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!

Flirt

Why yes, I am utterly adorable....

Why do you ask?

This week, and only this week, my most 'aloof' kitten, Gretl (she's not aloof, she's just too busy- Wendell last year was the same) and my most timid, Brigitta, have both been approaching me for full on cuddling voluntarily. They have and do come for strokes, and they've been picked up and cuddled quite happily but it's different when they suddenly look at you and think I know what I want, climb up, nestle in and start purring up a storm. Liesl started last week and the others have been doing it for weeks.

It's a conscious decision on their part. I think it does etch something permanently in their minds- humans are to be trusted, they are a source of warmth and comfort and love, and that forms something permanent in their brains. Some kittens take longer to do this than others, and it is my belief that if they go through some kind of upheaval or insecurity before reaching this stage, such as moving homes, away from their mother and siblings, they might never reach it.

I'm a strong believer that 8 weeks, the usual time for a non pedigree kitten to come home, is just too early for many, if not most, cats. They are still developing rapidly at this age. By 13 weeks, they are ready to move on, Mum is definitely ready for them to move on, and although I miss them I kind of am too, 11 individuals is a lot of cat for one small flat!

Anyway, there isn't much point to my rambling, only to say that from now on in, I don't expect to be able to sit down without instantly having a lapful or purring kittens. Which is rather nice, really :)

Oh and D- I wrote this entry about 36 hours ago... it isn't in response to your  hopeful offer to take young Fred off my hands early! Just rather fortunate timing, that's all!

Snuggle

All that early socialisation, the hours spent by the nest stroking and talking to the kittens, all the handling them and reassuring them, all the bottlingh and weighing and being peed on and getting accidentally scratched (plenty more of those to come!) is all worth it when they do this...

Dear, sweet, trustful Kurt! He woke up all alone, howled, waddled over to me and snuggled in confidently before going back to sleep. (Yes, I was trying to work. No, I didn't mind in the least!) And he isn't the only one who thinks I make a comfy bed. Marta does, so does Brigitta and so does Friedrich. The others are a little slower to get there, but they will. Gretl seems to be rather fond of the teenager's shoulder, much as Mama Indigo used to sit on mine.

And now I must go and do something about advertising them. You know, that task I've been meaning to do for a week... *sigh* if I had the room, I'd like to keep them all!

Caging Kittens

In some of my pictures, you will see the kittens' nest has mesh on it, and you may assume from that that I raise my kittens caged. That isn't the case. I thought I'd write a little about that today.

Firstly though, I don't generally agree with raising kittens in cages. I know some people who do, and I'm sure their kittens are loved and well cared for. I am not commenting on their practices, and its up to each new family to find a breeder whose practices they are most comfortable with. For me though, I would not cage unless there was a compelling reason to do so (such as a sick kitten that needed to be kept quiet and calm- if Freddie needs surgery its likely he'll be confined to a cage for a little while to aid recovery, for example)

I do however restrict the kittens' movement in the first few weeks, for obvious safety reasons. The kitten's nest, at the moment, is a wood framed animal hutch, this run extention from Zooplus, in fact, with removable sides all round and a removable top. The sides are usually up at present, but the top is never on, that is how Indigo gets in and out. Several times a day, the side comes down for weighing and general socialisation, the babies are just starting to climb out and come exploring, under supervision of course. Later on, the side will be permanently off so the kittens can come and go at will.

I'm also using the birthing box as a kind of extra playpen for them at the moment, it's deeper than last year's tub, so no risk of them toppling over the top just as yet. That's Freddie in the picture today, showing off his nice strong front legs. It makes for some nice playtime. Later on, of course, the kittens will be free range and allowed to tromp all over their room, the cat furniture and up and down the long, ideal-for-racing hallway.

So it looks like a cage, but really, it isn't one. Mama is never restricted in her movements, and the kittens only whilst they are so tiny- and even then they are in the family room, the hub of activity in our household, part of things from day 1.

One thing is for sure- the sides won't be up much longer. I found Brigitta trying to climb over yesterday!!!

Proper Cats

How I tear myself away from the nest when they look this cute I have no idea...  but you can see here from this picture of Kurt how much they now look like proper little cats and how quickly their colour is developing. Kurt's nose, tail and ears are really very dark indeed now, and his paws and face are darkening. Some of the kitties have darkening patches on their backs/ base of their tail as well.

The kittens are also starting to play fight, lick themselves and each other, pounce and otherwise behave in a very cat-like way. When you advance to the nest now, the babies all run forward in anticipation- they are learning that humans are friendly and trustworthy beings. They like to have their ears and chins rubbed, I've had a few purrs, and one even dozed off mid cuddle the other day. (Kurt- I'm getting a sneaking suspicion Kurt is another cuddlebug like Monty- Jonah- was...)

Its such a vital stage in their development, and easy to see how, managed wrongly, it could shape a cat's attitude towards people for life These babies are not quite three weeks, by four weeks a feral kitten is truly feral, a hissing spitting wildcat, although there's always the chance that feral rescues can relearn positive patterns of relating of course. No cat should ever be written off. Still, the window of opportunity here is short, they develop so fast, there's not much room for error.

Weights good again for the second day running... could it be that the past week was just a blip? Indigo has been eating like a horse. Long may it continue!

Sleep

As the kittens  become more confident, they learn to see humans as fun companions, despite their giant size. They also realise they are rather warm and cuddly too. So several times a day these days I find myself with a couple of napping kittens in my arms or on my lap. Not that I'm complaining. It's rather touching really. Sweet, trustful kittens!

Of all the kittens, Hope and Kenneth are the most inclined to doze on a lap. Although yesterday I was sitting with my legs up in front of me and I had all six, napping, on various parts of my anatomy. Of course the problem with having a lapful of small purry furry things is that you're basically immobile. If you need to get up, you have to move them, and then of course they look at you all reproachfully and make you feel guilty.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Indigo gets in on the action too.

Oh and botheration... Indigo has some new spots. Three of them. Back to the vets with us, then. Poor Indigo! And I've got a prospective family over tomorrow and one the next day as well... just the right time to have a scabby cat eh? *grin*

All About Hope

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

 

Today's post is about Miss Hope, because she's adorable. And not only is she adorable, she's got bucketloads of charm too. Some of the other kittens are naturally a bit shyer, and slower to show me their personalities (and in all fairness they are only just over 3 weeks old!) but Hope has personality coming out of her ears. And very lovely those ears are, too.

Hope is always amongst the first to greet me when I poke my head near to the nest, and will mew at me until I pick her up for a cuddle. She seems very curious about people and the big wide world in general. She's not the smallest kitten any more, her sister and one of her brothers are slightly lighter than she is.

May I draw your attention to that dear little cream stripe down her nose? The mottled cream blush on her whisker pads? The cream back foot next to the darker lilac one?

If she grows up to be half as beautiful as her lovely Mama, her family will be very lucky indeed!