First vaccinations & Microchips

A big day for these beautiful kittens today as they received their first vaccinations (* minus the leukaemia element) & their microchips.

Each kitten in turn was weighed & their heart and lungs listened to by Mark our lovely vet. With all being pronounced healthy with weight gains of approximately 200g each, Mark said that they are exceptional kittens. While I think this, it’s always good to have this remarked upon by a qualified professional.

After each was examined they first received their jabs, followed swiftly by the larger needled microchip injector. One of the black ladies yelled loudly, the other and the blue boy whimpered just a bit while the blue girl remained utterly and absolutely silent. There was a tiny amount on bleeding afterwards quickly stemmed by a cuddle from me as I applied compression with a cottonwool swab.

All chips now in place they were test scanned and then the required paperwork completed with each kitten’s chip being registered to me**.

We returned home, this time my car seat remained dry, and upon being let out safely back indoors, each kitten went to the litter box. I’m so pleased that they were able to wait this time, and proud of them.

As each emerged from the carrier Prune was there to great them, I love hearing her mum song, and seeing her care for them. Next was feeding, with 4 pouches quickly demolished, more litter tray trips, a play and now they are sleeping soundly.

* the reason that I ask the vet to omit the leukaemia element is due to there being some suggestion that cats receiving this medicine can develop a sarcoma at the injection site. I discussed this with Mark today and he said that most cats affected are in America, where a different vaccine is used, there were very few cases and it cannot be proven that the vaccine is responsible. I err on the side of caution in this early time.

The new family’s of the kittens, can if they wish to ask their vet to give the leukaemia element as a single vaccine at any time. Or simply have it included in the annual vaccination booster.

** New family’s must undertake to have their details registered to the appropriate microchip after they have taken them home at 12+ weeks.

Off to the vet!

Mum welcomes us home again.

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!)