Squeeee! One week old!

It's getting more difficult to photograph the babies now they have their eyes open. I don't want the camera to flash in their newly exposed eyes, but it's surprising how much they have their eyes open-  they are Tonks after all, nosey parkers even at just a week old. Sniff, sniff, sniff they go, at the approach of a human, gazing about with beady black eyes and then... MAMAAAAAAAAAAA! My goodness they are loud when they get going! Then Indigo tells me off, then Lucy does, and I have a pen full of cross Tonks. Oops.

Lucy went into heat shortly after the babies arrived. She's had calls regularly since 6 months, but this one was a proper, full on screamathon. I may have to rethink my breeding plans for her and bring it forward a little bit! She's clearly totally mature now and given her care of her siblings, (between shouting!) more than capable of being a good Mama to her own litter. So I'm now thinking a December mating, not a January one. She will be well over a year old by the time the kittens arrive, and is well grown so I don't think it will matter.

Plus, Lucy is enjoying all the food that is knocking around here at the moment. She's enjoying it a bit too much! Indigo is getting Theo's kibble which isn't kitten food but is quite nutrient dense, and a mixture of adult and kitten wet food, with occasional chunks of ham, chicken and tuna to whet her appetite as we go into the next week, historically I have found milk demand ramps right up at this stage as the kittens start being more active, and Indigo becomes exhausted and can struggle to eat enough to meet demand. Tempting her with favoured foods can help, so lots is being offered, which Lucy is LOVING of course, and we've already had a break-in from Theo, which of course set his tummy off for a spell. Sigh.

Stats time!


Kitten 1
Birth: 98g
1 week: 177g


Kitten 2
Birth: 91g
1 week: 187g- doubled, yay!


Kitten 3
Birth: 92g
1 week: 171g


Kitten 4
Birth: 106g
1 week: 187g


Kitten 5
Birth: 104g
1 week: 208g- doubled as well


Kitten 6
Birth 94g
1 week 187g- 1g off the double.


Kittens in order of size:


Birth: 4,5,1,6,3,2
1 week: 5, 6 4 and 2, 1, 3.


Comparison by litter:


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

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

Narnian litter 72-90g. Average 83g
unnamed litter 91-106g. Average 98g
 

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

Von Trapp litter 150g- 205g. Average 175g
Narnian litter:151-186g. Average 174g
Unnamed litter: 171-208g. Average 186g