The girls have been settling in together - Prune has been here for 26 days now. They look so cute here in matching T-shirts.

Poor Noodle, having sold her kitten, I then brought in another, and so her teats were still in demand. Not that there is any milk, but as a comfort aid. And, though she has been patient, she doesn't like it! Putting a T-shirt on was a way to provide her with some peace and once her teats are left alone, they will not be subjected to sharp teeth during overzealous stealth comfort suckling.

Poor Noodle - she has had a rough time. She got a problem just before giving birth which resulted in some nasty skin issues, then she had to have a cesarean, followed by learning to be a mother and bringing up a kitten. She was worn out and got run down. Then we had Christmas and she was so patient as lots of people wanted to see and hold her baby, then doing her a favour, I brought Prune in to the house a few days before her own kitten was due to leave hoping that, since she had a kitten, she would maybe accept Prune as hers too, and that also having Prune here would ease her grief when hr own kitten left. She was very very angry at first and mistrustful of this new kitten but within 4 days, Prune was suckling her and cuddling up with them both.

On top of this, I also changed her feed regimen from a dry commercial kibble free fed diet to a frozen minced BARF diet.

One day, just around the time her kitten was to go, she came into heat for the 4th time since giving birth. She meowed frantically. And then her meow broke. I thought it was that she had meowed herself hoarse, but it didn't resolve despite the vet listening and checking, and administering a long-acting antibiotic injection and prescribing a course of anti-inflammatory meds. Noodle's throat remained sore and with a lively kitten wanting attention from her she got more and more depressed.

Role on another week, and following a general anaesthetic, x rays, swabs sent to a lab and more antibiotics, this time as twice a day tablets, more anti-inflammatories and I have almost got my old cat back. Her meow is not quite what it was before.. but it is being used, she trills with pleasure as she and Prune run around and play and she asks for food and is even now strong enough to complain about taking tablets.

I am poorer financially by a long long way but my much adored cat is better. She is going to be given a nice long holiday now without being mated (no matter how often she asks) and time and food to regain all her weight, vitality and strength.

Naked Sphynx Cat Family

It's amazing & remarkable how in just a few days these 3 cats have become a family. It litterally melts my heart.

Seeing Harley (Pot) play with Prune just as if they had been litter mates is so sweet. There is plenty of rough and tumble as they practice the skills of being predators & hunters. As you look at them thy are always weighing each other up...

I see them also taking turns..... where during one play session one will be the hunter & the other is prey. They play hard and so very soon become exhausted. All three cats wonder off settling down for a snooze always close together snuggled up in a bundle warm & cosy. The next time they wake the other kitten takes the lead & the zooming around begins again!

My downstairs has a natural flow, which is like a race track, they go around and around chasing one another with glee. Soon though one kitten will tire & tuck herself into a corner & wait...... until the other comes by & then she pounces & the chasing begins again. What fun!

Noodle meanwhile, is torn... I can see her desperate sometimes to play... the games we played together almost to the end of her pregnancy excite her, but she hold back, allowing the kittens to play & learn. Just occasionally, very, very occaionally, her inner kitten will emerge and she can't contain herself any longer & she will join in momentarily before backing off again & watching on.

If one of the kittens has woken & slipped away from the bundle, when she wakes she does a head count & with one missing she sets off immediately to find her... calling for her. It is touching to see her concern is not jus for her own daughter but for Prune too.

She is a mother now, & what I have witnessed since introducing Pru to the fold is that the nature of the cat is amazing. Though at first she was angry, & her instinct was to protect her own daughter, she has seen that Pru is just a kitten & was no threat, then she took her on as her own allowing her to suckle at her breast just as if she were her own. That is a beautiful thing to have seen.

Noodle is somewhat surprised when Prune sneaks in to suckle her.

A protective arm thrown over her adopted daugher

A bundle of cats (Pru is in the bag at the back)

Pru decides it is time to get up

Mum throws out a leg to say 'No, stay"

When this is ignored, Mum wakes & lets Pru know  that it is time fir her to rest!

Prune settles in & Pot gets her new forever name!

What an amazing few days!

Bringing home a new kitten is always wonderful and exciting especially one who fulfils dreams but we must not forget also that already at home is our own cat and her gorgeous kitten.

Noodle has been the most wonderful and attentive mother. It has been a delight and honour to be able to take part and watch on so closely as she rears her first baby. But as "Pot" has grown older and bolder and more boisterous, I have also seen the first signs of her saying "Look, I've had enough".

Christmas brought in people into her realm and she has been on high alert. All her instincts attuned to any danger that might befall her precious daughter.  She has been watchful, and benevolent as people have wanted to cuddle her sweet child.

So when all went back to normal after boxing day, she had breathed a sigh of relief, only to have me wreck the equilibrium on New Years Day by bringing in a new kitten. 

As I showed her the bag in which Prune was safe from harm the mother instinct in Noodle came to the fore like lightning. She was immediately on tenterhooks, her back arched, hissing and snarling warnings at this infiltrator. Pot ran over to see what the fuss was about - which made Noodle panic more as she tried to let this stranger in the midst know that she was unwelcome here.

After a while, as interest in the bag and its content settled more into curiosity than anger and so I opened the bag and watched carefully ready to swoop in if anyone looked to be in trouble. As Prune came out of the bag the hissing and snarling came again, but what was odd was that Noodle and Pot went straight into the bag now it was empty!

Pot was not scared or cross, she just wanted to play... but Prune was also overwhelmed in this new situation. She had been taken away from all that was familiar to her ad arrived into an environment that was hostile. She began then to hiss at Pot and try to avoid Noodle as she began anxiously to look at her new environment.

Noodle too was overwhelmed, flooded with anxiety, swearing and hissing at Prune AND in confusion also at her daughter who in her eyes was getting wrecklessly close.

Later that evening as I lay on my bed though all three cats were with me. Noodle and Pot were in their usual spot on the heat mat and Prune was tucked in close under my arm. But only the occasional hiss was made as a warning as if to say "I'm watching you". I gave cat treats to all and there was no swering or fights of any kind over these precious food items.

Day 2 was hissy as well... but by day 3 this had almost petered out. Noodle was still watchful and on high alert for danger but there were definite signs that she was beginning to accept this stranger.

Day 3 saw her taking a much more serious interest in Prune. Overnight she had begun to get close and to sniff and to lick Prune but also she would hiss quietly if Prune turned around and noticed her doing so.

Noodle was up in the cat tree den. And Pot ran and climbed up and entering the den she launched into full-on purring which could only mean one thing - she was taking a chance at suckling. Then, before Noodle could push her way as she had begun doing recently in her efforts to halt lactating, Prune had also dived in trying to suckle too. Noodle was so shocked by this and got up quickly taking herself elsewhere! Who did this stranger think she was to try to latch on like that. How rude!

Later that evening, I came into the bedroom fresh from the shower and there on my bed in the snuggle sack were Pot and Prune snuggled up and sleeping side by side.

Play times were and are very energetic. The two kittens are totally in their element. The absolute epitome of kittens at play - followed of course by periods of sleep. They play all of the games Noodle had enjoyed with me...and I could see her wanting desperately to play too but instead, her mother role keeps her just watching on.

January 4th was a miracle day. Now it was Prune and Noodle snuggling up in the sleeping bag together, Noodle's arm thrown over Prune as they spooned in their sleep.  Pot nowhere to be seen?

A couple of hours later, while Noodle has been pushing Pot away from her teets she was now allowing Prune to suckle her! That is surely acceptance? They are a family.

Super Mum Noodle

My hope that by getting Prune before Pot goes, so that Noodle would accept Prune as her own, and therefore grieve less when Pot leaves us may well have worked.

______________________

Speaking of which... On New Years day, Pot's new mummy, Kirsty texted in order to make arrangements to take her home. 

The date was agreed as Saturday 13th January. As we spoke I also asked had she and her family come to any decision about the name they were going to give to Pot.

They have! Her name is Harley. The name Harley is from Harley Quinn, a fictional supervillain originally appearing in the Batman animated movie. It is a great name for a kitten with bags of character and chutzpah as this one has.

Since the kitten knows her name as Pot-Pots when I call her I've now begun calling her "Harley-Pot" so that she gets used to hearing Harley as part of her name. This will seamlessly morph into her accepting and responding to being called Harley.

I will miss Harley so much when she leaves but I am also so excited about her new life and to hearing how she affects the world of her new family with Kirsty as her mummy! 

Harley - I can't wait for her life story to unfold.

Sleepy Head

Prune Arrives

On New Year's Day I woke with a spring in my feet despite the cold and grim weather..... it was the day to go and collect Prune - finally!

When I first fell in love with the breed and would go dolally over photos and videos of them, it was dark coloured solids that I liked the best and became my ideal.....

I'd mated Noodle with a dark solid male hoping that within her litter I would be lucky enough to get a solid dark female...l.... but with only the one kitten born which though female and dark was not solid...being a tortie my hopeful dream of a solid dark was halted....

I was then luckily offered a female who was not only solid and dark but also had the same sold dark father and, so rather than wait for the off chance Noodle could produce me one next time, and also knowing that that next time would not be for quite a while (following her cesarean and the rearing of her first ever single kitten litter) I decided to accept her.

It meant that Noodle's first offspring would need to be sold to partially fund the purchase of the new kitten...Any wishful thoughts I might have had  of keeping her were well and truly off the table..... and having payed all of the fee and waiting for Prune to reach the right age, finally the day to fetch her had arrived!

The drive to Gloucester was made more pleasant for the company of a friend and not dampened by the horrendous rainfall....

Coming home... Noodle and Pot sniffed a new cat...Pot was excited but Noodle, whilst growing tired of her kitten also was instinctively protective and so began to swear and hiss.... at Prune and even at Pot. The next few hours were odd despite my Feliway plug in!

I woke during the night several times hearing a loud hiss, but all three cats were within half a metre of one another and the next day dawned to less aggressive hissing..... not all is rosy.... there is mistrust, some frustration, as well as downright anger.... but we will get there....