Tomorrow, finally, Plum is getting to go to meet her chosen mate. It’s been quite a mission to find the right boy for her… there were 3 boys who unfortunately did not end up making the grade, which has slowed down progress for Plum a lot as she has been calling loud and clear every 4 weeks to tell me she is ready since late February.
Not just any boy will do, for me any breeding has to be done with absolute integrity. First & foremost in selection is health & this means several expensive tests for both the male & female cat . These are often scheduled some weeks apart given that the finances need to be available to each cat keeper to have all of the test & also the specialists need to be available to see them. Getting all of the ducks in a row & keeping them in place is like spinning plates while juggling!
So, I’m off with Plum to the North Weat of London tomorrow to meet Ragnar a beautiful young chap with all the right credentials. He is young like Plum is, and is proven having sires some lovely litters with other queens. He is a mink/blue tabby so carry’s different colours. Plum being solid and almost but not quite black (she was blue at birth but she and a brother darkened significantly a few days later (known as thermal though nothing at all so do with warmth!) her mum is all black, her dad all blue, her grandmother solid lilac and her grandad all black but carrying a red gene. I hope we will have a solid or two but she may have tabby or Torties. It’s a new phase!
What’s particularly significant for me with this new pairing is that Plum was born & raised here by her mother & me. As the daughter of my dear Prune she will be the very first of my own kittens to grow up & become a producer herself!
Approximate Kitten Timings:
For anyone thinking of applying for a kitten from this match, this being This being Plum’s first time as a maiden I’m not sure how quickly she will accept Ragnar’s advances however, if they get on & mate as soon as tomorrow evening - I should have pregnancy diagnosis by around July 8th/9th … with kittens arriving mid August (approximately the week commencing 19th) and then if those dates ring true those kittens would be ready for collection by pet homes only by week commencing 11th November onward (after their vaccines, microchips, health checks and so on).
Here is pretty little Plum (right) laying protectively beside her mum Prune who’d very recently undergone an operation. I know Prune will make an excellent Grandma, guiding her daughter as she learns motherhood ~ I cannot wait!
