Brothers

Doing what brothers do best... fighting! The expression on Freddie's face is cracking me up. You needn't feel too sorry for him though, he gives as good as he gets and then some.

I'd like to thank everyone who has been posting recently, old and newcomers. It's been so good to find messages when I've opened up the blog, and I love chatting to other 'cat people' anyway. Thank you, and keep talking!

I had an email/ telephone conversation with the GCCF the other day. Remember way back when, when I mated Inds? At the time, we thought Monty was a chocolate. Well, it's since become obvious he is not, he is a brown. And he's been re-registered, and all is good. He's even had a litter of kittens registered since the change, so we know that's all been through OK.

Of course what neither Hilary or I thought was that my proof of mating certificate has Monty down as a chocolate. And of course, if you mate a choc to a lilac, you absolutely cannot have blue or brown kittens. So the GCCF weren't able to register the kittens.

All sorted now- Hilary will send me an updated certificate, I'll send that off, and all will be able to proceed. Phew! It's really good though, how careful they are with their registrations :) I hadn't even thought there might be a problem, hadn't crossed my mind, and yet I had to fill in the form twice as I know they don't allow any errors/ crossings out on the application form. D'oh!

Oh, Cripes...

Last week, when I took the kittens in for their final vaccination, the vet said to me 'So, we won't be seeing these babies again then' and I said 'No, no... final time'

I really ought to have known better, oughtn't I? *headdesk*

Today, the day before he was due to go home, Kensey developed a swelling on his neck. He didn't have it yesterday. So off we went to the blessed vet, to see what was going on. They looked at it, prodded it, measured it, and made another appointment for Monday to see what it's doing.

So it's most likely a vaccine/ microchip site reaction. Kensey isn't in any pain, the site isn't tender, he hasn't got a temperature and o be honest he doesn't know the lump is there... there's therefore no treatment he can be given! It's a case of waiting and seeing. He's not remotely unwell... but I can't in all honesty send him home with a big, unresolved lump in his neck. Quite apart from it being dishonest it's against GCCF rules. This is why we keep the kittens for a week after their final vaccination, of course, just in case something like this happens... but you kind of don't expect it to, you know?

So Kensey is to stay for a bit, until I have more info on what the lump is doing. And of course that means AnnElise will be staying, too, as it would be daft to break their bond only to have to reintroduce them again. Poor S and K... they were looking forward so much to taking their babies home tomorrow, and now they won't be able to! They are coming to visit them though, later on :)

With any luck, come Monday the swelling will be smaller and Kensey will be given the all clear. Fingers, toes and paws crossed for Kensey, please!

Numbers

I was drawing up the kittens' 4 generation pedigrees last night, a somewhat complicated procedure involving lots of strings of numbers (the cats' registration numbers) and thus checking and rechecking that I have copied the numbers correctly. I'm not finished yet, it's kind of a work in progress lol.

It was really quite interesting though. I haven't looked at Indigo's and Harry's pedigrees for a while. Indigo is a 5th generation Tonkinese, so her pedigree is all Tonk, and all the breed numbers are 74 and variations thereof. Harry though, Harry is a 2nd generation Tonkinese, so his near ancestors contains both Burmese and Siamese influences. So there's a liberal sprinkling of 24s (Siamese), 27s (Burmese) and even a couple of 32s in there as well (Tabby/ Tortie/ Red/ Cream/ Apricot Siamese, as these colours were not originally accepted by Siamese breeders, hence the different number)

As to which generation the kittens are, it's the lower of the parent's generations, plus one. So they are 3rd generation Tonkinese. Their parents and grandparents are all Tonks, their great grandparents and their great great grandparents are Burmese, Siamese and Tonkinese.

All the cats have letters before their number, too. Now Tonkinese are a relatively new breed (although in the 'wild', they are as old as the hills... there are Tonkinese street cats wherever the Burmese and the Siamese are...) so there are different codes, and it all gets quite confusing. There's a brilliant guide at Mymystic Tonkinese but I'll try to summarise on here as well.

If the cat has a CSREF on its registration number, it is e on the reference register. It is either a first generation, second generation, or has a solid or pointed coat pattern- so both Indigo and Wendell have CSREF before their numbers. CSREF cats can be bred from, if also registered as active (Indigo is, Wendell is not) but they cannot be shown in pedigree classes.

If a cat has CSSR before it's numbers, it is on the supplementary register. This means that the cats ancestry for 3 generations consists of mink tonkinese, pointed and solid variant CSREF Tonkinese PLUS at least one ancestor from a back cross mating (Tonkinese with Burmese or Siamese, but only pre 1997, it's not allowed now) or a pre 1999 first cross mating (Burmese x Siamese) All the minks have a CSSR before their number (as does Harry, their father) because they have a Siamese and a Burmese as a great grandparent. CSSR kittens can be shown. They can also be bred from if also registered on the Active Register, which mine are not, of course.

and THEN, we have the registration CS, which is the full register- fourth generation and above mink Tonkinese and onwards. Indigo had a mink brother, who would have been CS. Don't let the name 'full register' fool you though... all the codes are properly GCCF registered pedigree Tonkinese cats.

Tonkinese are such a 'new' breed (see proviso above!) that CS registered cats seem to be the exception rather than the rule- there's only one CS Tonkinese cat on the REM litter's whole pedigree! Once you get further and further up the generational ladder, the gene pool available for mating gets smaller and smaller, so eventually you have to mate with lower generations with new bloodlines in order to keep the gene pool healthy.

Not that this will matter to ANYONE but me of course... I suspect I'm a bit of a nerd *grin*. What can I say, I find it interesting!

Last Weigh In

Pretty AnnElise

Last weigh-in and last vaccination, yesterday. All these 'last' things... time seems to be going past awfully fast!

All went swimmingly, all are healthy, and even Hope had a good weight gain in the past 10 or so days- her last gain wasn't brilliant but this week's more than makes up for it. Yay Hope!

So there we are... the kittens are vaccinated, wormed, flead, chipped and just killing time now before coming home. I have the pedigree slips back from the GCCF, I have the free insurance slips ready to go, the microchip numbers are off with Petlog and will be with the new families shortly. I just have to assemble the kitten packs/ documentation now.

*sniff*

So anyway. Weights. I have two big kittens, three average ones and one titch... so all in all a pretty even litter!

Wendell

Birth 103g

1 week 217g

2 weeks 294g

3 weeks 362g

4 weeks 463g

5 weeks 593g

6 weeks 763g

7 weeks 907g

8 weeks 1045g

9 weeks 1240g

10.5 weeks 1390g

12 weeks 1630g

Kensey

Birth 91g

1 week  196g

2 weeks 255g

3 weeks 346g

4 weeks 437g

5 weeks 604g

6 weeks 777g

7 weeks 975g

8 weeks 1149g

9 weeks 1310g

10.5 weeks 1470g

12 weeks 1720g

Kenneth

Birth 94g

1 week 192g

2 weeks 274g

3 weeks 382g

4 weeks 480g

5 weeks 589g

6 weeks 757g

7 weeks 902g

8 weeks 1045g

9 weeks 1230g

10.5 weeks 1340g

12 weeks 1640g

Monty

Birth 90g

1 week  198g

2 weeks 290g

3 weeks 390g

4 weeks 524g

5 weeks 600g

6 weeks 792g

7 weeks 1012g

8 weeks 1157g

9 weeks 1340g

10.5 weeks 1530g

12 weeks 1830g

AnnElise

Birth 92g

1 week 188g

2 weeks 262g

3 weeks 338g

4 weeks 437g

5 weeks 539g

6 weeks 716g

7 weeks 897g

8 weeks 1017g

9 weeks 1240g

10.5 weeks 1350g

12 weeks 1600g

Hope

Birth 83g

1 week 182g

2 weeks 257g

3 weeks 340g

4 weeks 458g

5 weeks 562g

6 weeks 712g

7 weeks 832g

8 weeks 962g

9 weeks  1070g

10.5 weeks 1130g

12 weeks 1360g :)

Registration

FINALLY got round to sending off the registration form today, after agonising over the colours this past week. I've been looking at Kenneth and wondering if he's caramel too, but decided he looked far more like Monty than Kensey. Ditto AnnElise, but she's down as a blue, too. Of course, colours can be changed, everyone who breeds Tonks, especially mixed caramel/ non caramel litters will be well aware that kittens can take a long time to determine, and many a breeder has taken their apparently blue or lilac kitten to a show only to meet with fierce discussion from judges and other breeders as to whether it really is a Caramel! But I've done my best, anyway!

Only just in time, too. Processing can take up to 4 weeks, and I have them here with me still for.... oooh, about four and a half! Nothing like leaving it to the last minute eh, but like I say I was agonising over the colour... I really wanted to get it 'right'. I had to do the form twice, as I made an error on the first and there's no room for correction on the form, plus it's confusing and that's how mistakes are made. I suppose i'm lucky I only had to do it twice!

Anyway, off went the form, the mating certificate from stud Harry's breeders (proving I mated Indigo with another registered Tonkinese and not a random tomcat from up the road!) and the fee, and I shall look forward to getting six 'pink slips' through in the mail... My first Tonkinese, all registered and official. I feel very proud.

On a less pleasant note, this is my poor Indigo's head. The lesions extend into her ears, and over both outer ears, and as you can see are red, raw and sore. Those of you who have seen her recently will appreciate just how quickly this has flared up. She's had a collar on for 24 hours now, and I THINK they haven't worsened any in that time, (because she can't scratch them, probably) and I'm hoping the collar plus the soothing gel will break the itch-scratch-bleed- scab- itch cycle and let them start to heal. Plus we have the vet on Tuesday. I'm hoping now she's only nursing sporadically there will be more options for her. And I'm busily researching preservative and dye free food for the big switcheroo once the kittens have moved on.

 Kenneth's new family were due to visit him tomorrow, but they very kindly contacted me after yesterday's blog entry to ask if I'd rather they postpone. Considering I expect they are dying to see Kenneth again, it was very kind and I did appreciate it- thank you very much S and D!

I had someone coming over tomorrow to look at AnnElise and Kensey, but I've let them know what's going on as well... they may well wish to cancel too. We'll see how it goes. Of course the worry (apart from my concern for Indigo which is, of course, the most important thing!) is that this might dissuade people from taking a kitten from me- understandably, of course, but fairly hard lines for me as the kittens are fine!

There are two other people currently interested as well, (one in the pair, one in AnnElise) and I've let them know about Indigo's head, and offered to help find them another Tonk litter if they wanted as well... I figured that was the right thing to do, but really, of course, I'd like to stomp my feet like a little child and shout IT'S NOT FAIR! After two weeks of not a lot, suddenly I get a rush of genuine interest in the kittens... and this happens!!!!!

Ah well, that's breeding for you, things go wrong and you just have to deal with them. *grin* I feel a bit better after my virtual stomp, anyway!

Indikon

Originally posted on my private blog- posted to http://indikon-tonkinese.blogspot.com/ on 06/01/11

Indigo, kittyloafing.

Exciting news for me! My prefix has been approved, and I am officially INDIKON. Which is Indigo, in Greek. I'm advised the paperwork will be sent sometime in the new year as the post is too busy now, which is fair enough, but I can use the prefix as of now. Hurrah!

It's also not the name at the top of this blog, that was rejected pretty early on as too similar to another prefix name. I thought it would be, but worth a try eh? This is why this is a private blog to date- even if the name of choice is eventually approved, one can't 'use' it until it is, for obvious reasons, of course. So sometime in the New Year, I will start a new, public blog and transfer all these posts over.

Indigo looks stunning at the moment, she really does. She's taking motherhood very seriously and for the first week or so only left the babies to eat and use the litter tray. She's venturing out now, we had our first post birth sit on my lap cuddle the other day, and here she is on the sofa, relaxing, but keeping a sharp eye on the nest all the same.

She didn't tolerate Theo in the same room for a few days (Theo sat in the kitchen and howled poor boy!) but has now even let him into the nest briefly for a quick sniff of the babies.

AND... I'm reluctant to type this in case it all goes pear shaped, but Indigo's 'allergy'? She's not had any new spots since the kittens were born. Before then, actually. None at all. So I'm starting to think it was hormonal and not an allergy after all. I poked fate a little by mentioning this to another breeder on the phone, and she hasn't developed any more, so I'm feeling positive enough to type it here.

On the weight gain front, all the kittens made better gain yesterday. Kensey made 12g, which again isn't outstanding but it's much much better than he has been doing. I'm in two minds whether or not to supplement him today. Perhaps I'll give him one feed.

I had a brainwave the other day and thought I'd start giving Indigo Nutri-plus gel again- I started giving her this during pregnancy, but she doesn't like it so it was a struggle, and of course the allergy/ hormonal thingy kicked in and I was having to interfere with her so much to pill her and wash her head and so on, the nutrigel was dropped. But I thought maybe she'd accept it better now and it stimulates the appetite so she'd eat more and hopefully then so could the kittens. Perhaps I could hide it in her food. Do you think I could FIND the dratted stuff though? Of course not. It's not with the kittening supplies, not in the cat medicine box... darn it!

So I went online last night and ordered some more of the stuff. Then I remembered Coral (Fecheldee) telling me about nutri-drops... and they can be given to kittens. Which might help to support them a little, not that they are 'struggling' as such, but you know. So I ordered some of that, and then I remembered reading about Kaogel being good for upset tummies and I thought oh well, if Theo has another funny spell, that might help and so on and so on, well anyway, I managed to spend quite a lot. Oops! If you are reading this thinking does this woman spend every day fussing and worrying about her cats then... you'd be pretty spot on, actually. :) I'm sure all the meds will come in handy at some point.

Well, I'm off out in a bit... Christmas eve and all that. Merry Christmas!

Home!

Originally posted on my private blog- posted to http://indikon-tonkinese.blogspot.com/ on 06/01/11

"Oh. I see the noisy one is back then..."

Noise being the operative word. Indigo started to howl the moment I put her in the carrier, and kept it up the whole two hours' journey home. You'd think she'd have gotten bored and given up, but in fact she seemed to redouble her efforts round about the Dartford Bridge mark.

Since being home, she's been calling a lot... I have read that cats coming back from stud can still be in heat, so I'm trying not to be despondant about it... it doesn't necessarily mean she isn't pregnant. In between the calling, she's been letting me know exactly what she thinks of me for taking her away from her boyfriend. Tonkinese... well they aren't as vociferous as the Siamese are, but most Foreign cats like a good chat as a rule. If you are looking for a quiet cat, a Tonk is definitely not for you.

I've kept the cats mostly seperate from her and will do for a couple of days. Indigo... well she's a bit stinky at the moment... stud cat, kitty love, whatever it is, she smells fairly potent and I don't want to freak out the other cats. Although I did forget to shut a door earlier and they all came face to face with no hissing or other unpleasantnesses, so all appears to be well.

All my cats are safely home... I'm happy. Now it's just a waiting game to see if the visit was successful or not... and I sent off my prefix application to the GCCF today as well. Wish us luck on both counts!

A Proper Introduction

Originally posted on my private blog- posted to http://indikon-tonkinese.blogspot.com/ on 06/01/11

This is Indigo, a 5th generation solid lilac tonkinese girl of about 19 months old. Indigo is registered with the GCCF on the Active Register, which means she can be bred from, a journey we are just beginning now.

I am planning on keeping this blog to document this journey, to keep our kittens' prospective families updated on their progress and in due time to discuss all things tonkinese, such as the fascinating effect of genetics on the tonkinese coat colours and patterns. Our household also consists of three other cats, two moggies and a Birman, so I am sure they will have their fair share of blog space too.