Well here we are, Sunday evening and another summer weekend has almost passed us by. What have you all been up to?
Well, though I’m mourning the unfortunate return of my long awaited beautiful shocking pink sofa which left on Tuesday to go back to its manufacturers my lounge does at least have lots of space for the kittens to be moved in to this week.
I have now pulled out the pet pen and set it up, but then I recalled how having bought it last year, the kittens could simply walk through the gaps! Well some did, while others for some reason respected the boundary. How did I forget that????
I’m waiting to move them anyway as the EVA flooring is due to arrive on Tuesday. I’ve got the 2 cot bumpers I use in the crate I can put around the pen and if I’m lucky there’ll be more panels than I need so I can utilise these by putting them side on in any space left unfilled to stop any cunning escapees! Well that’s the plan. It won’t be pretty I don’t suppose but it needs to work not win awards!
By the time they are strong enough to begin climbing up the fabric cot bumpers like little ninja or scaling the Eva panels, I won’t need to be corralling them anyway.
The good thing about needing to make a barrier is that as a consequence it will provide an insulation/buffer allowing me to have my patio doors open for ventilation (I have all my windows and patio doors screened so that the cats are safely kept inside) while they will be snug.
I’ve ordered more kitten milk replacer and a box of what will be their first solids. I will be weaning onto Natures Menu Kitten pouches. The recipe is 70% human grade chicken meat which is gently steam cooked inside the pouch with broth. They contains no sugar, grains or additives only the meat, not meat derivatives. It’s balanced and a complete food. This is what the kittens are eating when they go home with their new families
Obviously being steam cooked it is not truly raw, but it is a very safe first step weaning food which follows BARF principles. I make this food choice very purposefully for my kittens finding it perfect for several reasons
First, it’s highly nutritious and palatable so kittens readily take to it and, being sealed and gently steam cooked, there is no risk of any pathogens which there could easily be in a truly raw frozen weaning paste. I have used frozen weaning paste in the past all without issues but I do feel that there is danger with it that I’m not prepared to take when there is this alternative & I feel particularly sensitive to this right now too given the recent food recalls.
Also, by starting kittens off with this food I feel Im able to give the new families the best autonomy in their choices for their new family member when they take their kittens home because moving from this food is an easy transition whether they choose the full raw regime or choose to go onto a commercial diet. I’ll start weaning these kittens at 4-5 weeks old. Which means mum (& Aunties Noodle & Floozy) will stop toileting them so they’ll be taught about using a litter tray too. That pen is going to see some action!
Last night, I woke to see Prune sleeping soundly with her babies all lined up ZzzzzzZzzz at her tummy. Curled toward them (so that the kittens were in the middle of a protective donut) was Floozy! They looked so peaceful & she’s been dying to be “mum” so I left them to it.
In fact, I’ve just peered at them now to see this!
No that isnt Prune, it’s Floozy and yes the kittens were attempting to suckle her!
