What’s In a name?

Another summer weekend has rolled around... it began rather wet but thankfully that didn’t last. By lunchtime the sun was out & it was warm.

I’ve noted that the little lad I feed by hand not only has begun to call for me when his belly demands it, but he also looks up and out of the nest box waiting for me to arrive. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t show an interest in mum, or in making attempts to feed as nature intended, simply that he KNOWS that his voice brings him my attention when he is hungry for food.

I’ve also been “topping up” the blue girl though she is yet begin to call for me or look outside of her nest-world for my arrival. She seems content to at least start off or graze feed with mum. That said, she is very happy anytime Im there with warmed food to be plucked up (even out of sleep) and to receive the latex nipple, greedily sucking until there is no more left. They will both take at least 12-15ml per feed and, on one occasion today, cheeky chappie even guzzled almost 23mls in one sitting.

One of the black girls will also happily take a latex teat if it is offered, while the other, flat out refuses. It’s the only way I can as yet tell these two sisters apart!

Actually it’s kind of odd for me to be referring to them by colour and sex rather than a name of some sort after 17 days....but if I’m honest I’m almost feeling afraid to give them their own little monickers - would doing so perhaps serve to allow me to form too great an attachment?.. (Who the hell am I trying to kid? Anyone convinced?No, thought not.).

Noodle’s first litter was just 1 female who was born by c-section... I named her Pot (Pot Noodle). I would call out to her her Pot-Pots, a name which she & Noodle got used to very quickly. But Pot was later renamed twice... at first she was going to be Harley and so in the last 4 weeks after being reserved I began to get her used to this new name by calling Harley-Pots to her as much as possible.  However, at the last moment, upon collection, she underwent another rebranding becoming Gamora (or Mora for short).

Pot-Pot Harley Gamora

Noodle’s second litter brought us 2 new female kittens, also born by c-section. One kitten sadly suffered from Twisted Leg Syndrome and was immediately named Wonky since this word was how my then vet Emily had described her to me on the phone following the birth operation. The other kitten was already spoken for (if there was another girl available in this new litter). She was destined to be Gamora’s sister, Nebula (see Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel Comics) and so I always called her Nebula or Nebby for short.

I guess I feel that naming a kitten is the prerogative of its future family, and, having got Gamora used to 2 names in a short space of time, it’s made me hold back. I could start to call them in a sing song voice “Blue Boy” & “Blue Girl” but how to get the two black girls to know they are individuals..? It’s still getting them used to a name that will not be used.

One friend of mine who breeds some superb British Short Hair kittens simply calls all of her kittens You... so she will say “Hello You”, “You Good Boy/Girl”. Since they are all phrases a new family will say when giving love to their new pet, so I guess this might work...

It’s been a good day.

Noodle & Nebula

New video posted

Here’s Prune with her 4 kittens as they feed & climb. The sounds you can hear of the purring and suckling are loud considering their size!

Noodle gets her head in the way in the first part of the film, as ever she is trying to join in with this ‘family scene’.

Progression

Prune’s kittens are growing so fast, something that always amazes, so much so that it feels like a distant memory that each was half a handful just 16 days ago. Visually since all have their eyes wide open increasing size appears the only real change, though each is at a slightly different stage of having their ears open, with the little lad bringing up the rear.

There are definite personalities emerging even now, with the biggest kitten seemingly the most wilful. I’m finding she is the most stubborn as I begin the first of their worming treatments.

For 3 days, directly after a feed the kittens must each swallow 0.5ml of Panacur worming syrup; a gloopy white cold soup that sadly is very distasteful to them. I realise of course that it is produced for treating both puppies and kittens but to my mind it is high time the manufacturer found a way to make it taste more appealing. Listen up Panacur!

Using a 1ml syringe I draw up for each a 0.5ml dose and then proceed to slowly drip the syrup in, all the while each kitten does it’s best to eject the unpalatable substance and not to allow me to gain access to their mouths with it again (and again).

For the two blue kittens that I give feeds to, I feel sure that they must wonder why I’m suddenly mistreating them, when normally I bring purr-inducing sustenance. For the two black kittens which I handle less, no matter how gentle and lovingly this treatment it is given, I feel sure they must think me as vile as that which I force on to and into them.

I do love their little faces and so I try hard single handedly to get a decent picture of each one but, since they are still only able to belly crawl, their faces are not at an angle I can see them well. Sleeping photos seem the best option when they are at least still. Mind you, the poor little girl who I disturbed taking this photo was quite startled by the camera flash. Oops! You can see too some white worming syrup has been transferred to a little blue rump!