Midnight snack & weigh in!

Dad - Oswald 

 Another busy busy day here at Sphynx Cat Central. All the adult girls got bathed. Prune was well over due as I let her be last time as she had only a couple of days earlier given birth and I’d not wanted to bath her late on in her pregnancy given her size. She sure needed it & the ear cleanse & manicure too! Those talons!!! 

Sadly, none of my girls love water, despite my efforts to entice play so baths are a necessary evil. Noodle, who used to put up with it begrudgingly now fights to get away and comes out in hives (we use Pet Remedy room spray before & during bathtime as well as their shampoo all in efforts to de-stress this as much as possible. The results as ever are worthwhile. Noodle looks positively glowing being the lightest in colour she looks grubby quickest. Thanks to overzealous Floozy play she has some bite grazes around her neck area, bless her. She is often the instigator of catch me if you can, so she must enjoy the game. I am often run over or used as a springboard as they rampage through the bedroom or lounge.

Anyway, it’s nearly 12:45a.m & I’ve just given a late feed. I’ve noticed that in the last few days their appetites have gone nuts. It could be that Prune is producing less milk….they still suckle her a lot & she visits frequently to allow them to nurse, plus their tummies are never empty, so it’s more likely a huge growth spurt and milk becoming less satisfying.

I’ve also not seen any avoidance behaviour on Prune’s part as yet, but it won’t be long I don’t think as their first teeth are coming in. They’ll be over zealous, and nip her so she will soon begin to stop laying for them so much. She’ll start to grumble at them & push them away rather than leave them to drop off to sleep while suckling because they’ll get over zealous with their new pearly whites! 

I’m now feeding around 40- 50ml between them at each feed I provide (4 times a day). The good feeding they get from us both certainly shows in their weights which tonight are Black (Pudding) 446g, and the Blue lads are 424g, 407g & 356g. That 356g weight surprised me a bit, he’s not looking like a 51g lighter kitten. 

This is the last week that I will syringe/teat (Miracle Nipple™ ) feed them as next week they are going to be taking the next big steps. Lesson 1 is learning to drink from a dish. From there we will move on to weaning. And with that must come litter training since mum & her willing helpers will immediately stop performing toileting duty. Well, maybe Floozy won’t at first & she too will get a life lesson! Oh boy!

My beautiful daughter in law is almost at the end of her pregnancy. I’m on call for when the action starts - whence I  will drop everything to take care of my (feral) toddler grandson, Holden while his little sister is being born. Holden arrived almost a fortnight early so with only 1 week until the official due date left (as of today Sunday August 1st) it is quite literally an any time now situation. My plan is (hopefully) to start to wean & litter train after my new granddaughter has safely arrived. This will allow me to give it my full attention, however, if baby decides she’s too comfy where she is, with the appetites of these little darlings, I may well have to begin beforehand. We will see! 

Good night all 🐾🐾❤️🐾🐾

  

Dates!

 Busy day today with a few bits n bobs, one job involving a trip to the vet, which was purposeful in that I needed medication for Madam Floozy. 

While there, I booked Prune & her kittens in for ….

• Prune - annual booster (Noodle will be having hers on Tuesday) and 
• kittens for their first vaccination & microchip appointment (2nd September) 
• & 2nd vaccines (30th September)

These are important dates because the first vaccines (usually) allow the opening up of viewings & the second vaccine appointment at 12 weeks marks the date when kittens should be ready to go on to their new homes.

While it’s not written in stone that in person viewings will be offered at NSCH in 2021, it is preferred, so I’m hoping that it will be possible - even if it must be limited to one person only from any new family coming into our home to meet them. 

The microchip administration creates a small puncture would so, I’ve decided this time to have these implanted during the 8 week point so that they can be fully & well healed before kittens go off to their new homes. This allows me the peace of mind that the wound is not brand new when the kittens leave. However, if the vet when they examine the boys on September 2nd decides they’d prefer them to have achieved the extra size they will be at 12 weeks then I will opt to wait for them to be implanted during the second vaccines appointment. I’ve never had a kitten have a wound get infected, but I’d rather there was no chance for that to happen by having it done while they’re still “on my watch”. It reminds me actually of the time I had my very first litter at a breeder implanted. This was in fact a single kitten litter, and I’d a lovely lovely vet then named Phil. I was the only Sphynx pet parent at that practice & I remember Phil felt nervous of implanting the chip into the Sphynx kitten at 8 weeks. When we spoke about it after the deed was done (he opted for doing it at 12 weeks!) that he said there is actually little real difference except that the fur coat worn by other kitten breeds/non breeds makes them feel very different in the hands of the practitioner than a no coat kitty dies making them feel more fragile or somehow less robust. I loved the vulnerability and care that deal Phil revealed in himself as a veterinarian that day. He left that practice some while later and sadly, I don’t know where he went, but wherever he is in practice I know the animals in his care receive absolute top quality & heartfelt care. 

Back to the present…. Because the client (me) cannot now go into the room with their pets to see the vet, I spent time with the reception team today opening each lad an individual health record naming each kitten (clears throat) Kitten 1, Kitten 2, Kitten 3 and, yes Kitten 4 . This setting up will simplify things on the day so that their health records can be easily filled out. 

Before the vaccine or implant is given, each kitten receives a full health check, eyes, wards, mouth, heart, lungs, limbs, tummy, weight, temperature etc. The vaccine will only ever be given if the vet is completely happy with the health of the kitten. Similarly the microchip will not be administered if there is any concern noted. I’d always rather wait than rush them, (even the vet!) .

Just as we head into the weekend…. Because they’re all 21 days today I took some rather cute video footage  - which while I k is that I sound like a totally batty crazy cat lady, does show you that those cheeky little monkeys are starting to become bossy little personalities in their own right, demanding g food from the doorway indeed! Enjoy…🐾🐾❤️🐾🐾

Kitty Keep!

Well not a keep but a pen….

So, the 2 packs of tiles turned out to be THE perfect size to cover the floor, however there are none over I can use to close the gaps. These pens are made for dogs and rabbits not Sphynx Kittens so I discovered last litter that they can, if they choose to, walk right on out!

The last litter, I placed 4 kittens in this same pen, on a rug, 1 kitten walking right back out again, the other three respecting its boundaries! When I set up the pen on Sunday I remembered this and that I needed to do something about ensuring this time they will stay put, at least for a couple of weeks before they learn to escape. Those weeks will be so important encompassing such lessons as lapping fluids (water/milk) from a bowl/dish, plus how to eat solids and the all important introduction to a litter tray! 

Oh, no kitten photos… sorry- here then is a cheeky pic I took by aiming my camera through the bars of the crate in the small hours of this morning…. Enjoy…