Growing Up

Jewel would like to show off her smart new collar! The bands were starting to look a bit small- you don't want them to be too well fitting, of course, as they might start to rub on the hair round the neck and a bald patch would never do! I managed to find some coloured elastic, soft and stretchy, so have sewed collars for Jewel, Jadis, Susan and Digory. Lucy and Aravis, I decided, don't need them, and Caspian doesn't, of course.


You might also notice from the photo above how long and lanky they are looking now! Even the smallest kittens (Jewel and Aravis) are rapidly approaching the 1kg mark, and are all now sporting the distinctive Tonkinese 'chest seam' that Tonk owners seem to feel is part of their charm. I agree, some Tonks have a belly seam and a back seam too and I love the way it looks as though they are zippered into a little furry sleepsuit!


The babies are all back to normal now, by the way. Yesterday they were sleepy and a little low, and whilst I didn't notice a drop in their appetites (never less then very hearty!) there were a few 'unsettled' litter box deposits overnight. All of which is entirely normal. Everyone is as bright and bouncy as ever today though.


No-one so far has developed a vaccine site reaction ( a harmless swelling at the injection site, nothing to worry about and goes pretty soon) but there's plenty of time, ALL the Von Trapps developed a swelling after the first vaccination which was awfully... considerate of them, I must say! So there's bound to be a few lumps in the next few days.  How I panicked at these with my REM litter!!! *chuckle*


Aww... babies are growing up.... but they are still babies really, they'll be kittenish for months and months after the come home, and Indigo still has her moments now, at the grand old age of very nearly five. I just remember them when they were teeny tiny- a tenth, or less, of what they weigh now. So they seem HUGE to me!

Trip To The Vet

The kittens went in to have their first jabs today :)

Sleeping off the excitement

It's a few days too early, strictly speaking, they aren't nine weeks till Monday night, but being Monday babies they will probably be just UNDER 13 weeks when they come home, and in order for them to have the full week here after the second jab we needed to get the first one done today. So, all things being well, the kittens will be free to come home any time from Saturday 22nd March onwards. *sniff*

They did very well given it was their first trip out. They generated a good deal of attention at the vets with everyone there wanting to peek at them and asking if they were Siamese lol. Susan (of course, it would be!) let us know her opinion a few times, but then Susan is never backwards when it comes to letting her thoughts be known. I think it roughly translated as 'Do Not Like', poor Susan! She was fine though, as were the others.

There's really nothing interesting to report about their checkup. The vet did all the usual things, checked the genders (all correct!) checked heart, lungs, ears, eyes, mouth etc, weighed them and all the usual. Everyone is bright, happy and super-healthy and doing really well. S and P, I asked the vet to take a special look at Caspian's tail and her response was a fairly unequivocal 'Oh, that's nothing, don't worry about it'... which is what I was expecting but nice to have it confirmed.

I'm expecting them to be quiet and sleepy for a day or two now, the jabs do seem to take it out of them a little bit, but they ought to be back to normal before too long.  Flea and worm treatments next week, then microchip the week after, then second jabs, then HOME!

I brought Theo in as well. he hasn't been responding as homed to his new dietary/ meds regime, has lost more weight, had more sickness and has taken to eating socks (pica) which can apparently be caused by a b12 deficiency. his blood levels are fine but we are trying injections of b12 in case he has a deficiency at a cellular level. Worth a try, anyway! Back next week for a checkup.

The Naming of Cats

Family portrait... the best I could manage, lazy beasts lol!!

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,

 It isn't just one of your holiday games;

 You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter

 When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.

From The Naming Of Cats, TS Eliot

Of course, here at Indikon we think that three names is not nearly enough :D.... here are some of the daft things we call the kittens:

Digory- Digs, Diggidy, Digory-Do, Digorydoodah, Big D

Caspian- Sillytail, Kinkytail, Little Scrap, Scraplet, Fishface (I don't know why, he has a lovely face!!!)

Jadis- Jah, Jay, Jadie, Zsa Zsa Gabor

Lucy- Lulu, Lucy-Lu, Lucifer, Monkeyface

Aravis- Arry, Ariadne, Darling

Susan- Suki, Susie, Madam, Missy, Princess Poutyface

Jewel- Miss J, Jujube, Cheeky, Peanut, Monkeynut

Aren't we silly?

Of course anything I call them is temporary. Their Narnia names will be their pedigree name, and their everyday name- or names, if they are as daft as me- will be up to their new families. And two of them have already been chosen! Digory and Jadis's new people have gone for a Disney theme, and their new names will be...... FIGARO and TIGERLILY! And (this is cute) Figgy and Tiggy for short! Perfect.

Happiness

Jewel and Susan have found their home... TOGETHER!!!!

Susan gets her daily dose of vitamin C (ardboard)

*happy sigh*


When A and her friend came to visit today, I thought she had come to see Susan... little did I know she was thinking two! A quick call home convinced her husband two would be a much better idea (thank you R!) and that was that.


I'm sure A won't mind me sharing that a much loved kitty passed away last year and her eldest child has felt the loss keenly. I suspect Jewel and Susan are going to make a little girl very happy indeed! And the kittens will also have a big sister cat to glare at them and keep them in line. Could things be any better?


It's funny how it worked out. I've been warning A that Susan is sometimes a little reserved, she may not be interested in a visitor, etc, but this week she's really come out of her shell and in fact was the only one who woke up and played a game. Perhaps she was just waiting for the right person to come by? Jewel too... Jewel was ALMOST chosen by both of our other families this year... I've said all along I feel Jewel would thrive in a busy family with kids and that's exactly where she's going. It's amazing how it has all worked out.


Jewel napped in A's lap quite contentedly while Susan was playing and the other layabouts snoozed in a heap. It was a testament to how bomb-proof they are all now, as none were disturbed by Mama who is in heat and shouting her head off at present! My goodness she was loud, but they all slept through!They all woke up later though, amazing what shaking a bag of treats will do...

And that's all my babies settled! All with lovely people, all in pairs, (bar our Lucy) which is very very pleasing indeed. I feel like I can relax and just enjoy them now they are settled. One month to go... I'd best start getting those cuddles in!

Sleepytime...

Awww, sleepy kittens. Just so innocent...

Butter wouldn't melt...

If you believe that...

Yesterday, I walked into the kitten room to find water EVERYWHERE. Clearly someone had fallen in the water dish, which has a lot of water in it given it's for eight thirsty beings, and the kittens had splashed and tracked water all over. Teatowels were all in the wash so I grabbed a loo roll and set to mopping. That done, I got distracted by something else in the other room, and yes, you know where this is going, don't you? I left the rest of the toilet roll in the kitten room.


I have to tell you now, the Andrex Puppy has NOTHING on these little hooligans! That toilet roll had been unravelled, shredded, dragged about and utterly pulverised by seven excited little furballs, plus, I have no doubt, one Mama. Best. Toy. Ever. You'd think it had been snowing the drifts of white that lay on the ground in heaps!


When I returned to the kitten room and saw the carnage, I must admit I didn't, as I ought to have done, reach straight for the broom. Instead I went and made a cup of tea, sat back and let them have their fun! Most reprehensible of me I am sure, but it would have been a bit like locking the stable door after the horse had bolted... and they WERE enjoying it.


I do advise new families to keep the tissues and toilet roll out of reach though. It was great fun, but I wouldn't be too happy clearing that up every day!

8 weeks

Having a cuddle with MY new baby... isn't she lovely? *proud mama*

Ok, so weights are one day early this week, but y'know. That's just the way it happened! It's the first time I've used the baby scales, and oh my word... SO much easier than the kitchen scales! No good for tiny kittens, as they 'only' weigh to the nearest 5g, but for big kittens, brilliant!


Time for the nerdery...


Digory

Birth: 84g

1 week:186g

2 weeks:264g
3 weeks: 333g
4 weeks: 419g
5 weeks: 560g
6 weeks: 703g

7 weeks: 905g
8 weeks 1060g

 

Caspian

Birth:72g

1 week:151g

2 weeks: 227g
3 weeks: 286g
4 weeks: 353g
5 weeks: 525g
6 weeks: 665g

7 weeks: 837g
8 weeks 975g

 

Jadis

Birth:89g

1 week:185g

2 weeks:272g
3 weeks: 337g
4 weeks: 400g
5 weeks 550g
6 weeks: 681g

7 weeks: 875g
8 weeks 1010g

 

Lucy

Birth:83g

1 week:171g

2 weeks: 263g
3 weeks: 327g
4 weeks: 420g
5 weeks: 531g
6 weeks: 653g

7 weeks: 875g
8 weeks 1000g

 

Aravis

Birth: 84g

1 week:177g

2 weeks:248g
3 weeks: 322g
4 weeks: 404g
5 weeks: 504g
6 weeks: 620g

7 weeks: 756g
8 weeks: 875g

 

Susan

Birth: 90g

1 week:184g

2 weeks: 279g
3 weeks: 366g
4 weeks: 444g
5 weeks 533g
6 weeks: 653g

7 weeks: 816g
8 weeks 955g

 

Jewel

Birth: 80g

1 week: 163g

2 weeks: 237g
3 weeks: 293g
4 weeks: 340g
5 weeks: 486g
6 weeks: 595g

7 weeks 728g
8 weeks: 860g


Weight order heaviest to lightest:
Birth: Susan, Jadis, Digory and Aravis, Lucy, (Polly), Jewel, Caspian
1 week: Digory, Jadis, Susan, Aravis, Lucy, Jewel, Caspian
2 weeks: Susan, Jadis, Digory, Lucy, Aravis, Jewel, Caspian
3 weeks: Susan, Jadis, Digory, Lucy, Aravis, Jewel, Caspian
4 weeks: Susan, Lucy, Digory, Aravis, Jadis, Caspian, Jewel
5 weeks: Digory, Jadis, Susan, Lucy, Caspian, Aravis, Jewel
6 weeks: Digory, Jadis, Caspian, Lucy and Susan, Aravis, Jewel

7 weeks: Digory, Lucy and Jadis, Caspian, Susan, Aravis, Jewel
8 weeks: Digory, Jadis, Lucy, Caspian, Susan, Aravis, Jewel

 

Comparison by litter:

 

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

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

Narnian litter 227g-279g. Average 256g
3 weeks

REM litter  338g-390g. Average 359g.
Von Trapp litter 250g- 341g. Average 286g.
Narnian litter 286g-366g. Average 323g

4 weeks
REM litter 437g-524g. Average 466g
Von Trapp litter 325g-448g. Average 365g
Narnian litter: 340-444g. Average 397g

5 weeks
REM litter 539g-604g. Average 581g
Von Trapp litter 394g-570g. Average 457g.
Narnian litter 486g- 560g. Average 527g

6 weeks
REM litter 712g- 792g, Average 752g
Von Trapp litter  516g-740g, Average 606g
Narnian litter 595g-703g, Average 653g
7 weeks
REM litter 832-1012g. Average 921g
Von Trapp litter- No data available for this week
Narnian litter 728g-905g, Average 827g

8 weeks
REM litter  962g-1157g. Average 1063g
Von Trapp litter 780g-1020g. Average 883g
Narnian litter 860g-1060g. Average 962g

What????

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, MY NEW SISTER LUCY????

Ah, yes. There was something I was meaning to tell you, Ava...


This week I've started what will undoubtedly be a long and slow introduction to the older girls. Just ten minutes here and there, but every day. I'm cautious you see, because it went so badly with Indigo at first. Mainly that was Indigo though, I have to say! Most introductions are easier, introducing Theo was a piece of cake! Anyway, Lucy hasn't shown any sign of aggression, preferring to freeze when hissed at, rather than growling or hissing back. She's pretty easy going is our Lucy. I'm really pleased with how it's going.


Both the girls are a funny mixture of interested and appalled. Lucy bounces up to them playfully and gets in their face, which they don't like, (Sofia growls, Ava runs away) but when she's occupied with a toy they will creep up and sniff her, and they will watch her playing. I don't have Indigo in the room during these times, as she would get protective and her relationship with the girls isn't as good as it could be. I'm hoping Lucy can build her own relationship with the other girls, somewhat more constructively than Indigo's!


Once I'm able to 'relax' a bit,  I'll get the camera going! At the moment I'm concentrating all my attention on the cats themselves. But it's going pretty well- some bottom sniffing and nose touching has been going on. Snuggling is the ultimate aim, so we'll see!