Time with mum & trying it on

As the kittens continue to wolf down the meat, Prune has no milk left to offer however, this isn’t enough to stop a certain young lady from ‘chancing her arm’ at every opportunity she gets to suckle at mums breast. At this stage of course, it’s a comfort thing rather than food seeking, but with sharp pointed teeth inside little mouths I can see Prune is caught up in a bit of a dilemma. She is driven to be a good mum & to give the kittens what they demand of her, while at the same time she wants to protect herself from those overzealous teeth! The way I know her expressions I can see this decision playing out on her face as she considers what to do. Bless her heart.

Speaking of food; the smell of all that meat wafting about so regularly at feedings brings Mummy Pru and Aunty ‘Noo’ to the kitchen..... Like circling sharks they will dive in at times grabbing a mouthful when they think I’m not watching.  With one eye on me, the other is carefully trained on the progress of the ongoing feed, they wait impatiently for the kittens to have had their fill. Each adult will then take a bowl to make quite sure they are properly cleaned, before moving on to the kittens faces to do the same!

By Jove, it’s worked

After just over 24 hours on the medication we have proper 💩 from all four kittens. I will soon be able to allow them full freedom - which will mean one thing, lots of early morning wake up calls as 16 tiny cold paws climb all over me to let me know they want food NOW!

Actually, while my dear little boy follows me everywhere, wanting me if I’m in the kitchen to pick him up for a cuddle, he is therefore always first to the kitchen when it’s me that rings the dinner bell, however when it’s the kittens who ring it, it is one of the black ladies who lets me know - in no uncertain terms - that she needs sustenance! And I should make it snappy. Then her siblings join her and are climbing up my legs in their frustration that it takes me a minute to open pouches and mash it up, adding their medicine as necessary (2 feeds per day are medicated at the moment)

I’m putting down 2 full pouches at every meal. They have 4 (or sometimes even 5) meals day. This works out in one day as 2 (+ 1/2) pouches each - which is wonderful. Having withdrawn the Orijen for a few days while I waited for tummies to resettle, I will begin reintroducing it slowly, a few ‘biscuits’ at a time in a couple of days time. They love it I know that, but perhaps it was too rich so soon into the weaning process. Funny that only 2 kittens struggled, but that’s just the way it is sometimes with little baby cats as their tummies learn to cope with solid food.

(photos not well focussed I know!)

First trip out... visit to Mark our lovely vet

I decided that the kittens needed a little extra professional advice today and took them all to the vet, their first trip out of the house and ride in the car.

Herding them all into the carrier was fun, but with a warm snuggle safe and heat reflective bedding they were not getting a chill anytime soon. There was some meowing as I drove, I decided to believe though that they were singing along to the radio (Heart FM).

Walking from the car to the vet, and indeed in the vets office, I was halted several times as people noticed my little travellers and wanted to look. I allowed looking through the mesh or when I was waiting to the one I was holding, but defo no touching. Twice, I was asked were they Persian? These were so obviously not cat people as the Sphynx couldn’t be further from being a long haired snotty nosed Persian if they tried! I was polite of course, I’m proud to show folk these amazing cats, whether adult sized or a crowd of mini’s.

The reason I decided to go is because I’d been having problems with two kitties with loose motions and, worrying of it spreading, I wanted to get them checked out in case of an infection. Mark agreed that due to the two sessions of Panacur they have had that any infestation is unlikely and that he felt it was food related, possibly the introduction of the Orijen kibble proving too much for some (though they love it!). I left with a prescription with advice to give it to all kittens, which is a pro-biotic which includes good old fashioned kaolin.

Kittens were all good weights of between 620-680g. He listened to hearts and lungs and was happy with them. All were added to the system ahead of their first phase vaccination injections next week. I will ask that the microchipping is done at this first session so that I am certain all wounds are well healed before they leave, which they may not be if they leave very soon after the second phase injections 4 weeks after the first ones. They have come a long way in the 7 weeks since their births that’s for sure. All kittens use the litter tray, all have great appetites and I regularly see them drinking water from a bowl. I have for now disabled the water fountain as I want to introduce a ceramic rather than plastic one and haven’t decided on the one I will buy yet.

The drive home was loud, with lots of urgent mewing. They must be getting hungry again! On getting home though I noted my passenger car seat had a wet patch. Someone had obviously been yelling that they were in dire need of a litter tray, bless.

One bowl each, but look, someone has their eyes on the dish to their left! Have you got more?

 But, yours looks better than mine!

 

Lane changers eat better together 

 Well, this one dish each isn’t working out so well!