And so now we wait….

Travelled today to bring Prune home again after her meeting up with her ‘husband’ for a few days. They got on well & I think remember one another with Prune happily sharing space on her heated mat cuddled up side by side. We never travel or stay anywhere without the essentials- which for my girls are their heat pads - I reckon there’s every chance that Oz favours Prune just for providing that though he also reportedly enjoys tucking into her Orijen! 

Arriving home - and emerging from her carrier, she is eagerly greeted by Noodle who wonders why the heck she smells so different following closely nose checking as she goes. Prune meanwhile is going from room to room to ensure nothing has changed before leaping into the litter tray, taking a drink and then promptly putting herself to bed for a rest. I love how she can get herself entwined in a blanket (yes on a heat pad!) . Having checked out the carrier for foreign scents, Noodle follows Prunes lead, though requires me for blanket duties 

Day 21 from my taking Prune to Oz will be April the 8th. I expect to see pinking nipples around about then, maybe the 9th if they didn’t mate on day 1…? So all we can do now is wait patiently, feed her well & enjoy their cuddles in this glorious sunny spring weather. 

It’s mating time again!

Well, spring has sprung - which means our cat’s bodies have reawaken and for active queens those heat cycles start up as they enquire, often loudly, for a mate.

I’ve been fortunate that, her chosen stud, Oz was free to entertain her, so this morning we jumped in the car for a marathon road trip of about 4 hours of driving to drop her off at his ‘gaff’. With the plan being to  go back to collect her in a few days time…. 

Will she or won’t she? Is she or isn’t she? 

Hopefully being as this is their fourth meeting over the years, they’ll recognise each other and will ‘get it on’ right away.  If so, after several matings they’ll have over the next few days & nights she will come back to me beautifully pregnant with what will be their 3rd litter together.  

Timing wise, If she is successfully pregnant I should begin to witness her ‘pinking up’ around about 8th April, this being the breeder’s confirmation that the queen is most certainly expecting and around 21 days into her 63-65 day pregnancy. 

I find it endlessly fascinating that a litter can be grown in such a short space of time, from speed meeting egg to kittens being born. 

Dates then can be plotted out  with the birthing due to occur around about May 22nd. Those dates may of course vary by a day or two but this would mean, for new families wishing to take on any of her beautiful kittens they would be ready to be viewed in mid July & collected from mid August. Exciting times! 

What will the kittens be like? 

Both parents are HCM scanned by accredited veterinary cardiologists annually, & have been tested for fiv/felv. 

Whether male or female, Prune’s kittens will all be born solid in colour, either blue like their sire or black like the same. Their eye colour will be yellow green to green. 

Do let me know if you would like to be considered as a family for any of Prune’s expected kittens as soon as you can. Don’t delay as they are always sought after by fellow breeders (to add to their own cattery/breeding line) as well as by families looking for a Sphynx companion to join their family.  Just a click the email link below to begin our conversation. I can’t wait to meet you! 

nakedsphynxcathantsa@icloud.com

Visiting Grogu

Yesterday I had the most wonderful opportunity accepting what was a long-standing invitation which had had to be constantly held up by covid, to visit Grogu with his wonderful family. 

Danni had for a while expressed a wish to have some guidance on ear cleaning and claw clipping so this visit allowed me to give that help. 

I arrived fo a warm welcome & no sooner had I entered than from behind a TV cabinet came a beautiful, BIG handsome adult cat whom I’d last seen as a 12 week kitten. I’d seen photos of course but to see him with my own eyes was such a joy. He is solid and well built, much larger than his mum of course being a boy cat, but not quite yet the size of his dad Oz.. Sensational green eyes just like Oz but set in the angular face of his mum Prune. He came to me as I got onto the floor. Would he remember me?

He approached the bag & grooming equipment box I brought with me, and seemed very interested in sniffing at it. What was going on in his brain I wondered….Was there residual familiarity of scent, a recollection of his birthplace or even of me? 

We all chatted a while. I showed Danni photos of Vinnie, & Basil in their respective families with the “brothers” they met in their new homes, then after having had a lovely little cuddle with adult sized Grogu I demonstrated on one ear and one paw how I clean an ear and cut claws. Danni then did a Lille more to his ears and the other front paw using my clippers which she said felt better. Certainly seeing what I do gave more confidence in what to do to improve Grogu’s ear cleanliness and allow more robust trimming. 

These are skills new parents would previously have been able to practice with me on their kittens before their collections however covid robbed us of this kind of interaction in 2021

Since Grogu was due his grooming bath later that day we didn’t do more while I was there, but I was happy that after I’d gone these skills could be practiced. I have to say though that he was very calm & pretty laid back about it all. Very chilled indeed. 

I wondered, now I’d been there a while and he’d got more used to my scent, how much he might have remembered.  I called out “kittens, kittens” just as I do when calling a litter of weaned kittens to come to the kitchen for their food. On hearing this signal thry will charge eagerly, their tiny legs always getting them there before me, their tummies ready to be filled. Grogu & Humphrey we’re always “lords of the food bowls” so surely this would illicit a bit of recall???? I called again and we watched his eyes, his pupils narrow in the wonderfully light & bright room. His head to an angle he appeared to have a thoughtful expression. Fanciful maybe, but was he searching his memory banks, finding something back there that felt familiar to him? I’d really like to think he did!  

Watching him interact with & learning of his various antics with his family on a Sunday afternoon was a truly wonderful experience. I honestly cannot describe in words the feeling of joy & pleasure I came away with. I feel so very privileged as a breeder to provide families like Grogu’s with exceptional Sphynx kittens/cats & feel honoured that all of “my” families choose to keep in touch with occasional or regular photos & updates, but to have this “live” visit was something else again! I’m very grateful. 

As I drove away though, what an idiot I felt that not one of us thought to take photographic memento of Grogu and I reuniting. Doh!