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Diary: Jasmine's kittens were born between 1am and 3am on 19.5.09. Mum and babies doing well:-))) Jasmine is so delighted with her babies. She's constantly purring and stretching out her front paws to 'knead' the air with happiness. 20.5.09 - One day old:-))):
21.5.09 - The kittens are all doing very well. It's so amazing to watch them suckle. As usual, they will all get latched on, and then one will decide they need to suckle from the furthest teat away, so go along the line of happily suckling kittens, knocking each on off with his head, until he reaches the furthest teat, where he'll happily settle, and the others all have to start again:-))) Sometimes they try and resist being knocked off and the 'knocker off' and the one latched on will have a little 'fisticuffs' battle with the little paws going at each other, and squeals of frustration. 22.5.09 - The noise the kittens make now is very much like 'Sweep' (to those of you who remember Sooty and Sweep). It's a bit like a creaky door:-)))) They are so sweet, they have their fill of suckling, have a big stretch and a yawn, and settle down to sleep. They're already getting used to be handled and the daily weighing too. They are all gaining really good weights. Jasmine is a brilliant mother and does spend most of the time with them. She does find time in the night though to come and give us a good fuss too:-))) 24.5.09 - For the first time, today one of the kittens, Iruka, 'looked' towards me as I spoke to them. His eyes are still closed but he obviously recognised my voice. It's that first step of bonding between human and kitten:-))) A treasured moment. We've just put the pictures up and we'll continue to do them every Sunday, weekly. If owners would like them sent by email, please let us know. There is still one sorrel boy available from this litter. 25.5.09 - Coming up for a week old:
27.5.09 - Another photo:
28.5.09 - Two of the kittens have one eye open now and they all wash themselves and we've seen two of them suck their thumbs. They looks so sweet. They are trying to walk more now, rather than crawl, and lurch from side to side, frequently falling over. 31.5.09 - The kittens are like chubby teddy bears now. They are awake for a little bit more of the day now (giving me more chance to fuss them:-)))). Our morning routine of weighing them is no problem to them now - they know exactly what's happening. They respond much more to noise now as well. 2.6.09 - For the first time today the kittens came to the front of the pen when I talked to them, meowing for fuss:-)))) Since they are two weeks old today, I couldn't resist taking some more photos of them:
6.6.09 - The kittens are all aware of each other now and pat each other's tails and heads:-))) Their ears have almost migrated up to the right place (they start half way down the sides of their heads, and folded inwards but stick out soon after birth and, as they grow, gradually reach closer to the top of the head). 7.6.09 - What a difference a few days makes. We've just put the 'coming up for three weeks old' pictures up and with all the kittens having their eyes open and getting some of them sitting up for the pictures more, they look so much more grown up. They've taken their first steps on to the carpet now and had a little wander round our bedroom. They'll gradually go further and further. We're going to trim their claws for the first time this afternoon. 8.6.09 - The kittens are up walking on their legs more now, rather than crawling. They still lurch precariously from side to side, but don't fall over quite so much. They respond with meows when we talk to them:-)))) 9.6.09 - Couldn't resist taking some pics today since the kittens are three weeks old today:
They all had a good feed, then a sleep and were just waking up to give themselves a good wash, apart from Ilo who is at the front, still fast asleep. Ilo has just had his first tase of solid food!:-)))) I gave them some finely chopped chicken breast (roasted) and he had a few mouthfuls. The others gave it a sniff and thought it was poo, but three weeks old is the earliest we offer them food, so it's very early days yet. It's always so exciting when they eat for the first time:-)))) 10.6.09 - Today I tried the kittens on Hilife and this was the result:
Ilo and mum sharing some Hilife Kitten food. That's Ilo on the left too. He and Iggy are so alike. Iggy is very slightly darker though. The kittens are starting to play imaginatively now and this afternoon Iggy was running a few steps and chirping - that wonderful trilling noise that Abyssinians do. They are beginning to play fight as well. 13.6.09 - We've moved Jasmine and the kittens into the kitten room in our home now. It's central in our home and we've removed the proper door and put up a wire mesh door, so the kittens get to meet our other cats, and they get to meet the kittens before they're even introduced. The kittens are already settling down in there. They've got lots of toys, and a climber and a 'kitten house' as well as a heated bed etc. We take the bigger water dish away and put two shallow ones in, just in case they manage to get in one, so they can easily get out again. Photo day tomorrow!:-)))))) 14.6.09 - It's difficult to believe there is just one week between the photos done last weekend and the ones done today. The kittens don't look like hamsters anymore - they look like beautiful baby cats:-)))) Iruka and Iggy both ate some finely chopped roast pork today. They REALLY enjoyed that!:-)))) 15.6.09 - The kittens are starting to play with toys:-))) The favourite at the moment is a heart shaped velvet 'mouse' and Indie was tossing it about and rolling over with it. 16.6.09 - Exactly four weeks old today:
The first two on the left are Iruka, drinking and playing, then it's Indiana looking at the food, and then at the bottom left is Ilo playing with a black toy mouse, and Iggy is asleep with Jasmine, their mum. ALL of the kittens are now eating chicken breast (from roast chicken). They really enjoyed it. We'll start offering two meals a day now. 17.6.09 - One of the kittens has managed to wee in the litter tray:-)))) They are all trying to use the tray but most haven't cottoned on how to make their bowels and bladder work without the stimulation from their mum washing their bottoms. The fact that they are all trying so much to go in the litter tray already is quite remarkable. Instinct is an amazing thing! Now one has managed it, I'm sure the rest will follow soon. 18.6.09 - I am SO proud of the kittens. They are all using the litter trays now. They are managing to do their wees and poos in it. They are such clever boys! They all came in the lounge today for the first time. They were in for half an hour, and tomorrow it will be an hour. Sometimes when kittens come in the first time they are a bit wary, but not this lot. They immediately explored the room, and then Ilo came and sat on my lap and watched tv and Iggy joined him after a while:-)))) The others were still exploring until they went back:-))) Jasmine wasn't too concerned, which was good, too. 20.6.09 - Couldn't resist taking some pics of the kittens playing in the lounge today:
They gravitate to laps:-)))) 22.6.09 - Today I got the 'bird on a wire' out for the kittens to play with. As normally happens, at first they don't know what to do with it, but Iruka began to tap it, so they are on their way to having lots of fun with it. Eventually they all fell asleep on my lap:-))) Jasmine's kittens can climb to the balcony of the kitten house now, so they're having great fun with that. 23.6.09 - Some more photos:
From the left, Iggy, Ilo, Indiana and Iruka. The kittens are exactly five weeks old today. Playing in the lounge.
'Me, playing with mum's tail? Never!':-))))) 25.6.09 - The kittens are all eating well on two meals a day now (obviously still suckling from Jasmine), so we'll increase it to a third meal. This will be Hilife. It's important that as they stop suckling they are eating cat food because roast chicken, roast pork and roast beef that they like so much doesn't have enough taurine and calcium so as we go to more and more feeds a day (until we're feeding them about six or seven times during the day - as much as they'll eat) and they start to suckle less, they'll be eating a greater and greater proportion of cat food. The roast meat will gradually be reduced. They do have Royal Canin Babycat biscuits down all the time too, but we haven't seen any of them eat any yet. Indiana is trying hard to climb from the climber in the lounge to the lounge windowsill, via the radiator. He spends a while looking at it, working out the best route, but hasn't quite managed it yet. It won't be long, and then they'll all follow. They are such good kittens - absolutely reliable with the litter trays. 28.6.09 - The kittens all had a lovely time yesterday when the owners of Ilo and Iruka came to visit. They played a lot to start with but eventually went to sleep on their laps. They've got another visitor today, so, no doubt, they'll have lots of fun then too. They're getting used to having their claws clipped now - we do them about every 7 or 8 days at the moment. As they get a bit older it will go to every 10 days. They've met quite a few of our other cats now and are confident with them. The time is going so quickly. It won't be long before they have the run of the place - they're just not quite old enough to have access to the older cats' litter trays yet (they have access to them in the lounge if they haven't been used since our daily morning cleaning of the trays but if the trays have been used we move them when the kittens come in the lounge, and put the kittens' own trays there.) 29.6.09 - The HappyPet elephant that the owners of the kittens bought for them on Saturday is VERY popular. The kittens just love tugging his trunk LOL! Billy as commandeered the HappyPet donkey for himself:-)))) The kittens had a brilliant time playing in the tunnel this morning and I've just seen them eating some Royal Canin Babycat - the first time I've seen them eating that. Iruka was tucking into Hilife last night as well. They've done it! Two of the kittens, Ilo and Indiana, climbed on to the top level of the climber in the lounge, and on to the windowsill. I'm sure the others will soon follow:-))) We had a lovely game of 'bird on a wire' tonight. When we got it out at first the kittens were a bit worried about it, but not any more - Iruka, in particular, was leaping up to catch it and tap it. 1.7.09 - Time is passing so quickly for us. The kittens were six weeks old yesterday, so here are some more pictures:
They had lots of fun playing in the tunnel.
They enjoy getting on the windowsill now too:-))) 4.7.09 - The kittens enjoyed playing on the toy boat in the lounge today:
5.7.09 - All of the kittens are now tucking into Hilife wet food. They are having two meals of meat a day, either roast chicken or roast pork, and two meals of Hilife. We'll gradually reduce the roast meal meals now until they are only having a bit as a treat and eating Hilife, as much as they want. The Babycat dry food is going down a lot overnight, so I suspect more than one of them is eating that as well. Obviously Jasmine could be eating some of it, but I doubt she's eating all that is disappearing overnight. Today in the lounge they had fun playing with a shoebox. It's a daily challenge now to provide them with different toys to keep them amused:-)))) 6.7.09 - Thanks so much to Sue, my friend in the USA who brought over this laundry pop up basket and some dorm totes for the cats and kittens to play in. This is the first day with the laundry basket:
As they lean on the sides it tubles over and over like a hamster wheel (until Jasmine sits in it LOL!):-)))) 7.7.09 - Instead of a 'kindergarten' we have a kittengarten:
The small mesh baskets are called 'dorm totes' and the kittens love jumping in them, on them, round them etc.:-)))) 14.7.09 - I'm constantly getting out new toys for the kittens to play with. They can manage to leap onto the sofa etc. from the floor now, so can get to most places in the lounge, but they did enjoy the 'kitty go crazy' when I got that out:
Jasmine - 'you might be nearly as big as me, but you're not too big for a good wash behind the ears':-)) 17.7.09 - The kittens have been for their first vaccination and health checks today. The vet was impressed with them and they were all very well behaved, not even noticing the injection going in. I think they enjoyed their trip out:-)))) This afternoon we let the kittens out into the conservatory (off the kitchen). As soon as Iruka saw the patio door open in the kitchen he was straight out in the conservatory, exploring. The others waited and watched to see if he was OK to make sure it was safe:-)))) They've had a lovely time exploring the dining room, kitchen, hall, computer room and bathroom. No-one has quite plucked up the courage to step into the cats garden (a secure run off the conservatory, with plants and bushes safe for the cats) but I'm sure it won't be long now before they're having fun out there too. We'll do Jasmine's kittens photos tomorrow and Ellie's on Sunday. 18.7.09 - The kittens are really enjoying exploring everywhere now. Indiana was the first to run out of the kitten room this morning, and later I went past the lounge to see Ilo on the unit shelf where the tv is, running along, very pleased with himself. I said to him 'so you can get on there now can you?:-))))' and he ran back to the nearest chair leapt off the shelf, onto the chair and then back on to the shelf, to show me how he did it:-))) In the meantime Iruka was looking at the cats' garden, tentatively taking his first step out there:-)))) Iggy always makes straight for the toys LOL! We have lots of toys for them - there are toys in every room, so plenty of choice. Ilo is the naughtiest kitten at the moment:-))) When it's time for them to go into the kitten room for a nap, or last thing at night, Ilo KNOWS we're trying to pick him up to take him back and scoots between our legs, getting us dodging round furniture, and running all over the place to pick him up. But when we're just picking him up normally during the day, he's perfectly happy to be picked up! He just knows when it's time for bed, and like a child, doesn't want to go to bed LOL! The kittens are eating all their meals of Hilife wet food now. They went off the Hilife Kitten, so they're on Hilife Adult, but I'll put them back on the Kitten in a few days, when they have got bored with the Adult one. They have a tiny bit of roast chicken first thing in the morning and last thing at night, just as a treat, but not for proper meals anymore. They still suckle from Jasmine from time to time, but she's getting less and less milk now. 21.7.09 - The weather isn't so nice today so the kittens decided to play in the dining room rather than the conservatory and kitchen:
21.7.09 - The kittens made straight for the study this morning, to play on the climber there:
Don't imagine for a moment that Iruka didn't manage to get up there - he was up at the top when I went to fetch the camera:-))) They rushed off to play in the dining room soon after I took these pictures. 25.7.09 - I got mobbed by the kittens as well as the older cats this morning when I got up (Derek had already got up and let the kittens out) because they know it's chicken first thing and last thing at night, so there were four little faces looking up, waiting for their treat. They chose the utility room to play in at first this morning. This is all quite normal - kittens seem to choose a room at a time to play in and then go on to somewhere else when they're bored with that one. The 'almost 10 weeks old' pictures have just gone up. Time is passing so quickly, and the kittens are growing up so quickly! 27.7.09 - This was actually the fourth time I'd tried to get this picture. Every time I'd rushed for the camera Iruka had moved by the time I got back, but finally, here he is, sitting on the chair in the conservatory:
All of the others were dashing around like mad, but I'll try and get pictures of them playing out there soon. 28.7.09 - I was updating the site on the computer and heard a kitten spitting at something. I turned and saw Ilo at the top of the climber, reaching round to look at his reflection in the mirror and spitting at it:-))))):
30.7.09 - The kittens make a beeline for my lap when I'm on the settee:-
They were all asleep when Derek went to fetch the camera, but woke as he switched it on. 31.7.09 - It's a bright sunny day here (at last!) and the kittens rushed straight out into the cats garden as soon as they'd had their chicken first thing this morning. They're having such fun chasing each other through the plants and round the pots:-)))) 6.8.09 - The kittens are so sweet. Often three will go off playing somewhere and the fourth will be looking for them. This evening Iruka came into the lounge when I was in there and he meowed up at me and looked around. Clearly asking if I knew where his littermates were. So I picked him up and we went off to find them, where they were playing in the conservatory. 8.8.09 - We've just done the 12 week old pictures. We don't generally do the 13 week old ones because they are going off to their new homes then, but if anyone particularly wants to see them at 13 weeks we can always do some:-))) Indiana is still unbooked, so he'll be staying for as long as it takes to find him the perfect home. We have had quite a few enquiries for him, but they were for homes where they wanted to let a cat out and we only let them go to indoor only homes, unless there is a secure cat proof run for them or they're taken out on a harness. We love our cats and kittens too much to have them at risk of road accidents, theft, etc. The kittens are so used to having some roast chicken first thing in the morning and last thing at night and today I had some for lunch. I thought it would be nice to sit on the sofa eating it, but they obviously thought it was for them and I got mobbed:-)))) These kittens have moved out of the kitten room completely now since they are integrated with the rest of the household, and Ellie's kittens have moved in. 10.8.09 - Today the kittens had their second vaccination and health check. They are always so well behaved and don't seem to notice the injection at all. All was fine, and it won't be long now before they go to their new homes. IndianaJones is still unbooked though, so we'll keep him here until the perfect home comes up for him. He's such a lovely lad - runs up to me meowing to be picked up and cuddled:-))) If I'm busy with housework or something the kittens will go and sit on the sofa when they've had enough playing, so they can wait for me on there, to get on my lap as soon as my bottom touches the seat:-)))) 11.8.09 - The kittens are very much enjoying playing in the cats garden when the weather is nice:
12.8.09 - I drove all the way to Rutland Wildlife Sanctuary today to get two of these birds for the cats and kittens to play with. Iruka was very impressed:
If you press the birds on their backs, they make an absolutely realistic bird noise of that particular type of bird.
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