Little Diggers

Post their late afternoon feed it’s always a lot of fun. It’s the time of day when after they’ve eaten I give their pen a final cleanup before they settle down. There I was shaking out their bedding (again) & sweeping the floor (again) while at the same time watching them all messing about in the smaller shallow litter trays. I could see them wanting to really get in and dig. It was also evident that 2 small trays were now insufficient when nature calls them all at once since they’re also growing at a rate of knots! Time then to bring in the big guns - in the form of deeper litter trays which, though providing a better dig, might also result in less litter scatter! (who am I trying to kid?) 

Having new trays caused such excitement with all four lads soon having the time of their lives. I know of course that the adult cats will also decide these trays look good for them to use too (because all Sphynx suffer dreadful FOMO) but that’s ok, as moving on to these is a great next step in their process.  I have a plan to open the pen this week and so I defo need them to identify these larger trays as being their en-suite facilities and then I will gradually move them across the room to where the resident cats litter tray area is. 

I rather suspect that, if they follow form, when they can climb and jump confidently they’ll probably choose to use the top entry trays rather than continue with the open or side entry ones they have just been introduced to. The roof is currently not fitted onto the one that has the door flap as I want to get them using it as an open tray and then slowly get them acclimatised to being enclosed, then trusting they can walk through the flap door. I offer all the litter tray options purposefully giving them the choice certainly and I do make note their preferences but, really it’s because I want to make everything seamless & easy when they go to their new homes thus their new families can choose the style of litter tray they prefer for their kitten/cat and can be reassured that their new kitten will know how to use it. On collection day I also provide new families with a bag of soiled cat litter from their litter trays (scooped of course!) which they can sprinkle in their litter tray at home thus helping kitty to identify by the familiar aroma where in their new home they need to “go”. 

Kittens are learning to identify the call of nature and to take action given that mum & Aunties no longer “do the deed” for them. They also make a mental map very quickly too so once they’re free roaming they’ll be able to gauge how far they need to run from wherever they happen to be in the home when nature calls and be able to navigate their way to the appropriate spot! 

Toys!!!

Im so looking forward to them being “free” as I have some fun toys set aside for them to enjoy. I’ll defo be making a cute video or two of their new experiences! The toys that are getting most love now are balls ⚽️ And a DM shoe lace that Has a series of large knots tied along its length and at the ends.  This was a toy idea I was introduced to by the new mum of one of the girls in Prunes previous litter. Ley (the new mum) had had a previous Sphynx whose most prized possession was her “string”. This Sphynx had sadly passed on but her string was kept fondly and used by her other Sphynx, a real gentle fella called Ash. When Elvira met her new cat family she was determined right away, in fact, it’s probably true to say that Elvi probably never questioned that she would be the centre of attention from the get go, anyway, she took ownership of this string and 2 years on still carries it with her (though perhaps she’s had a fresh new one since then?) My point in relaying this is that it’s a fun toy to learn to chase and grab, and cheap to buy. Kitten toys need not be expensive or store bought. Another fun idea is to make a pyramid of empty toilet rolls tubes. Stack 7 at the bottom, 5 on top of that, then 3, 2 and 1. You can glue or tape them to make it all hold together. Now you can put cat treats and mouse toys inside for your kittens to seek and fish out. This helps them with dexterity and focussed attention. You can also use empty loo roll tube cut shorter to make a set of different depth chimneys. Fix the chimneys to a flat surface by down about 1cm around the circumference then opening out these “flaps” which you can then glue to a flat surface. Or you can make round holes in an empty cereal box to slide the chimneys into which should hold them. Now you can drop in treats or small toy mice for your kitten to fish out. A little effort maybe but it’s a cheap toy that involves no plastics! Later you can make the tasks harder and the treats more difficult to get. Get creative! Or why not see what You Tube has to offer in terms of ideas! 

Right, it’s time for some bedtime milk for the lads so I’ll say goodnight and leave you with some video taken this evening during the clean up and play time to keep you amused!  Goodnight 🐾🐾❤️🐾🐾

Time is flying!

Doh! Found a post I’d started but for some reason abandoned part way through so it’s a few days since I’ve posted an update. Apologies to all those keeping tabs on us. I promise that I have not just been putting my feet up! 

My brand new granddaughter hit one week old & it is an absolute treasure & delight to get to hold her. I was even allowed to place a kiss upon her incredibubble head of hair! I deliver 2 hot meals to my little famalam who live just a mile and a half away each week in lieu of the one meal and day of childcare I used to enjoy pre-Covid. Since then a lot has happened including a triply broken ankle for me which after surgery meant 10 weeks immobile while they took care of me & to some extent, the cats. My son would appear twice a day with a flask and a packed lunch and then a flask and dinner. I was pretty helpless at first but I did find a way within a few days to use my Zimmer (yes I said Zimmer!) to hop to a rollator Walker with a seat which allowed me to punt myself backward to where the litter trays were, and thus seated was able to take care of (my cats) business. If I could do nothing else, at least I could keep that task! Luckily with the girls using their auto feeders they didn’t require meals on my new wheels too! After convalescence, my being able to cook for them once again & with my daughter in law now working from home & coping with toddler care while I was in self isolation allowed me to feel a little bit useful again & involved again & the best way I can to thank them for their kind care. Anyway, I have delivered 2 meals and enjoyed a little grandma-ing. I feel blessed. 

 
Anyway, back to the matter in hand, 4 handsome kittens who have been smashing it at weaning. After a few days of individual “training” (messy!) they started to get a little convinced that chowing down on meat and lapping milk from a dish was doable (I can’t lie, I do miss snuggly hand feeding) . It’s very amusing hearing the sneezing that goes on before they get to grips with how far from the surface of the milk they need to be and when is too low! Those training feeds took a long time but by day 4 they were ready to try a meal together. You must have heard and seen that on a video I posted a couple of days ago. Well since then I’ve been reducing the amount of milk mixed with the meat so that by Saturday morning it’s no longer served as a soup they suction up and is now more something they need to bite up and chew with a milk chaser should they want it. They’re still nursing from mum which is a scene that makes me smile since inevitably it ends up in a sleeping duvet of kittens over a comfy bed made of mumma! 

 One thing they weren’t keen on was their first taste of Panacur wormer (always given at 5 & 8 weeks, then again before collection at 12 weeks) . They detest it and I still can’t understand why they don’t make it a tablet which is so much easier to give, or at least just try to make it taste nice for them. 

One evening this week we had a breakout from the Pen(itentiary) . One date devil had leapt from the roof of the wooden house (shed!) dropping over the top. I moved the house into the centre of the pen but watched because now the escape route was mapped out, scaling cot bumpers and the fence has been attempted over and over again. For now, there’s no energy left after one or two efforts and not enough strength to get over yet but it won’t be long. I’m almost ready to give them freedom anyway since they are acing the litter trays too! 

We had a bit of a video clip session today in order that I could get some reasonable still frames to use to create photos of them. Honestly, taking photos is a hit and miss affair even with extra hands here to dangle toys to keep their focus and perfect pout. 99 times out of 100 in photos they’ll move just as I click resulting in a blurred mess. I felt I got some reasonable images and have already used them to showcase the boys in advertisements so that, come 8 weeks when an in person viewing can be arranged, we can meet someone from the new families who would like to reserve & give each one a lifetime of love & care. 

I’ve included some of those stills here hoping you’ll enjoy them - have a happy Sunday 🐾🐾❤️🐾🐾. 

ROGUES GALLERY 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wean & all that’s in between!

 

LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF FEEDING GANNETS!

We began the weaning process a few days ago & I’ve been spending time very hands on with each of the boys individually as they take the next big steps from suckling to using their tongues & mouths differently. While they do this, they are also gaining new texture, taste & aromas which being unfamiliar, at first they’re not that sure about. The tummy feel of having fed on meat will be different too & their little digestive systems are now ready primed with the necessary enzymes to process more solid matter.

I begin each lesson after closing mum & her team out of the room, as this happens, the kittens become eager to greet me & are now getting themselves up onto the roof of their new “shed” and meowing for all they’re worth. At least they’re keen!

I will take the kitten who seems most keen, plucking him from his roof top and bringing him to stand on a puppy training pad placed on the floor. On this I’ve placed a shallow dish in which is the warmed mushed a soup of milk and pouched kitten meat. I now get this mush on my fingers and bring it to their muzzle so that they can sniff & hopefully are intrigued to taste. I will open the mouth and put some meat in allowing them to work out how to deal with this new food. I repeat this several times, and often by holding up the dish to their chest height can get them suckling the food from the dish. Each day, as they learn more I can either lower the dish bit by bit and their head will follow, or I’ll get them to come lower and lower using my fingers from which they are licking the meat/milk concoction. I have been following the lessons with as much milk as each wants from the teat. Today, with lessons advancing particularly well for two of them I’ve moved them on by bringing all four kittens to the dish together hoping the two slower chaps will follow the example set by their siblings. As you’ll have seen from the video above, 3 boys were lapping away with gusto while the other had to be brought back. I stopped filming so that I could have both hands to help him. 

One of the boys, is still VERY reluctant to give up the teat. I soooo wish I could film our struggle so that others could see. I’m offering the full syringe & teat, but now he thinks that it’s a rare opportunity having convinced himself milk like this is in short supply. His tummy craves the warm fluid fill so he grabs at the teat forcefully, both hands with claws outstretched, opened wide it looks like an oversized (for him) catchers mitt. Teat in mouth held in his teeth, there is now a tug of war because his pulling so hard has pulled the teat off of the syringe. He deciphers my efforts to reattach it as withdrawal and becomes frenzied that his milk is being denied to him.  I try hard to keep the teat on and to start delivering the milk he craves, but it’s not fast enough and he is now crazed.  I can’t convince him that his interpretation is unfounded. He grapples more, by now he is up on just his hind legs, claws and hands as large as he can make them over the teat. Milk spilled from the syringe coats his chest and meat coats his face!  Eventually, with maybe ½ a syringe of milk left I can give him what he is after and as finally it’s delivered, his hands drop he goes stiff in excitement as he sucks down milk as if it will never appear again. At the end, you guessed it, the teat needs to be eased out from his mouth! Bless him.