Sexed and weighed.

The first night has gone well - I know I feel better for having some sleep even if I did wake several times to help out. The biggest issue is a kitten being underneath of Prune when she repositions herself. As they get stronger and more mobile and she gets more experienced this will resolve itself but for now I’m on ‘high alert’ 🚨.

So day zero I did sex them but felt a little blurry and bleary eyed however, after a re-examination today, I feel confident in announcing that Prune has birthed

• 2 solid black females
• 2 solid blue males 
• 1 solid blue female

Kittens are weighed daily as this allows a good gauge on their ongoing health status and to know that they are feeding well. A small loss on day 1 is not too worrying, the colostrum they get in these early days so vital similar really to we humans however, you should  expect to see a gain each day of approximately 5g+ once feeding is established. There has been gain in 3 of them but a small loss for two of them. If they do not gain overnight I will start to give formula to supplement Prunes milk. Ideally I’d want to give her time to supply enough for them but cannot allow any kitten to fade.

The first weigh in

First out blue 77g.
Second & fifth out blue’s both 88g.
Third and forth out black 90g & 92g

I have made an initial attempt at sexing them however, I have sandpaper eyes and they are so so small that I do not trust my judgement today. I will re-weigh and look at them again tomorrow to see if I make the same call with any more conviction. For now, I will say go on record as saying that each one is either a Male or a Female!

It’s been a really big day. I feel so privileged, proud & amazed.

I will certainly always remember it, especially no. 2 coming out breached and with its head stuck still unborn as Pru took a breather then seeing survival instinct kick in as each tiny limb braced itself against her in order to try to pull its head free!

❤❤🐾🐾 ❤❤🐾🐾 ❤❤🐾🐾❤❤🐾🐾❤❤🐾🐾❤❤

Ta-Dah

3:53a.m Pru got wriggly,  then I heard a sort of sniffing breath sound. I lay my hand on her and felt contractions. We are on!

4:11 waters broke

At 4:30a.m the first kitten was born. It looks blue, arriving with its tongue out.
Almost immediately the placenta passed and she dealt with it and began pushing again.

Kitten 2 was born breached and stuck for a while with the head in. Stay calm I told myself as the kitten had all 4 limbs pushing to pull itself into the world. It also looks blue.

By 5:15 kitten 3 arrived inside of its sac. Mum opened that immediately. It looks black. The placenta took a while longer.

After that arrived, I waited for Prune to deal with it them as I was cleaning away some messy sheets to a bin bag I looked in and saw there was another kitten. No. 4. It too is black.

I felt her tummy. More were there..

Soon no 5 arrived, breach but not stuck. It looks blue.

I can see and feel more movement inside her so we are not done. Just resting.

I am overwhelmed and Pru looks shellshocked. Noodle is standing by, coming running when she heard that first squeal as she is programmed to do having mothered before (I’ve blogged about how she runs in to help with human babies before).

I make no apologies, I will be guilty of over posting stories and photos while I have kittens !