Two Weeks Old!

Wow, are these babies really 2 weeks old already? I was just thinking back again on their rather fraught entry into this world, and marvelling that we have 5 happy, healthy babies at the end of it. It's just so fab. I've got every possible colour from the mating I did, an even mix of girls and boys (again, in every possible colour for that sex), a very attentive mummy and, for most of them anyway, a nice, steady weight gain. What more could I ask for!

The kittens are now beginning to toddle about the nest, not very steadily and certainly with no grace, but toddling they most certainly are. Bluecream is the most successful so far. She can actually make it up onto all four legs, but when she tries to move, she needs to use her chin for support... Well, you can't have it all! Red boy can also make it onto four paws, but when he walks, he looks like a little worm. As he moves, he wobbles from side to side, his body squiggles and bends in the middle, and his back legs get further and further behind him until eventually, he ends up on his belly again. Stripe is red's pal, and wherever he is, there must she be also. She is pushing up onto her front paws really well, and will actively try and return herself to wherever the others are, which is more than can be said for the rest of them who just lie down and squeal when they get separated. Cream boy is too lazy to bother with all this walking glark unless there's milk at the end of it! He'll wiggle his way back to mummy, but as soon as she disappears, he just flumps down and refuses to move until she's back. The housemate wants to call him Cream Dream as his pedigree name, and I have to say that the dream bit fits him well. I might call this little boy Dreamer as his pet name until his owner finds one for him. Even when you pick him up, he just carries on sleeping and would be quite happy to let his head hang over the side of your hand and not make any effort to lift it. Apache is also learning to walk, although hers is more of a fall over and roll to where you wanna be than a true walk yet. Her front paw strength is really good though.

Now then, time for photos and a personality update.

Here's little Stripey. Stripe is the drama queen of this litter. Look at her and she screams. Pick her up and she absolutely howls. If her mum washes her, she threatens to burst your ear drums, and woe betide the kitten who manages to fight her off a teat! However, she's the most alert and savi of the group. More photos of her later in the week, I promise.

Little Apache is an absolute doll. This is the only kitten who consistently rolls over for a tickle and seems to enjoy it. She will cuddle your finger and is already squeaking hello to me whenever I talk to her. She cuddles her mum's paw and is more of a lover than a fighter. She's the one who kneads the most and hardly ever uses claws. Pick her up and she grunts at you, then quite happily settles down. She's the only consistent purrer when she's suckling too. The others do it, but you can guarantee that she will every time.

Red boy is a big bruiser, and where some of the others have lengthened, this boy is turning into a tank. His body has stayed lovely and short and chunky. His colour is beautiful, or so I'm told. He still squeals when you pick him up, but has given up on the "she's killing me, muuuuuuum!" urgency. Now he just squeaks because he can, and sometimes, if you catch him right, he'll actually give you a love instead of fighting you. Mind you, a lot of that has to do with the power of a tickle, as he's learning to like it too. He's putting up a manly fight and pretending he hates it, but he can't help rolling over and wiggling and stretching into a tickling finger.

Cream boy is our Dreamer. you can do absolutely anything to this boy and he'll lift his head, give a very indolent stretch, then go back to sleep and let you get on with whatever it is you're doing. This boy has absolutely no fear of humans at all. He's the second smallest, but a fierce fighter for a nipple when he wants one. He's pals with Apache and Bluecream who we think is going to turn into Blueberry as her name.

Bluecream is probably the most advanced after Stripe. She's another lover, although if you're a sibling who wants the teat she's got then she's one of the dirtiest fighters, using paws to literally haul you away. She's undecided about whether she likes humans, but on the whole, she does. She's happy to sit in your hands and have a nose around, but gets quite vocal during the lift in and out of the pen. Looks like she doesn't like to see empty space under her, as she's fine whenever she's got solid under her again. She also grunts, but rarely actually screams. She likes head rubs.

The kittens are starting to separate off now, red and Stripey liking each other best, and the smaller three banding together. It's interesting to see how the dynamics change on a daily basis.