing to do with it, and in fact, it seemed to scare her. Whenever I sneaked her closer to it while she was licking and wouldn't noticed, she'd lift her head, look down, then scuttled backwards as though it was chasing her. She was only happy when her back was pressed up against my leg.





It's important that they wean soon for their own health. Tia just doesn't have the milk supply any more, and even with a dose of urtica last night, it hasn't stayed flowing. She fed them last night, but today they're back to how they were before; feeding for only short periods, disinterested even when she's in there with them. I'm going to give it another day or two, and then I'll separate Tia from them for a good few hours and feed them the food. This speeds weaning considerably, and provided the separation is only short-term, will not cause any lasting damage. If they were still gaining weight then I'd not worry, but as they aren't, they need to move onto solids whether they want to or not!





So as you can see, day 31 has been quite an eventful one! I wonder what's around the corner for tomorrow?





In closing, I'd like to answer questions left on a comment. Kittens will poo from the moment they're born, but they will only do this when mum stimulates them by licking the lower belly and bum areas. By about four weeks, they've developed the muscle control to do this on their own. This is the time that breeders will normally notice their first poo piles in the bedding, and it's then when the fun of litter training starts. Thankfully, mine have been very easy so far!





They're confined to the pen until they are totally continent in the tray, and steady on their feet. The pen provides a safe area for them to romp, play and learn about staying on all four feet, and it also provides a small, contained place so that they can learn to remember where the tray is, and use it! Cats are clean animals, so do not like to poo in the bedding. Kittens, even when they do it in the bedding, will do it at the edges of the cage and try and hide it. They will eventually learn that the tray is the correct place though. Cats originally came from thedessert, so when they find a place where they can dig, instinct takes over and says, "Hey, this is sort of like sand, and you can bury poo in sand". They will come out of the pen only when they are all the way convinced that it's a good idea to pee and poo in the tray.





I'm not going to keep all of the kittens, no. The little girl is definitely staying, and if one of the boys turns out to be an extreme cuddler, then he'll probably stay too, but otherwise, the two boys will be sold. here, it's a given that the kits will be registered before sale. Paperwork is held back until proof of neutering is sent to the breeder, but under the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy rules, cats need to be declared or registered before selling. If a cat isn't registered, then the new owner can put them on the register themselves, and could place them on the active, which means they could be used for breeding. That's something I don't want to happen without my knowledge, as breeding cats need to be of outstanding quality to be considered for this.

4 weeks old!

Well, they're four weeks old today, and what a whirlwind month it's been! From tiny, helpless babies who did nothing but sleep and suck, or in Hamster's case, just sleep, to fighting, running, exploring little hooligans. The transformation has been quite amazing to watch!


I told you that they learned to bite almost overnight. They seemed to have done the same when it comes to moving fast, and escaping! As soon as I take the front off that pen, the kits are clambering over the front. The Baby now throws herself over, whereas Porker sort of flops. He'll climb up the side where the bedding reaches higher, then move to the front and get his front paws and head over the lip. There then follows a period of him being a seasaw with his tummy as the fulcrum point. He pushes with his back feet, then goes head down, then thinks twice about it and pushes with his front feet to get back into the box. Eventually he gets brave and flops out usually onto his head. Again, I'm thankful for thick carpets! The kits have only been allowed out under close supervision and for short periods, but they love it! Hamster enjoys being out, but he's not brave enough to do it himself yet. He'd rather climb the mesh when it's on the pen and scream at me to pick him up. The Baby does this regularly, and Porker will occasionally. It's very sweet, as they quiet immediately if I take them out for a cuddle.

Baby

Porker gained weight thankfully, and although his meow is still bubbly, he's running around like there's nothing wrong with him at all. Hamster lost so much weight that he put himself back to where he was yesterday. He broke 400 this morning, but is right back down to 395 again. however, it's meant his sister could catch him up, and I think this is important, as it'll stop her being pushed out as much when it comes to feeding.

Porker

Hamster also did something else this morning. I woke up to find a kitten with a very mucky, smelly back end, and a nice little present for me on the bedding. Hamster had done his very first poo! We breeders are obsessed with cat poo. Ok, perhaps that's a little too strong, but when a cat is ill, some of the biggest tell-tales are found in the litter tray. So I got very excited when I saw this. He actually passed some solids! So the kitten litter tray went in the pen today, and JP, a friend of mine, even made a little ramp for them to get in and out nice and easily. They've all been in there for an explore, and when I did their bums tonight, I put them in the tray to do it, then buried the pee-soaked wipes in the litter to give them the smell. I plonked all three in there before leaving the bedroom, and they had a whale of a time romping around! I've seen them all climb in and out now, so I know they can do it.

Hamster

There will be photos today, and perhaps even video, but a friend of mine will need to post those, so you'll just have to wait a little longer! However, as usual, I'll give you their weights so that you can see how much they've grown.





The Baby: 392 grams.
Hamster: 395 grams.
Porker, 481 grams.
That big fatty will be breaking half a kg before the other two have really got their teeth into the 400s!

If the video won't load, view it HERE

Day 27, Less Than Happy

Even if I'd had the time yesterday, which I really didn't, I don't think I could have brought myself to write anything. I was too wrung out, too upset, feeling too guilty and exhausted and not up to the task any more that it wouldn't have been a good post.






I've learned a few hard lessons over the last few days which I'm going to share with you. Warning, this post is not a happy one, but it does have a semi happy ending, so do bear with me!





It started on Friday when my mum and the family friend, hereafter called FF, came to see the kittens and stay overnight. During this period of their lives, it is important that kits are socialised extensively with humans to ensure that they are comfortable and unafraid when around them. As long as people take propper precautions, i.e, hand washing, and arriving in clothes which haven't been exposed to any other animals, then I'm fine with them being handled. When my mum and FF arrived, I instructed them on the safe way to hold kittens, then passed them each a very sleepy, placid baby. My mum did fine with Porker until he started to wriggle, but she told me as soon as she didn't feel confident any more and I was able to take him back. However, FF wasn't so good. Hamster wriggled out of his hands and fell from his chest to the sofa. As if that wasn't bad enough, and really, it wasn't as the sofa's soft, he slipped off the edge of that and fell to the floor. I thank god that I have very thick carpets all through this house. He had a soft landing, and didn't even squeak when he did land. Of course, I checked him over straight away. He was just fine. Moving around, licking my finger, cuddling up to my hand. I was livig though. It's not hard to hold a kitten. You just keep them in your hands all the time and you can't drop them. I carry all three at once when I move them from bedroom to living room and back, and never have I dropped one. I didn't say much. The poor guy was so shocked himself that he was speechless, but I didn't offer him another chance to hold a kitten. So, the first lesson I've learned is that people will sit on the floor when handling kittens at this age. They will also hold them intheir hands and not do things like put them against their chests.





The next day I was pretty tired. As usual, the cats had got me up quite a few times throughout the night, so sleep is still a luxury that I don't have much of. I was leaving for town with my mum and FF, but thought I'd feed Tia first. While waiting for the other two to be ready to go, I noticed that Porker was very interested in Tia's food. I'd been told by another breeder that kittens should be Ok with soft, small chunks of meat, as even at this age, they have teeth, so when he went to Tia's chunk bowl, I wasn't too worried. I watched as he ate a chunk, feeling proud that he had managed it when the others only wanted patae, then I did an awful lot more than watch as he began to choke and gag, and finally stopped breathing.





I can honestly say that I've treated human patients in cardiac arrest with less panic than I felt. I've resussed more calmly, but as I snatched up that little body, my brain just started screaming! I think I yelled at my mum and FF to phone the vet, but I really can't remember. I held Porker upside down and tapped him until, thank goodness, the food came back out. But now there was a new worry. What if he'd aspirated some of it and it was still in his lungs?





Immediately, I dosed him with glucose to stop him going into shock, then rang the vet in a right old panic. She commended me for what I'd done. I'd even listened to his chest and was able to tell her that breathing sounds were increased. She said I could bring him if I liked, but that she'd be able to do no more for him than I already had. I was to watch him until Monday, and if he went downhill, I was to get him in straight away.





For the rest of yesterday and all last night, I watched. His meow sounded wrong, bubbly almost. His chest sounded louder than it should have done. But he wasn't lethargic, and he certainly wasn't going without food. As usual, he was the most greedy at the milk bar.





This morning, his meow still sounded almost as though he had a sore throat, but this evening, he beat up his sister so thoroughly that she had to actually be rescued, so he can't be feeling that bad. His weight gain is still super too. So, second lesson: No matter what others say, always go with your gut instinct. Kittens should never be given chunks until they are much older and know how to chew.





Speaking of fighting, it's like they've all learned to do this overnight. When I put them to bed on Friday, they were sweet, gentle little things, but when they woke up yesterday, they seemed to have learned in a few short hours how to bite, and how to do it good. Yesterday evening they discovered how fun it was to bite and wrestle with each other, and from then on, it was carnage. I've taken the bed area out of the pens today too, because they've also learned to explore, well, the Baby and Porker have. I came back today to find Hamster on his own in the bed, crying and crying for mum who was happily lying in the back of the pen feeding the other two. To level the playing field a bit, I took the pen out, and they now happily follow each other around. They've started climbing the mesh at the front of the cage now, and whenever I go over, one or more can be found with front paws on the bars, mouths open as they scream for me to pick them up. The Baby even purred today when I was stroking her, and she knew it was me too, because she looked! The purring lasted only for about half a minute, and it was broken in between, but this is major progress.





Such a lot has happened in this last weekend, and tomorrow, they reach another milestone. They'll be four weeks old. I didn't think all three would make it to that point. After yesterday, I thought it again, so it'll be quite the little celebration tomorrow! I'll have pictures for you. I may even have video!

Day 25... I Think

Well, today the kittens were kept very busy with their first long stay visitor. They've been handled by people for brief periods, but I had a friend over today who spent a whole afternoon adoring them, and what little flirts they were! Porker climbed out of the box at one point. Ok, he needed a little help and a boost, but that's what happens when you try and grip with your back feet and they slide out from under you because you just happen to be standing in the cat food bowl. Poor little boy didn't know what to do when he managed to get up and over. He hung over the side for a moment, claws scrabbling wildly until I came to his rescue and helped tip him out. But then there was this great expanse of carpet to contend with. He took one look, plopped himself down, and didn't move. We sat on the floor with him and arranged our legs so that he had a boundary to work with. Once we'd done this, he was off, but it was me he was interested in. He came right up and nuzzled in against my leg. i tell you what, if I didn't already love them with all of my heart, it would have totally been theirs at that point. To have him come to me when there were so many new and interesting things to do, well, it just blew me away.






When it was the Baby's turn, she came right out and had a sit on my knee for about five minutes. This is the longest she's ever stayed with me without crying, and as you can see by the photos, she was enjoying herself! Hamster had a snuggle too, and seemed very keen to look all around him, but less keen to explore on his own just yet.





When my friend left, it was time for me to be the big, mean scary person again, because it was claw clipping time. I've been putting it off for ages because the idea of clipping claws that tiny terrifies me, but it really needed done. So, one by one, I subjected them to the torture of being held still and cooed to while tips were snipped painlessly away. Well, by their screams of protest you'd have sworn it was torture anyway! Porker did twitch at one point and I took a claw off rather short. it bled a little, but I stopped it quickly enough. I felt guilty as anything though, but it didn't seem to bother him. I hope those claws grow slowly, because I don't want to do them again until they're much bigger! By the time I was finished, I'd broken out in a cold sweat and everything!





The Baby wasn't so interested in solid food this morning, but Hamster ate a load of it! I'm wondering if I got the pair of them mixed up yesterday. It's easy to do because they're so similar in size and shape. you know, it wouldn't surprise me to find that Hamster is also a girl when they go for their check up at nine weeks old. He's more similar to the Baby than to Porker. What do you think from the photos? They were taken today when my friend was over. I think you can see that their points are starting to come in nicely now, but I'm still not sure what colours I've got. I wish they'd hurry up, because I need to register them soon!





Ok, so picture order is Porker, then Porker with mum, Hamster and lastly, the Baby. I'm thinking about a propper name for her, and I don't know why, but I've settled on Dora. It wasn't what I'd planned. I had a list of beautiful pedigree names all picked out, but Dora just feels so right for her. We have a programme for kids called Dora the Explorer, and it fits this little girl so well. She's been the first to do everything! Also, if we're getting sentimental about it, Dora is contained in adorable, and she definitely is that! Opinions?





They all put on a fair bit of weight again last night. Those nutri-drops are a godsend!





My mum and a family friend are coming down this evening, so kittens will be subject to more cuddling and adoration. Somehow I don't think they'll mind one little bit! I'll write tomorrow to tell you all how it went. Right now, I could do with some sleep. Tia had me up every hour like clockwork from 3:30 this morning, and I'm really feeling it! These cats are more work than human babies!

Day 24

Looks like my promise to update every day has been broken. It's hard to find the time sometimes though, what with kitten caring night and day, keeping mum happy, cleaning trays, feeding a ridiculous amount of food at all hours, and keeping up with my own life on top of it. I will still try to update every day, but sorry now if I don't manage it always in the future.






Well, today we've had huge steps forward! As usual, it's my little girl that's made them.





Lately, the weight gains have yo-yoed a little bit, so although it's early,, I thought it about time they started solids. They're so big, or at least, the boy is, that I'm sure they're about ready for them, and their teeth have come in already, or Porker and the Baby's have, so they're able to handle the food. Up until now though, nobody was interested. Porker would lick my finger if I got some gravy on it, and he had a wail of a time yesterday when I put a bowl of blended food down and he went paddling, but he didn't appreciate it as food, and mum didn't thank me for the cleaning job he needed once he was done playing!





I got a new brand today, Nature's Menu, just to try and see if fussy pants Tia would consider eating it. Well, as soon as I put it down, she was straight in there! I've never seen food disappear so quickly! It is a patae consistency, perfect for little mouths, so I thought I'd try some with the kittens. Hamster wasn't interested at all, and just cried when I smeared some on his mouth for him to taste. Porker was more interested and had a good lick of the mush on my finger, but whenever he got anything more than juice, he pushed it out of his mouth and had to be coaxed to lick a little more. But the Baby, well, she loved it! She doesn't know how to chew, but boy does she know how to lick, and as soon as she got a taste of that food, she started to suck for all she was worth. I kept giving her gobs of the stuff, and she ate about a teaspoon full. She got more on her than in her, bless her, but it wasn't for the lack of trying! However, she wouldn't eat from the bowl at all. She backed away as though she was scared of it, but let's hope the smell draws her back.





They've all lost weight today, all except Porker, and he's only gained 3 grams. The two smaller ones got dosed with nutri-drops which usually makes them ravenous, so let's hope they gain a lot during the night. I'm glad that when they do gain, they put it on massively, as it means they can lose a bit without it becoming dangerous. Still though, it concerns me until I see that they've gained again.





So, it looks as though I'm going to have to start litter training soon. Oh joy! Only problem is that Tia won't let the kits out of the bed yet. Whenever they head off for an explore, she drags them back, plops them down and washes them until they give up trying to escape. I can't put a litter tray in the bed, so I forsee problems just round the corner!





Pictures are likely to be another few days in coming, I'm afraid. The ones that were taken on week three still haven't been sent to me, and the next time I have anyone up to see me, it'll be Saturday, so probably Sunday by the time I get someone to put them on the blog for me. It really frustrates me that I can't get the pictures when I want them!

Three Weeks Old

Yet again, I've failed to update when I really should have. This time really wasn't my fault though. I had a post all written, and just as I was about to hit publish, the computer crashed and deleted the whole thing. To say I was fuming would be a drastic understatement, as I stayed up till well past 11 last night writing it up so that you wouldn't miss another day.






The kittens turned three weeks old yesterday. Well, in all honesty, they officially reached 3 weeks old at 10 this morning, as that's when their 21st day had been totally completed. They're walking much better now, and Porker is even happy to be picked up. To say he enjoys it is probably pushing the boat out too far, but he's very sweet. He will cry and cry until I snuggle him in against my neck. Then he's happy to sit still or just crawl around. As long as he has his face against my skin, he's a contented little lad. I used to snuggle him like this when he was a really tiny baby so that he'd have my smell before his eyes opened and I turned into a giant scary monster, and I guess he remembers.





Hamster is so used to being handled that he rarely complains, unless I'm helping Tia out by doing their bums. He'll scream then, but he sounds more indignant than really upset, and miss Tia rarely complains as she knows I'm taking away one of the most unpleasant tasks of being a cat mum. Yesterday, Hamster peed so much that I thought he was going to flood the baby wipe! And poor Tia would have had to clean all that! No wonder she isn't drinking a lot!





The Baby still screams every time I pick her up, no matter what I do with her, but then, she's had the least handling of them all as she's been very self sufficient. It's something I'm going to have to change though, but it's hard, as when she cries, mum comes running and generally gets in the way. Whenever the kittens interact with me now, Tia will come and lie full on that particular kitten, or plop her head on it until it gives up. I suspect she's jealous though. She's purring the whole time, and obviously wants cuddles from me, as if I'm stroking her with one hand and tickling a baby with the other, she really doesn't care. She doesn't mind if the Baby squeaks while she's still in the box either. She's started to let me pick her up a bit more too, so I think she's realising that she needs to work a little to get the sole attention that she's used to now.





It's odd, but even though she's the squealer, the Baby has purred twice now when I've been stroking her. Granted, both times she was very sleepy, but still, it's progress! It only lasted for about 10-20 seconds, and then she opened her eyes, realised it was that big, evil, mean, tummy tickling giant monster, and screamed as though I was murdering her slowly and painfully, but she did purr! Porker did once too, but then decided it would be more fun to roll over, grab my hand and lick my finger into submission. He's such a scary big boy that I trembled in fear and he won the battle. He graciously allowed me to tickle his belly without interference after that. A true gentleman to give me such a pleasure!





I'll give you the weights from yesterday rather than today so that you can see just how much they've grown, and boy have they done just that! Are you ready for this?





The Baby: 316 grams.
Hamster: 325 grams
Porker: 384 grams.





Aren't they getting enormous? Porker is racing ahead of the others, but he'll need to start eating solids soon. He's cutting his teeth already, even though they're not supposed to appear for another whole week yet, and he's constantly nursing, so I suspect he's very hungry. But he's now a whopping 59 grams ahead of his closest sibling, and my little sickly boy has overtaken my feisty little girl! Everyone's just doing fantastically well!





I know I promised you pictures, but the person who was supposed to take them for me said that his computer is broken, so even though he's got the pictures on his camera, I can't get them sent to me as there's no way of doing it. I'll get another friend to take some on my phone tonight, and I'll get them up as soon as possible.

Kitten Pictures!

We have pictures! Don't mum and family look gorgeous together? The first little single cutie is Hamster. Next comes the Baby, and last, big old Porker! Soon we'll be able to see their colours as you can see from the little that's around Porker's mouth. It won't be long now!

Day 19 and sorry!

I'm so sorry that I haven't kept you up to date with kitten progress. I won't make excuses other than that life has been hectic, I've been tired, and the combination has meant that I haven't had much computer time or any inclination to write.





You see, the kittens have all gone through a spate of losing weight, and when that happens, I'm called on to make sure it doesn't continue. It started with Porker. Now that's a huge worry, as he out of them all should have the least trouble feeding, given that he's the biggest and all. Then little Hamster lost on the same night that Porker lost for a second time. Something had to be done, so I got to stay up, just as I was doing before, and latch not only Porker, but Hamster, then make sure nobody fought those two, stop them fighting each other, and still leave room for the Baby to get a feed. It was mighty difficult, I can tell you! Hamster gained a little, and so did Porker, but it wasn't enough really. However, it was a gain, so the next night, I'd planned to only get up three times. However, over the course of that day, the Baby lost weight too, so it meant another pretty much sleepless night and more helping. I had commitments to fulfill during the day, and I was just shattered to put it mildly.





However, it was worth it, as they're all gaining again on their own! This means that i can sleep for three hours at a time now. Oh what luxury that is! I'll usually put them to bed between 10 and 11. The moving triggers them to suckle which means I can sleep in until 2, then again until 5 and then I next get up at 8. That gives me time to latch them on and clean out the day pen for them before the 9 AM get up time when the kittens are weighed. Then it's off to do the night pen while they have a comfort suckle with mum. The routine that these kittens need is astoundingly rigid.





Porker is playing consistently now, and they're all getting better on their feet. They'll now patrol around the kitten box. Well, more accurately, they'll wobble round it, fall over, cry because they've fallen, get bored of crying when it doesn't achieve anything, get up and start the whole thing again. The Baby is cutting her teeth by the feel of things when she gummed my finger to death today. Poor little girl cries a lot whenever I touch her or do anything with her, but she did come towards the front of the box last night and this morning and climb up the side to stand just under my chin. Of course, she was squeaking all the while which brought mum running, but I think it's because she's a moaner rather than because she's afraid of me. I'm almost getting a purr out of someone when I tickle them, but I'm not quite sure who yet, because as soon as I go to check, they stop and I can never be sure if it was them or someone else.





I'm really missing cuddling time with my Tia though. Even though she doesn't want to be in the kittening box, she doesn't want picking up either, and the kits aren't at the stage where they enjoy it yet. Truth be told, it's getting me down. In my darker moments, it feels like I'm doing a lot of back-breaking, exhausting work for no return at all. I know that's ludicrous, as my kittens are thriving, but the stupid part of me asks if it would really be so hard for Tia to snuggle me from time to time, to show her appreciation for me outside of crying at me, waking me up or demanding food. I'm stupid, but there you have it. Well, this is the only time I'll have to go through it, as when the next litter comes along, there'll be other adult cats still around to heal my lonely heart syndrome!





The two little ones should break 300 grams by the time the morning hits. Do you know, that'll make them over 3/4 of a pound, and they're not even three weeks old yet! I'm going to start them on solid food soon too. Watch this space!





PS: Sorry about the lack of pictures, but the friend who's putting them up just hasn't had the time to do it yet. I promise, you'll have them soon!

Two Weeks Old!

Well, they've all made it. They're two weeks old today!






In the post following this, I'll hopefully have a friend put up some pictures so that you can see them all, but my have they grown! The Baby has now trippled her birth weight, coming in at a whopping 240 grams. Quite an achievement when you remember that she was only 71 when she was born! Porker is still the biggest at 268, and Hamster still the smallest at 234. However, he did gain 13 grams in the last 12 hours mostly on his own, so I'm chuffed to bits!





They had their first real handling session tonight by someone other than me. I had a visitor over who is cat mad. The kittens were all quite sleepy after a big feed, so stayed nice and quiet and relaxed as she picked them up for a cuddle. They were surprisingly well behaved! Their colour is just starting to come in, but it's not defined enough to tell what it is yet. These are exciting times, as I'm desperate to know what I've got!





Tia shouted all of last night at me as well, so I have tentatively decided... I think... to let her have free run of the bedroom tonight and see if that shuts her up. I will monitor kitten weights very closely though, and if they lose, then she'll be penned again. I just don't trust her enough to stay in with them as she should, but I guess I'll have to sooner or later. Really I have to work out whether my nerves can stand knowing that she has free run of the place! I don't know if I'll do it, but that's the plan anyway. Wish me luck!

Two Weeks Old!

Well, they've all made it. They're two weeks old today!






In the post following this, I'll hopefully have a friend put up some pictures so that you can see them all, but my have they grown! The Baby has now trippled her birth weight, coming in at a whopping 240 grams. Quite an achievement when you remember that she was only 71 when she was born! Porker is still the biggest at 268, and Hamster still the smallest at 234. However, he did gain 13 grams in the last 12 hours mostly on his own, so I'm chuffed to bits!





They had their first real handling session tonight by someone other than me. I had a visitor over who is cat mad. The kittens were all quite sleepy after a big feed, so stayed nice and quiet and relaxed as she picked them up for a cuddle. They were surprisingly well behaved! Their colour is just starting to come in, but it's not defined enough to tell what it is yet. These are exciting times, as I'm desperate to know what I've got!





Tia shouted all of last night at me as well, so I have tentatively decided... I think... to let her have free run of the bedroom tonight and see if that shuts her up. I will monitor kitten weights very closely though, and if they lose, then she'll be penned again. I just don't trust her enough to stay in with them as she should, but I guess I'll have to sooner or later. Really I have to work out whether my nerves can stand knowing that she has free run of the place! I don't know if I'll do it, but that's the plan anyway. Wish me luck!

Day 13

Well I'm tired and discouraged today. Just as I thought everything was going swimmingly, the babies have stopped gaining weight. Overnight, Porker actually lost 4 grams, and that's never happened before! They've gained a little today, but hardly any at all. I've given Tia some urtica to help her milk come in a bit stronger, but either it's not working, or milk isn't the problem with these little ones. Who knows? I'm at my whit's end! I'm going to leave them to it tonight, helping only when they cry, and hopefully things will be back on track by the morning. Man, I can't wait till these kittens are weaned and eating on their own. then I'll worry much, much less, as there's less depending on Tia.






She's been out of the pen today, but not half as much as usual. She didn't eat much this morning, so I made her some fish and chicken and mixed that with her food. She's eaten a little chicken, but all the fish is gone, so I'm hoping that will sort her out. I've given her another fish food mixture for this evening, and I'll feed her again in the middle of the night too. Let's hope it's enough!





I had their eyes checked today, and they're all opened nicely. Perfect! They'll be two weeks old tomorrow, so you'll have some pictures to look at then, hopefully. Boy have they grown!

Day 12

Sorry I didn't write yesterday. I had a friend visiting and the day just ran totally away from me!






With these kittens, one day blurs into another and it's hard to remember what happened when. I'm really enjoying looking back through this diary already to appreciate all the little milestones we've achieved. Yesterday was one.





As I've told you, all the babies seem to enjoy a chest tickle. Tia had disappeared from the box, but had charged me with the duty of kitten sitting while she went off. This was done by shouting at me until I came to investigate, at which point she walked off, only to return again and shout at me when I dared to assume it was Ok to leave the kittens and go back to what I was doing. I took the hint and stayed put. While I was waiting, I thought I'd do a spot of tickling. Well, at one point I had all three babies on their backs with their paws stretched right the way out. Boy do I wish I'd been able to take pictures! The Baby's gotten to enjoy it so much now that if I stop before she's had enough, she'll squeak at me until I give her some more. Like mother like daughter, it seems, as neither hesitate to tell me off!





Weight gains have been poor today and I don't really know why. Tia's been out of the box, but no more so than usual. I've just attached them again, and although I want to go to bed, I'll let them finish feeding before I move them.





Neither the Baby nor Hamster cry now when I pick them up, and although this is a joy for me, it also makes things difficult. One of the chief ways I tell them apart is their meow now that they're all so close in weight, and if they don't cry, sometimes I'm scuppered! I normally work it out though.





That's about it unfortunately. I'll attempt to get more pictures of them all tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Day 10

Today, the baby has begun to purr solidly. She's the only one who does this at some point during every nursing session. She's also the only one who has now started to rhythmically knead mum's belly instead of wasting energy rolling from side to side and thrashing as the boys do to try and keep competition at bay. She usually grabs a bottom nipple. The boys prefer the top which means much more work for them to hold on, but she just worms in underneath and has a more peaceful time of it. I was able to pick her up when she was sleeping today, and have a five minute cuddle with her. She woke up, sniffed me, then settled right back down and carried on dreaming. This is a break through. porker screams whenever I pick him up even if it's to help him find a nipple if he's fallen off, and Hamster will cry unless I snuggle him against my neck. The Baby has been the first to recognise that I'm not a big, scary mean person, although I don't hold out hope of that lasting whenever I put her on the scales again tonight.






Hamster's umbilical chord has fallen off today too. It's strange, because they dropped off in order of size in the litter. Porker's was first, then the Baby's, and lastly, Hamster's. I wonder how much all of that has to do with weight? Mum was cleaning them all just the same, so it takes that side of it out of the equasion.





Hamster gained a massive 19 grams yesterday! I'm over the moon. 14 of those were during the day with my help, but I'm not surprised he didn't gain much in comparison last night, as Tia spent most of it wailing at me to come down and join the family. I'll give in a few times a night, but she seems to think that every moment of mine should be spent with her, and I just can't cope with the sleep deprivation.





Kittens seem to have settled on nipples now. The boys will still fight, but more often than not now, porker ends up at the front, and Hamster at the back. The baby's spot in the middle remains uncontested. Now I just need to keep an eye to make sure that porker continues to gain as he needs to, as he's the one at the biggest disadvantage now. I'll give him a back nipple if he tails off, but somehow, I don't think he will! He gained the least yesterday, but even the Baby topped him by only a gram, so it's not affecting him all that badly. hamster trumped them both by 5 grams, but then, he needs to to catch up. he's only 5 behind the Baby now.





Hamster seems to be growing longer while Porker grows long and broad. he's the most cobby out of the litter. The Baby? Well, I don't know where she puts her food. She still seems so tiny compared to the other two, but that's just stupid. As I say, she's keeping right up with them in weight.
Today, the baby has begun to purr solidly. She's the only one who does this at some point during every nursing session. She's also the only one who has now started to rhythmically knead mum's belly instead of wasting energy rolling from side to side and thrashing as the boys do to try and keep competition at bay. She usually grabs a bottom nipple. The boys prefer the top which means much more work for them to hold on, but she just worms in underneath and has a more peaceful time of it. I was able to pick her up when she was sleeping today, and have a five minute cuddle with her. She woke up, sniffed me, then settled right back down and carried on dreaming. This is a break through. porker screams whenever I pick him up even if it's to help him find a nipple if he's fallen off, and Hamster will cry unless I snuggle him against my neck. The Baby has been the first to recognise that I'm not a big, scary mean person, although I don't hold out hope of that lasting whenever I put her on the scales again tonight.





Hamster's umbilical chord has fallen off today too. It's strange, because they dropped off in order of size in the litter. Porker's was first, then the Baby's, and lastly, Hamster's. I wonder how much all of that has to do with weight? Mum was cleaning them all just the same, so it takes that side of it out of the equasion.





Hamster gained a massive 19 grams yesterday! I'm over the moon. 14 of those were during the day with my help, but I'm not surprised he didn't gain much in comparison last night, as Tia spent most of it wailing at me to come down and join the family. I'll give in a few times a night, but she seems to think that every moment of mine should be spent with her, and I just can't cope with the sleep deprivation.





Kittens seem to have settled on nipples now. The boys will still fight, but more often than not now, porker ends up at the front, and Hamster at the back. The baby's spot in the middle remains uncontested. Now I just need to keep an eye to make sure that porker continues to gain as he needs to, as he's the one at the biggest disadvantage now. I'll give him a back nipple if he tails off, but somehow, I don't think he will! He gained the least yesterday, but even the Baby topped him by only a gram, so it's not affecting him all that badly. hamster trumped them both by 5 grams, but then, he needs to to catch up. he's only 5 behind the Baby now.





Hamster seems to be growing longer while Porker grows long and broad. he's the most cobby out of the litter. The Baby? Well, I don't know where she puts her food. She still seems so tiny compared to the other two, but that's just stupid. As I say, she's keeping right up with them in weight.

Day 8/9

Nothing much to report today, except that Hamster continues to gain! I keep moving Porker to a front nipple and plugging Hamster into the same back one, hoping to cultivate a preference in them both for these particular ones. As I said yesterday, the front produces less milk, but that's fine as far as Porker is concerned. He cross the 200 gram mark today, weighting in at a whopping 202 compared to poor Hamster's 161. 41 grams doesn't sound like a lot, but that's a quarter of Hamster's body weight! And Porker uses his bulk to great advantage. I watched him headbut the baby off her nipple, even though it's a bottom one that he won't drink from, then stick his paw over it and repeatedly smack her in the face every time she tried to get back on. I know he isn't old enough to really calculate what he's doing, and it's just as well, otherwise I suspect world domination would be on the cards! I tickled him for a bit today too though. He tried not to like it, he really did. He fought for all of about two seconds, then cried for a while longer. The crying was done while he lay on his back with his paws spread though, so I don't think he thought I was killing him! I was doing all this right under Tia's nose so that she could see what I was doing and wouldn't get upset. When the crying didn't bring mum running, he stopped, lay back, wriggled into the tickle so much that his back was arched, and just enjoyed it. He finished off by tucking his head down on my finger and going to sleep... Yeah, I know he thinks I'm a real mean person!






Porker is purring solidly now, and the baby's making a real good attempt at it. hamster's still too busy fighting for a drink to purr much, but I've heard him once or twice. Poor little man is just a bit slower than the rest of them.





Tia was unsettled last night, spending most of her time shouting at me because I wouldn't let her out of the pen. I didn't give in. She has everything she needs in there; food, water, litter tray, and most of all, hungry babies. If I let her out, she camps under the bed where I can't get to her, and just ignores the babies while they call for her. Their weight gains suffered because of it. hamster only gained a gram overnight, and the Baby only three. The only one who piled it on was Porker, but that's because he's the only one who has managed to work out how to feed from Tia even when she's sitting up. He doesn't gain so much during the day though, due to being moved to a front nipple, so it all works out for the good.





Tia discovered fish today. I was cooking a cod fillet for myself, and she kept asking and asking for some. She doesn't ever hassle anyone when they are eating, but a suckling mum is an eating machine, so I guess she was hungry. I gave her a little piece, and I've never seen food disappear so fast! So when I was finished, I went and cooked her one of her own. They're not huge, but for a cat, they're pretty big, and for Tia, a small eater at the best of times, they're massive! She ate a half a one in one sitting which I was very surprised about. I've got the other half in the fridge, and will give her it with her normal food later on.





That's about it for today. I'll update again tomorrow.

One Week Old

Today, the kittens have reached a week old, and boy have they changed. Hamster still isn't keeping up with the others in weight gain, who are putting it on like little pigs! Porker is as fat as butter, and the Baby is getting there. But Hamster is catching up. He gained 11 grams this last day, and that with help only seven or eight times. His tummy is filling out nicely now, and he's growing longer, just like his brother. The little girl has stayed nice and compact, and I suspect she'll remain much more petite than the other two.






Yesterday for the first time, I noticed one of them purring. Of course, it was the Baby, but Porker quickly learned, and this morning, I caught Hamster at it. All of them do it only when they are suckling, and only in sporadic bursts.





Fights for nipples are becoming ever stronger, with Porker bullying everyone else to steal their spot at the milk bar, even if he has the best one himself. Back nipples are always favoured as they produce more milk, but even if he's sucking happily away on one of these, the moment anyone else comes to join him and he realises they might have something he doesn't, he pushes them off to have a taste himself. He's really piling on the weight, and with tactics like this, it's no small wonder!





Their little personalities are starting to emerge now, or perhaps I'm just reading too much into things. Porker remains a bully, and whines terribly whenever he's moved to let the others have a chance, whenever he's cleaned by mum, whenever... Well, at anything really. Hamster is a quiet, gentle little thing, but pick him up when he doesn't want to be and boy can he scream! The baby is the cutest, or perhaps that's only because I know I'll probably end up keeping her. If I tickle her chest, she'll roll right over onto her back and lie there with paws akimbo. She even put her head up this morning and gave my finger a little lick. Hamster must have been watching (their eyes are almost all the way open now), because shortly afterwards, he did exactly the same. Porker still thinks I'm demon spawn though, because it's normally me who mediates his bullying to let the others have a drink, so I'm still seen by him as the milk stealer. It doesn't matter though. As soon as they start eating solids, he'll come round quickly enough.





Tia is still not settling very well with the kittens, and I blame the C section for this. She didn't bond tightly with them at the start, which isn't uncommon for a C section queen, but even still, she'd rather be with me than with her babies, no matter how much they cry for her.





Most cats like a dark, private nest, but with her, I've had to open the pen right up so that she can see me easily. Most cats don't like the nest being rearranged, but with her, if I leave them to go to bed, she stands at the front of the pen and cries herself hoarse, ignoring squalling, hungry babes at her feet and screaming until she loses her voice. As soon as I come back, she's happy as anything. I've taken to bringing them to bed with me. I have a small pen in there anyway, so they're secure at night, but I think it helps her to be near me, and she doesn't mind the moving at all. In fact, if I go to the bedroom and change into pyjamas before I carry them through, I'm subjected to a severe scolding when I get back to the living room. No, Persians definitely don't do mothering in the typical way. I have her shut in the pen at night, because I fear that if I didn't, I'd wake up with a pillow full of kittens!





Even when I'm up and about though, she'd far rather walk with me than attend to her babies, so I'm forever popping her back in the box. I even have to physically lie her down and stretch her out from time to time so that they can nurse. I know she won't follow me when they're feeding, thankfully, so it's in those precious fifteen or twenty minutes that I have me time, and am able to grab a shower or a bite to eat, or generally get some housework done.





If you have a queen like Tia, you can forget having a shiny clean house until kittens are all right to be left alone. I'm almost OCD about my cleaning, so that part is really, really getting to me. But when you hear the purring, or you get that tiny body rolling over in bliss as you rub its chest, well, then all the trouble just seems so trivial.





Weights at 1 week old:
The Baby: 165 grams
Hamster: 151 grams
Porker: 192 grams





As you can see, everyone except Hamster has doubled their birth weight, which is really what you're aiming for in the first week. The other two feel nice and solid now, but Hamster is getting there slowly but surely. As long as he's doubled his weight soon, I'm not too worried. I've been trying to supplement him with KMR, but the more I try, the more he fights it, and he doesn't gain a thing. I suspect he uses up all the energy I give him in the milk by fighting the syringe. Instead, I'm giving the Porker an occasional food to take the edge off his hunger and let the others have a chance. More tomorrow!

The Birth

My queen, pet name Tia, was mated on the 23rd of April with a magnificent imported stud cat, which meant that, if she carried exactly to term, she would be due on the 27th of June. I had made all my preparations; gathered the kittening things together, and boy were there lots of them! Set up the pen for her to get used to, got the emergency vet's numbers... In short, I was ready to go. But it seemed that Tia wasn't.






I had been routinely taking her temperature for about a week before birth. The temperature of a queen will drop to below 100F when she has entered first stage labour, so if one doesn't notice her dropping her mucus plug, this is a sure indication that labour has begun. Starting on Friday the 24th, her temperature dropped, then rose again, then dropped. However, on Sunday it went down and stayed down. This was it, I thought, but Tia didn't.





By the time Monday morning rolled around, she was in evident distress, but had not dilated at all. She was also leaking a creamy, blood-tinged fluid, so I thought it best to call the vet. She took one look at her and recommended that if I wanted all kittens alive, then a C section was th esafest way forward. My mentor who was also staying with me agreed, so off she went.





An hour later I received the call that the first litter of Moonspun kittens had been borh. We had two boys and a little girl. The girl had been in the sack with the fluid and was much tinier with the boys, so would bear careful watching. With fuuttering tummy, I made the trip and brought the babies home.





All was quiet that day as far as kittens were concerned. They were pretty lethargic after anaesthesia, and in the end, I had to help them suckle to get them started. Mum was quite distressed, attempting to lie on them each time they cried, probably in some attempt to hush them up in case they drew predators. But the only predators around were the soft-hearted human type who just could not believe that at last, here were the little people she'd been waiting on for well over a year.





As it so happened, one of those little people lost weight that day. We expressed some of the colostrum from Tia and syringed it to him to ensure that he got a healthy dose of her antibodies, but he wasn't impressed. The next morning, he had still gained no weight, and so was tube fed to boost his strength to enable him to keep fighting.





My mentor had to leave me to it at that point, and so followed many, many sleepless nights. The little one, Hamster as he is now known (he reminded me so much of one when he was newborn), just didn't have the strength to fight off his brother an dsister and hold onto a nipple, so I sat up with him, attaching him and holding him there every half an hour or so for the first five days of his life. The others continued to gain weight steadily, but Hamster was hit and miss.





Day five saw the first concerted weight gain he was able to make, gaining 6 grams in a day. By day six he was able to do this with less help.





Weights at birth:
Kitten 1: The only girl, nicknamed the Baby. 71 grams
Kitten 2: Now named Porker, 92 grams
Kitten three: Hamster, 101 grams





Pictures were taken shortly after they were born. you can just about see them against mum's belly.





The next set were taken at three and a half days old. Isn't the baby tiny compared to the others? She's a fighter though.

Welcome!

Greetings to you all, and welcome to the Moonspun Cats blog.






My name is Carly, and I'm a breeder of Persian cats. I have only just begun this year, 2011, although I purchased my first breeding queen a year before. Although quite a few breeders maintain a blog, I am hoping that this one will provide a fresh approach, given that it's coming from a novice. I hope to share the wonder of my first litter with you, chart their milestones of development, elaborate on my joys, my frustrations, my lows and highs. I also want to provide you with an insight into a breeding household, and show the amount of heartache, back breaking work, money and time which goes into breeding. I want to show the pleasure of it too though.





Over the next thirteen weeks, I will attempt to update you as often as possible, as I will have my first litter of kittens. I hope you'll stay with me and enjoy the read!





Now I know that everyone wants the daily overload of cute, i.e, kitten pictures, but you'll need to be patient with me on that one. I'm blind, you see, which means that I can't take as many pictures as other breeders, given the fact that I rely on others to take them for me. However, I promise you that as soon as I have them, I'll share!





If you have any questions or want to know any more about any of the Moonspun feline fraternity, you can either visit me at My cattery website,
or Email me directly.





Now, sit back, relax, and here we go!