8 weeks of age & a viewing

Yesterday, Wednesday morning was the 8 week anniversary of the births of Prune’s kittens & it’s so lovely watching these little personalities behaving exactly as ‘text-book’ kittens do, and indeed seeing my adult cats remember what it is to be a kitten & playing hide & seek.

My curtains are still safe at least!

The eighth week not only brings the kittens the first part of their vaccinations (which they had on Tuesday) but also our first viewing visitors.

This evening we were delighted to welcome a most delightful father and daughter team to our home. Dad, Maurice and young Ella came inside to be greeted first by Pru and then by Aunty Noo(dle) & the “wrecking crew”. Thankfully all little ones had all paid their visits to their litter boxes about ½ an hour before our guests arrived, and, as I’d held up their evening meal a while they were nicely wide awake rather than in a food-induced soporific doze of epic proportions.

Ella & Maurice seemed to enjoy seeing the 2 adult and 4 kittens all interacting while the three of us chose to sit on the floor (I do have a sofa, perhaps I forgot to mention that!☺️) . While it was the kittens who were really the focus of our attention, true to form Princess Noodle chose to swipe two bottles of anti-bac handwash off of my desk in order to re-gain the attention she believes is rightly hers! She is a spoilt brat, she did her usual nibbling which she thinks let’s people know that she requires firm stroking (how?) She was quite the stroppy pants this evening in fact yelling as if hurt when she given a cuddle. Obviously that was not on her agenda. How embarrassing!

Thankfully Prunella Prudence can be relied upon to charm, with her beguiling beauty and push-button purring. She is so slim again, regaining her sleek silhouette like all unspayed female’s do.

And need I say it, but the kittens were simply divine - their Buddha bellies wobbling as they waddled along, tails up to follow me to the kitchen where they sang like ardent Christmas carollers telling me just exactly how hungry they were and how many days it had been since last a morsel has passed their lips!  The little darlings, unused to being fed elsewhere, were confused to be asked to eat in another room where their visitors could enjoy watching them, but once I’d scooped them all up and deposited them in front of the dishes they soon tucked in, with Pru & Noodle, watching on and who hardly needed an invitation to swoop in to finish any left-overs (there was some tonight too!).

Lucky little boy blue has been chosen by this wonderful family, but has yet to be given a name. His next chapters are theirs to write & I shall miss him very much when he goes. I shall savour these last 4 weeks with him!

We now look forwards again, to the weekend when more prospective new families come for their viewings so here’s hoping that his sisters will all secure safe new homes where love abounds.

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!