Gosh... the days are passing quickly and the kittens grow more sturdy. In the first days with just seemingly skin & bone they remind me of just hatched birds, their bones clearly outlined & visible under their translucent skin, but now there is meat on those bones, they grow heavy, strong & robust. Two kittens (the black ladies) have now passed the 200g mark!
Each one has learned to purr, the staccato sewing machine sound which is so unlike the purring of an older kitten or cat. Ears are beginning to open now. When they are born the triangle of ear is bent forward held close to the skull, but within days the ear begins to unfold. Inside, it is tightly pulled together, I’m sure this is in order to keep any amniotic fluid from entering during their development. I watch when hand-feeding how the suck & swallow action makes their ears appear to waggle. Soon the inside will relax and their hearing will become more acute. I notice now how Pru has begun to trill when she is nearby, talking to them... I can only imagine her saying that she will lay down for them, but please to keep their claws in!
Yes, her poor tummy is clearly well scabbed from their battle for position, the need to scrabble around as they seek out the fluid that gives them life.
‘Auntie’ Noodle though not actually related by blood, is just as keen to help out and is always sleeping right next to the nest box, and when Pru has dozed off or gone for her ablutions she will take an opportunity to care actively by either getting in to lick the kittens to toilet them or leaning in to do the same. Prune is content to allow her... just as she is to allow me also to do my bit; we are like three clucking hens around our 🐣 🐥 🐥 🐣 (that one is for you Katrina!)
In the first photo below, you can clearly see the scab marks around the sleeping kittens head and mouth, clear signs of the battle that is waged at their dinner table. The second photo is one of the black sisters. She is looking ‘milk-drunk’ having enjoyed a welcomed feed.
