Goodbye my sweet Wonky

Poor little Wonky, my valiant little girl who was gaining weight and improving so much, has sadly died tonight.

I came up to the nursery to do her last lot of eye drops and another set of leg exercises and thought that she was curled up asleep. Since her bigger sister was mid-feed I thought I would get on and do Wonky's eyes and exercises first lifted her out, only to find her unresponsive & gone. There was absolutely nothing I could do, it was too late. I believe her mum may have accidentally smothered her.

She has in her short life received a lot of love, from her mum, from me, and from the wider world of the online Sphynx community, breeders and owners alike all over the world. She touched many more hearts than just mine and taught me a lot.

I learned first about her determination to survive an emergency cesarean birth when the odds were not stacked in her favour and I learned about the occurrence of Twisted Leg Syndrome and how little is known or told by vets when kittens are born like this. I learned how to begin to treat it and how much support was there for us in doing so.

I genuinely believed that in a few weeks time she would be walking and running around normally, getting up to kitten mischief....so perfect that if one did not know of her start in life, then they would never ever suspect it. Fate has dealt us a rotten hand tonight taking her away before we could ever get to witness it.

I love you little Wonky. Bye sweet girl 💔🐾🐾💔

Day 5 in the Nest

3 hungry ladies

What a pair super cuties these new girls are! Mind you, while they look like butter wouldn't melt, they are being very demanding of their mum. Despite being so small, one of them is somehow is able to emit the loudest screams which she does with frequency as she gets frustrated at being unable to find a teat fast enough. I have decided therefore her temporary name will be Diva.

On Friday we visited the vet for Noodle to have a wound check. She continues on a short course of antibiotic cover but is healing nicely despite her daughters feeling that they can try to feed from the wound. The evidence is clear of that as they have muzzled that have become blackened with dried blood! 

While at the surgery the nurses came in one by one eager to see how mum and babies were doing Those that hadn't been on duty on Wednesday when they were born also came in to see our new little family.

Since both kittens had fully open eyes within 36 hours of their birth, Diva's were half open at birth and fully open within 24 hours and Wonky's were open by Thursday evening I have been given an ophthalmic lubricant to use on each of them applied 3-4 times daily to ensure that their eyes do not become dry or get damaged.

Noodle is doing a great job of supplying them with plenty of nutritious milk and both grow a little each day with small weight gains just as you would expect. I am always bowled over at the strength and stamina of these tiny beings as their instincts drive them constantly to survive.

Yesterday afternoon ( Sunday ) I noted that Noodle felt able and allowed herself to leave them in the nest snuggled up together sleeping while she enjoyed  a little "me time".  I am sure that did her some good as she ambled on her exercise wheel, thankfully not running at full pelt yet after her surgery. She also enjoyed a little re-bonding with Prune.

Wonky's physio sessions continue with much improvement noted. I feel very hopeful, having spoken to many people who have had kittens born with TLS, that she will completely get over this.

A video to melt your heart...

Here are our new babies, both female tandem feeding at 1am this morning after being born by cesarean section. The anaesthetic is wearing off and food is beginning sought by these hungry eager to feed mouths. 

Noodle has another battle wound that she is trying to keep clear of those Freddie Cruger claws that these kittens are born with, while those noses will guide them to any fleshy bump which is frequently one that is to be found in her row of stitching.

The kitten who, due to her Twisted Legs, has gained the name Wonky is managing well, and, despite her lesser size, is not at all shy when dealing with food. Those limbs are weight bearing all of her 86 gram body weight, and we have already begun the first physio sessions by flexing and stretching her contracted limbs. 

Her larger sister was born with her already eyes half open and so far seems seams less eager to feed or move around but weighed in at 118g this morning's weigh in at 10am after I had finally a better night of rest.

Quite a day....

Noodle is now home, in some pain as you would expect having had her abdomen opened and a spay but is purring and as attention seeking as ever, wanting full congratulations for her starring role as a new mum!

She did indeed have three kittens, however sadly, one, a male was born asleep. He had not been gone many days, but the chord had failed and there had been no blood coming from the placenta.

The two remaining kittens are both females.. one is bigger than the other with the smaller one described to me by my vet as having deformities and yet the one most eager to breath and feed despite the effects of an anaesthetic at their birth.

I worried what I would see or even if she would have given up but eventually a called and told me I could come along to pick up mum and two kittens. In came my vet, with what she then described as the wonky kitten, a word that has stuck in my mind and the moniker the kitten has been saddled with! The deformity is it seems not a deformity at all but something called Twisted Legs, caused by contracted tendons preventing a normal posture.

This is caused by not having enough room in the womb and can affect one, two or all four limbs and to different extents. The Legs/arms confined cannot flex and stretch during development causing this deformed appearance. The good news is it is possible with intensive massage and physio several times a day for weeks to come this kitten with her Twisted back Legs could become absolutely normal with full function and posture. Kittens who don't get early therapy can have surgery, in fact surgery may be an option even for those who do receive therapy. The positive message here is that this condition can be dealt with!

This is not Wonky's only issue... again, not as awful as I had expected.... I was told that her heart could be seen beating inside her chest because the bones of her sternum don't meet. It's true there is a small gap, and I don't know how this will look as she grows, but perhaps as with her legs, this is also something that will resolve or improve in some way? If not, for a cat kept indoors always, and with a normal appearance, as long as she is otherwise strong and healthy, she deserves a chance, and this is what I have decided she deserves having fought so hard to come through today.

So dear little Wonky is feeding well and totally unaided, and delightedly so to is her bigger, lazier sister. Oddly she is born with her eyes already half open, which is something that gave me momentary pause when when bending down to see her earlier on. I wonder what moniker she will gain to be known by for a few weeks?

I'm in for some hard work and long nights for a while, but this is the life I chose when deciding to breed. Of course, now spayed Noodle's breeding days are now prematurely finished, but, she has fulfilled her role and what she is on this earth to do, to procreate. For her, not so much will change.... she will no longer be ravaged by hormones causing her to seek a mate, and will continue to live the pampurred, much loved and admired life she always has since becoming my naked baby.

Maybe one of these delightful newly born girls will become a new member of your family in a few weeks? If you have questions or want an update please do contact me by email Using the link below or if you prefer, by using our contact form in the menu on the right.

Email is at : NakedSphynxCatHants@icloud.com

C-Section & Spay

Noodle is at the vet having a Cesarean and spay. I just couldn't risk waiting any longer for her to begin contractions after her waters went on Monday. The vet telephoned me today and said she was concerned for infection of that kitten and the risk to its placenta now.

I so very much wanted to give Noodle every chance to have a natural birth this time, but she and her kittens are what is most important right now. Waiting risks them becoming too big to be born, or some other dreadful outcome.

The spay is regrettable, ending any dreams I had of her producing any future babies, but her failure to go into contracting labour twice now could mean she is not reacting to the hormonal signals properly. I can't risk that a third time, and the vet advised this too.

Now I'm anxious for my phone to go so I know she and kittens are OK.

Updates will appear her or on our Facebook page as soon as I can. Thank you so much for all your kind wishes and thoughts.

Is Noodle Too Posh To Push???

Hey everyone,

Well, today is day 68.

On Friday afternoon day 64, Noodle had a show as her mucus plug came away. I thought, wow, she is off and birth would follow in the next few hours. As arranged, I called my vets to let them know, just in case I needed any help for her.

And I have spoken to the vet and my other breeder friends too, every day since. All this is normal

Last night (Monday) at around 6.30pm her waters broke... This must surely must be it now!
But as yet, despite small quantities of liquid tinged with small amount of blood, she is still showing absolutely no sign of having contractions.

I called the vet again at 9am. We decided to wait 2 more hours. Then at 10:45 I took her for an examination where met a new vet Finn. He had read all her health records and importantly info about her last pregnancy/birth history.

While purring away, Noodle was checked all over "she's big isn't she" Finn declares! He listens with his stethoscope but says that with her loud purring he could not possibly pick out Kitten heart beats.

He asked me about her behaviours and I explain that she is eating, drinking and even running on her   wheel at which he commended upon her dedication to fitness.

Next came taking her rectal temperature. I've been taking her temperature at home here with an IR 'gun' rather than doing it rectally. I do have the right thermometer to do it but cannot hold it in place as well as hold her still on my own. Anyway, all was declared fine there too.

We discussed her being on day 68/69 now which is a concern. But then considered the fact that my count from the first mating could be cause for a miscounted due date since cats can hold sperm alive inside for several days before conception occurs. Even so, the fact that she had her show on Friday and her waters went yesterday means that kittens are ready.

A shot of Oxytocin he explained cannot be given without there being contractions so there was nothing at all he could do to induce or bring on the contractions. But he did offer an ultrasound to at least see Kitten heart beats and gauge their health to help me make a decision. So Noodle was taken through for this which took about 5 minutes.

She was very vocal during but I learned that the three kittens were all of a good size, that he saw two good heartbeats but that the third Kitten was laying in a position where he could not get a good scan.

Finally we discussed the big questions.. what to do now?  And do we intervene?

I'm very reluctant to do this. She had an emergency c-section last year. At that time the decision was easy since she was very distressed, while her labour having started the night before with waters breaking also didn't progress. But her behaviours were that of a cat wanting to give birth. Hours of digging and a lot of fluid loss. This failure was put down to her having only one kitten since is thought that the second Kitten's pressure coming from behind is what helps birth to get going.

This is so very different to what I am seeing in her now. There is no distress and as there are multiple kittens this failure should not be a consideration.

If a c-section was required again, I would definitely ask for a spay at the same time. I just could not put her through a third pregnancy if this was the outcome now. Finn said even if I didn't spay,  second C-section scarring would likely render her unable to conceive anyway so a spay would be their advice too.

So do I elect and end her breeding days or not? If I elect there is less risk to her and her babies, though there is some risk as with all anaesthetics. Whereas if I wait and an emergency occurs then the risks all around are much greater.

There is a lot to weigh up. Her health and wellbeing is vital;  she is my beloved pet.

I would love to give her every opportunity to have a healthy natural birth with healthy babies at the end of that to nurture. I would love her to retain the possibility to have future litters too. But not at cost of her or her babies now.

So, I came away having chosen to give her a little longer and I hope very, very much to provide joyous news soon.

Thanks to all my friends for their love and support over these anxious days helping me not to panic! Thank you to all those waiting eagerly for news. I promise to update the page as soon as I have more news.

It's The Final Countdown

Well, Noodle has just had her last weekend of peace for a while and as I write there are just 2-4 days left until her litter is due to arrive.

This video was taken on Saturday 1st September 2018 as she slept soundly which allows the best chance to see her kittens inside. See too how her breasts are filled with the milk her kittens will need to sustain them.

I have noticed as she gets ever wider that when compared to last week's video the kitten's kicks are less prominent. I think there's much less room now for them to move about.

Noodle seems restless, definitely, she is uncomfortable. When she can she is sleeping but meantime, when awake she is packing away calories eating loads and then spending time going back and forth checking out the quiet space I have made for her away from our peppy & provocative Prune.

Closed off from Prune, the room surfaces and floor have been anti-bac'd. There is a litter tray, food food and clean water and a roomy cardboard box lined with a towel and vet bedding over the top of her beloved electric heat mat placed at one end (she must have room to get off the mat to regulate her temperature). The whole box is sheltered & is dimmed by having a blanket over the top cocooning her safely within.

Because it is a Prune Free Zone I am keeping the door closed, but Noodle's natural instinct to keep revisiting it, means that I too have to go back and forth to allow her access in and out!

I have been continuing on with the homoeopathic remedies for cat pregnancy too. As I mentioned last week, of those that are listed as useful during feline pregnancy and labour, I chose to just the two that I felt would be most beneficial to Noodle deciding that, while the others have their benefits, if she was at a stage where those might be useful I would prefer to be visiting my vet for help.

Anyway, it was time today not only to give Noodle the last of her pre-labour doses of caullophyllum which she has been having this twice per week over the last fortnight but also to add in a drop of Arnica too. This she will have daily until the third day after giving birth and is to assist her in healing from the trauma and bruising caused by the birthing process.

For more information about the homoeopathic remedies I have used during this pregnancy & labour, please visit www.animalhomeopathy.co.uk

Naked Sphynx Cat Hampshire will be back with an update when our kittens have arrived so watch this space!