Forever

Life is sweet with a sister to share it with...

Marta Marshmallow and Liesl went home today, and are starting their new lives as Iris and Lily. Beautiful names for two very beautiful girls. They seemed more than happy to go, they even took themselves into the carrier! So what's the betting they howled all the way home? *grin*

I was loath to take them out of the carrier once they were in, so they didn't even get a goodbye kiss, but I'd had a good snuggle with both earlier in the day so that was ok :)

Goodbye darlings... be good, and if you can't be good make sure no-one is watching!

Still Slurping

Nom nom nom.

And Reason Two!

Snuggly kitten no 2.

I had a conference call today. Trying to do that whilst wielding pen and paper plus two wriggly kittens and a big Mama was... interesting! Plus the fact that Indigo 'talked' all the way through. Still, I should be grateful no-one trod on the phone and cut me off...

Reason One...

... why I struggle to get any work done at the moment.

As an aside, I'm really pleased with the way Liesl's eyes are looking at present, a really nice aqua colour. Proper Tonk eyes! Marta's eyes are still changing, but aren't the same colour, they are more 'muddy' and it is my opinion they will end up a greeny-gold like Mama's, as a solid Tonk's ought to be of course.

After the whole fiasco with the last litter's eye colour, I am glad my minks this litter look like they are going to be the colour they ought! Gretl's too- Lola, I mean- were the same colour as Liesl's are, slightly lighter, perhaps, but then she is a dilute (a blue)

Am hoping that their owners will stay in touch so I can see how their eye colour is developing!

Warm

Cats and radiators... the modern take on curling in front of the fire I guess!

So, M and I have been trying to find out why Bailey is making a nuisance of himself piddling on the beds. M doesn't want to have a cat who is only allowed in certain rooms, but obviously bed- peeing isn't something one can easily ignore is it? So we've been discussing how best to tackle the issue, and I thought some of the info might be of use on here just in case anyone stumbles on this site and are having similar issues. So here's some general advice.The following spiel will be very bitty and garbled as it's cobbled from several sources, but here we go...

Kittens weeing on beds:

It could be anxiety related? Some of the responses here seem to suggest it could be http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080623024743AA1LLFH incidentally I do NOT agree with rubbing a kitten’s nose in urine, as one idiot suggests here!!! Anxiety and 'settling in' nerves is the reason I don't think a kitten should have bedroom access for the first little while.

Marking? Amanda suggested this as a cause in the comments yesterday.  http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080601213157AA4h7nM suggests early neutering might be a plan if the issue persists I am not a fan of this as a general rule, but if a cat is marking persistently, I think that might be a good enough reason...

Illness? This suggests he’s choosing the beds as they are soft and smell comforting (ie of you) so he might be feeling unwell? Vets for a UTI check maybe? http://jennifercopley.suite101.com/how-to-stop-a-cat-from-peeing-on-the-bed-a274246

Also at the above, suggest using feliway (a plug in cat calming thing) and feeding him on a tray on the bed, (now that is a clever idea as they won’t generally wee where they eat) On Indikon's Facebook page, D also recommended the Feliway, as Alfie had a few accidents at first- they stopped pretty soon though.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cats-1606/kitten-peeing-bed.htm suggests getting some ultra cheap shower curtains or something to cover the beds to make them less attractive? Some bed coverings (cotton, silk etc) feel nice and scratchy, and the scratching stimulates the peeing reflex, so covering the bed with something soft and fluffy instead can stop that reflex kicking in.

  

Another idea, kittens start off their lives piddling in their nests, kitten might see your bed as your ‘nest’ and therefore his (as he’s treating you like a littermate, a companion) and he’s reverting to baby behaviour, putting his scent in the 'nest' to assure his place in the litter. Except for making the bedrooms off limits, I can only suggest getting lots of cheap litter trays and having one in each room he’s piddling in to reinforce that the tray is where we go not ‘the nest’- also try putting a cat bed with a waterproof base on your bed and encourage him to sleep in that (cat beds are smaller and easier to wash than whole duvets!)

Also over on Facebook, S said that if she didn't scoop every day, her Lotti would pee on the carpet just outside the box. Some cats just will not use a soiled litterbox. so that might be a cause of inappropriate wetting as well :)

Hope that helps someone at some point, and if anyone has any hints and tips to add, I'd love to hear them!

Goodbye, Girls

Three of our girls have left! Brigitta left last night and Louisa and Gretl left this morning. I would say the house is quiet without them, but with Indigo still having a full on yowl-fest (in heat!) it really isn't. And no, she's not calling for her kittens... she's calling for a boyfriend!!! Kittens? What kittens? Nature is entirely heartless.

In nature, Indigo would probably go out and get pregnant again at this point. Of course I won't let her do that, so when she starts her next call I will be ready with the Ovarid. She needs a good break from the stresses of nursing and kittens in general. Cats are baby making machines if you let them... but it doesn't do their health any favours to allow a cat to repeatedly breed, and the GCCF does not allow it of course.

I read the other day that in the Siamese/ Burmese/ Tonkinese type breeds the kittens have the nursing reflex for far longer than other breeds do, which part explains why these breeds are slightly more disposed towards wool chewing. My chewer is Theo though, and Indigo doesn't so generalisations are just that, not hard and fast rules. Anyway, Indigo fed four of them this morning, she was feeding five as Brigitta was collected yesterday, basically she'd let them go on doing it for a lot longer if they were still here! I expect she'll still feed the remaining two, several times a day probably, till they leave, but it's just for comfort. She isn't producing much milk now, her belly is flat and its clearly not enough to stop her going into heat again.

So anyway, we are down to two. Marta is perched on top of the computer, giving me slitty love eyes.  Liesl is batting a toy around the floor. All most normal. Inds, on the other hand, is licking my son's homework folder... How she has such well adjusted kittens is beyond me, she's a weirdo!

Love

Sweet Brigitta

That's me, working, or trying to. It's a rare occasion these days when I don't have at least one kitten in my arms, and even something as simple as putting on my shoes can be complicated. Take this morning- I sat down on the sofa with my shoes and Gretl hopped into my lap. One kitten is manageable, so I carried on with the shoe and got it mostly on, by which time Marta had climbed onto my shoulder, Brigitta was batting at the shoelace and Liesl and Louisa were on my lap with Gretl. Well they all got to stay there for 5 minutes because I am soft and I love my kittens lol. Anyway, I eventually decided the leeks won't plant themselves (the reason for the shoes I was going out back) and moved Gretl, then Louisa. By the time I was moving Liesl, Gretl was on my lap again and Louisa was halfway there, and my lace on the one shoe I had managed was undone thanks to Brigitta. Marta on the other hand had just sat there on my shoulder, the darling!

Anyway, I distracted the lap sitters and Brigitta with a toy, whilst Marta tickled my ear with her whiskers, which only worked as long as I was rattling it but the moment I attended to my lace they wanted back on the lap. But there, I'd got one shoe on now, result! Only one more to go! (I may say the only reason Indigo wasn't joining in was because the vacuum had been on and she was setting a terribly bad example to her litter and hiding under the desk...)

It does seem to make even the simplest of tasks really rather complicated.

Still, you all know full well I wouldn't have it any other way... I LOVE having these dear confiding little creatures about, and if I'm spoiling them a little with cuddles and fuss this week, its only because I shall miss them next when they are gone.

Twins

Marta and Louisa, my two blue solid girls. They really look very much alike. Marta's face is rounder though, she favours, slightly, the Burmese genetic strain I think. She has a very sweet, open face. Louisa's is more classically Tonk-y and Marta is still darker than Louisa but for all that I still confuse the two at times. Good thing Louisa has a red mark renewed every so often, so I can tell which she is eh?

I think Marta's been the subject of my post three days in a row now! That's just how the photos come out I guess! I'll feature someone else tomorrow, I promise!

Kurt- now Bailey- has been distinguishing himself... by piddling on M's lodger's bed. *sigh* Only the once though, and he's been OK since, so fingers crossed all round that he just got confused. This was after snuggling up with said lodger in the bed all night so what he was thinking I have no idea. He's stopped being nervous now and is very active, especially, it seems, at night. Everyone's feeling a bit sleep deprived at the moment I gather! Really having a small kitten is like having a toddler! (this is where having the one is more tricky I guess, or one way anyway) Hopefully Bailey will cotton on very soon that people become really very boring indeed in the middle of the night, and playtime is best kept to more sociable hours!

Marshmallow Fluff

Miss Marshmallowfluff Marta... and Mama! I swear if you opened Marta's head up you'd find cotton wool and other fluffy, squishy materials- she's just made entirely of adorable.

Oh, Behave!

In the comments section, Amanda Cox wrote:

How do they behave? I've found training older kittens (ie stopping them climbing curtains and getting on kitchen surfaces etc) very difficult, I'm going to see an older Tonk kitten at the weekend (way more than 13 weeks) and I only hope its not been allowed to run riot!
We got Dom from a home where all the cats were allowed to do what they liked because some rooms they were simply locked out of, but we dont lock or shut rooms so Dom has to learn boundaries. But its hard work. He even got into the fridge today and wouldn't get out!

And I thought it would be a good subject for today's post! *sniggers at thought of stroppy cat refusing to come out of the fridge* (Hope you had a good weekend visit AC, how did it go?)

Well, I must admit that at the moment, the kittens en masse can seem pretty overwhelming (less so now the boys have gone) As I open the kitten room-the living room- door of a morning, they pour out like a tidal wave, meowing their little heads off for breakfast.  And letting them into the kitchen has become awkward now because keeping an eye on all seven (five now) whilst cooking or whatever is positively dangerous. Even when I'm just getting their dinner plated up they can and do jump onto the work surfaces and if I let them in I am continually chasing them off. Apart from the safety issue, it simply isn't practical. So I leave kitchen behaviour in the main to the new owners who will only have one or two to deal with!

They aren't generally allowed into the bedrooms, as this is not only my older cats' space but they might be going to a home where the family doesn't want bedroom access. However they are occasionally allowed in, one by one, for some time spent learning how to meet and interact with strange cats. I discovered, accidentally, with this litter that Ava doesn't mind meeting and greeting the kittens as long as its in the bedroom- her territory I guess. If she meets a kitten in the hall she's horrified! Poor Ava!

Here's Kurt last week, actually, he's just touched noses with both Ava and Sofia, and now he's sitting at the far end of the bed keeping a respectful distance!

*glare*

Ava glares at the kitten from the security of her cardboard box!

The bathroom- well they are allowed in when I am in there. Again its a safety thing, after Marta jumped in the toilet one day I've really cracked down on that. All my cats enjoy visiting me in the bathroom though, and the kittens are no exception, they like to prowl along the side of the bath as I am washing, and fortunately no-one has fallen in yet!

This isn't to say they aren't taught boundaries- they are. Gretl's penchant for curtain climbing was heavily discouraged, for example- I've not seen her do that for weeks now. Freddie used to bite (not hard) almost constantly, and now he's just an occasional nibbler. And ALL the kittens know that if I clap my hands loudly together I jolly well mean business!

For me the trick is lots of one on one time with each of them, which as you can imagine is incredibly time consuming. Julia over at Rameses (read the website, so informative) says that a breeder should really spend half an hour PER KITTEN PER DAY as a minimum, and I reckon she's spot on there. That's a lot of time you have to spend socialising. Ok, some of it can be combined with other things- stroking and talking to a snoozing kitten on your lap whilst watching CSI of an evening is something I love to do lol- but a lot of it is time you have to specifically find to play with and interact with the kittens.

Of course it's a journey isn't it- I start the (hopefully) good work, the new family will continue that to fit in with their particular needs as a family (bedroom access etc) and fingers crossed by adulthood one has a well rounded adult cat! Of course Tonks are intelligent, which can make them mischevous, and that's part of their charm. And they are highly social, which can make them needy, which can make them misbehave when they aren't getting that attention and that's not so charming but that's Tonks for you. And all kittens have a toddler phase ( at the breeder's) and an adolescent, bratty, test the boundaries phase (at around 6 months, and again neutering on time plays a BIG part in keeping this in check) so when it's time, don't delay!

Any good breeder will tell you the same though- raising kittens well is hard work!

Far Too Old

Definitely far too old for all this nonsense... but Mama cats will keep letting them! Poor Indigo looks ridiculous, hidden under that sea of kitten!

Weights today and nothing else as I'm really busy, may not get an entry in tomorrow either but Sunday I will finish the weight comparison and do a proper entry I promise.



Liesl

Birth 96g
1 week 172g
2 weeks 226g
3 weeks 250g
4 weeks 325g
5 weeks 420g
6 weeks 586g
8 weeks 880g
9 weeks 1050g
10.5 weeks 1310g
12 weeks 1460g
FriedrichBirth 101g
1 week 187g
2 weeks 239g
3 weeks 271g
4 weeks 349g
5 weeks 449g
6 weeks 630g
8 weeks 950g
9 weeks 1180g
10.5 weeks 1380g
12 weeks 1500g

KurtBirth 102g
1 week 205g
2 weeks 280g
3 weeks 341g
4 weeks 448g
5 weeks 570g
6 weeks 740g
8 weeks 1020g
9 weeks 1220g
10.5 weeks 1460g
12 weeks 1550g

LouisaBirth 82g
1 week 157g
2 weeks 219g
3 weeks 260g
4 weeks 334g
5 weeks 394g
6 weeks 530g
8 weeks 820g
9 weeks 960g
10.5 weeks 1160g
12 weeks 1260g

BrigittaBirth 83g
1 week 179g
2 weeks 248g
3 weeks 301g
4 weeks 374g
5 weeks 497g
6 weeks 641g
8 weeks 890g
9 weeks 1070g
10.5 weeks 1300g
12 weeks 1400g

MartaBirth 91g
1 week 178g
2 weeks 249g
3 weeks 311g
4 weeks 389g
5 weeks 468g
6 weeks 603g
8 weeks 840g
9 weeks 970g
10.5 weeks 1130g
12 weeks 1270g

GretlBirth 81g
1 week 150g
2 weeks 220g
3 weeks 269g
4 weeks 342g
5 weeks 402g
6 weeks 516g
8 weeks 780g
9 weeks 950g
10.5 weeks 1140g
12 weeks 1260g


Comparison:

Birth

REM litter 83g-103g. Average 92g

Von Trapp litter 81g-102g. Average 91g

1 week

REM litter 182g-217g Average 195g

Von Trapp litter 150g- 205g. Average 175g

2 weeks


REM litter 257g-294g, Average 272g
Von Trapp litter 220g- 280g, Average 240g

3 weeks


REM litter  338g-390g. Average 359g.
Von Trapp litter 250g- 341g. Average 286g.

4 weeks


REM litter 437g-524g. Average 466g
Von Trapp litter 325g-448g. Average 365g

5 weeks


REM litter 539g-604g. Average 581g
Von Trapp litter 394g-570g. Average 457g.

6 weeks


REM litter 712g- 792g, Average 752g
Von Trapp litter  516g-740g, Average 606g

9 weeks

REM litter 1070-1340g. Average 1238g

Von Trapp litter 950-1220g. Average 1057g

10.5 weeks

REM litter 1130-1530g. Average 1368g

Von Trapp litter 1130g-1460g. Average 1268g if Liesl's weight is correct.

Ouch!

Looks so innocent doesn't she? Not so much. The other day, Marta got so carried away playing with a toy dolphin that she pounced on my foot and bit it. Hard. Hard enough to draw blood! Yes, quiet, shy Marta!

It came as a total shock to me as I was sitting at my desk, I think I rose about two foot into the air and I may have let a few choice words escape my mouth too... and poor Marta dashed away in fright. Guilt! So I then had to cuddle and kiss her and tell her I wasn't shouting at her, just- well- shouting. Of course, being a cat, she wouldn't understand this but it made me feel better!

And then I had to sort out my bleeding toe.

Anyway, when playing with a new kitten, it's best not to encourage biting- type games. (I don't, but I'm just saying this is why!) Whilst most bites are mere tickles, even a small cat is capable of giving a pretty powerful nom and you don't want to encourage pouncing on toes unexpectedly. Cat saliva can carry some nasties as well, especially if your cat goes outside, and if they get into a wound it can turn a bit unpleasant.

Today, I am wearing my slippers... lol!

Yeah

Yeah, I'm snuggling with Marta. You have issues, lady?

Marta and Gretl, and Louisa for that matter, weigh about the same, but both Gretl and Louisa feel much heavier to me. Marta always feels as though she's made out of feathers and marshmallow fluff. Perhaps its her trick of going totally limp, Ragdoll- like, when you pick her up. Gretl and Louisa love their cuddles, but they are still very much wriggly kitten, whereas Marta relaxes absolutely, purring and giving you the slitty eyed look of love. Bliss!

Gretl keeps getting the eye goop. (well, thrice...) Just in the one eye. I use a very mild saline to treat it, it goes away, only for a week later to come back. I'm clearly not getting to the root of the problem for Gretl with just saline is what I'm saying. So when I was at the vet's Monday, I asked the vet for a tube of Fucithalmic, so that if her eye started again, or anyone elses for that matter, I could treat it once and for all. Sure enough, yesterday I noticed a goopy eye again... so out came the eye drops. Of course when you treat one in the litter, you might as well do the lot, as infections tend to go the rounds, so they are all having the drops at the moment. There's been no more goop, but they will have the drops for a couple of days just in case.

This, of course, is one of the occasions when Marta does NOT go limp and ragdoll- like! Nor do any of the others!

10.5 weeks

My Von Trapps seem to be catching up with their predecessors on the weight front... very interesting... perhaps they are just late developers? Or did they all just have extra large breakfasts to confuse matters?

Six out of seven kittens are now in varying stages of vaccine site reaction- nearly every man jack of them (except- well, Jack! Freddie as he is at the moment) which must be a record. Some of them, like Brigitta's, are practically gone now and some, like Liesl's are still quite large although I hasten to add not harmful, very common and they will go down in time. Probably in time for the next vaccination LOL- whereupon they will promptly get another one I have no doubt! They feel like a squishy lump between the shoulderblades and unless you were looking for it, you'd be forgiven for not noticing it at all.

They've all been microchipped today and the chips registered directly to their new family- paperwork should be arriving through the door at some point. Poor Louisa bled a little bit- the needle for the chip is really quite big- but she was OK after a bit of TLC. The microchips can be felt as a grain of rice sized hard lump in the top of the neck, the neck muscles holding them in place (although they can 'slip' slightly and be a little off centre with time)

Inds was also given a clean bill of health. Hurrah!


Liesl

Birth 96g
1 week 172g
2 weeks 226g
3 weeks 250g
4 weeks 325g
5 weeks 420g
6 weeks 586g
8 weeks 880g
9 weeks 1050g
10.5 weeks 1310g (can this be accurate? its a bigger leap than I would expect...)

Friedrich
Birth 101g
1 week 187g
2 weeks 239g
3 weeks 271g
4 weeks 349g
5 weeks 449g
6 weeks 630g
8 weeks 950g
9 weeks 1180g
10.5 weeks 1380g

Kurt
Birth 102g
1 week 205g
2 weeks 280g
3 weeks 341g
4 weeks 448g
5 weeks 570g
6 weeks 740g
8 weeks 1020g
9 weeks 1220g
10.5 weeks 1460g

Louisa
Birth 82g
1 week 157g
2 weeks 219g
3 weeks 260g
4 weeks 334g
5 weeks 394g
6 weeks 530g
8 weeks 820g
9 weeks 960g
10.5 weeks 1160g

Brigitta
Birth 83g
1 week 179g
2 weeks 248g
3 weeks 301g
4 weeks 374g
5 weeks 497g
6 weeks 641g
8 weeks 890g
9 weeks 1070g
10.5 weeks 1300g

Marta
Birth 91g
1 week 178g
2 weeks 249g
3 weeks 311g
4 weeks 389g
5 weeks 468g
6 weeks 603g
8 weeks 840g
9 weeks 970g
10.5 weeks 1130g

Gretl
Birth 81g
1 week 150g
2 weeks 220g
3 weeks 269g
4 weeks 342g
5 weeks 402g
6 weeks 516g
8 weeks 780g
9 weeks 950g
10.5 weeks 1140g


Comparison:

Birth

REM litter 83g-103g. Average 92g

Von Trapp litter 81g-102g. Average 91g

1 week

REM litter 182g-217g Average 195g

Von Trapp litter 150g- 205g. Average 175g

2 weeks


REM litter 257g-294g, Average 272g
Von Trapp litter 220g- 280g, Average 240g

3 weeks


REM litter  338g-390g. Average 359g.
Von Trapp litter 250g- 341g. Average 286g.

4 weeks


REM litter 437g-524g. Average 466g
Von Trapp litter 325g-448g. Average 365g

5 weeks


REM litter 539g-604g. Average 581g
Von Trapp litter 394g-570g. Average 457g.

6 weeks


REM litter 712g- 792g, Average 752g
Von Trapp litter  516g-740g, Average 606g

9 weeks

REM litter 1070-1340g. Average 1238g

Von Trapp litter 950-1220g. Average 1057g

10.5 weeks

REM litter 1130-1530g. Average 1368g

Von Trapp litter 1130g-1460g. Average 1268g if Liesl's weight is correct.

Snuggling With Mama

The kittens sure do love their Mama! They'll have to do without her today though because- sigh- Indigo has been given painkillers and admitted for 24 hours at the vets for observation and tests :( She didn't get any worse last night, but this morning she started crying whilst trying to 'go' and was obviously in a lot of pain. So she needed to stay in so they can work out what is up. Last week's sickness may be connected- she had antibiotics and they made her feel instantly better but they may not have been enough to have killed off whatever she (possibly) had brewing.

You may be sure I will give the kittens plenty of cuddles myself to make up for any they might be missing today. Thankfully they are old enough to fend for themselves, Mama still feeds them but they don't NEED her milk any more, for example. And sher still washes them, but they are more than capable of doing it herself.

Last night was very interesting actually. (setting aside the worry about Inds) I slept on the couch in the living room so as to keep an eye on Indigo. Well, I can't say I slept much, what with kittens jumping all over me and Gretl landing on my face at one point which was a bit of a shock, but they all reacted to my being in with them at night in their own individual way. Liesl curled up daintily next to my pillow, head on one side, and regarded me thoughtfully. Marta and Louisa spent the night snuggled into my neck and hair. Gretl leaped around excitedly rubbing her head affectionately all over my hands and face, Freddie insisted on licking my nose and chin a lot. Kurt got under the covers where it was nice and warm and Brigitta snuggled into the crook of my knees and purrred and purred. It was nice but I was basically immobilised by all these bodies and kept waking up with cramps from where I'd stayed still so long!

(I loved it really!)

Anyway, if you could all cross fingers for Indigo's speedy recovery, I'd be much obliged. The vet says every third cat appointment at the moment is for a UTI- apparently the combo of central heating plus very cold weather isn't a brilliant one for cats' urinary health. I shall do some more reading around that... perhaps there's something I can add to the cats food in the winter time that will help protect them? Does anyone know?

Shoulder

I love this photo... I usually hate anything with me in it! Marta loves shoulders- Indigo did, and Marta spends a not inconsiderable amount of time perched up there. Usually most days at least once she'll climb aboard for a bit. Gretl does too, but she has to be removed regularly as she thinks spectacles are a cool toy. Marta just snuggles though, and tickles my ear with her whiskers!

Speaking of whiskers, I've been FURminating Ava and Sofia a lot recently as they seem to be having their spring moult, this despite the coldest weather this year, go figure. Anyway, the other day Sofia lost a whisker. They do shed whiskers, but they never cease to fascinate me and it was good to study one up close. Needle sharp at one end, tapered to a thin, fine strand at the other, whiskers (or whisker pads, I guess) are incredibly sensitive and partially responsible for  balance and all sorts of things. A cat who loses his whiskers might be rather wobbly until they grow back, and occasionally a mama cat will chew off her kitten's whiskers to make sure they don't stray far from the nest!

Back to Marta once again, she and Liesl had a lovely visit from their family yesterday- well before the snow came I am relieved to add! And their new names are chosen too- Lily and Iris, after family members. Awwww! The family aren't 100% as to who will be who yet, but they rather think Liesl will be Lily and Marta will be Iris.

9 weeks old

...yesterday, but it was vaccination, vet check and weighing day today. There's so many of them, the vet has to block in a big chunk of appointments in order to get everything done!

Of course it's the coldest day of the winter so far isn't it? LOL we bundled up, or rather, I bundled up, and the kittens got a heating pad in each of their carriers and a blanket over the top to keep the heat in, and off we all went.They were all very good, despite being scared, and of course the needle wasn't very nice. But they all coped admirably.

Louisa still looks like a girl (lol)

Everybody's hearts all sound nice and healthy, lungs are all good, eyes are gunk free, teeth are lovely and so on and so forth, a lovely healthy bunch, in fact.

Freddie's leg, says the vet, 'gets straighter every time I see him'- bodies really are wonderful things aren't they? According to the vet, he's still actively healing as he grows, as when he was smaller the leg was much more at an angle than it is now. I'll have to try and get a photo and show you. It's all wonderful news and I'm so proud of him.

I'm expecting sleepy kittens for much of today, the jab really takes it out of them I've found, and they will have a nice bland chicken dinner later so as not to over tax their stomachs, not that I've known that to happen, but you never know. They will be back to normal tomorrow. Just as well, as Brigitta's, and Marta and Liesl's families are hoping to visit, snow permitting of course! We don't have any here yet...

Liesl
Birth 96g
1 week 172g
2 weeks 226g
3 weeks 250g
4 weeks 325g
5 weeks 420g
6 weeks 586g
8 weeks 880g
9 weeks 1050g

Friedrich


Birth 101g
1 week 187g
2 weeks 239g
3 weeks 271g
4 weeks 349g
5 weeks 449g
6 weeks 630g
8 weeks 950g
9 weeks 1180g

Kurt

Birth 102g
1 week 205g
2 weeks 280g
3 weeks 341g
4 weeks 448g
5 weeks 570g
6 weeks 740g
8 weeks 1020g
9 weeks 1220g

Louisa

Birth 82g
1 week 157g
2 weeks 219g
3 weeks 260g
4 weeks 334g
5 weeks 394g
6 weeks 530g
8 weeks 820g
9 weeks 960g

Brigitta

Birth 83g
1 week 179g
2 weeks 248g
3 weeks 301g
4 weeks 374g
5 weeks 497g
6 weeks 641g
8 weeks 890g
9 weeks 1070g

Marta

Birth 91g
1 week 178g
2 weeks 249g
3 weeks 311g
4 weeks 389g
5 weeks 468g
6 weeks 603g
8 weeks 840g
9 weeks 970g

Gretl

Birth 81g
1 week 150g
2 weeks 220g
3 weeks 269g
4 weeks 342g
5 weeks 402g
6 weeks 516g
8 weeks 780g
9 weeks 950g


Comparison:

Birth

 

REM litter 83g-103g. Average 92g

Von Trapp litter 81g-102g. Average 91g

1 week

 

REM litter 182g-217g Average 195g

Von Trapp litter 150g- 205g. Average 175g

2 weeks

REM litter 257g-294g, Average 272g
Von Trapp litter 220g- 280g, Average 240g

3 weeks

REM litter  338g-390g. Average 359g.
Von Trapp litter 250g- 341g. Average 286g.

4 weeks

REM litter 437g-524g. Average 466g
Von Trapp litter 325g-448g. Average 365g

5 weeks

REM litter 539g-604g. Average 581g
Von Trapp litter 394g-570g. Average 457g.

6 weeks

REM litter 712g- 792g, Average 752g
Von Trapp litter  516g-740g, Average 606g

9 weeks

 

REM litter 1070-1340g. Average 1238g

Von Trapp litter 950-1220g. Average 1057g

An Unexpected Bath

Well Louisa, the badness, has spent some time 'practicing' her kitten gate climbing skills. Most of the time she doesn't make it, but occasionallly those claws catch onto the edge and she hauls herself over. And then of course she can't get out, and howls and howls till I come and rescue her. Whereupon she comes and jumps over again. *rolls eyes*

Kittens watch their siblings and copy. Marta had clearly been taking in her sister's latest skill and decided to try it out for herself- onto the toilet seat. Yup, you can tell where this is going can't you? I heard the most agonised howl from the bathroom, causing me, Indigo and all the kittens to stampede en masse in that direction and there she was, feet first in the toilet bowl looking absolutely horrified. She'd obviously tried to jump up, slipped, and fallen in.

We usually leave the seat down but for some reason it wasn't this time... fortunately I never use a rim block or similar (as my adult cats are fascinated by them and ull them all over the house) and the bowl was cleaned just the other day, so it really was just water down there. A quick rinse was all she needed, and then much cuddling and drying off because she was sopping from her middle downwards and pretty shaken up to boot.

I was too, truth be told... it was carelessness indeed on my part because it is possible for a kitten to come to grief that way. It's another of those things I'd rather NOT report on here. No-one needs to know, right? But that's not what I blog for... one of the aims on here is complete honesty, even if it doesn't make me look especially 'good', and besides which someone might read this, realise how dangerous toilets can be to kittens and make sure their own bowls are lidded all the time too.

Oh... and obviously I have no photos of her in the bowl or sopping  wet afterwards as I was far too busy sorting her out... but after, when she was calm, just a little damp, and soothing her injured pride with a wash? I certainly did! Here she is smoothing down her ruffled fur, with a sisterly Gretl helping her out. Poor Marta!

8 Weeks Old

Chaos! In the past 24 hours the heating has broken down, the washing machine has broken down, and, today, Indigo is unwell- vomiting. Indigo is never sick. When she then vomited a bright red fluid I whisked her off to the vet pdq. Several injections and a nasty tasting medicine later, she's back home, and I must say, looking distinctly chirpier this evening so something has helped.

She's lost quite a lot of weight- pre pregnancy she was 4.3kg, and she was a little portly if I'm honest. Now she weighs 3.5 kg, which is underweight for her and a significant drop. I know she's had 7 babies to feed, and mama cats DO get thin, but that's a big drop in just a few months. She's also rather dehydrated. If she hadn't improved over the course of today she would have had to go back in and be put on a drip.

Poor Indigo! She had that funny thing where her third eyelid was showing, then she had the dreadful morning sickness, then on/off diarrhoea, then her ear, then more tummy issues, all one after the other.  Once the kittens have gone I'll have to build her up a little and then consider her breeding career- perhaps not breed her again or give her a longer break between litters or something. Or perhaps it's nothing to do with that at all and it's just one of those things... I don't know, but everything will be carefully considered.

Oh- the heating is fixed, by the way. But until it was, the kittens stayed nice and warm with blowy heaters placed inside a cage so they couldn't get TOO close to them, much like a toddler fire guard... worked well. I understand our gas is going to be off next week for the day, so they will keep us all toasty on that day too, especially if the snow in the north heads this way! Stay warm!


Liesl

Birth 96g
1 week 172g
2 weeks 226g
3 weeks 250g
4 weeks 325g
5 weeks 420g
6 weeks 586g
8 weeks 880g

Friedrich


Birth 101g
1 week 187g
2 weeks 239g
3 weeks 271g
4 weeks 349g
5 weeks 449g
6 weeks 630g
8 weeks 950g

Kurt

Birth 102g
1 week 205g
2 weeks 280g
3 weeks 341g
4 weeks 448g
5 weeks 570g
6 weeks 740g
8 weeks 1020g

Louisa

Birth 82g
1 week 157g
2 weeks 219g
3 weeks 260g
4 weeks 334g
5 weeks 394g
6 weeks 530g
8 weeks 820g

Brigitta

Birth 83g
1 week 179g
2 weeks 248g
3 weeks 301g
4 weeks 374g
5 weeks 497g
6 weeks 641g
8 weeks 890g

Marta

Birth 91g
1 week 178g
2 weeks 249g
3 weeks 311g
4 weeks 389g
5 weeks 468g
6 weeks 603g
8 weeks 840g

Gretl

Birth 81g
1 week 150g
2 weeks 220g
3 weeks 269g
4 weeks 342g
5 weeks 402g
6 weeks 516g
8 weeks 780g

Comparison:

Birth

REM litter 83g-103g. Average 92g

Von Trapp litter 81g-102g. Average 91g

1 week

REM litter 182g-217g Average 195g

Von Trapp litter 150g- 205g. Average 175g

2 weeks

REM litter 257g-294g, Average 272g
Von Trapp litter 220g- 280g, Average 240g

3 weeks

REM litter  338g-390g. Average 359g.
Von Trapp litter 250g- 341g. Average 286g.

4 weeks

REM litter 437g-524g. Average 466g
Von Trapp litter 325g-448g. Average 365g

5 weeks

REM litter 539g-604g. Average 581g
Von Trapp litter 394g-570g. Average 457g.

6 weeks

REM litter 712g- 792g, Average 752g
Von Trapp litter  516g-740g, Average 606g

8 weeks

REM litter 962-1149g. Average 1063g
Von Trapp litter 780-883g. Average 883g

More Of Marta

I try to give all the kittens equal 'coverage' on this blog, with guest appearances by the adults naturally, but inevitably there are times when a kitten is left out for a bit. Marta is one of those. Because she's so sweet and easy going, she doesn't stand out as much as some of her siblings and probably hasn't got the coverage they have. So I'm concentrating on Marta today.

Marta is an absolute angel. She's soft and cuddly, easygoing and amiable, and all her siblings love to snuggle with her. She's more than happy to sleep on a lap too, and very people friendly. If you pick her up she goes all limp and snuggles up- on her back sometimes, like her Mama. Her favourite toy is a big plastic wheel with a ball in it- she sits in the middle and bats the ball around happily at least once a day and generally just makes me melt. She's adorable.

She's rather like Jonah- Monty- from our last litter. He was easygoing and uber-snuggly too. But she's not exactly like him of course, they all have their own unique personalities.

Now excuse me, while I go and kiss her!