~ This diary reads from the bottom up ~
Maeve's Kitten Diary Fall 2005
The music used on this page is Let Them Be Little by Billy Dean The kittens in this diary are the progeny of Maeve and Balor. Look for follow up photo's of the kitten's in this litter as they grow up on our Where Are They Now? page. January 7, 2006- All the kittens have gone to loving forever homes. Today we close this diary with a smile and a fond look back at these wonderful little bits of sunshine in the winter doldrums. Each of the kittens in this litter were so special, with their own individuality and look. Everyone of them was truly beautiful. We thank them for bringing new friends into our lives and look forward to updates and birthday photos from their new owners. We like to see our babies as full grown adults. :) Closing Stats #1 Violet – is now Willow and lives with her sister Sasha (#4 Magenta) #2 Indigo – is now Fiona and lives with two older seal point boys. #3 Willow – kept her baby name and lives with her excited and devoted owner Elspeth. #4 Magenta – is now Sasha and lives with her sister Willow (#1 Violet) #5 Ochre – is now Miss Masae and lives with a lynx point older girl. #6 Kelly – is now Misty and lives with a loving family that includes a new seal point girl, a dog, snuggling with Bobby, and playing with Carolyn. January 3, 2006 - I was laughing so much last night I have to share it. Willow went upstairs and found a Koosh snowball in one of the kids rooms and thought it was the greatest toy. She carried it downstairs and was playing with it in the dining room under the table. Andrew called me in to see her. I tried to get some photos but they didn't turn out very good. She was hilarious throwing it over her head and diving and rolling with it. She was having a ball. With all the commotion Magenta came in to see what was going on. She saw the ball and decided it was going to be hers. She dove in and stole it from Willow and went running into our bedroom with it. The war began...the two of them spent an hour running back and forth with the Koosh and trying to play with it on their own. Willow took all the toys out of the toy basket and decided it was a good bed. Violet decided to join her with less then favorable results. :) Violet and Magenta sleeping December 31, 2005 - Three of the kittens went to their new forever homes. This week we said good bye to Ochre, Indigo and Kelly. The three remaining kittens will be with us until next weekend when their families come to get them. Here are a few action shots of them playing. December 24, 2005 - December 23, 2005 - Package wrapping. My elf assistants were ready and willing to help out. Every package needs a bow! And finishing touches We're done, WheeHeu December 22, 2005 - All the kittens are doing well and have begun to play and wrestle with each other again. We are trying to keep the play less energetic as they need to stay quiet so their healing and stitches are not adversely effected. As an example of what can happen with a kitten.............. My oldest son is always first up and while he eats breakfast the kittens come in the kitchen and say good morning. This morning I hit the floor running at 6 am, when my son's yelling from the kitchen woke me. I couldn't tell what he was saying but I knew something was very wrong. About a million awful things went thru my head on that short sprint to the kitchen. As it turned out one of the kittens had been sitting where the heat comes out under the sink and with her kitten curiosity she stuck her front paws into openings under the lower part of the dishwasher, by the kick plate under the door. She got her arms stuck and was yelling. She can put her paws up there and get them out again but she must have panicked and tried to hard and wedged her arms at an angle. If she would have just relaxed and carefully pulled at the same angle she wouldn't have been stuck. I don't know if I really helped her or not but she did get herself free and high tailed it out of the kitchen. I checked her carefully and she was not injured. Sean was as scared for her as she was. Have you ever seen one of those comedy scenes in a movie where one character yells and a second one yells because of the first yell and then they both yell because they are scared from the yelling. That is kind of what happened. I think they were both more scared from the yelling then the actual event. For my assist I ended up with a lovely design on my hands from her sharp little teeth. :) I'm off to buy a block of foam to replace the pool towels that are now wedged under the dishwasher. =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= Yesterday while sitting at my computer I heard a cat scream from the other room. I went running calling kitties and taking inventory. Two more screams rang out before I located where they were coming from. Maeve's tail was puffed up and so was Magi's and they both looked very confused. One of the kittens was standing calmly under the Christmas tree. She had a cord from the lights under her belly, like a sling. It went right across her incision. Every time she tried to move it rubbed. I pressed the cord down a little and she took off. She must have been sitting on top of a wrapped package and jumped down across the cord and got caught on it. Under normal circumstances she could of easily walked over it but with her incision the slightest rub hurt. I checked her out and there was no damage to her incision. Having kittens is just like having toddlers....they do the darndest things. December 19, 2005 - ten weeks old tomorrow All six girls went in this morning to have their spay surgery. The procedures went well and all are resting quietly. Kittens at this age heal quickly and will be back to their normal activity level soon. December 13, 2005 - nine weeks old. Magenta and Willow have decided they are teachers and the lesson this week is un-tying shoes. They are quite good at it. Also we have a hauler in the bunch. So far I have found my shoe taken from my closet and left in front of the bedroom door. A fuzzy duster taken from the laundry room and left in the living room. Not easy objects to haul around, LOL. Last night I found Magenta trying to walk with a clean face cloth in her mouth that she picked out of the folded laundry on the table. She hauled it under the Christmas tree and was showing off to her sisters. :) Now that all the kittens have reached two pounds I will stop reporting weights. Last weigh in.... Violet is 2 lb. 2 oz. Indigo is 2 lb 9 oz. Willow is 2 lb. 1 oz. Magenta is 2 lb. 1 oz. Ocher is 2 lb 4 oz. Kelly is 2 lb 4 oz. Caroling caroling........ Deck the halls with boughs of catnip, fa la la la la la la la la 'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la Don we now our sparkle collars, fa la la la la la la la la Troll the ancient yuletide carol, fa la la la laaaaa la la la laaaaa December 11, 2005 - Sorry I am late in updating. We brought our tree in today and the kittens have been very good, so far no climbing :) They were the first to check it out before we even had the skirt under it. 12-9 weigh in.... Violet is 1 lb. 15 oz. Indigo is also 2 lb 5oz. Willow is 1 lb. 14.5 oz. Magenta is 1 lb. 14 oz. Ocher is 2 lb 2 oz. Kelly is 2 lb 2.5 oz. December 4-6, 2005- eight weeks old - The kittens were all paired up wrestling today. When taking these photos I discovered I need faster film, lol. They are so fast racing around and playing. Don't ask who is who in the blur of fur, your guess would be as good as mine ;) bi-weekly weigh in.... Violet is 1 lb. 14 oz. Indigo is also 2 lb 3.5oz. Willow is 1 lb. 12.5 oz. Magenta is 1 lb. 12 oz. Ocher is 1 lb 16 oz. Kelly is 1 lb 15.5 oz. December 3, 2005 - bi-weekly weigh in.... Violet is 1 lb. 11 oz. Indigo is also 2 lb 1oz. Willow is 1 lb. 9.5 oz. Magenta is 1 lb. 9 oz. Ocher is 1 lb 13 oz. Kelly is 1 lb 13.5oz. December 2, 2005- Violet was posing today. Here are some photos of her beautiful self. December 1, 2005- This morning I was headed to the shower when I saw the girls by the window. They looked so pretty sitting there I grabbed the camera. There was enough bright early morning light for me to get a few good photos of some of the girls. November 26-29 2005- seven weeks old I have decided this litter is breaking the odds. This is our second litter between Maeve and Balor. As many of you know I have been putting off sexing these kittens. By now I should be able to see the boys. The odds of having a litter of six girls is one in sixty four litters. This appears to be that one litter. I believe all of these kittens are girls. This litter also gave us chocolate points. There is only one genetic color combination that would allow for this and tells us both Maeve and Balor are BbDd seal points. Now we can look at percentages. Over time we should see: 56% Seal point 19% Blue point 19% Chocolate point 6% Lilac point With this litter we have 1 seal point (Magenta), 3 blue points (Indigo, Willow,& Kelly), and 2 chocolates (Violet & Ocher) The chart below shows the genetic combinations possible from parents with BbDd. The white squares indicating kittens. I am going to try to get some nice face photos today, but with the dreary weather here it may be difficult to not get reflection back from the eyes. There faces are changing from the big headed toddler look to a more mature look. The kittens have been so good that we are allowing them to sleep where they choose, which is in our bedroom. This morning when I woke up they all piled out of bed and came running to the kitten room for breakfast and to use the litter box, lol . There were five kittens in the box all at once! I wasn't fast enough with the camera to get them all but it is still pretty busy with the three in this picture. They have had a fun week. While running up and down the stairs they discovered they could walk between the rails and onto the top of a desk in the hall. The knocked over a vase I had there with rosehips in it and proceeded to drag the stems all over the house. Don't worry I had removed all the thorns and the vase had no water. It was harmless fun for all who participated. bi-weekly weigh in.... Violet is 1 lb. 9.5 oz. Indigo is also 1 lb 14 oz. Willow is 1 lb. 7 oz. Magenta is 1 lb. 6.5 oz. Ocher is 1 lb 11 oz. Kelly is 1 lb 10oz. November 26, 2005- Kittens of fashion 2005......On the catwalk we have Magenta wearing this Holiday Season's Siamese must have, a red feather boa. The Holly Berry Red marabou will coordinate perfectly with all true Siamese eyes when they reflect the sparkle of holiday lighting. November 23-25, 2005- All the kittens are running through the house. I found three of them curled up asleep amongst some beanies I have stashed in a drawer under my bed. Maeve would like them all to stay in our bedroom all the time. We require them to spend some time in my office (the kitten room) several times a day, to be sure they use their litter pan and have a bite to eat. They also will continue to spend the night there with Maeve as well. They have mastered climbing the cat trees/condos. They also discovered they can go upstairs and go up and down with no problems. bi-weekly weigh in.... Violet is 1 lb. 6 oz. Indigo is also 1 lb 10 oz. Willow is 1 lb. 4 oz. Magenta is 1 lb. 4 oz. Ocher is 1 lb 7.5 oz. Kelly is 1 lb 7oz. November 19-22, 2005- six weeks old Willow is the voice in this litter. When Willow calls out I can identify the tone of voice, the other kittens sound alike. Kelly is fast and dogged when pursuing a feather toy pulled across the floor. All the kittens now enjoy the chase and capture of a feather toy. Indigo tries to haul it off for his own safe keeping. Ocher is filling out into a little butterball. bi-weekly weigh in.... Violet is 1 lb. 5 oz. (598 grams) up 43 grams Indigo is also 1 lb 8.2 oz. (690 grams) up 75 grams Willow is 1 lb. 3 oz. (540 grams) up 78 grams Magenta is 1 lb. 2 oz. (516 grams) up 46 grams Ocher is 1 lb 6.2 oz. (633 grams) up 100 grams Kelly is 1 lb 4.25oz. (576 grams) up 57 grams November 20, 2005- They kittens spend most of their awake time play fighting with each other. November 16-18, 2005 Magenta and Willow are eating kitten food now. We are no longer offering KMR. We are free feeding Royal Canin Baby Cat. bi-weekly weigh in.... Violet is 1 lb. 3.5 oz. (555 grams) up 57 grams Indigo is also 1 lb 5.6 oz. (615 grams) up 74 grams Willow is 1 lb. .25 oz. (462 grams) up 46 grams Magenta is 1 lb. .5oz. (470 grams) up 50 grams Ocher is 1 lb 2.6 oz. (530 grams) up 53 grams Kelly is 1 lb 2.25oz. (519 grams) up 57 grams November 14-16, 2005 - five weeks old We added a cat condo-tree to the kitten run area this week. Willow and Magenta are showing similar personalities. They are both sprightly and race about playing whenever awake. Violet is a baby doll, If I hold her on her back and stroke her cheek and head she will close her eyes and fall asleep. I often find her with her face tilted up studying the human closest to her. Now that all the kittens are pan trained I will allow Maeve to decide when she wants them to explore beyond the kitten room. All the kittens have successfully completed litter box training. They are no longer babies or even toddlers. They are sure footed and climb, run, jump and play actively. Magenta and Willow are now eating formula with kibble. bi-weekly weigh in.... Violet is 1 lb. 1.5 oz. (498 grams) up 53 grams Indigo is also 1 lb 3 oz. (541 grams) up 78 grams Willow is 14.6 oz. (416 grams) up 17.7 grams Magenta is 14.7oz. (420 grams) up 64 grams Ocher is 1 lb .75 oz. (476 grams) up 60 grams Kelly is 1 lb .25oz. (462 grams) up 60 grams November 13, 2005 - We completed our second large can of kitten milk replacer. Magenta and Willow are receiving this supplement and leftovers go in the kitten bowl mixed with kibble. Magenta has started using Mom's litter box. She also drinks out of Mom's water bowl. In her mind she must think she is the biggest kitten. ;) Indigo, Violet, Kelly and Ocher are eating dry kibble. November 11, 2005 - We began offering the kittens formula mixed with baby cat kibble. Indigo, Violet, Kelly and Ocher all ate well. Magenta and Willow receive formula from an eye dropper, my preferred method. The bottle feedings are very messy and most of the KMR ends up in a towel. The kittens have begun using the litter box to pee in. They are all now scampering around sure footed. Sometimes I have a hard time telling who is who when they are in a chase. They have mastered climbing up vertical surfaces that their claws can cling to including my leg, lol I have to remember to wear my jeans. I will work with them on not climbing legs and curtains. They have traded in shadow dancing for now recognizable toys and will chase a feather and mouse, or any other fast moving object that catches their interest. Yesterday afternoon Maeve took one of the kittens out of the office and tried to hide her under my bed. I am not sure why this happened. We decided to make changes that would soothe her. We put all the kittens into the pyramid house and placed them in the powder room with Maeve. The kitten area got a through cleaning including washing all the beds and towels and I rearranged the cat furniture, beds, etc. I brought Maeve and the kittens back to the kitten room, dimmed the lights, and kept the noise level down for the rest of the day. I am also restricting visits from Magi and Emma (the kitten food sneaks). We are trying to be more sensitive to Maeve's moods and are helping her in any way we can to stay relaxed. bi-weekly weigh in.... Violet is 15.525 oz. (445 grams) up 60.5 grams Indigo is also 1 lb .25 oz. (463 grams) up 67.5 grams Willow is 14 oz. (399 grams) up 85.5 grams Magenta is 12.5 oz. (356 grams) up 60 grams Ocher is 14.5 oz. (416 grams) up 35.5 grams Kelly is 14 oz. (402 grams) up 46.2 grams Maeve has gone back to using the large nest from the birthing box and seems happier. Indigo likes to spar with anyone willing, usually its Violet or Ocher. Magenta and Willow are the chase twins zooming about. Kelly is willing to jump into any game. November 9, 2005 - The kittens are digging in their litter box and calling. They know they are supposed to be doing something :) and they really are trying to eat the litter. :p November 8, 2005 - four weeks old In early photos kittens eyes can have a tendency to look walleyed. The kittens are not actually walleyed. Their eyes are still learning to focus. They don't know to focus on the person taking the photo ;) Evening weigh in.... Violet is 13.5 oz. (384 grams) up 10.6 grams Indigo is also 13.9 oz. (395 grams) up 3.5 grams Willow is 11 oz. (313 grams) up 14.2 grams Magenta is 10.3 oz. (295 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 13.3 oz. (380 grams) up 10.7 grams Kelly is 12.5 oz. (355 grams) up 28.4 grams The room temperature is now at the normal house temperature around 70 degrees and the kitten room doors are open. I supplemented Magenta, Kelly, and Willow. The three smallest kittens. Judging from the weight gain, Kelly is eating solid food well. The kittens were romping around a lot tonight. Eating and drinking it was a party atmosphere. When they settled down I cleaned up the spilled food and water and replaced the towel under the kitten bowls. Right after I set the water down they all came to see what was new. They all left except Ocher who took a drink then bit the edge of the bowl and proudly picked it up and dragged it away, with the full bowl of water rushing out onto the new towel and floor. lol lil stinker. She looked at me with the cutest expression and all I could hear was that line from the tv show Dinosaurs Gotta love me, I'm the baby. While I was cleaning this up, Violet had a litter box party. Four kittens were dancing and eating litter in the kitten litter box. I cleaned litter from the mouths of Violet, Indigo and Kelly. I'm not sure who the fourth kitten was. Once they were all out of the box I noticed someone had peed. I don't know who to give the credit to. Maybe they were celebrating the first use of the box, lol. At four weeks we start weighing bi-weekly. November 7, 2005 - Morning is starting out good with Kelly's meal enticing Ocher over to take her first bites of kibble. All the kittens gathered around to see what was going on. I had to restrain Maeve. She wants to pick them up and move them away. I wonder if she is afraid they will drown in the water bowl? Today is climb the pyramid day. Magenta climbed it first last night. I bet she was bragging, lol, now they all want to try. Indigo had a nice drink of water and spent some time smelling and contemplating the kibble. Ocher figured out balls make interesting toys. I gave up on Maeve tonight and everyone has gone to bed on a full tummy of formula. I kept Maeve in the kitten room most of the day today. She ate a small amount of kitten food and had her two meals of formula. Tonight she wanted to leave the room and gave me a low moan when I wasn't cooperating. I let her go and she went straight to the kitchen and ate the big girls food. She is not helping me to help her keep up with the kittens demands. Her body cannot respond if the nutrition is not there. She is very thin again. I watched the kittens nursing on teats that had little or no milk. They all were fussing and fighting because there wasn't enough. All the kittens ate hungrily when offered the KRM (Kitten Replacement Milk), they finished off the night with emotional suckling. This issue has been worrying me no end and I felt it necessary to intervene on the kittens behalf. I also gave Maeve two more meals of formula. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 13.1 oz. (373 grams) up 14.2 grams Indigo is also 13.7 oz. (391 grams) up 21.3 grams Willow is 10.5 oz. (298 grams) up 10.6 grams Magenta is 10 oz. (284 grams) up 14.2 grams Ocher is 13 oz. (370 grams) up 17.7 grams Kelly is 11.5 oz. (327 grams) up 14.2 grams November 6, 2005 - I added some chicken to Maeves diet. It's her favorite snack. The kittens continue to alternate between sleeping and playing. We are working on Toy recognition. They love to climb and play on anyone who sits down on the floor with them. They are all mugging for attention. Magenta took a drink from Mama's big bowl. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 12.6 oz. (359 grams) up 7.1 grams Indigo is also 13 oz. (370 grams) up 3.5 grams Willow is 10.1 oz. (288 grams) up 0 grams Magenta is 9.5 oz. (270 grams) up 3.5 grams Ocher is 12.3 oz. (352 grams) up 0 grams Kelly is 11 oz. (313 grams) up 3.5 grams These weights are not what I wanted to see. I can't wait until they begin eating solid food. I am going to pick up some chicken baby food to see if I can entice them. My daughter was able to get Indigo to take 50ccs of formula and Kelly ate some solid food after she was weighed. Magenta drank water from the kitten bowl. November 5, 2005 - The kittens are active and social. They were working to strengthen their muscles and improve their coordination. Several have had the pleasure of eating some clean clay litter, yuck! When I sit with them it seems to me they go to the litter box sniffing. Young kittens don't have very good control so when they sniff their faces touch the ground. The litter sticks to anything wet, nose, lips, they start licking to get it off and more litter sticks to their tongues. Poor babies, lol, I always pick them up and brush the litter off their lips. Then I place them by the food. Usually they are not interested in eating.. Weights were better yesterday :) I only supplemented Maeve with kitten formula once today. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 12.3 oz. (352 grams) up 7.1 grams Indigo is also 12.8 oz. (366 grams) up 7.1 grams Willow is 10.1 oz. (288 grams) up 3.5 grams Magenta is 9.3 oz. (266 grams) up 0 grams Ocher is 12.3 oz. (352 grams) up 10.6 grams Kelly is 10.8 oz. (309 grams) up 3.5 grams We see a drop in weights here again so Maeve will go back to getting formula two times a day. November 4, 2005 - Evening weigh in.... Violet is 12.1 oz. (345 grams) up 7.1 grams Indigo is also 12.6 oz. (359 grams) up 10.6 grams Willow is 10 oz. (284 grams) up 14.2 grams Magenta is 9.3 oz. (266 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 12 oz. (341 grams) up 7.1 grams Kelly is 10.7 oz. (306 grams) up 10.6 grams Kelly ate kibble and drank from the water bowl tonight. Maeve gets very worried when any of the kittens gets near the litter box, food, or water. November 3, 2005 - The kittens are driving Maeve crazy, lol. They are a talkative bunch when they are all out exploring. Maeve is still thinking cries mean they are hungry or hurt. Magenta was chewing on the side of the kitten training litter box and got a time out from her mom. Maeve hurried over and picked her up and placed her in the basket house. The sun was coming in this morning so I decided to try to get some face shots with eye color. The kittens now have definition in their eyes with dark blue color. Their eye color will still change some as their eyes continue to develop. The photos did not turn out as good as I had hoped. I will try to get better ones. In the mean time I am going to add them because you can see the color. I apologize for how bad they are. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 11.8 oz. (338 grams) up 14.2 grams Indigo is also 12.3 oz. (348 grams) up 7.1 grams Willow is 9.5 oz. (270 grams) up 14.2 grams Magenta is 9 oz. (256 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 11.75 oz. (334 grams) up 7.1 grams Kelly is 10.4 oz. (295 grams) up 3.5 grams November 2, 2005 - This morning I walked into my office and there were no kittens in the nest! I knew last night they were getting ready to fly. I put a couple of towels down and set the pyramid near the front just in case one of them wandered out she would have a place to hide in. Well, they were all in there. I don't know if they moved or if Maeve moved them. When they heard me they all woke up and came pouring out of the pyramid, lol. With all the mewing Maeve was very anxious. I took some pictures. Then sat and watched. Maeve tried to get into the pyramid with all of them to nurse them, I thought it was crowded with the 3 in the last litter. She was in and out and up and down. She started trying to pick them up. She is not good at it. So I took each one and put them into the nest. Thinking she would lay down and nurse them. Three of them crawled out right away, lol, while she was attempting to nurse the other three. Poor Maeve she got up and started to carry them into the pyramid again. So in the long run I put them all back into the pyramid. I should have stayed out of it. ;) A few of them still want to be out exploring. Yesterday was the day we start to lower the room temperature to75 degrees. The warm sunny weather here is keeping the room at 80degrees. I opened the doors and allowed Magi and Emma to come in. They have been in before for a look see but haven't stayed. I keep a bowl of food and water in here for Maeve and they go right for the food. Mmm that kitten food is good and their waistlines show it! As hard as we try to keep the food for Maeve and the kittens the big girls end up eating some of it. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 11.3 oz. (323 grams) up 14.2 grams Indigo is also 12 oz. (341 grams) up 17.7 grams Willow is 9 oz. (256 grams) up 0 grams Magenta is 8.6 oz. (245 grams) up 0 grams Ocher is 11.5 oz. (327 grams) up 17.7 grams Kelly is 10.25 oz. (291 grams) up 21.3 grams Violet and Kelly ate some dry kibble tonight (Royal Canin Baby Cat) from the kitten bowl. November 1, 2005 - Three weeks old We now begin a critical developmental time for the kittens from 3 to 7 weeks is when they learn about the world outside of the nest. Our interacting with them will form how they will behave with people as older cats. It is during this time when some kittens if hurt or frightened by people will become scaredy cats. The kittens are cautiously starting to explore the edge of the nest box. It won't be long before they are out of the box. They eagerly come to the front to interact with us. They will crawl out onto our legs to look around. Indigo chomped on my finger today and I discovered a canine tooth coming in. Kittens are born without teeth. The average kitten will have 26 baby teeth. The incisors are the first to appear, usually at 2 to 3 weeks. They are followed by the canines at 3 to 4 weeks and then premolars at 3 to 6 weeks. Kittens do not have molars. There are always rare cases where this schedule does not apply. These teeth will all be replaced with permanent adult teeth by seven months of age. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 10.8 oz. (309 grams) up 14.2 grams Indigo is also 11.3 oz. (323 grams) up 10.6 grams Willow is 9.0 oz. (256 grams) up 7.1 grams Magenta is 8.6 oz. (245 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 10.8 oz. (309 grams) up 14 grams Kelly is 9.5 oz. (270 grams) up 7.1 grams October 31, 2005 - =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= Happy Halloween =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= Evening weigh in.... Violet is 10.8 oz. (295 grams) up 10.6 grams Indigo is also 11oz. (313 grams) up 14.2 grams Willow is 8.75 oz. (249 grams) up 7.1 grams Magenta is 8.25 oz. (234 grams) up 3.5 grams Ocher is 10.4 oz. (291 grams) up 3.7 grams Kelly is 9.2 oz. (263 grams) up 10.6 grams October 30, 2005 - The kittens are now playing together, rasslin' around, gumming each other. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 10 oz. (284 grams) up 10.6 grams Indigo is also 10.5oz. (299 grams) up 14.2 grams Willow is 8.5 oz. (242 grams) up 7.1 grams Magenta is 8.1 oz. (231 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 10.2 oz. (291 grams) up 17.7 grams Kelly is 8.8 oz. (252 grams) up 7.1 grams October 29, 2005 - Willow and Magenta have begun to groom themselves. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 9.6 oz. (274 grams) up 14.2 grams Indigo is also 10oz. (284 grams) up 14.2 grams Willow is 8.25 oz. (235 grams) up 7.1 grams Magenta is 7.7 oz. (220 grams) up 0 grams Ocher is 9.6 oz. (274 grams) up 14.2 grams Kelly is 8.6 oz. (245 grams) up 10.6 grams. October 28, 2005 - Maeve was supplemented with formula two times today. I also encouraged her to eat by hand feeding her in the nest. The only kitten to receive formula today was Magenta, who is much to social, lol, Magenta likes to come to the front of the nest and talk whenever someone is there. Magenta does not fight to get into the pack when the other kittens are nursing. She does not want to be fed formula and only took about 20 ccs. I will try to make sure magenta gets more nursing time before all the milk is gone. Maeve's milk supply should increase in response to the kittens needs. I will continue to be sure she has plenty of kitten food and water at all times. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 9.1 oz. (259 grams) up 14.2 grams Indigo is also 9.5 oz. (256 grams) up 14.2 grams Willow is 8 oz. (227 grams) up 7.1 grams Magenta is 7.7 oz. (220 grams) up 3.5 grams Ocher is 9.1 oz. (259 grams) up 10.6 grams Kelly is 8.2 oz. (234 grams) up 7.1 grams Each of the kittens in turn will come to the front of the nest to see visitors. I can now identify magenta, ocher, violet, kelly, and willow from the way they look. I sometimes need ocher and violet to be next to each other as they have the same face, ocher's head is just a bit bigger. Ocher and violet are both lighter then the other kittens. When it came time to give them their diary names I looked at the yellow marked kitten, it was the biggest in the litter so I guessed it might be a male, hence the name ocher. It seemed better then honey or sunshine, the joke may be on me as ocher is looking a bit female. I am still reserving judgment on their sex. Kelly has a subtle difference to the shape of the end of it's nose. Kelly also frequently will have its tongue between its lips. I realized this past Tuesday Kelly has its tongue out in the face photos from the 16th and the 21st . October 27, 2005 - Marking in the arm pit is working well. The kittens are becoming more social. I can see them studying the kittens around them. They also come to the front of the nest when they see us. They enjoy having their heads stroked and push upward to sit tall. They are also becoming more vocal. While nursing I noticed the kittens are crying more. This seems to disturb Maeve, She is being a good mom allowing them to nurse as much as they want. There are several things that may be in play here, I turned off the nest heater and I reduced the room temperature to 80 after the first week, so the kittens are using more calories to maintain their temperature. There is also the possibility Maeve's milk is not plentiful enough. After our last litter our pets Magi and Emma had gained weight and were looking a bit fat. We decided to try to restrict their access to the kitten food. Its a game for them to sneak eating it. Maeve has taken to waiting to eat with them. She is not eating her kitten food and runs into the kitchen to eat the big girls food. This does not have the required calories she needs to support the milk supply required. I gave Maeve more formula this morning and supplemented some of the kittens. I use an eyedropper to give a drop in the side of the mouth. This gets their tongue lapping and then additional drops are gently squeezed into their mouths. The kids have also started putting small amounts of kitten food into the nest, when they visit her. Maeve eats it to keep the nest clean. My hope is that a small amount of supplementing and the increased calories will help Maeve, and she and the kittens will begin to move forward. The first two weeks are really the most critical as far weight gain and fading kitten syndrome are concerned. I believe we are past that. In the positive the kittens are not actually losing weight. I am not one to jump quickly to gavage feeding as long as kittens are not losing weight. Maeve is looking thin and I am going to give her more of my attention and support to beef her up a bit. She needs to get the kittens to about four weeks of age when they will begin weaning to dry food. For formula supplementing, Willow ate 30ccs times three, Violet 30ccs times two, and Kelly 30ccs times two. Maeve doesn't want me feeding the babies she wants to eat from the eye dropper herself , lol She has had her share of formula three times today. She also likes me to hand feed her the kitten food as a snack. I had a request for names on this photo so here is the line up...The top left one is Kelly, second from the top left is Ocher, third left is Willow, fourth or third from the bottom is Magenta. Second from the bottom is indigo....There is a tiny bit of blue above its elbow, Bottom right is Violet. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 8.6 oz. (245 grams) up 14.2 grams Indigo is also 9 oz. (256 grams) up 10.6 grams Willow is 7.7 oz. (220 grams) up 17.7 grams Magenta is 7.6 oz. (217 grams) up 7.1 grams Ocher is 8.7 oz. (249 grams) up 10.6 grams Kelly is 8 oz. (227 grams) up 14.2 grams October 26, 2005 - Evening weigh in.... Violet is 8.1 oz. (231 grams) up 3.5 grams Indigo is also 8.6 oz. (245 grams) up 7.1 grams Willow is 7.1 oz. (203 grams) up 0 grams Magenta is 7.4 oz. (210 grams) up 3.5 grams Ocher is 8.5 oz. (241 grams) up 10.6 grams Kelly is 7.5 oz. (213 grams) up 7.1 grams The lower fluctuations in weight gain concerns me. We should be seeing an upward trend from 10 to 15 grams. Maeve is not eating as I would like so I supplemented her with some kitten formula tonight. October 25, 2005 - Two weeks old Our best scientific & technical minds met this evening to resolve the identity mishap. The team has observed and measured the subjects. The collected data was critically examined and was found to be indispensable. Confident in their ability to clearly discern exactly who is whom the team has come to a concise conclusion. Formulating a new identification plan was essential. With the implementation of new methodology (marking the arm pit) we are confidant that following recommended daily protocols will keep our data true to each individual. o_0 In conclusion, these are the appropriately color coded individuals with their growth data. ;) Evening weigh in.... Violet is 8 oz. (227 grams) up 10.6 grams Indigo is also 8.37 oz. (238 grams) up 7.1 grams Willow is 7.1 oz. (203 grams) up 7.1 grams Magenta is 7.25 oz. (206 grams) up 3.5 grams Ocher is 8.1 oz. (231 grams) up 3.5 grams Kelly is 7.25 oz. (206 grams) up 3.5 grams October 24, 2005- When I washed the nest the heat pad looked fine. I am going to pick up a surface thermometer to see if I can determine the nest temperature. The kittens seems fine with the nest off and are sleeping together in the nest. No one is climbing out anymore. For now I am leaving the nest off. Maeve has gotten so good at caring for her kittens that tonight I am unable to determine who everyone is. :( sigh We saw this coming and the last time we marked them we also marked the tips of tails. Magenta is obvious as she has the darkest nose. Ocher was the largest with the largest head, but others are catching up. I have ordered the weights below according to yesterdays weights and if there was any hint of color. Tomorrow I will get weights and face photos to see if I can match them using past photos. They are starting to show differences in their faces. Hopefully this will improve to the point we no longer need to mark them. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 7.625 oz. (217 grams) up 10.6 grams Indigo is also 8.1 oz. (231 grams) up10.6 grams Willow is 6.9 oz. (195 grams) up 3.5 grams Magenta is 7.1 oz. (202 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 8 oz. (227 grams) up 10.6 grams Kelly is 7.125 oz. (202 grams) up 14.2 grams October 23, 2005 - Evening weigh in.... Violet is 7.25 oz. (206 grams) up 10.6 grams Indigo is also 7.75 oz. (220 grams) up10.6 grams Willow is 6.75 oz. (192 grams) up 3.5 grams Magenta is 6.75 oz. (192 grams) up 3.5 grams Ocher is 7.625 oz. (217 grams) up 7.11 grams Kelly is 6.625 oz. (188 grams) up 7.11 grams October 22, 2005 - They now see us as we approach the nest. If they are sleepy they will hiss. It's so cute the sound is so soft it is barely audible. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 6.875 oz. (195 grams) up 10.6 grams Indigo is also 7.375 oz. (210 grams) up 7.11 grams Willow is 6.625 oz. (188 grams) up 14.2 grams Magenta is 6.625 oz. (188 grams) up 7.11 grams Ocher is 7.375 oz. (210 grams) up 7.11 grams Kelly is 6.375 oz. (181 grams) up 7.11 grams October 21, 2005 - Kittens eyes are really opening up now. They still need to do some developing before you will see their real eye color. We are seeing a lot of neck stretching with a wavering head as the kittens exercise their neck muscles. October 20, 2005 - All of the kittens eyes are beginning to open. They are all climbing out of the nest to sleep so I have decided to shut the nest heater off. I think they may be wanting too cool off. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 6 oz. (170 grams) up 7.1 grams Indigo is also 6.75 oz. (192 grams) up17.7 grams Willow is 5.87 oz. (167 grams) up 7.1 grams Magenta is 6 oz. (170 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 6.5 oz. (185 grams) up 3.5 grams Kelly is 5.6 oz. (160 grams) up 10.6 grams More kittens are in the nest tonight. Next nest washing day I am going to check the heating element to see if it is functioning properly. October 19, 2005 - I reduced the room temperature to 80 degrees. The kittens eat and sleep and eat and sleep and eat and sleep. LOL There color is slowly darkening. They exercise by pushing into the nursing pack and trying to push a sibling off so they can latch on. They have decided they all want the same four nipples. At times two will sleep while the other four nurse. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 5.75oz. (163 grams) up 17.7 grams Indigo is also 6.1 oz. (174 grams) up10.6 grams Willow is 5.6 oz. (160 grams) up 7.1 grams Magenta is 5.6 oz. (160 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 6.3 oz. (181 grams) up 14.2 grams Kelly is 5.25 oz. (149 grams) up 7.1 grams Magenta shed her cord and has one eye fully open October 18, 2005 - One week old Evening weigh in.... Violet is 5.125oz. (146 grams) up 7.1 grams Indigo is also 5.75 oz. (164 grams) up14.2 grams Willow is 5.37 oz. (153 grams) up 14.2 grams Magenta is 5.25 oz. (149 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 5.87 oz. (167 grams) up 7.11 grams Kelly is 5 oz. (142 grams) up 14.2 grams October 17, 2005 - Evening weigh in.... Violet is 4.9oz. (138 grams) up 10.6 grams Indigo is also 5.25 oz. (149 grams) up 7.11 grams Willow is 4.9 oz. (138 grams) up 10.6 grams Magenta is 4.9 oz. (138 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 5.6 oz. (160 grams) up 7.11 grams Kelly is 4.5 oz. (128 grams) up 10.6 grams Willow and Ocher shed their cords today. October 16, 2005 - Evening weigh in.... Violet is 4.5oz. (128 grams) up 10.6 grams Indigo is also 5 oz. (142 grams) up 14.2 grams Willow is 4.5oz. (128 grams) up 10.6 grams Magenta is 4.5oz. (128 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 5.37oz. (153 grams) up 14.2 grams Kelly is 4.1 oz. (117 grams) up 7.11 grams October 15, 2005 - In the second and third photo below you can see the darkening of the nose, ear tips. Violet's eye is beginning to open. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 4.125oz. (117 grams) up 14.2 grams Indigo is also 4.5 oz. (128 grams) up 17.8 grams Willow is 4.125oz. (117 grams) up 14.2 grams Magenta is 4.125oz. (117 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 4.875 oz. (139 grams) up 14.2 grams Kelly is 3.875 oz. (110 grams) up 17.8 grams Today, Ocher has been joined on her quests to the nest edge and beyond, by Kelly and Magenta. October 14, 2005 - Indigo shed her umbilical cord, I would guess with some help since there is some spot bleeding on the nest. Indigo is also beginning to have some darkening of the nose leather and ear tips. Violet's right eye is starting to show signs of opening and her ears look silver gray. Magenta's nose is also darkening and shows the most color. Willow's nose also is darkening. Mom, can we be m&m's for Halloween? Evening weigh in.... Violet is 3.625oz. (103 grams) up 14.2 grams Indigo is also 3.875 oz. (110 grams) up 7.1 grams Willow is 3.625 oz. (103 grams) up 14 grams Magenta is 3.75oz. (106 grams) up 10.6 grams Ocher is 4.375 oz. (124.5 grams) up 10.6 grams Kelly is 3.25 oz. (92.5 grams) up 10.6 grams October 13, 2005 - Ocher is repeatedly climbing out of the front of the nest. She likes to sleep in the corners of the box. Evening weigh in.... Violet is 3.125oz. (88.9 grams) up 10.6 grams Indigo is also 3.625 oz. (103 grams) up 14.2 grams Willow is 3.1 oz. (88.9 grams) up 10.6 grams Magenta is 3.375oz. (96 grams) up 21.3 grams Ocher is 4 oz. (113.8 grams) up 10.6 grams Kelly is 2.875 oz. (81.8 grams) up 10.6 grams. October 12, 2005 - Evening weigh in.... Violet is 2.75oz. (78.3 grams) up 3.5 grams Indigo is also 3.125 oz. (88.9grams) up 10.6 grams Willow is 2.75 oz. (78.3 grams) up 3.5grams Magenta is 2.625oz. (74.7 grams) no weight gain Ocher is 3.625 oz. (103.2 grams) up 10.6 grams Kelly is 2.5oz. (71.7 grams) no weight gain If you are looking at these numbers and they don't add up, sometimes I round up or down. October 12th - 12:03am, Kitten four and placenta are born. Maeve clears its face and tries to chew its cord. The cord has been chewed on enough that there is no longer any blood in it so we assist and cut the cord. We take the placenta and will also remove all those that follow. Although they are protein and vitamin rich and eating them helps the queen, eating too many causes diarrhea. This kitten is weighed and marked with pink. 12:25am Kitten five and its placenta arrive. Maeve goes to work but seems tired so we assist and tie and cut the cord. This one is weighed and marked with yellow. I can feel another kitten to come. Maeve continues to groom them and they continue to root. They are so fluffy, goofy and pretty at the same time. 12:53am Kitten six followed by its placenta arrives. Maeve takes care of it and cuts its cord. We weigh it and mark this one green. Six beautiful little fur babies. Could there be more? Never say never because once you do you will be presented with the unexpected. I stay up with Maeve for another hour. Then I bed down next to her. Every time I begin to nod off a loud cry from a kitten wakes me. I check to be sure all are safe and rest again. For the purpose of this diary we will give the kittens color names to match their marking. The families that take these kittens home will choose their forever names. The Stats at birth #1 11:35pm purple –Violet – 74.7 grams (2.625 ounces) #2 11:42pm blue – Indigo – 78.3 grams (2.75 ounces) #3 11:43pm neon green – Willow – 74.7 grams (2.625 ounces) #4 12:03am pink – Magenta – 74.7 grams (2.625 ounces) #5 12:25am yellow – Ochre – 92.5 grams (3.25 ounces) #6 12:53am green – Kelly – 71.2 grams (2.50 ounces) Kittens born October 11/12 - 2005 Maeve's litter of six was delivered late night Tuesday /early morning Wednesday, three each day. October 11, 2005 – Maeve began talking to me around 8:30 pm. She wants me to stay with her next to the birthing box. Whenever I leave she runs after me and tells me I have to come back with her. Emma is in with her and Maeve keeps head butting her so she will lick Maeve’s face and head. After about an hour of this Emma has had enough and leaves. Maeve is also nesting (rearranging the towels). At 9:40pm there is evidence of the mucus plug on the towels. This indicates the cervix is opening. We are going to have kittens tonight. I plug in the small round nest to warm .We use electric nests warmers from K&H manufacturing. It's important to keep the kittens warm. The leading cause of preventable mortality in new born is kittens is low body temperature. I also turn on the gas fireplace to raise the room temperature to 85 degrees. 11:00pm Maeve begins active labor, signaled by her panting, calling and regular contractions. At 11:35 the first kitten and placenta arrives and Maeve begins to chew the cord. I position the kittens face so she will break the sack and stimulate the kitten to breathe. It squeaks a breath. Then Maeve tells me here we go again. The second kitten is born at 11:42 with the placenta still in the birth canal. Maeve still hasn’t cut the cord on the first kitten. She licks the face of kitten two. I see it is breathing so I let her go back to finish the cord and eat the placenta of kitten one. 11:43pm Kitten three is born now we have two kittens with their placentas still in the birth canal. Maeve licks the third kitten’s face clean and with another contraction expels the two placentas. At this point I weigh kitten one. I have a small scale with a basket that sits right in front of the gas fireplace. It’s nice and warm so the kitten will not get cold. Siamese are all born completely white so I mark kitten one’s behind with purple food color. Each kitten will be marked a different color so I can tell them apart and record their progress. Maeve is working on kitten three so I pick up kitten two. It feels cold and wet so I wrap it in a face cloth and my husband ties his cord with floss. Once well knotted he trims the floss and cuts the cord. I rub the kitten to dry and stimulate its blood flow. I weigh it and place it back with Maeve. I mark kitten two blue. Then I pick up kitten three. I weigh it and mark it with neon green, back to Maeve it goes. Maeve continues to groom the kittens and I can hear them eagerly making sucking noises in her belly fur. They are rooting for a nipple and squeaking when they push each other out of the way. I remove the wet soiled towels and put new clean towels in the box. Through her side I can feel another kitten still to come. October 10th – I’m keeping a close eye on Maeve. Today is the first day she could possibly give birth. She has gotten big. It doesn’t matter where you put your fingers on her belly, you can feel kittens moving. October 7th - I use a cardboard computer box as a birthing box. I brought it in my office and put the fluffy towels in and Emma and Maeve spend the day lounging in it. It seems every time I check on Maeve, Emma is using her tummy as a pillow. Maybe Emma is planning on being midwife. September 29th – Maeve is getting round. When we place our fingers on Maeve’s side we can feel little kicks and bumps as the kittens move. We are trying to estimate the number of kittens. My husband says there are six, I am thinking five, maybe four, and our daughter says four. She was right on the last litter so maybe I am being influenced by her choice. :) August 8 -11, 2005 Maeve begins making visits Balor’s apartment in the morning and evening. We observe each mating and make a record of it. All images, text, and all other contents of this site are protected by copyright law. The contents of this site may not be reproduced, distributed, exhibited, published, or used in any form, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from the copyright holder. All images, and text copyright © Black&Tan, 2000-2010 | All Rights Reserved | Contact
The music used on this page is Let Them Be Little by Billy Dean
The kittens in this diary are the progeny of Maeve and Balor.
Look for follow up photo's of the kitten's in this litter as they grow up on our Where Are They Now? page.
January 7, 2006- All the kittens have gone to loving forever homes. Today we close this diary with a smile and a fond look back at these wonderful little bits of sunshine in the winter doldrums. Each of the kittens in this litter were so special, with their own individuality and look. Everyone of them was truly beautiful. We thank them for bringing new friends into our lives and look forward to updates and birthday photos from their new owners. We like to see our babies as full grown adults. :)
Closing Stats
#1 Violet – is now Willow and lives with her sister Sasha (#4 Magenta)
#2 Indigo – is now Fiona and lives with two older seal point boys.
#3 Willow – kept her baby name and lives with her excited and devoted owner Elspeth.
#4 Magenta – is now Sasha and lives with her sister Willow (#1 Violet)
#5 Ochre – is now Miss Masae and lives with a lynx point older girl.
#6 Kelly – is now Misty and lives with a loving family that includes a new seal point girl, a dog, snuggling with Bobby, and playing with Carolyn.
January 3, 2006 - I was laughing so much last night I have to share it. Willow went upstairs and found a Koosh snowball in one of the kids rooms and thought it was the greatest toy. She carried it downstairs and was playing with it in the dining room under the table. Andrew called me in to see her. I tried to get some photos but they didn't turn out very good. She was hilarious throwing it over her head and diving and rolling with it. She was having a ball. With all the commotion Magenta came in to see what was going on. She saw the ball and decided it was going to be hers. She dove in and stole it from Willow and went running into our bedroom with it. The war began...the two of them spent an hour running back and forth with the Koosh and trying to play with it on their own.
Willow took all the toys out of the toy basket and decided it was a good bed. Violet decided to join her with less then favorable results. :)
Violet and Magenta sleeping
December 31, 2005 - Three of the kittens went to their new forever homes. This week we said good bye to Ochre, Indigo and Kelly. The three remaining kittens will be with us until next weekend when their families come to get them. Here are a few action shots of them playing.
December 24, 2005 -
December 23, 2005 - Package wrapping. My elf assistants were ready and willing to help out.
Every package needs a bow!
And finishing touches
We're done, WheeHeu
December 22, 2005 - All the kittens are doing well and have begun to play and wrestle with each other again. We are trying to keep the play less energetic as they need to stay quiet so their healing and stitches are not adversely effected.
As an example of what can happen with a kitten..............
My oldest son is always first up and while he eats breakfast the kittens come in the kitchen and say good morning. This morning I hit the floor running at 6 am, when my son's yelling from the kitchen woke me. I couldn't tell what he was saying but I knew something was very wrong. About a million awful things went thru my head on that short sprint to the kitchen. As it turned out one of the kittens had been sitting where the heat comes out under the sink and with her kitten curiosity she stuck her front paws into openings under the lower part of the dishwasher, by the kick plate under the door. She got her arms stuck and was yelling. She can put her paws up there and get them out again but she must have panicked and tried to hard and wedged her arms at an angle. If she would have just relaxed and carefully pulled at the same angle she wouldn't have been stuck. I don't know if I really helped her or not but she did get herself free and high tailed it out of the kitchen. I checked her carefully and she was not injured. Sean was as scared for her as she was. Have you ever seen one of those comedy scenes in a movie where one character yells and a second one yells because of the first yell and then they both yell because they are scared from the yelling. That is kind of what happened. I think they were both more scared from the yelling then the actual event. For my assist I ended up with a lovely design on my hands from her sharp little teeth. :) I'm off to buy a block of foam to replace the pool towels that are now wedged under the dishwasher.
=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=
Yesterday while sitting at my computer I heard a cat scream from the other room. I went running calling kitties and taking inventory. Two more screams rang out before I located where they were coming from. Maeve's tail was puffed up and so was Magi's and they both looked very confused. One of the kittens was standing calmly under the Christmas tree. She had a cord from the lights under her belly, like a sling. It went right across her incision. Every time she tried to move it rubbed. I pressed the cord down a little and she took off. She must have been sitting on top of a wrapped package and jumped down across the cord and got caught on it. Under normal circumstances she could of easily walked over it but with her incision the slightest rub hurt. I checked her out and there was no damage to her incision.
Having kittens is just like having toddlers....they do the darndest things.
December 19, 2005 - ten weeks old tomorrow
All six girls went in this morning to have their spay surgery. The procedures went well and all are resting quietly. Kittens at this age heal quickly and will be back to their normal activity level soon.
December 13, 2005 - nine weeks old.
Magenta and Willow have decided they are teachers and the lesson this week is un-tying shoes. They are quite good at it. Also we have a hauler in the bunch. So far I have found my shoe taken from my closet and left in front of the bedroom door. A fuzzy duster taken from the laundry room and left in the living room. Not easy objects to haul around, LOL. Last night I found Magenta trying to walk with a clean face cloth in her mouth that she picked out of the folded laundry on the table. She hauled it under the Christmas tree and was showing off to her sisters. :) Now that all the kittens have reached two pounds I will stop reporting weights.
Last weigh in....
Violet is 2 lb. 2 oz.
Indigo is 2 lb 9 oz.
Willow is 2 lb. 1 oz.
Magenta is 2 lb. 1 oz.
Ocher is 2 lb 4 oz.
Kelly is 2 lb 4 oz.
Caroling caroling........
Deck the halls with boughs of catnip, fa la la la la la la la la
'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la
Don we now our sparkle collars, fa la la la la la la la la
Troll the ancient yuletide carol,
fa la la la laaaaa la la la laaaaa
December 11, 2005 - Sorry I am late in updating. We brought our tree in today and the kittens have been very good, so far no climbing :) They were the first to check it out before we even had the skirt under it.
12-9 weigh in....
Violet is 1 lb. 15 oz.
Indigo is also 2 lb 5oz.
Willow is 1 lb. 14.5 oz.
Magenta is 1 lb. 14 oz.
Ocher is 2 lb 2 oz.
Kelly is 2 lb 2.5 oz.
December 4-6, 2005- eight weeks old -
The kittens were all paired up wrestling today. When taking these photos I discovered I need faster film, lol. They are so fast racing around and playing. Don't ask who is who in the blur of fur, your guess would be as good as mine ;)
bi-weekly weigh in....
Violet is 1 lb. 14 oz.
Indigo is also 2 lb 3.5oz.
Willow is 1 lb. 12.5 oz.
Magenta is 1 lb. 12 oz.
Ocher is 1 lb 16 oz.
Kelly is 1 lb 15.5 oz.
December 3, 2005 -
Violet is 1 lb. 11 oz.
Indigo is also 2 lb 1oz.
Willow is 1 lb. 9.5 oz.
Magenta is 1 lb. 9 oz.
Ocher is 1 lb 13 oz.
Kelly is 1 lb 13.5oz.
December 2, 2005- Violet was posing today. Here are some photos of her beautiful self.
December 1, 2005- This morning I was headed to the shower when I saw the girls by the window. They looked so pretty sitting there I grabbed the camera. There was enough bright early morning light for me to get a few good photos of some of the girls.
November 26-29 2005- seven weeks old
I have decided this litter is breaking the odds. This is our second litter between Maeve and Balor. As many of you know I have been putting off sexing these kittens. By now I should be able to see the boys. The odds of having a litter of six girls is one in sixty four litters. This appears to be that one litter. I believe all of these kittens are girls.
This litter also gave us chocolate points. There is only one genetic color combination that would allow for this and tells us both Maeve and Balor are BbDd seal points. Now we can look at percentages.
Over time we should see: 56% Seal point 19% Blue point 19% Chocolate point 6% Lilac point
With this litter we have 1 seal point (Magenta), 3 blue points (Indigo, Willow,& Kelly), and 2 chocolates (Violet & Ocher) The chart below shows the genetic combinations possible from parents with BbDd. The white squares indicating kittens.
I am going to try to get some nice face photos today, but with the dreary weather here it may be difficult to not get reflection back from the eyes. There faces are changing from the big headed toddler look to a more mature look.
The kittens have been so good that we are allowing them to sleep where they choose, which is in our bedroom. This morning when I woke up they all piled out of bed and came running to the kitten room for breakfast and to use the litter box, lol . There were five kittens in the box all at once! I wasn't fast enough with the camera to get them all but it is still pretty busy with the three in this picture.
They have had a fun week. While running up and down the stairs they discovered they could walk between the rails and onto the top of a desk in the hall. The knocked over a vase I had there with rosehips in it and proceeded to drag the stems all over the house. Don't worry I had removed all the thorns and the vase had no water. It was harmless fun for all who participated.
Violet is 1 lb. 9.5 oz.
Indigo is also 1 lb 14 oz.
Willow is 1 lb. 7 oz.
Magenta is 1 lb. 6.5 oz.
Ocher is 1 lb 11 oz.
Kelly is 1 lb 10oz.
November 26, 2005-
Kittens of fashion 2005......On the catwalk we have Magenta wearing this Holiday Season's Siamese must have, a red feather boa. The Holly Berry Red marabou will coordinate perfectly with all true Siamese eyes when they reflect the sparkle of holiday lighting.
November 23-25, 2005-
All the kittens are running through the house. I found three of them curled up asleep amongst some beanies I have stashed in a drawer under my bed. Maeve would like them all to stay in our bedroom all the time. We require them to spend some time in my office (the kitten room) several times a day, to be sure they use their litter pan and have a bite to eat. They also will continue to spend the night there with Maeve as well. They have mastered climbing the cat trees/condos. They also discovered they can go upstairs and go up and down with no problems.
Violet is 1 lb. 6 oz.
Indigo is also 1 lb 10 oz.
Willow is 1 lb. 4 oz.
Magenta is 1 lb. 4 oz.
Ocher is 1 lb 7.5 oz.
Kelly is 1 lb 7oz.
November 19-22, 2005- six weeks old
Willow is the voice in this litter. When Willow calls out I can identify the tone of voice, the other kittens sound alike. Kelly is fast and dogged when pursuing a feather toy pulled across the floor. All the kittens now enjoy the chase and capture of a feather toy. Indigo tries to haul it off for his own safe keeping. Ocher is filling out into a little butterball.
Violet is 1 lb. 5 oz. (598 grams) up 43 grams
Indigo is also 1 lb 8.2 oz. (690 grams) up 75 grams
Willow is 1 lb. 3 oz. (540 grams) up 78 grams
Magenta is 1 lb. 2 oz. (516 grams) up 46 grams
Ocher is 1 lb 6.2 oz. (633 grams) up 100 grams
Kelly is 1 lb 4.25oz. (576 grams) up 57 grams
November 20, 2005-
They kittens spend most of their awake time play fighting with each other.
November 16-18, 2005
Magenta and Willow are eating kitten food now. We are no longer offering KMR. We are free feeding Royal Canin Baby Cat.
Violet is 1 lb. 3.5 oz. (555 grams) up 57 grams
Indigo is also 1 lb 5.6 oz. (615 grams) up 74 grams
Willow is 1 lb. .25 oz. (462 grams) up 46 grams
Magenta is 1 lb. .5oz. (470 grams) up 50 grams
Ocher is 1 lb 2.6 oz. (530 grams) up 53 grams
Kelly is 1 lb 2.25oz. (519 grams) up 57 grams
November 14-16, 2005 - five weeks old
We added a cat condo-tree to the kitten run area this week. Willow and Magenta are showing similar personalities. They are both sprightly and race about playing whenever awake. Violet is a baby doll, If I hold her on her back and stroke her cheek and head she will close her eyes and fall asleep. I often find her with her face tilted up studying the human closest to her. Now that all the kittens are pan trained I will allow Maeve to decide when she wants them to explore beyond the kitten room.
All the kittens have successfully completed litter box training. They are no longer babies or even toddlers. They are sure footed and climb, run, jump and play actively. Magenta and Willow are now eating formula with kibble.
Violet is 1 lb. 1.5 oz. (498 grams) up 53 grams
Indigo is also 1 lb 3 oz. (541 grams) up 78 grams
Willow is 14.6 oz. (416 grams) up 17.7 grams
Magenta is 14.7oz. (420 grams) up 64 grams
Ocher is 1 lb .75 oz. (476 grams) up 60 grams
Kelly is 1 lb .25oz. (462 grams) up 60 grams
November 13, 2005 -
We completed our second large can of kitten milk replacer. Magenta and Willow are receiving this supplement and leftovers go in the kitten bowl mixed with kibble. Magenta has started using Mom's litter box. She also drinks out of Mom's water bowl. In her mind she must think she is the biggest kitten. ;) Indigo, Violet, Kelly and Ocher are eating dry kibble.
November 11, 2005 -
We began offering the kittens formula mixed with baby cat kibble. Indigo, Violet, Kelly and Ocher all ate well. Magenta and Willow receive formula from an eye dropper, my preferred method. The bottle feedings are very messy and most of the KMR ends up in a towel. The kittens have begun using the litter box to pee in. They are all now scampering around sure footed. Sometimes I have a hard time telling who is who when they are in a chase. They have mastered climbing up vertical surfaces that their claws can cling to including my leg, lol I have to remember to wear my jeans. I will work with them on not climbing legs and curtains. They have traded in shadow dancing for now recognizable toys and will chase a feather and mouse, or any other fast moving object that catches their interest.
Yesterday afternoon Maeve took one of the kittens out of the office and tried to hide her under my bed. I am not sure why this happened. We decided to make changes that would soothe her. We put all the kittens into the pyramid house and placed them in the powder room with Maeve. The kitten area got a through cleaning including washing all the beds and towels and I rearranged the cat furniture, beds, etc. I brought Maeve and the kittens back to the kitten room, dimmed the lights, and kept the noise level down for the rest of the day. I am also restricting visits from Magi and Emma (the kitten food sneaks). We are trying to be more sensitive to Maeve's moods and are helping her in any way we can to stay relaxed.
Violet is 15.525 oz. (445 grams) up 60.5 grams
Indigo is also 1 lb .25 oz. (463 grams) up 67.5 grams
Willow is 14 oz. (399 grams) up 85.5 grams
Magenta is 12.5 oz. (356 grams) up 60 grams
Ocher is 14.5 oz. (416 grams) up 35.5 grams
Kelly is 14 oz. (402 grams) up 46.2 grams
Maeve has gone back to using the large nest from the birthing box and seems happier.
Indigo likes to spar with anyone willing, usually its Violet or Ocher. Magenta and Willow are the chase twins zooming about. Kelly is willing to jump into any game.
November 9, 2005 -
The kittens are digging in their litter box and calling. They know they are supposed to be doing something :) and they really are trying to eat the litter. :p
November 8, 2005 - four weeks old
In early photos kittens eyes can have a tendency to look walleyed. The kittens are not actually walleyed. Their eyes are still learning to focus. They don't know to focus on the person taking the photo ;)
Evening weigh in....
Violet is 13.5 oz. (384 grams) up 10.6 grams
Indigo is also 13.9 oz. (395 grams) up 3.5 grams
Willow is 11 oz. (313 grams) up 14.2 grams
Magenta is 10.3 oz. (295 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 13.3 oz. (380 grams) up 10.7 grams
Kelly is 12.5 oz. (355 grams) up 28.4 grams
The room temperature is now at the normal house temperature around 70 degrees and the kitten room doors are open. I supplemented Magenta, Kelly, and Willow. The three smallest kittens. Judging from the weight gain, Kelly is eating solid food well. The kittens were romping around a lot tonight. Eating and drinking it was a party atmosphere. When they settled down I cleaned up the spilled food and water and replaced the towel under the kitten bowls. Right after I set the water down they all came to see what was new. They all left except Ocher who took a drink then bit the edge of the bowl and proudly picked it up and dragged it away, with the full bowl of water rushing out onto the new towel and floor. lol lil stinker. She looked at me with the cutest expression and all I could hear was that line from the tv show Dinosaurs Gotta love me, I'm the baby.
While I was cleaning this up, Violet had a litter box party. Four kittens were dancing and eating litter in the kitten litter box. I cleaned litter from the mouths of Violet, Indigo and Kelly. I'm not sure who the fourth kitten was. Once they were all out of the box I noticed someone had peed. I don't know who to give the credit to. Maybe they were celebrating the first use of the box, lol.
At four weeks we start weighing bi-weekly.
November 7, 2005 -
Morning is starting out good with Kelly's meal enticing Ocher over to take her first bites of kibble. All the kittens gathered around to see what was going on. I had to restrain Maeve. She wants to pick them up and move them away. I wonder if she is afraid they will drown in the water bowl?
Today is climb the pyramid day. Magenta climbed it first last night. I bet she was bragging, lol, now they all want to try.
Indigo had a nice drink of water and spent some time smelling and contemplating the kibble. Ocher figured out balls make interesting toys. I gave up on Maeve tonight and everyone has gone to bed on a full tummy of formula. I kept Maeve in the kitten room most of the day today. She ate a small amount of kitten food and had her two meals of formula. Tonight she wanted to leave the room and gave me a low moan when I wasn't cooperating. I let her go and she went straight to the kitchen and ate the big girls food. She is not helping me to help her keep up with the kittens demands. Her body cannot respond if the nutrition is not there. She is very thin again. I watched the kittens nursing on teats that had little or no milk. They all were fussing and fighting because there wasn't enough. All the kittens ate hungrily when offered the KRM (Kitten Replacement Milk), they finished off the night with emotional suckling. This issue has been worrying me no end and I felt it necessary to intervene on the kittens behalf. I also gave Maeve two more meals of formula.
Violet is 13.1 oz. (373 grams) up 14.2 grams
Indigo is also 13.7 oz. (391 grams) up 21.3 grams
Willow is 10.5 oz. (298 grams) up 10.6 grams
Magenta is 10 oz. (284 grams) up 14.2 grams
Ocher is 13 oz. (370 grams) up 17.7 grams
Kelly is 11.5 oz. (327 grams) up 14.2 grams
November 6, 2005 - I added some chicken to Maeves diet. It's her favorite snack. The kittens continue to alternate between sleeping and playing. We are working on Toy recognition. They love to climb and play on anyone who sits down on the floor with them. They are all mugging for attention. Magenta took a drink from Mama's big bowl.
Violet is 12.6 oz. (359 grams) up 7.1 grams
Indigo is also 13 oz. (370 grams) up 3.5 grams
Willow is 10.1 oz. (288 grams) up 0 grams
Magenta is 9.5 oz. (270 grams) up 3.5 grams
Ocher is 12.3 oz. (352 grams) up 0 grams
Kelly is 11 oz. (313 grams) up 3.5 grams
These weights are not what I wanted to see. I can't wait until they begin eating solid food. I am going to pick up some chicken baby food to see if I can entice them.
My daughter was able to get Indigo to take 50ccs of formula and Kelly ate some solid food after she was weighed. Magenta drank water from the kitten bowl.
November 5, 2005 -
The kittens are active and social. They were working to strengthen their muscles and improve their coordination. Several have had the pleasure of eating some clean clay litter, yuck! When I sit with them it seems to me they go to the litter box sniffing. Young kittens don't have very good control so when they sniff their faces touch the ground. The litter sticks to anything wet, nose, lips, they start licking to get it off and more litter sticks to their tongues. Poor babies, lol, I always pick them up and brush the litter off their lips. Then I place them by the food. Usually they are not interested in eating.. Weights were better yesterday :) I only supplemented Maeve with kitten formula once today.
Violet is 12.3 oz. (352 grams) up 7.1 grams
Indigo is also 12.8 oz. (366 grams) up 7.1 grams
Willow is 10.1 oz. (288 grams) up 3.5 grams
Magenta is 9.3 oz. (266 grams) up 0 grams
Ocher is 12.3 oz. (352 grams) up 10.6 grams
Kelly is 10.8 oz. (309 grams) up 3.5 grams
We see a drop in weights here again so Maeve will go back to getting formula two times a day.
November 4, 2005 -
Violet is 12.1 oz. (345 grams) up 7.1 grams
Indigo is also 12.6 oz. (359 grams) up 10.6 grams
Willow is 10 oz. (284 grams) up 14.2 grams
Magenta is 9.3 oz. (266 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 12 oz. (341 grams) up 7.1 grams
Kelly is 10.7 oz. (306 grams) up 10.6 grams
Kelly ate kibble and drank from the water bowl tonight. Maeve gets very worried when any of the kittens gets near the litter box, food, or water.
November 3, 2005 -
The kittens are driving Maeve crazy, lol. They are a talkative bunch when they are all out exploring. Maeve is still thinking cries mean they are hungry or hurt. Magenta was chewing on the side of the kitten training litter box and got a time out from her mom. Maeve hurried over and picked her up and placed her in the basket house.
The sun was coming in this morning so I decided to try to get some face shots with eye color. The kittens now have definition in their eyes with dark blue color. Their eye color will still change some as their eyes continue to develop. The photos did not turn out as good as I had hoped. I will try to get better ones. In the mean time I am going to add them because you can see the color.
I apologize for how bad they are.
Violet is 11.8 oz. (338 grams) up 14.2 grams
Indigo is also 12.3 oz. (348 grams) up 7.1 grams
Willow is 9.5 oz. (270 grams) up 14.2 grams
Magenta is 9 oz. (256 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 11.75 oz. (334 grams) up 7.1 grams
Kelly is 10.4 oz. (295 grams) up 3.5 grams
November 2, 2005 -
This morning I walked into my office and there were no kittens in the nest! I knew last night they were getting ready to fly. I put a couple of towels down and set the pyramid near the front just in case one of them wandered out she would have a place to hide in. Well, they were all in there. I don't know if they moved or if Maeve moved them. When they heard me they all woke up and came pouring out of the pyramid, lol. With all the mewing Maeve was very anxious. I took some pictures. Then sat and watched. Maeve tried to get into the pyramid with all of them to nurse them, I thought it was crowded with the 3 in the last litter. She was in and out and up and down. She started trying to pick them up. She is not good at it. So I took each one and put them into the nest. Thinking she would lay down and nurse them. Three of them crawled out right away, lol, while she was attempting to nurse the other three. Poor Maeve she got up and started to carry them into the pyramid again. So in the long run I put them all back into the pyramid. I should have stayed out of it. ;) A few of them still want to be out exploring.
Yesterday was the day we start to lower the room temperature to75 degrees. The warm sunny weather here is keeping the room at 80degrees. I opened the doors and allowed Magi and Emma to come in. They have been in before for a look see but haven't stayed. I keep a bowl of food and water in here for Maeve and they go right for the food. Mmm that kitten food is good and their waistlines show it! As hard as we try to keep the food for Maeve and the kittens the big girls end up eating some of it.
Violet is 11.3 oz. (323 grams) up 14.2 grams
Indigo is also 12 oz. (341 grams) up 17.7 grams
Willow is 9 oz. (256 grams) up 0 grams
Magenta is 8.6 oz. (245 grams) up 0 grams
Ocher is 11.5 oz. (327 grams) up 17.7 grams
Kelly is 10.25 oz. (291 grams) up 21.3 grams
Violet and Kelly ate some dry kibble tonight (Royal Canin Baby Cat) from the kitten bowl.
November 1, 2005 - Three weeks old
We now begin a critical developmental time for the kittens from 3 to 7 weeks is when they learn about the world outside of the nest. Our interacting with them will form how they will behave with people as older cats. It is during this time when some kittens if hurt or frightened by people will become scaredy cats.
The kittens are cautiously starting to explore the edge of the nest box. It won't be long before they are out of the box. They eagerly come to the front to interact with us. They will crawl out onto our legs to look around. Indigo chomped on my finger today and I discovered a canine tooth coming in.
Kittens are born without teeth. The average kitten will have 26 baby teeth. The incisors are the first to appear, usually at 2 to 3 weeks. They are followed by the canines at 3 to 4 weeks and then premolars at 3 to 6 weeks. Kittens do not have molars. There are always rare cases where this schedule does not apply. These teeth will all be replaced with permanent adult teeth by seven months of age.
Violet is 10.8 oz. (309 grams) up 14.2 grams
Indigo is also 11.3 oz. (323 grams) up 10.6 grams
Willow is 9.0 oz. (256 grams) up 7.1 grams
Magenta is 8.6 oz. (245 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 10.8 oz. (309 grams) up 14 grams
Kelly is 9.5 oz. (270 grams) up 7.1 grams
October 31, 2005 - =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= Happy Halloween =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=
Violet is 10.8 oz. (295 grams) up 10.6 grams
Indigo is also 11oz. (313 grams) up 14.2 grams
Willow is 8.75 oz. (249 grams) up 7.1 grams
Magenta is 8.25 oz. (234 grams) up 3.5 grams
Ocher is 10.4 oz. (291 grams) up 3.7 grams
Kelly is 9.2 oz. (263 grams) up 10.6 grams
October 30, 2005 -
The kittens are now playing together, rasslin' around, gumming each other.
Violet is 10 oz. (284 grams) up 10.6 grams
Indigo is also 10.5oz. (299 grams) up 14.2 grams
Willow is 8.5 oz. (242 grams) up 7.1 grams
Magenta is 8.1 oz. (231 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 10.2 oz. (291 grams) up 17.7 grams
Kelly is 8.8 oz. (252 grams) up 7.1 grams
October 29, 2005 -
Willow and Magenta have begun to groom themselves.
Violet is 9.6 oz. (274 grams) up 14.2 grams
Indigo is also 10oz. (284 grams) up 14.2 grams
Willow is 8.25 oz. (235 grams) up 7.1 grams
Magenta is 7.7 oz. (220 grams) up 0 grams
Ocher is 9.6 oz. (274 grams) up 14.2 grams
Kelly is 8.6 oz. (245 grams) up 10.6 grams.
October 28, 2005 -
Maeve was supplemented with formula two times today. I also encouraged her to eat by hand feeding her in the nest. The only kitten to receive formula today was Magenta, who is much to social, lol, Magenta likes to come to the front of the nest and talk whenever someone is there. Magenta does not fight to get into the pack when the other kittens are nursing. She does not want to be fed formula and only took about 20 ccs. I will try to make sure magenta gets more nursing time before all the milk is gone. Maeve's milk supply should increase in response to the kittens needs. I will continue to be sure she has plenty of kitten food and water at all times.
Violet is 9.1 oz. (259 grams) up 14.2 grams
Indigo is also 9.5 oz. (256 grams) up 14.2 grams
Willow is 8 oz. (227 grams) up 7.1 grams
Magenta is 7.7 oz. (220 grams) up 3.5 grams
Ocher is 9.1 oz. (259 grams) up 10.6 grams
Kelly is 8.2 oz. (234 grams) up 7.1 grams
Each of the kittens in turn will come to the front of the nest to see visitors. I can now identify magenta, ocher, violet, kelly, and willow from the way they look. I sometimes need ocher and violet to be next to each other as they have the same face, ocher's head is just a bit bigger. Ocher and violet are both lighter then the other kittens. When it came time to give them their diary names I looked at the yellow marked kitten, it was the biggest in the litter so I guessed it might be a male, hence the name ocher. It seemed better then honey or sunshine, the joke may be on me as ocher is looking a bit female. I am still reserving judgment on their sex. Kelly has a subtle difference to the shape of the end of it's nose. Kelly also frequently will have its tongue between its lips. I realized this past Tuesday Kelly has its tongue out in the face photos from the 16th and the 21st .
October 27, 2005 -
Marking in the arm pit is working well. The kittens are becoming more social. I can see them studying the kittens around them. They also come to the front of the nest when they see us. They enjoy having their heads stroked and push upward to sit tall. They are also becoming more vocal.
While nursing I noticed the kittens are crying more. This seems to disturb Maeve, She is being a good mom allowing them to nurse as much as they want. There are several things that may be in play here, I turned off the nest heater and I reduced the room temperature to 80 after the first week, so the kittens are using more calories to maintain their temperature. There is also the possibility Maeve's milk is not plentiful enough. After our last litter our pets Magi and Emma had gained weight and were looking a bit fat. We decided to try to restrict their access to the kitten food. Its a game for them to sneak eating it. Maeve has taken to waiting to eat with them. She is not eating her kitten food and runs into the kitchen to eat the big girls food. This does not have the required calories she needs to support the milk supply required. I gave Maeve more formula this morning and supplemented some of the kittens. I use an eyedropper to give a drop in the side of the mouth. This gets their tongue lapping and then additional drops are gently squeezed into their mouths. The kids have also started putting small amounts of kitten food into the nest, when they visit her. Maeve eats it to keep the nest clean. My hope is that a small amount of supplementing and the increased calories will help Maeve, and she and the kittens will begin to move forward. The first two weeks are really the most critical as far weight gain and fading kitten syndrome are concerned. I believe we are past that. In the positive the kittens are not actually losing weight. I am not one to jump quickly to gavage feeding as long as kittens are not losing weight. Maeve is looking thin and I am going to give her more of my attention and support to beef her up a bit. She needs to get the kittens to about four weeks of age when they will begin weaning to dry food. For formula supplementing, Willow ate 30ccs times three, Violet 30ccs times two, and Kelly 30ccs times two. Maeve doesn't want me feeding the babies she wants to eat from the eye dropper herself , lol She has had her share of formula three times today. She also likes me to hand feed her the kitten food as a snack.
I had a request for names on this photo so here is the line up...The top left one is Kelly, second from the top left is Ocher, third left is Willow, fourth or third from the bottom is Magenta. Second from the bottom is indigo....There is a tiny bit of blue above its elbow, Bottom right is Violet.
Violet is 8.6 oz. (245 grams) up 14.2 grams
Indigo is also 9 oz. (256 grams) up 10.6 grams
Willow is 7.7 oz. (220 grams) up 17.7 grams
Magenta is 7.6 oz. (217 grams) up 7.1 grams
Ocher is 8.7 oz. (249 grams) up 10.6 grams
Kelly is 8 oz. (227 grams) up 14.2 grams
October 26, 2005 -
Violet is 8.1 oz. (231 grams) up 3.5 grams
Indigo is also 8.6 oz. (245 grams) up 7.1 grams
Willow is 7.1 oz. (203 grams) up 0 grams
Magenta is 7.4 oz. (210 grams) up 3.5 grams
Ocher is 8.5 oz. (241 grams) up 10.6 grams
Kelly is 7.5 oz. (213 grams) up 7.1 grams
The lower fluctuations in weight gain concerns me. We should be seeing an upward trend from 10 to 15 grams. Maeve is not eating as I would like so I supplemented her with some kitten formula tonight.
October 25, 2005 - Two weeks old
Our best scientific & technical minds met this evening to resolve the identity mishap. The team has observed and measured the subjects. The collected data was critically examined and was found to be indispensable. Confident in their ability to clearly discern exactly who is whom the team has come to a concise conclusion. Formulating a new identification plan was essential. With the implementation of new methodology (marking the arm pit) we are confidant that following recommended daily protocols will keep our data true to each individual. o_0
In conclusion, these are the appropriately color coded individuals with their growth data. ;)
Violet is 8 oz. (227 grams) up 10.6 grams
Indigo is also 8.37 oz. (238 grams) up 7.1 grams
Willow is 7.1 oz. (203 grams) up 7.1 grams
Magenta is 7.25 oz. (206 grams) up 3.5 grams
Ocher is 8.1 oz. (231 grams) up 3.5 grams
Kelly is 7.25 oz. (206 grams) up 3.5 grams
October 24, 2005-
When I washed the nest the heat pad looked fine. I am going to pick up a surface thermometer to see if I can determine the nest temperature. The kittens seems fine with the nest off and are sleeping together in the nest. No one is climbing out anymore. For now I am leaving the nest off.
Maeve has gotten so good at caring for her kittens that tonight I am unable to determine who everyone is. :( sigh We saw this coming and the last time we marked them we also marked the tips of tails. Magenta is obvious as she has the darkest nose. Ocher was the largest with the largest head, but others are catching up. I have ordered the weights below according to yesterdays weights and if there was any hint of color. Tomorrow I will get weights and face photos to see if I can match them using past photos. They are starting to show differences in their faces. Hopefully this will improve to the point we no longer need to mark them.
Violet is 7.625 oz. (217 grams) up 10.6 grams
Indigo is also 8.1 oz. (231 grams) up10.6 grams
Willow is 6.9 oz. (195 grams) up 3.5 grams
Magenta is 7.1 oz. (202 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 8 oz. (227 grams) up 10.6 grams
Kelly is 7.125 oz. (202 grams) up 14.2 grams
October 23, 2005 -
Violet is 7.25 oz. (206 grams) up 10.6 grams
Indigo is also 7.75 oz. (220 grams) up10.6 grams
Willow is 6.75 oz. (192 grams) up 3.5 grams
Magenta is 6.75 oz. (192 grams) up 3.5 grams
Ocher is 7.625 oz. (217 grams) up 7.11 grams
Kelly is 6.625 oz. (188 grams) up 7.11 grams
October 22, 2005 -
They now see us as we approach the nest. If they are sleepy they will hiss. It's so cute the sound is so soft it is barely audible.
Violet is 6.875 oz. (195 grams) up 10.6 grams
Indigo is also 7.375 oz. (210 grams) up 7.11 grams
Willow is 6.625 oz. (188 grams) up 14.2 grams
Magenta is 6.625 oz. (188 grams) up 7.11 grams
Ocher is 7.375 oz. (210 grams) up 7.11 grams
Kelly is 6.375 oz. (181 grams) up 7.11 grams
October 21, 2005 -
Kittens eyes are really opening up now. They still need to do some developing before you will see their real eye color. We are seeing a lot of neck stretching with a wavering head as the kittens exercise their neck muscles.
October 20, 2005 -
All of the kittens eyes are beginning to open. They are all climbing out of the nest to sleep so I have decided to shut the nest heater off. I think they may be wanting too cool off.
Violet is 6 oz. (170 grams) up 7.1 grams
Indigo is also 6.75 oz. (192 grams) up17.7 grams
Willow is 5.87 oz. (167 grams) up 7.1 grams
Magenta is 6 oz. (170 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 6.5 oz. (185 grams) up 3.5 grams
Kelly is 5.6 oz. (160 grams) up 10.6 grams
More kittens are in the nest tonight. Next nest washing day I am going to check the heating element to see if it is functioning properly.
October 19, 2005 -
I reduced the room temperature to 80 degrees.
The kittens eat and sleep and eat and sleep and eat and sleep. LOL There color is slowly darkening. They exercise by pushing into the nursing pack and trying to push a sibling off so they can latch on. They have decided they all want the same four nipples. At times two will sleep while the other four nurse.
Violet is 5.75oz. (163 grams) up 17.7 grams
Indigo is also 6.1 oz. (174 grams) up10.6 grams
Willow is 5.6 oz. (160 grams) up 7.1 grams
Magenta is 5.6 oz. (160 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 6.3 oz. (181 grams) up 14.2 grams
Kelly is 5.25 oz. (149 grams) up 7.1 grams
Magenta shed her cord and has one eye fully open
October 18, 2005 - One week old
Violet is 5.125oz. (146 grams) up 7.1 grams
Indigo is also 5.75 oz. (164 grams) up14.2 grams
Willow is 5.37 oz. (153 grams) up 14.2 grams
Magenta is 5.25 oz. (149 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 5.87 oz. (167 grams) up 7.11 grams
Kelly is 5 oz. (142 grams) up 14.2 grams
October 17, 2005 -
Violet is 4.9oz. (138 grams) up 10.6 grams
Indigo is also 5.25 oz. (149 grams) up 7.11 grams
Willow is 4.9 oz. (138 grams) up 10.6 grams
Magenta is 4.9 oz. (138 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 5.6 oz. (160 grams) up 7.11 grams
Kelly is 4.5 oz. (128 grams) up 10.6 grams
Willow and Ocher shed their cords today.
October 16, 2005 -
Violet is 4.5oz. (128 grams) up 10.6 grams
Indigo is also 5 oz. (142 grams) up 14.2 grams
Willow is 4.5oz. (128 grams) up 10.6 grams
Magenta is 4.5oz. (128 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 5.37oz. (153 grams) up 14.2 grams
Kelly is 4.1 oz. (117 grams) up 7.11 grams
October 15, 2005 - In the second and third photo below you can see the darkening of the nose, ear tips. Violet's eye is beginning to open.
Violet is 4.125oz. (117 grams) up 14.2 grams
Indigo is also 4.5 oz. (128 grams) up 17.8 grams
Willow is 4.125oz. (117 grams) up 14.2 grams
Magenta is 4.125oz. (117 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 4.875 oz. (139 grams) up 14.2 grams
Kelly is 3.875 oz. (110 grams) up 17.8 grams
Today, Ocher has been joined on her quests to the nest edge and beyond, by Kelly and Magenta.
October 14, 2005 - Indigo shed her umbilical cord, I would guess with some help since there is some spot bleeding on the nest. Indigo is also beginning to have some darkening of the nose leather and ear tips. Violet's right eye is starting to show signs of opening and her ears look silver gray. Magenta's nose is also darkening and shows the most color. Willow's nose also is darkening.
Mom, can we be m&m's for Halloween?
Violet is 3.625oz. (103 grams) up 14.2 grams
Indigo is also 3.875 oz. (110 grams) up 7.1 grams
Willow is 3.625 oz. (103 grams) up 14 grams
Magenta is 3.75oz. (106 grams) up 10.6 grams
Ocher is 4.375 oz. (124.5 grams) up 10.6 grams
Kelly is 3.25 oz. (92.5 grams) up 10.6 grams
October 13, 2005 - Ocher is repeatedly climbing out of the front of the nest. She likes to sleep in the corners of the box.
Violet is 3.125oz. (88.9 grams) up 10.6 grams
Indigo is also 3.625 oz. (103 grams) up 14.2 grams
Willow is 3.1 oz. (88.9 grams) up 10.6 grams
Magenta is 3.375oz. (96 grams) up 21.3 grams
Ocher is 4 oz. (113.8 grams) up 10.6 grams
Kelly is 2.875 oz. (81.8 grams) up 10.6 grams.
October 12, 2005 - Evening weigh in....
Violet is 2.75oz. (78.3 grams) up 3.5 grams
Indigo is also 3.125 oz. (88.9grams) up 10.6 grams
Willow is 2.75 oz. (78.3 grams) up 3.5grams
Magenta is 2.625oz. (74.7 grams) no weight gain
Ocher is 3.625 oz. (103.2 grams) up 10.6 grams
Kelly is 2.5oz. (71.7 grams) no weight gain
If you are looking at these numbers and they don't add up, sometimes I round up or down.
October 12th - 12:03am, Kitten four and placenta are born. Maeve clears its face and tries to chew its cord. The cord has been chewed on enough that there is no longer any blood in it so we assist and cut the cord. We take the placenta and will also remove all those that follow. Although they are protein and vitamin rich and eating them helps the queen, eating too many causes diarrhea. This kitten is weighed and marked with pink.
12:25am Kitten five and its placenta arrive. Maeve goes to work but seems tired so we assist and tie and cut the cord. This one is weighed and marked with yellow. I can feel another kitten to come. Maeve continues to groom them and they continue to root. They are so fluffy, goofy and pretty at the same time.
12:53am Kitten six followed by its placenta arrives. Maeve takes care of it and cuts its cord. We weigh it and mark this one green. Six beautiful little fur babies. Could there be more? Never say never because once you do you will be presented with the unexpected. I stay up with Maeve for another hour. Then I bed down next to her. Every time I begin to nod off a loud cry from a kitten wakes me. I check to be sure all are safe and rest again.
For the purpose of this diary we will give the kittens color names to match their marking. The families that take these kittens home will choose their forever names.
The Stats at birth
#1 11:35pm purple –Violet – 74.7 grams (2.625 ounces)
#2 11:42pm blue – Indigo – 78.3 grams (2.75 ounces)
#3 11:43pm neon green – Willow – 74.7 grams (2.625 ounces)
#4 12:03am pink – Magenta – 74.7 grams (2.625 ounces)
#5 12:25am yellow – Ochre – 92.5 grams (3.25 ounces)
#6 12:53am green – Kelly – 71.2 grams (2.50 ounces)
Kittens born October 11/12 - 2005
Maeve's litter of six was delivered late night Tuesday /early morning Wednesday, three each day.
October 11, 2005 – Maeve began talking to me around 8:30 pm. She wants me to stay with her next to the birthing box. Whenever I leave she runs after me and tells me I have to come back with her. Emma is in with her and Maeve keeps head butting her so she will lick Maeve’s face and head. After about an hour of this Emma has had enough and leaves. Maeve is also nesting (rearranging the towels). At 9:40pm there is evidence of the mucus plug on the towels. This indicates the cervix is opening. We are going to have kittens tonight. I plug in the small round nest to warm .We use electric nests warmers from K&H manufacturing. It's important to keep the kittens warm. The leading cause of preventable mortality in new born is kittens is low body temperature. I also turn on the gas fireplace to raise the room temperature to 85 degrees.
11:00pm Maeve begins active labor, signaled by her panting, calling and regular contractions. At 11:35 the first kitten and placenta arrives and Maeve begins to chew the cord. I position the kittens face so she will break the sack and stimulate the kitten to breathe. It squeaks a breath. Then Maeve tells me here we go again. The second kitten is born at 11:42 with the placenta still in the birth canal. Maeve still hasn’t cut the cord on the first kitten. She licks the face of kitten two. I see it is breathing so I let her go back to finish the cord and eat the placenta of kitten one. 11:43pm Kitten three is born now we have two kittens with their placentas still in the birth canal. Maeve licks the third kitten’s face clean and with another contraction expels the two placentas.
At this point I weigh kitten one. I have a small scale with a basket that sits right in front of the gas fireplace. It’s nice and warm so the kitten will not get cold. Siamese are all born completely white so I mark kitten one’s behind with purple food color. Each kitten will be marked a different color so I can tell them apart and record their progress. Maeve is working on kitten three so I pick up kitten two. It feels cold and wet so I wrap it in a face cloth and my husband ties his cord with floss. Once well knotted he trims the floss and cuts the cord. I rub the kitten to dry and stimulate its blood flow. I weigh it and place it back with Maeve. I mark kitten two blue. Then I pick up kitten three. I weigh it and mark it with neon green, back to Maeve it goes. Maeve continues to groom the kittens and I can hear them eagerly making sucking noises in her belly fur. They are rooting for a nipple and squeaking when they push each other out of the way. I remove the wet soiled towels and put new clean towels in the box. Through her side I can feel another kitten still to come.
October 10th – I’m keeping a close eye on Maeve. Today is the first day she could possibly give birth. She has gotten big. It doesn’t matter where you put your fingers on her belly, you can feel kittens moving.
October 7th - I use a cardboard computer box as a birthing box. I brought it in my office and put the fluffy towels in and Emma and Maeve spend the day lounging in it. It seems every time I check on Maeve, Emma is using her tummy as a pillow. Maybe Emma is planning on being midwife.
September 29th – Maeve is getting round. When we place our fingers on Maeve’s side we can feel little kicks and bumps as the kittens move. We are trying to estimate the number of kittens. My husband says there are six, I am thinking five, maybe four, and our daughter says four. She was right on the last litter so maybe I am being influenced by her choice. :)
August 8 -11, 2005 Maeve begins making visits Balor’s apartment in the morning and evening. We observe each mating and make a record of it.
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