Day 22, Progress!

So, what happened yesterday? A long week, that's what. I sat down late last night to write the blog, and... Suddenly it was midnight, I had a crick in my neck from falling asleep on the sofa, and Gabby had written 2 whole pages of random letters while she slept on the keyboard on my lap. I gave up at that point and just went to bed. There then followed a manic day at work, then lots of kitten cuddling and litter tray cleaning when I got home, so this is the first chance I've had to write. Sorry!

So, the kittens are three weeks old now. Actually, they're just turning 3 weeks as I write this! They're doing so, so well and are making big strides every day now.

Yesterday I removed the Vetbed from the pen and replaced it with a much smaller bit that will allow the kittens to begin differentiating between their bed and the play area. This is quite important for them to do prior to litter training as I find that it makes for slightly less accidents that way. Initially, there was lots of wailing and shrieking as they stepped onto this new surface and their legs went out from under them! It's only lino, but of course, they were used to Vetbed which has excellent grip for little claws, not this shiny, slippy thing that you couldn't hold onto. However, the scaredy cat phase didn't last for long.

Soon they began to trundle around quite happily, and not long after that, Stripey discovered that this new floor was great for running on! Of course, the running consisted mostly of falling, but still, it's the thought that counts, right?

As they settled, they got more and more adventurous, and eventually, Stripe and Apache picked up the courage to climb over the lip of the pen and out onto the carpet. Mind you, they turned into chickens as soon as they realised how big the real world was, and hightailed it back into the safety of familiarity. This is their first independent foray outside the confines of the pen.

They all now love tummy tickles. I spend a lot of time with them and now, most times when I come into the room, Stripe and Apache in particular will come racing to the front of the pen and literally squeal non stop until I get in there and give them some love. I even got my first consistent purr yesterday, and you'll never guess who from! Little Dreamy. He's decided that he loves rubbing under his chin and along his neck, and he will literally fall over as soon as you touch him there. Apache also had a purr, but then remembered that she was supposed to be being a brave adventurer, and everyone knows that brave adventurers don't have time to stop and purr so she gave that up for a bad job and went trundling off to beat up her sister instead.

I gave them all their first taste of food today. I wouldn't normally force weaning this young, but as I wanted to encourage Apache to eat to catch up with her sibs, I thought I might as well give them all a taste. Apache wasn't too thrilled but swallowed a tiny amount. Berry absolutely hated the stuff, and decided that surely it must be poison, but then she couldn't help but have a little extra lick just to make sure. Dreamy wasn't having any of it, and just clamped his mouth shut and refused. No surprises there. I knew he would be the hardest to wean, as eating requires effort. Red boy (I still haven't got a name for him! Any suggestions?) was neither here nor there, but Stripey? Well, she started by hating it, and how did she tell me? Well, by screaming of course. Then she decided she'd tolerate it. Then she decided she loved it, and almost ate my fingers to get more! I only gave her a few mouthfuls though, as I don't want them having too much too fast at this age. However, now begins the weaning encouragement. I'll pop a little food in their mouths a few times a day, but I'll not force the issue any more than that. They'll eat when they're ready after all.

So that's it so far. More tomorrow... If I don't fall asleep!

Here's a photo taken right after Stripe and Apache went adventuring, and they'd all had their first taste of the lino. As you can see, all that hard work builds an apetite!

Day 20, Kittenly Love

Well, little Dreamy Dreamer must have known that I told you all that he's a lazy big lump last night, because today he's a different kitten! He's actually bothering to walk, and, get this, even drags his behind over to have a cuddle! He's starting to talk now, but because he hasn't used it much, his mew is still a little scratchy compared to the others. He absolutely loves chin rubs.

They've all made strides today. Stripey has got yet another first. She's just cut two teeth! How do I know this? Well, her brother has obviously been whispering in her ear that the human tastes kinda nice, because she's discovered an absolute love for lying on her back, having her belly tickled and chomping merrily away on whatever part of me she can reach. I thought something felt a little different, so had a poke around in her mouth, and sure enough, there was the start of her teeth! Nobody else has got those yet, although they've all got the nubs under their gums, so it won't be long now. They're so funny though. Even when they're chomping away on you, they'll always stop long enough to give you little kisses in between. Bluecream has decided she likes grooming, and gave my finger a very thorough bath today! I was suitably appreciative...

Stripey will now pop her head up and squeak hello to me almost every time I crawl into the pen for a cuddle with the babies. If she's not engaged in more important pursuits like falling over, squealing or trying to bite her brother's nose off, she'll even come over to me and yell at me until I tickle her! Bluecream, Berry, has obviously been watching, because she's suddenly decided that the big scary human thing is her favourite thing in the world, and she needs to love it and climb all over it and cry at it. Every single time I've gone in the pen today to help Apache get a good feed, she's come barrelling over to me for a fuss. She even dragged herself up onto my forearm tonight, then settled down for a kip! I need to turn into an octopus! Can you imagine how hard it is to keep that arm still so as not to dislodge her, plug Apache into a nipple with the other hand, keep the others from fighting her off, grab Dreamy and stop him from bullying everyone else off their nipple just because he can't be bothered to actually do the work and get the milk flow started for himself, plop red boy back in with his mum to stop him squealing from the other side of the pen and making her upset and get up because she thinks there's something wrong, then tickle a Stripey who screams every time you stop? I was struggling!

The pairings are definitely becoming stronger now. Stripe and red show a very definite preference for each other, and the other three have banded together, although their alegances change all the time in that threesome. They love each other, but they're not as tight as Stripe and red.

Today, the last lot of photos from when these guys were 2 weeks old. I'll give you group shots this time so that you can see how much they love each other!

Day 17, Stripe

Today it's the turn of the last of the girls, little Stripe!

This girl is a complete drama queen through and through. Diva? Doesn't even come close! She's got oodles of personality, and boy does she show it! Her one defining quality is her ability to scream. Look at her and she screams. Touch her? Well, it depends on her mood, but if she's grumpy, she screams! If her mum washes her she literally howls at the indignity. If you weigh her, she gives her lungs an excellent work out. But as well as screaming, this little girl also talks. She's one of only a few of these babies who has talked back to me, but she's the only one who does it consistently, or as consistently as a tiny kitten can. She's learned to hold her head up, and she'll pop it up all proudly out of a pile of sleeping kittens. It doesn't seem to affect her pride that it wobbles all over the place, oh no. She'll sit herself up, then get so pleased that she'll start talking to herself. If you don't answer, that's Ok as she'll just carry on telling herself how wonderful and good and clever she is. But if you happen to be there and talking to her, she'll get very excited which makes her little head wobble even more. Mostly, this makes her fall over, but if she can stay upright, she'll squeak at you again and again, and sometimes even come for a cuddle.Boy is that kitten pleased with herself when she manages something new!

Against her better judgement, she's starting to enjoy tummy tickles. She half rolls over for one, then remembers she's not supposed to like them and half stands up, then gives up, lies back, enjoys it, then screams once, just to avoid losing her reputation as drama queen extraordinaire.

Stripey can now get herself back to the group when she gets lost, and will even talk to them to do it. She and her mum are already having long conversations. Apologies to this girl's eventual owner... You'll need to buy ear plugs! She likes chin rubs and will literally fall over with cheek rubs.

I know it's not his turn, but I just have to tell you about red a little. I got my first bite today, well, more of a gumming to death as he doesn't actually have teeth yet, although I can now feel them under his gumline. I was tickling him when he flopped right over on his back, grabbed my finger in his paws and fiercely bit and bit it, then realised that he wasn't getting anywhere, gave me a kiss instead and stretched out to enjoy the tickle. I could hardly move for laughing!

Anyway, here's the photos of Stripe!

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.

Day 2 and Photos!

So, the kittens are now 36 hours old. Weight gains were super yesterday morning, but have tailed off somewhat since. My little light red boy gained 6 grams, but has lost 3 of those since yesterday. I've given him some nutri-drops as they're so good at perking up a weak kitten, but if he still hasn't gained by tonight then I'll resort to topping him up.

Millie remains an excellent mum, although she hasn't quite got the hang of cleaning yet. She'll stimulate them beautifully, but then doesn't quite know what to do to get rid of this icky stuff that comes out of them, so not only am I cleaning kits, but her as well! She's never been as fastidious as Tia in the grooming department, and it does show when she relies on me to do something about all the mess. Still, it's a very small price to pay for such an excellent mum.

The kittens are doing what kittens do and all fighting over the one nipple. Forget the fact that there's enough to go round and some spare for good measure. Nope. If one has it, they all want it, and then when that one goes off to find a new spot, they all want that as well!

We've now decided that the pale kitten is a bluecream which means I have 3 girls and 2 boys. Fab split, isn't it?

Apache is already a cuddler and doesn't even cry when she's picked up to be weighed.

Dark red boy squeals like you were killing him (why is it that the fattest ones always put up the most fuss!).

Stripe also regularly has a good gripe when you do anything with her.

Light red is a cuddler, although with him, that's not necessarily a good thing. I want him to put up a fight rather than stay placid.

Bluecream? Well, sometimes she cuddles, sometimes she cries.

I managed to get some photos last night, so enjoy! Let's hope they upload as I'm not sure I'm doing this right... And there's no guarantee that kits are in the right place either! For those of you thinking about breeding your moggies just because you'd like a cute litter of kittens, I'd ask you to note the size of my poor girl's incision in the tummy shot. It's not the most photogenic, but I think it's important for people to appreciate the risk that goes into even considering having a litter.

Until tomorrow.