Kitten 1 (plus stats)

This little darling is Digory. His eyes were both shut yesterday, but he's just starting to peek at us now.

 

Digory is named after Digory Kirke, who features in the first book, The Magician's Nephew. Digory the kitten was the firstborn, is the heaviest, and the first to double his birth weight- yesterday. He has quite a dark tone to his fur (in comparison, they are all a pale cream, in fact, just different shades!) and if that is indicative of future colouration I'd say he was a chocolate solid.

ALL of my kittens have now doubled their birth weight, right on cue. Good kittens! I was expecting some of them to do it today, but not all of them so I'm extremely pleased with them as you may imagine. I'll be keeping a close eye on their weights this coming week as from previous litters I know it's the time Inds has struggled a bit, plus they have just started to move around a lot in their pen, which always seems to lead to a lesser weight gain for a time. One of my kittens, the lastborn, is a very active little thing, and so is Little Scrap... I'm sure it's no coincidence they are the lightest kittens- they burn all their energy off, exploring!

Aaaaand it's that time again! Stats!

 

Digory

Birth: 84g

1 week:186g

 

Kitten 3

Birth:72g

1 week:151g

 

Kitten 4

Birth:89g

1 week:185g

 

Kitten 5

Birth:83g

1 week:171g

 

Kitten 6

Birth: 84g

1 week:177g

 

Kitten 7

Birth: 90g

1 week:184g

 

Kitten 8

Birth: 80g

1 week: 163g

 

Aaaand comparisons of all the litters to date:

 

Birth
REM litter 83g-103g. Average 92g

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

Narnian litter 72-90g. Average 83g
 

1 week
REM litter 182g-217g Average 195g

Von Trapp litter 150g- 205g. Average 175g
Narnian litter:151-186g. Average 174g

 

 

It's interesting to note that although the kittens are smaller, the total weight of collective kitten at birth has increased each time. Mama was carrying over 100g more kitten with this recent litter than she was with the REM's, not to mention the extra weight in placenta, fluids and so on. It will be interesting to see if they go on being small, because dad cat isn't a small cat this time... so their genetics presumably dictate an average size. They seem to be closing the gap on their predecessors. Will my Narnians overtake the Von Trapps, or will they continue to be little? Tune in for the next wet-your-pants thrilling instalment next week!

Narnia!

Yup, Narnia is the theme for this litter. All seven of the books, not just the most famous, 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'. There are some most excellent boys names that it's a shame not to be able to use... but never mind. Like many older book series, there's quite an imbalance of male and female characters, usually to the male advantage, and Narnia is no exception!

But there's enough female names, so it's all good. We'll be meeting Kitten 1 tomorrow. Kitten 2, the little one who didn't make it, will be getting a name too.

There's no photos today. The light quality has been simply awful, and I haven't wanted to use the flash because... they are opening their eyes! Well some are. Some are totally shut, some have eyes cracked open, one has one eye fully open and the other fully shut... it is adorable.

They've been putting on weight like good-uns, these past few days especially, and Kitten 1 has doubled his birth weight. I expect several of his siblings to join him tomorrow. On average kittens double their birth weight in a week, at today's weigh in they were 6.5 days old, so y'know, they are doing pretty well. And Little Scrap has nearly overtaken his smallest sister weight wise. He probably will soon, boys tend to be heavier than girls, even when they start out small. I'd be very surprised if he stayed the lightest.

Photos tomorrow!

Girls And Boys... Again!

According to some websites, it's simple to tell if your kitten is a boy or a girl.  Girls have what looks like a dot and a slit, with a smaller gap between the two, and boys have a dot and another dot, further away. So just look to see if they have a dot or a slit. Easy, right?

 

Hahahahahahhahahahaha... er... not so much!

 

The first thing to remember is that kittens wriggle! They don't stay still, and as such will not be terribly obliging when you try to look at their nether regions. Getting a good look, therefore, is a chore in itself! They may also pee and poo on you in the process. Nice. Keep the wet wipes to hand!

 

Once you have had a good look, there are several complicating factors. Testicles, in short! A pair of balls, side by side, can actually look very slit-like. So you look for the 'dot' under the slit... but therein lies another issue... the girls have a small 'pouch' under the slit too, (like a three sided purse) which can look dot-like. Boys bits tend to stick out more... but even that isn't a dead giveaway as for a week or so after birth, things can be a bit swollen down there anyway- result of maternal hormones.

 

What I'm saying, in short, is they can look very similar. Easy my backside! I was told the other day that Tonks are harder to sex than some other breeds... don't know why, but apparently it is so. It wouldn't surprise me, awkward little things *grin*

 

I am heartened though, by remembering a kitten from the last litter, Louisa. If you were reading then, you will remember that I had her down as a girl, but she was seven or so weeks old before this was finally confirmed by the vet... we had the whole surgery in, on several visits, speculating over this poor kitten's bottom, and the first time they saw her, they said boy.Well if a roomful of experts could get it wrong, it can hardly be as simple as the websites claim.  

 

So anyway, back to this lot. I've ummed and ahhed for days, and I keep coming back to five girls and two boys. What do you think?

 

 

Kitten 1. Looks like a boy to me.

 

 

Kitten2: Another boy. This one (little scrap) is HUGE! Or is it just that the rest of him is tiny? But do you see how what I presume are testicles can look like the slitted opening of a female?

 

 

Kitten 3: Girl- dot and slit. (but it just seems rather large!)

 

 

 

Kitten 4: Girl. I need another photo of her though, because yesterday I could have sworn she was a boy! This one is so feisty it was hard to get a photo at all.

 

 

 

Kitten 5: Girl.

 

Kitten 6: Girl

 

 

 

Kitten 7: Girl.

Moustaches

The kittens are starting to develop colour on their faces. Chocolates, even the solids, are quite pale in the body, and it is quite a contrast with the dark of their points.

Of course the babies have a long way to go but it is hilarious.... their noses are starting to develop a blush of colour, they have 'freckles' where their whiskers join, and they are developing moustaches. Moustaches! Hold the 'Kitler' jokes please...

 

Can you see? It was hard to get a shot, they wiggle so and my phone camera isn't brilliant.

Needless to say, 1930's Germany will NOT be featuring in our name theme... ugh...  although if I was feeling wicked, I'd be tempted to go with a Poirot theme!

The Hokey Cokey

 

You puts your right paw in...

 

 

Aaaaaaand your left paw in...

 

 

and give the baby a snuggle

 

 

Babies remain unimpressed by this Hokey Cokey business.

Pics!

 

All seven with Mama

 

 

sleepy baby

 

 

and another one!

 

Mama and babies all continue to do well. They all have fat little bellies, are vigorous and healthy and are putting on weight at a reasonable rate. They are quite small kittens- the larger the litter the smaller the kittens as a general rule- and all weighed between 80 and 90g at birth except for Little Scrap who was 72g. Most of them, all but Little Scrap, have topped 100g at today's weigh in, and some are in the teens so that isn't bad going  considering the size of their tummies.

 

I have read that kittens under 80g mostly don't live... Little Scrap is the lightest kitten we've had, and I've been keeping a special eye on him, but he seems just like the others so...? I wonder if that is because a kitten that light is often premature, whereas these guys were full term, there were just lots of them. After all, poor Inds was carrying almost 700g of collective kitten, plus goodness knows how much in placenta, fluid and so on. 

 

I'm not totally sure of the genders, but we do seem to have a lot of girls this time! Plenty of time for the sex change fairy to visit, but last night my reckoning was 5 girls and 2 boys, and the kitten that didn't make it was a girl, poor little thing, it was easy to tell with her as she didn't move a lot. When I looked this morning I thought there was another boy though... so I'm still not sure about this one!

 

Little Scrap with the kinked tail(must get a pic, it really is adorably silly!) is VERY obviously a boy although now I've said that... lol! I've had a lot of interest for these kittens but mainly for the boys... so I'm hoping people aren't necessarily dead set on a boy or they might just be disappointed this time!

 

It's too soon to tell which will be minks and which solids, but there do seem to be three kittens who seem a shade lighter than the others- poorly baby was, as well. I don't know if this is pure chance, or if the blondies will turn out to be the minks, it will be interesting to see. They have a half and half chance of being either you see, so I wonder. It is the tiniest difference, in a mixed litter with just one choc alongside other colours, you'd never be able to tell if it was one or the other.

 

Awww, off to pet Indigo and stroke a few velvety heads! 



Hello, Goodbye

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

A.A. Milne/ Winnie the Pooh

 

Sorry to not have updated earlier, but have been super busy. Yesterday evening, Indigo had a whopping eight kittens after a previous false start (all) the night before. Seven are healthy and thriving, as is Mama, for which I am very thankful. All smallish, between 80 and 90g except one little scrap at 71g, but eight is a lot of space to find room for, after all! Little Scrap has a kink at the very end of its tail too, it looks ever so silly!

 

Sadly the second born of the litter, a little girl, was put to sleep this morning. She didn't breathe at birth and had to be revived, but never really picked up. He lungs were failing and breathing was an effort for her, her heartbeat was slow, she was cold, floppy and she couldn't feed. Poor baby.

 

Mama is fine. With seven others she has her paws well and truly full. And she knew. She hadn't rejected the kitten, and would lick it occasionally, but didn't show any anxiety when I handled it, in the way she does for the others.

 

I've been lucky so far, but I knew we'd lose a kitten one day. Now we have. This breeding business is bittersweet indeed.

 

But the other seven are most comforting. They've all put on weight in the first few hours and have round, milky bellies. And they are gorgeous. Look!

 

 

No idea as to boys and girls, I'm too sleep deprived to tell!!!It's not as if they stay still enough to get a proper look!

 

So anyway. That's our news. Merry Christmas! I'll be back in a couple of days with an update.

 

9 week bump

 

 

Yeah, she does have a head, but whenever I tried to take a pic, she turned away. Anyway, what you can see in this pic is that her bump has now 'dropped'- ie the babies lowest down have engaged in the pelvic cavity and the others are all sort of lined up, low down, ready for birth. With the REM's she didn't drop until the day of the birth, but the last litter happened a few days before so we're right on schedule.

 

 

You can see it here too, the back now has (slightly!) more definition and you can see (just) that the belly splays out lower down. She's walking a bit like John Wayne as well, with her hips at an angle. Poor Inds!

 

Of course this means there's little room in the bladder, so she's peeing lots, and not necessarily where she ought to be, either. Hmm. She was the same last year so I'm not worried but it's a good thing I am having a washing day today eh?

Tired

If there's been a lot of  'Indigo in the desk cat bed' shots of late, it's because that's where she spends pretty much all of her day. She's sleeping... sort of. Trying to anyway, which isn't so easy with goodness knows how many hooligans cavorting around on your insides.

When she gets to this stage, she wants to spend most of her time near me, and gets anxious if I go out for too long. So I try not to. After the weekend I won't be going out at all, not until the kittens are here, and I'll be sleeping in the living room with her as well. Fortunately the sofa is pretty comfy, and I can nap during the day if I'm sleepy.

I'm not a great TV watcher, but I always end up channel hopping a lot in the last few days of Indigo's pregnancies. Or reading. Indigo prefers to be on my lap, which pretty much ties me down to one spot. This year will be good as I'll have lots of Christmas telly to amuse myself with.

Lots of waiting around, anyway, wielding the remote. Best get myself a Radio Times.

Reach

 

Just.... can't....

 

 Poor, poor Indigo!

 

She's so full of kitten now she can't reach her behind to clean it. Whereas in previous years she's been happy to let me help out (I use water wipes which are chemical free) this year she'd rather I didn't interfere, thanks. So I haven't, and she's getting a little crusty.

 

It's both funny and a bit touching to see her try to contort round her big belly to wash... but unlike a cat who is simply obese, there is no 'give' in her midsection at all... it is a big solid mass of kitten. Cats are usually such clean animals, so it must feel nasty.

 

Well, not long to go now... in a week or so she can have a jolly good bath.

 

 

Sigh

I know honey. Not long to go now.

The Cat Cupboard

All stocked up and ready for anything!!!

(Nearly) 8 week bump

 

Oh Indigo...

 

 

poor old puss!

 

 

Yeah, she's definitely pregnant...

 

This past week, the major change in her has been her chest area, she's getting all bumpy and 'quilted' as the milk comes in. She's also standing very wide as the growing kittens fill all remaining space in her abdomen and she's having to balance. She's finding washing down there a bit of a burden and she can no longer sleep on her front. And she's still Velcro-cat.

 

Oh, and she's started making that hilarious 'oof' noise when she jumps anywhere... LOL... poor Inds!

 

Other than that, eat and sleep, eat and sleep and occasionally (attempt to) wash, that's Indigo's days in a nutshell! She was a bit moody in the week, and I was worried because I note on my chart from 2010 'Relationship with Ava and Sofia completely broken down' at this stage. Fortunately there seems to be peace again now.

 

All the same, she's due for her pre birth nail clip shortly because as soon as she has those kittens she will turn into a raging hellbeast given the opportunity and protect them at all costs from any perceived threats, like all good Mama cats. Of course, according to Indigo, threats include ALL the other cats, although Theo she usually accepts after 24-48 hours. The cats will of course be separated, but Sofia can be a bit of a tease and will likely wind Indigo up... unfortunately Indigo is more than likely to then go after Ava, who is likely to get hurt in the tussle. Less likely with clipped claws, though! Inds will calm down after a week or so, and all will be well but while the babies are very very new, it's best to keep everyone apart.

 

Edited to add.... yeah, bit of attitude this morning from Miss Inds... she peed on her bed. Right in front of me. Bed is now in the wash, and Miss Contrary is FURIOUS that she now doesn't have a soft bed to sleep on. Lots of huffy looks and sighs in my direction all day. For heaven's sake... YOU peed on it, Indigo!!!!!!

Blankets

You know I said I was planning on sending blankets home with my kittens this year? Loooooook!!!! My friend Nicola has a business making children's clothing from fleece http://nitnac.co.uk/ and agreed to make me some kitten sized blankets And here they are!

When the kittens are here, the blankets will be used on their beds, and when they go home they will have a blanket for their bedding that smells comforting and will help them settle in nicely. There's ten of these and I've plenty of shop bought ones too (the shop ones are bigger) so my kittens should be cozy and happy both here and in their new home. Hurrah!

Who's The Daddy 2013

It's Louis!

 

Now I don't have a photo of Louis to share, because Louis? Well he's a shy boy. Gentle with the ladies, loving with his own humans, but strangers he'll give a very wide berth to, thank you very much! So, I only had fleeting glimpses of him. Enough to know that he's extremely handsome though! There's some photos of him here http://tonkadello.co.uk/2000/01/19/louis/

 

Louis, pedigree name Fabiola the Moonstone Kid, is special because he's a first generation Tonk and an entirely new bloodline. His parents weren't Tonk at all- his mother was Burmese and his father Siamese. Introducing new lines to the Tonkinese gene pool is hard work, there are certain genes not wanted in the Tonk pool (such as cinnamon/fawn) so choosing the breeding stock for the new line is done very carefully indeed, painstakingly going over the pedigrees of many generations. I believe genetic testing is involved too. You can't just use any old Siamese or Burmese!

 

Anyway, Louis was the result of all this effort, and I was delighted to be able to use him.

 

Louis is chocolate, and doesn't appear to carry dilute, so all the kittens in Indigo's litter will be chocolate. They will all carry the dilute gene though, from Indigo. As Louis is a mink cat, the kittens could either be mink like him, or solid like Mama Indigo.

 

His last litter was born two weeks ago, seven of them, and I think Indigo's is the next to come. Heaven knows how many she will have. I've been observing her bump and can see four distinct kicking areas. Last time that happened was with the REM's, and I was very surprised when the girls popped out too making six, so of course that doesn't mean a thing. The only one who knows is Indigo... and she's not telling.

.

 

 

 Too right. You'll have to wait and see!

Cave

 

Indigo's been showing more than a little interest in cardboard boxes of late. Experience tells me she won't actually birth in one- silly thing prefers to start off on ME and I'll transfer her to a bigger tub at some point during the delivery. But her instinct tells her to dig and root around in dark places. So I've set the pen up and put a nice box in it, filled with that brown packing paper. It's by the pipes, so nice and warm without being TOO hot, and it's all dark and cave- like. In front is a pad and some toys. Indigo is enjoying her new abode very much indeed.

 

So is someone else. Silly old Theo. Not quite the idea, boy!

Happy Birthday, REM's!

Happy Birthday Alfie, Jacob, Jonah, Kensey, Lotti and Lisl! Three years old today!

 

The REM litter, back when they were Wendell, Kenneth, Kensey, Monty, AnnElise and Hope... awww!

 

 

Kensey showing us how to pose beautifully... and Alfie (Kenneth) showing us how NOT to!

 

7 week bump

 

from the top

 

and the side

 

 

Sorry about the quality of the photos. I'm hoping to pick up a decent- but- cheap camera in the January sales, until then you are stuck with my not terribly good phone!

 

As you can see, she's not become substantially bigger this past week, but her bump has become a good deal more solid. She's finding it a little cumbersome working round it to groom, wash her nether regions and so on. Dare I say it's a tiny bit funny? I am so mean!

 

Babies are becoming more active. I've seen movement several times this week. I've yet to be able to feel a kitten whilst rubbing her belly but that can't be long away. Indigo can feel them I'm sure, several times this week I've seen her wearing a look of what I can only describe as resigned patience whilst they do the riverdance all over her internal organs.

 

Two and a bit weeks to go...

 

Cuddle

I may have mentioned that Indigo gets even more cuddly when she is expecting? I mean, she's an affectionate cat anyway but turns into Velcro cat when she has buns in the oven. Which, on a cold, wintery day, is rather nice!

Bump photos tomorrow!

Squeeeeeeee!

I saw movement!!!!!!!

Awwwww, little baby kittens!

That is all.

Good. Hurrah. Now please to resume the rubbing of the belly now thx?

Comfort

It's amazing how cuddly my moggy girls get in the chilly weather. I love it when they snuggle up together, they aren't prone to it being rather more aloof than Indigo and Theo, but occasionally let their guard down.

This bed is by the window, on top of three plastic tubs, right by the radiator. It's usually occupied by someone, (usually Ava) but Sofia has discovered two someones will also fit.

Indigo is very well. I've been talking to a prospective kitten family today and it's really brought home to me how much I am looking forward to this litter. I love all my kittens, I love them dearly, but they are only mine for a little while, usually. But one of this litter really will be mine, she'll be staying, and... yes well. Lets just say I am ridiculously excited about it.

Alfie The Ham

 

Nom!

Ahahahahahahahha!!!!! This photo makes me laugh every time I see it! Clearly Indigo has passed her looniness on to her son! This is Alfie, Indikon Kenneth from the REM litter.

Thank you S for letting me post it up here :)

And before I forget...

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday dear Bailey, Sulley, Maddie, Pasha, Lola, Lottie and CoCo

Happy birthday to you!

 

 

(I think this is them...)

 

 

This definitely is... they all loved my desk!

Awwwww, my Von Trapps. Two today. Happy birthday babies!

6 week bump

Yeah. So, you know I told Indigo that I was putting in an order for four kittens this time? Four, a nice litter size, not too taxing on Mama (or me, for that matter), just a nice, average family.

 

Well, I don't think she was listening...

 

 

See what I mean? And she's still got THREE AND A BIT WEEKS TO GO!!!!!!!!! That is a six week bump. She looks like she's about ready to pop!

 

 

Top view. Bit blurry, but you can see her body looks like a furry rugby ball.

 

Aaaaand from underneath. Oh dear oh dear.

 

I said she'd grown, and I wasn't kidding! She's heavier too, she sent my leg to sleep earlier, just sitting on it, terrible pins and needles.

 

It is some small comfort to remember she was several pounds overweight when I took her to stud: it may yet transpire that she's 'more fat than cat'  to borrow a phrase (see the Rameses website for the original!) and she'll surprise me by popping out two babies only... but I don't think so.

 

Oh well. Good thing I like kittens then isn't it :)