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Kittens from this litter have all gone to their forever homes. |
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Updates on how these kittens have matured are on our Where Are They Now? page. |
| Keva's Kitten Diary Spring 2008 |
| This reads from the bottom up. New entries are added at the top so its easy to follow as they grow. |
| The music used on this page is Let Them Be Little by Billy Dean |
| These kittens are the progeny of our sire Kian and dam Keva |
| _______________________________________________________________________ |
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May 30, 2008 - thirteen weeks -Today brings a close to our diary. Having only two kittens in a litter makes it especially hard to say good bye. We are happy to know that both kitten have gone to the warm homes of friends and we will look forward to receiving updates as they grow.
Berry will be living with her new big sister Lizzie (a corgi) and her family in Iowa. Here she is with her travel blanket.
May 23, 2008 - twelve weeks - Berry has been a very good girl and has been resting and healing this week. Her tummy looks great. She had a little bit of swelling in the muscle wall where the knot would be but it is just about gone now. She tries to goad Grandma and Magi into playing with her when she is bored. She likes to play with da bird but she wants too keep it when she catches it and tries to run off with it. When Berry was tired out Grandma Maeve has a spirited game of attack and toss the broken birdie. It's always nice to see the big girls having kitten like fun.
Berry is chattering at Da Bird before she goes and steals it away.
May 14-16, 2008 - eleven weeks - We said good bye to Snow this week when he went to his forever home with our Vet and her family. Some final photo's of Snow and Berry together. These photos were taken before Snow and Berry had their alter surgery.
Berry
Snow "Hey, this is supposed to be about me. Berry gets to have more photo's before she goes home."
Snow
Snow in the window. Snow
Berry
Hanging out with Meowmy
Oh Toys!
Spiders, sparkles and toys, oh my.
Snow in my lap, Berry playing.
Oh no, she's coming....
Berry "It's my turn in the lap, Snow! Get out."
Berry, " I'm going in!
Snow, "It's not fair Berry. Stop, grrrr"
Berry "But I am in, so...."
" I win! "
Berry and Snow went to see Dr. Schafer on Thursday to have their alter surgery. They both did well. Snow stayed with Dr. Schafer and went home to become their family pet and to keep his brother (from another litter - Keva's 2007) company. Berry came home and went into turbo drive. This is the second kitten I have had that had reacted with hyper activity after surgery. I was supposed to keep her in a large carrier until she was able to walk well but she started throwing herself around the carrier. I was afraid she would hurt herself so I held her and tried to calm her, scruffing her when she got too crazy. She would have a burst of frenetic movement then go limp and allow her head to loll. As the time passed she became more steady and I put her into the small tent and sat at the door. She continued to throw herself about the inside but at least the walls were soft fabric. Once she had her footing I put her on the floor with toys all around her. She sat in one spot as long as she had a toy to bite and attack. Her attention span was short. It was funny to watch her. She would sit back like she was going to lick her tummy then see her back foot and attack it, see her tail and attack it, then roll back to her feet and grab a toy. Around 7 pm I gave her a small spoonful of food. She gobbled it up and had a few licks of water. Then she spent half an hour sitting with the bowl biting on it and flipping it over and over. I put her back into the large carrier and completely covered it so she would rest. I allowed her out around 9 pm. She had a nice meal and water. She was still being uncharacteristically active and mouthy. She needed to be chewing on toys.
Berry woke me at 5 am. I think she was looking for Snow. She kept going under and coming out from under the covers. She and Snow haven't found their voices yet so when she would call out it a squeeky little meow. She was talking quite a bit. By 8 am she was sound asleep and has spent all of today sleeping on the bed.
Berry resting after spay surgery.
Berry's tummy shows the bright yellow orange of disinfectant. The little spot on the top right is her incision. A tiny little one sealed with surgical glue. Dr. Schaefer has wonderful technique with early age spays.
May 13, 2008 -
Berry - Up ................. Up .................. Up ................... and Down
Snow posing ..... Watch the birdie Snow .................................Birdie attacker flies in.
Snow, What's so funny?
Ah if only the back brace wasn't in the photo.
Orthodontists warn about pets chewing up dental retainers, but the Orthopaedist never said the Milwaukee brace shouldn't be left out around pets. :-D
Food and a Nap
Snow
Berry
May 9, 2008 - ten weeks - An empty basket, with a large sparkle ball in it, became a interesting challenge for the kittens. First Grandma Maeve jumped in to check it out then Mum had a turn but the kittens never made the jump. Then spent some intense time trying to see if they could reach the ball from the outside, running around and checking each side.
Grandma Maevey. toss it out here to me....Come on Momma, hand me the ball."
Berry..."It's right here Snow. See if you can reach it"
Berry....... " It's too frustrating. I need to find some other toys.....
....On the prowl....
....Grrroowll...toys fear my wrath!"......
Keva.." Noooo, not the Siameeeese..."
Berry...."Ah hahaha, no toy is safe from my attack. Not even the Siamese!"
......Back on the prowl.....
Berry " I'm sorry, May I have the Siamese please?"
Berry " The toys are all mine or I'll get you.....Do we have an understanding?"
Snow
Snow " Who is under there?"
Snow taking a break from playing
Snow - Stretched out for a long sleep
May 6, 2008- We gave the kittens a little piece of roast turkey left over from dinner. Snow played with it for quite some time before he decided to eat it. Once eaten he went on a wild sniffing adventure looking for more of this tasty treat. Berry decided the best way to enjoy hers was to lick it to death before eating it. She too was in a frenzy looking for any more morsels.
Berry and Snow Snow and Berry
~ Snow ~
~ Berry ~
Snow and Finola......"Aunty Finny I don't want a bath now, I'm playing!"
Snow and Maeve...." Grandma Maeve, this sure is good cold water, yum."
May 2, 2008- nine weeks old - Due to the recent rumors in the news ....today we are featuring an interview with Berry of the brother and sister Black&Tan team.
Q: Good evening Berry, How are you feeling? We heard that you and your brother Snow paid a visit to the Doctor this week on Wednesday night.
Berry: Good Evening, We would like to assure our fans that our going to the vet was a routine visit. We are old enough now to begin our vaccinations. We had no ill effects from the vaccines. In fact we had the night off so we really enjoyed getting silly and playing together.
Q: I understand there was a special reason you agreed to do this interview. Would you like to tell us more about that?
Berry: Yes, I would. Being one of the top Black&Tan Diary models has advantages but it also comes with some disadvantages. Berry and I are growing up in the public eye. Many of our mistakes are recorded. When other kits can just laugh and learn, we are held to a higher standard. As you mentioned at the opening there have been some rumors about one of our photo sessions. Rather then try to down play it Snow and I decided we should use this an an opportunity to discuss the use of Catnip and an herbal alternative.
Q: Berry, how about we show the photos you are referring to now.
Berry: These three photos were from a photo shoot on a day that started out sunny but became overcast. When Siamese feline models work with a photographer lighting is everything. To show really good eye color we really need the full spectrum of the suns light. As the clouds rolled in we lost the sun and the resulting effect was that Snow's pupils were blown wide open. This was not due to the use of catnip as reported. Because of the adverse reactions some cats can have to catnip (over stimulation and meanness) Snow and I have never used catnip. We are supporters of the "Say No to Catnip" campaign. There is a wonderful safe herb Nepeta Faassenii commonly called Catmint that the Black&Tan cats are allowed to play with on occasion. The funny thing about the third photo is that someone altered it. It's pretty obvious that Snow doesn't have the bent whiskers shown in the photo. As anyone who follows the Black&Tan Diaries knows, our Mother and Grandmother both nibble off our whiskers so it not possible for Snow to have all those bends in his whiskers, lol.
Q: You say that being a Black&Tan Diary kitten has advantages and disadvantages. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Berry: Oh Absolutely, We get to eat the best food and have constant attention and love, but not too much. When we need to rest everything stops while we nap. We also have a lot of fun. Even during photo shoots we can get pretty silly. Yes, it can become tiring to have the photographer trying to get us to look this way and more that way, tilt your chin up, reach over, etc. Sometimes it just seems ridiculous. Like the time they wanted us to pose with the mouse. They wanted us to act like the mouse was real. I had a hard time with that shoot. Snow is a much better actor then I am. He really gets into it.
Q: Could we see some of the mouse photos?
Berry: Sure, .... In this first one I'm trying real hard to listen to the instructions. You can see in the second photo I'm just not really getting into the feeling that this is a "real" mouse. This type of Noir Photography is just not me.
Berry: Now this next set, Snow is getting ready for his session when someone, we won't name names, rolled a ball into frame. It messed up his concentration but he was able to go right back into it and they got some great killer photos.
Q: People say you're so beautiful that you can't take a bad photo. Do you think this is true? Are there any photos that you would be embarrassed to have seen?
Berry: Snow and I are really down to earth cats. Like anyone else we have favorite photos and then there are some we just don't like but we really wouldn't care if people saw them.
Q: I have a few here my staff found. Shall we look at them?
Berry: Oh I remember that one. The photographer and her assistant weren't in sync that day and it shows in the photo. My body was going right when the assistant had me looking after the birdie on the left. Now if only I had a turkey platter on my shoulder I would look fine.
Oh No, where did you get that one of Snow! hahahaha He might actually be embarrassed by that photo. He was supposed to be looking very suave but somehow his back feet didn't get the message in time. We laughed so hard that day. It really is fun to be a kitten.
Q: I notice your coloring looks a little different then your brothers. What color are you both?
Berry: We are both Chocolate Points. If you look at our nose leather you can see it is the same. I'm more of a dark chocolate and Snow is more of a milk chocolate. It's just a little bit of a difference in the color expression. Chocolates in general have their color come in more slowly.
Berry: It's time for me to go take my nap now. I'd like to thank you for coming to see me to talk about our work on the diary page. We only have a few more weeks of work and then we will be off to our new homes. I have a few more photos to leave for your viewers.
Below Snow was really having some Ninja fun....that's as Ninja as he gets, puffball nunchakus, lol
In this one my eye looks kind of goofy.
The rest of these are all of me....If Snow wanted equal time he should have come for the interview ;)
April 29, 2008 - The kittens days involve eating, then testing any objects they can find for it's play value, then a nap. Another bite to eat, play time with toys followed by another nap and then some time playing with an adults tail, begrudgingly tolerated by the adult cat whose tail is being bit....biting makes the tail flick faster and the game becomes more fun, despite the grumbling. More eating and another nap.
Snow (below)
Berry (below)
April 25, 2008 -
Nap time, Berry left, Snow right
April 23, 2008 - Movie Time -
Click the logo to watch our video on youtube or go to our youtube channel www.youtube.com/BlackandTanSiamese After watching the video click your back button on your tool bar to return to this page.
Click the logo to watch our video on youtube or go to our youtube channel www.youtube.com/BlackandTanSiamese After watching the video click your back button on your tool bar to return to this page.
April 22, 2008 - The kittens went for a ride along with Grandma Maeve when she went to visit the vet on Monday. They got to be snuggled by the Vet and her staff. Snow really didn't like the animal hospital. He tried being brave and hissed a bit but in the end he just turned into quivering jelly. I think it may have had something to do with the alcohol smell from when Grandma Maeve had her blood drawn. Berry started out with a small hiss but was soon snoozing while she was being held.
This past weekend we switched out to a larger adult litter box...
This litter box is just too small for the two of us. We need to remodel. I wonder if HGTV has Designing for the Siamese?
Berry made quick work of da bird. She is very smart. Once she knew I could free the bird from her mouth if she bit the feathers she switched to biting on the string. When she hauled it off, wand and all, she cut the bird lose so she could keep it. I had to get out a new wand, lol. Note to self...don't trust Berry with string toys.
I got it!
Berry... I be haulin'
Berry....I be restin'
Berry, Snow & Keva... Oh Please, no photos in bed.
Speedy Snow gets his bird. April 18, 2008 - seven weeks old Bi-weekly weigh in...... Snow
is 1025 grams (2 lb. 4 ounces) up 71 grams Berry is 997 grams (2 lb. 3 ounces) up 128 grams Now that both kittens are over 2 pounds we will no longer weight them.
When the kittens nap together Snow usually ends up waking up and comes to my lap to finish his nap. When Berry wakes she cries out for him and goes back to sleep. Neither of them seems to care if they have a napping buddy or not. Berry has shown how secure she feels in the feline family. When grumpy old Emma growls that she doesn't want a young-un near her, Berry just curls up next to Aunty Em anyway. Emma doesn't seem to really mind. Yesterday they were on the bed together and Berry kept pouncing on Emma's tail. The more she played with it the more Emma would flick her tail. Even though Emma was growling under her breath at the bother, Berry kept right on playing. Emma never stopped her.
Both Snow and Berry have been climbing up on the bed to sleep at night. They're not yet big enough to jump up on the bed so they use a claw assist in the blanket I keep on the bed for the cats. Unfortunately today is nail trim day and I don't want them learning any bad manners their owners would not like. They will have to ask me to lift them up until they are able to make the jump up. They can jump down from the bed on their own.
Snow (left) and Berry (right)
Berry
Snow
Today while playing Snow and Berry discovered that if they were fast enough they could fly off the stair and onto each other. They raced in a circle each taking a flying leap off the stairs. I tried to get one of them in mid leap but was only able to get the return run.
Last night Papa Kian came to visit. The kittens were not quite sure what to think of this new big cat. They puffed up trying to look bigger then they are.
Keva, Berry, Snow and Kian
Snow and Kian Berry, Snow and Kian
April 15, 2008 - I used the last of the kitten milk last night. This morning for breakfast Berry was still turning up her nose at the baby cat so I opened a can of kitten food. Everyone wanted to eat it except Berry. She went to use the litter box and left a deposit, then stepped in it with both back feet. She was a mess. We went and washed her feet and tail in warm water. I glad she demonstrated a full knowledge of litter box use. We came back towel dried and she went right to the dry baby cat kibble and began eating, lol, little stinker. Both kittens now come to me when I call to them.
Berry eating her dry baby cat kibble....her fur is mussed up from washing her feet.
Napping with Grandma Maeve
Bi-weekly weigh in...... Snow
is 954 grams (2 lb. 1 ounces) up 100 grams Berry is 868 grams (1 lb. 14.5 ounces) up 78 grams
April 14th, 2008 -The kittens have been so well behaved I have had the run open during the day. They know to come back to use the litter box. Even though Berry has yet to eat solid food, we've decided to remove the run fence. They are now free to be in any part of the house they want. Snow is a regular on my lap at nap time. I have been picking Berry up to see if she will join him but when she sees him she wants play, lol. When I saw she was sleepy I put her on my lap alone. She stayed and took a nap. On Monday morning she came and put her paws up on my leg and asked to come up for a nap. I'm trying to get Berry to give kibble a try. I'm giving her kitten milk with kibble in it. She likes lapping up the milk and does eat some of the kibble with it.
Yum kitten milk with kibble.
Berry rolling around playing with her own paws.
Sound asleep Berry left and Snow right.
April 11, 2008 - six weeks old -
We are still waiting for Berry to decide she wants to eat baby cat kibble. I may try to influence her decision with some kitten milk or soft tastier food this weekend. I have been allowing them more freedom in the house. They now have my whole office to play in and they come out for play time in the living room. Bi-weekly weigh in...... Snow
is 854 grams (1 lb. 14 ounces) up 71 grams Berry is 790 grams (1 lb. 11.75 ounces) up 35.5 grams
Snow likes to sleep on my lap and will often call to me to allow him to come onto my lap. Above he is stretched out in his usual relaxed position feet out behind him. Then in the second photo Snow is sleeping on my lap while Berry is looking at her cubby hole that I filled in so she couldn't go into it. I think she was mad at me after I did it.
Berry and the white mouse.
Snow grooming Berry during a nap.
Berry with her toys above. Below is Snow playing. You can see when he plays his hair stands on end. His tail gets puffed up easily.
Berry and Snow at the window
Berry (above) .... Snow (below)
April 12, 2008 -
Berry
Berry and Keva
April 8, 2008 - The morning after his big first meal, on Saturday night ,Snow proved he has mastered the litter box. Berry has yet to decided she really wants to eat kibble. The kittens are working on learning appropriate play levels and how biting feels. This is an important time for them to learn from each other. It will help them to play gentle with people. I think Snow is learning more about how it feels and Berry is dishing it out. Its funny to watch their interaction. Berry the instigator starts pestering her brother. He puffs up and gives her a few paw swats in return but you can tell his hearts not into brawling and all Berry wants to do is rumble. Today Berry started jumping. She has tried to jump up to places that are two high but she doesn't seem dissuaded.
Snow
Berry
Snow and Berry
Berry
Bi-weekly weigh in...... Snow
is 783 grams (1 lb. 11.5 ounces) up 67.5 grams Berry is 754 grams (1 lb. 10.5 ounces) up 50 grams
Grandma, what's that? I know.... It's Spidey Snow.
Snow seems to have changed the most this week. His body is becoming more refined compared to his sister who has heavier boning. Looking down on his head from the top his head shape is similar to his grandma Maeve's.
Snow
April 4, 2008 - five weeks old
Berry (under my legs) was playing with Snow when Momma Keva couldn't resist playing too. Snow Bi-weekly weigh in...... Snow
is 715 grams (1 lb. 9 ounces) down 25 grams Berry is 704 grams (1 lb. 8.7 ounces) up 28 grams I'm not too worried about Snow losing a bit this weigh-in. Kittens don't always gain in even amounts its the total picture over a week that is important. There should be plenty of milk with only two kittens nursing. He is probably just taking a growth break but I will check him daily for a few days to be sure he doesn't drop anymore. Tonight he ate a nice sized meal of baby cat kibble.
April 2, 2008 - Snow and Berry are doing very well. They saw the vet on Monday and she said they are strong and healthy. They have lost their baby reserve and run about and play with toys. Snow likes to do the big bad Halloween kitty walk. He sits up on his hind legs to play.....and tips over backward. He keeps working on getting himself balanced. Berry likes to climb. I had to remove the foam bumper from the run fence because she was climbing it. I was afraid she would get to the top and fall. The pad is used to protect the paint on the wall. Both kittens are using the litter box to pee. Berry is a little lady in the litter box. Snow gets really into digging in the litter.... very enthusiastically. They have taken a couple nibbles of kibble but are not really eating it yet. They do drink from the water bowl. I took Berry for a walk around the house on my shoulder. I think she enjoyed it. When I tried with Snow he preferred to be more on my chest than up on my shoulder.
Berry Snow
April 1, 2008 - Bi-weekly weigh in...... Snow
is 740 grams (1 lb. 10 ounces) up 107 grams Berry is 676 grams (1 lb. 7.8 ounces) up 110 grams
March 31, 2008 - Today was a very sad day - I need to preface today's entry with some background information. This litter between Keva and Kian was a test breeding. In their first litter one of the kitten's (Cherry) was born with a rare congenital heart defect called Tetrology of Fallot. He was adopted by our vet, Dr. Schaefer. He has been an extraordinary pet for her family and she is able to monitor his progress. Because very little is known about feline TF and how it is passed on and at what percent of kittens it occurs in we decided to determine if this was a one time mutation or if it had a genetic link. We have never had any health issues in any of Keva's parents litters. When Poppy was 1 week old I first noticed a small sign that he may not be normal. In the past couple weeks I began to see the same deep breathing in him that I saw in Cherry when he would play hard, only Poppy was at rest. This didn't seem to slow him down. He was very precocious and was always ready to come running out to say hello. He began walking early and very well. He was Mr. Personality and my favorite of the litter.
On Sunday morning it was evident he was not himself. He was lethargic and lacked he usual sparkle. His normally happy meow was a strained squawk. He was breathing hard and sleeping most of the time. His gums and tongue were pale. I gave him oxygen and he pinked up a little bit but it really didn't help. I gave him oxygen throughout the day. Nursing takes lots of energy so I fed him KMR. After receiving oxygen he would feel a little better and would want to walk but he would only take a few steps before sinking down with his legs akimbo. It was clear he was suffering from a system failure. I really didn't expect him to make it through the night.
This morning he seemed a little better but his sparkle was still gone and he was belly breathing. I took him in to see Dr. Scheafer and she confirmed his heart sounded like a TF heart. We made the only decision we could and he was euthanized. I had Dr. Schaefer do a necropsy to verify he did have TF. This is very strong evidence for a genetic connection to TF in Kian's litters. With the records we have we believe this is a gene coming from Kian. We consider this a lethal gene so we are neutering Kian and removing him from our breeding program.
When I look back at Poppy it seems to me that he somehow knew his time was short and he was in a hurry to live his life to the fullest. His little warm personality stole my heart and I will dearly miss him.
March 29, 2008 - Poppy ate a nice KMR snack before bedtime and Snow had a few droppers too. I've put each kitten into the training litter box several times. No one has caught on to what its purpose is yet. Poppy left me a puddle on the marble tile so I know he is ready to use litter. We just need to work on making the connection. At 3 am Keva decided she needed to be in the bedroom and brought a kitten in. I took him back and found all the kitten up playing. We repeated this several more times before Keva gave up.
Snow washing up
Snow and Poppy
Poppy getting the better of Snow.
Snow climbing a tree
This was cute to see. (Snow) Grandma Maeve does a three legged scratch too.
Poppy had his kibble breakfast. Snow had a nice lap of water without getting any in his nose. Snow played at attacking a mouse toy and he loves climbing on the tree parts of the cat tree. Now that they are out and playing their confidence is growing and their personalities are coming out more. Snow was first out this morning and when I pet him he rolled over on his back to play with me. Berry was running about trilling. All of them have become oral. Checking everything out with their mouths including my fingers. No one bit down hard, they were very gentle. They have their front teeth in, incisors and canines, and are now teething the premolars. This process will last until they are about 6 weeks old. Poppy and Snow kept crying that they needed to go but would not use the litter box. We put some tissue on the floor and allowed Poppy to pee on it then put the tissue in the litterbox. This was the signal Snow needed. He then went in the litter box. We'll leave the tissue in the litter box until Poppy can try again.
Poppy Snow
Berry
Now that the kittens are four weeks old we will weigh them bi-weekly.
March 28, 2008 - four weeks old - The kittens have been running about so we have moved them into the kitten run in my office. They need to learn to use the litter box before they can run freely through the house. During this time they will also have the opportunity to begin weaning to baby cat kibble. Most kittens begin eating some kibble from 4 to 6 weeks of age. I've put a big nest into the little tent and covered it with a large towel to help make it darker inside. Hopefully Keva will find this an acceptable alternative to her chosen under the bed location. So far its going well. I offered Poppy some KMR again today but he was not really interested. I'll offer it again before bedtime.
During play time the kittens have begun to recognize toys. They are a little leery of a moving toy. If I move it they watch closely but wait until I put it down before they paw it.
Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 420 grams (14.75 ounces) up 3.5 grams Snow
is 633 grams (1 lb. 6.3 ounces) up 25 grams Berry is 566 grams (1 lb. 3.9 ounces) up 14.2 grams
March 27, 2008 - Poppy has been licking fabric. Tonight when he was again licking my leg I wondered if this was because he was hungry? I decided to offer him some kitten milk replacer (baby formula for kittens). He was hungry and had a nice snack. I sent him to bed with a full tummy. This meal is not reflected in his weight total for today. He ate after being weighed.
Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 416 grams (14.6 ounces) up 17.8 grams Snow
is 608 grams (1 lb. 5.4 ounces) up 17.8 grams Berry is 551 grams (1 lb. 3.4 ounces) up 3.5 grams...taking it easy after yesterdays indulgence.
Keva picking up Berry by the scruff to bring her back "home".
March 26, 2008 - Today while playing Poppy kept trying to nurse on Keva and she wouldn't allow him to. I decided if he was hungry I would give him the opportunity to try some kibble. Usually I wait until we set the kitten run up. I'm planning to move them to the run this coming weekend. Once they start eating they need to be in the run so they learn how to use the litter box. Poppy loved the kibble and had himself a nice afternoon snack.
Poppy eating with grandma Maeve.
Poppy eating with Mum Keva Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 398 grams (14 ounces) up 0 grams Snow
is 590 grams (1 lb. 4.75 ounces) up 21 grams Berry is 548 grams (1 lb. 3.25 ounces) up 32 grams...well I see who got Poppy's milk
Snow not sure if that toy is going to get him.
Berry exploring
Snow on his way back under after he popped out and got his Momma. Keva is pawing him back in playfulness.
March 25, 2008 - Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 398 grams (14 ounces) up 7.1 grams Snow
is 569 grams (1 lb. 4 ounces) up 7.1 grams Berry is 516 grams (1 lb. 2.1 ounces) up 21.4 grams
March 24, 2008 - Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 391 grams (13.75 ounces) up 21.4 grams Snow
is 562 grams (1 lb. 3.75 ounces) up 21.4 grams Berry is 494.6 grams (1 lb. 1.3 ounces) up 7.1 grams
March 23, 2008 - Happy Easter!
Left to right; Poppy, Snow, and Berry
Snow - "You're not going to sneak up on me Egg. I'm quick! I'm a Siamese cat."
Snow and Berry - Snow "I think that purple egg is after me!"
Berry Berry and Snow
The "Moms" making sure everyone is safe. Left to right, Maeve, Finola, and Keva (birth mom)
Click the logo to watch our video on youtube or go to our youtube channel www.youtube.com/BlackandTanSiamese After watching the video click your back button on your tool bar to return to this page. Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 370 grams (13 ounces) up 7.1 grams Snow
is 540 grams (1 lb. 3 ounces) up 17.7 grams Berry is 487 grams (1 lb. 1 ounces) up 7.1 grams
March 22, 2008 - Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 363 grams (12.75 ounces) up 7.1 grams Snow
is 523 grams (1 lb. 2.3 ounces) up 10.6 grams Berry is 480 grams (1 lb. .88 ounces) up 21.3 grams
March 21, 2008 - three weeks old -
Poppy
Snow
Berry
Snow & Berry with Finola
Poppy Berry
Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 356 grams (12.5 ounces) up 7.1 grams Snow
is 512 grams (1 lb. 2 ounces) up 14.3 grams Berry is 459 grams (1 lb. .13 ounces) up 21 grams
Snow & Poppy with Berry in the back hiding.
Snow & Berry with Poppy on the right hiding Berry left and Poppy right with Snow in the back hiding
Berry left with Snow and Poppy Berry left and Poppy right with Snow in the back hiding
Berry left and Poppy right with Snow in the back hiding
March 20, 2008 -
Maeve with Berry
During our before bed play time Grandma Maeve decided to adopt a kitten as hers. She has had a false pregnancy and is going thru the post pregnancy mothering stage. She was cooing and clucking to Berry. Maeve crawled in the nest with her and curled around her and started grooming her. I don't have a single nest big enough for three moms and the kittens so I put two big nests next to each other under the bed. Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 349 grams (12.25 ounces) up 7.1 grams Snow
is 498 grams (1 lb. 1.5 ounces) up 21.3 grams Berry is 438 grams (15.3 ounces) up 10.6 grams
March 19, 2008 - When Poppy was out for a walk about today I took a wand toy and drug the black wand handle on the floor in front of him. He followed it with his head and walked along the way the wand went. It shows he is seeing the contrast and movement. He's not up to pouncing yet. His eyes still have a bit of developing to do. Snow will come out if I bring him out and Berry is dead set against being out. She has very clear ideas and headed right back under. Two weeks is a little early so I will give them a break. I lie down on the floor next to the bed and stroke and handle them under the bed. They are happy to have their heads stroked. Most of the time they are sleeping and growing. Snow is now over 1 pound. Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 341 grams (12 ounces) up 14.2 grams Snow
is 477 grams (1 lb. .75 ounce) up 24.9 grams Berry is 427 grams (15 ounces) up 17.7 grams
March 18, 2008 - Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 327 grams (11.5 ounces) up 14.2 grams Snow
is 441 grams (15.9 ounces) up 10.7 grams Berry is 409 grams (14.4 ounces) up 14.2 grams
March 17, 2008 - Happy St. Patrick's Day
I brought our little leprechauns out and put them on the bed to get some photos. The photo session ended abruptly when Mum Keva snatched up a baby and made off with him.
Mum Keva on the left and Aunt Finola on he right.
Photo session is over. Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 313 grams (11 ounces) up 17.8 grams Snow
is 441 grams (15.5 ounces) up 24.9 grams Berry is 395 grams (13.8 ounces) up 17.8 grams
March 16, 2008 - During the early morning hours Keva moved the kittens. They are now under my bed. This morning I tried to relocate them back to my office but Keva was resolute in her decision to have them in the bedroom. I put the big family nest under the bed and they settled in. Poppy has been more mobile. I think Keva wanted better control of their safety. Poppy can crawl around under the bed with no "predators" seeing......not that we have any inside the house but instincts don't always follow our logic. Poppy really loves getting out and about so I have photo's of him alone. I came into the room and found him going for a stroll.
Poppy
Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 295 grams (10.38 ounces) up 3.5 grams Snow
is 416 grams (14.6 ounces) up 17.8 grams Berry is 377 grams (13.25 ounces) up 14.2 grams
March 15, 2008 - Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 292 grams (10.25 ounces) up 17.8 grams Snow
is 399 grams (14 ounces) up 14.3 grams Berry is 362 grams (12.75 ounces) up 10.7 grams
March 14, 2008 - two weeks old
Poppy in back, Berry center front, and Snow has fallen over.
Poppy
Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 274 grams (9.6 ounces) up 10.6 grams Snow
is 384 grams (13.5 ounces) up 14.3 grams Berry is 352 grams (12.4 ounces) up 10.7 grams
Poppy 2 weeks old
Snow 2 weeks old
Berry 2 weeks old
March 13, 2008 - Today, Poppy walked out of the corner nest. I found him with Finny and Keva in the pup tent. When he heard me talking he came walking out to see me. He loves to have his head stroked and pushes up to meet my fingers. He went on a walk about several times today. He doesn't get too far though because he hasn't learned how to keep his back feet under him on the wood floor. His little legs are growing in strength and he gets gets around well on a towel or rug. When his siblings heard us they set up calling to mum so she carried them into the tent too. Snow came out to visit too but his walk is not as strong. He still drags his tummy when he crawls.
We're ready to move!
These are all photos of Poppy on a walk about.
March 12, 2008 - Poppy was so cute a weigh-in. I sat by the nest and started talking to them and he came plowing forward talking. Finny heard him and came over and sat in front of him and he crawled right over her to be with me. I weighed him and loved on him then put him back and went in for Berry. What a belly she has. I thought for sure she would weigh more then Snow. Nope, Snow is still king of the scale. Berry has big bones and when I put her back she crawled along the bolster edge of the nest so her belly was all squished flat. She was huge, lol. Snow is big boned too but his belly doesn't look as big. I know when they get moving they will shape up but they are so funny right now. When I talk to them they all look at me with heads erect.
March 11, 2008 -
Poppy and Snow coming over to visit. Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 245.5 grams (8.6 ounces) up 3.6 grams Snow
is 330 grams (11.6 ounces) up 14.2 grams Berry is 313 grams (11 ounces) up 14.2 grams
March 10, 2008 - Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 242 grams (8.5 ounces) up 3.6 grams Snow
is 317 grams (11 ounces) up 26 grams Berry is 288 grams (10 ounces) up 14.2 grams
March 09, 2008- The kittens are beginning to crawl around a little in the nest. Working on building up the strength in their legs.
March 08, 2008- Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 235 grams (8.3 ounces) up 21.4 grams Snow
is 278 grams (9.75 ounces) up 21.4 grams Berry is 245 grams (8.6 ounces) up 17.8 grams March 07, 2008 - one week old - Poppy and Berry have now shed their cords too. Snow and Berry's eyes have opened all the way. Their eyes are red because the eye still needs to finish developing. They really cannot see to focus so their eyes may look a bit off in photos, like today photo of Snow. It's common for them to look wall eyed until they are able to focus properly.
Poppy......................................................Snow...............................................................Berry These photo's were all taken in front of the same color background. The difference in color is from the lighting. The kittens really all have the same color fur.
Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 213.5 grams (7.5 ounces) up 10.7 grams Snow
is 242 grams (8.5 ounces) up 14.2 grams Berry is 228 grams (8 ounces) up 14.2 grams One of the first questions I get is which are girls and which are boys. If you want to see if you know keep your cursor off the photo until after you decide. The difference is been described as a colon ( : ) for males versus an upside down exclamation point ( ¡ ) for females. In newborn kittens the scrotal raphe can sometimes fool me into thinking they are females. Some days I will think I know and the next day when I look, I will change my mind again. I have decided what I think and I'm pretty certain I have them correctly identified for this litter. Putting your cursor on the photo will show you my decision.
Poppy......................................................Snow...............................................................Berry
Here is Mum comforting and trying to protect her babies from the kitten stealing photographer, me.
March 06, 2008 - Their eyes are opening a little more. Poppy has been doing push ups and is strengthening his neck and leg muscles. He holds his head up nicely now. He has crawled out of the nest twice.
Poppy (above)
Snow (above)
Berry (above)
Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 202 grams (7.1 ounces) up 21 grams Snow
is 241 grams (8.5 ounces) up 25 grams Berry is 213 grams (7.5 ounces) up 21 grams March 05, 2008 - I'm not surprised to see normal weight gains today. Everybody hollered today when I woke them up to be weighed. Mom's were a little calmer about it. All three kittens have the inner corners of their eyes beginning to peep open. With both mum and aunty Finny in the nest I'm allowing the room temperature to very between 75 and 80 degrees. These kittens are doing so well I'm not as concerned about keeping it up at 80. Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 181 grams (6.4 ounces) up 18 grams Snow
is 217 grams (7.6 ounces) up 14 grams Berry is 192 grams (6.7 ounces) up 10 grams March 04, 2008 - (four days old) We are starting to see some very faint color in the nose leather and ear edges. Snow's left eye is starting to peak open at the inside corner. They are chubby lil' kits. Snow is a snowball with the biggest roundest tummy. It's no wonder with a weight gain of 32 grams. Obviously plenty of milk for everyone. This afternoon I heard a lengthy conversation between a mum and kit. I went to check it out and found Finny had one of the kitten in the tent with her. Keva was resting nursing the other two in the family nest. She wasn't concerned one was gone. I wonder if the kitten crawled out of the nest and Finny took it into the tent for safe keeping? I put it back into the nest and reminded Finny it was not her baby. Finola is good about nesting with them and keeping them warm when Keva leaves the room. When I had them out for photos their was such fuss on the part of Keva and Finola. They both tried to sit on them to keep me from seeing or picking any of the kittens up.
Poppy (above) doesn't mind being held and doesn't make even a peep when s/he is weighed.
Snow (above) Is good with a bit of holding but does call out before I can get him/her back into the nest.
Berry (above) crying out ....Mommy they're taking me..... Both mums go nuts checking where everyone is and searching for the victim of the Kit Napping. My goodness what a fuss. Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 164 grams (5.75 ounces) up 28 grams Snow
is 203 grams (7 ounces) up 32 grams Berry is 181 grams (6.4 ounces) up 18 grams
March 03, 2008 - The kittens were behind the tv cabinet this morning. I tried moving them back to the tent and Keva picked one up right away, so I pulled the cabinet forward and put a family nest behind it. I tucked the tent entrance on one side and a tall bed on the other. so it is sort of closed in. I am happy to see Poppy is latching on well today. Snow is being fussy and wagging his/her head about and head butting Mum. Berry is happy to burrow under to his/her nipple and suckle all day. Snow's cord was shed today. Everybody has a wonderful weight gain. Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 135 grams (4.75 ounces) up 21 grams Snow
is 171 grams (6 ounces) up 21 grams Berry is 164 grams (5.75 ounces) up 28 grams
March 02, 2008 - I allowed Finola to stay with Keva and the kittens last night. When I checked the kittens this morning they were sleeping. After breakfast I came in and found Keva had moved one, behind a piece of furniture in the corner, into a small nest. I put it back into the nesting box and spent the next several hours trying to convince Keva this was not a good idea. I changed out all the bedding, she still tried again. I moved the box so it was next to the corner, she still tried to move them. I put a fluffy fresh towel into the pup tent and had its door up against the birthing box, she decided this might be a good compromise. Keva moved two and I moved the third for her. She and Finola spent the rest of the day with them in the tent.
Snow is strong and almost always latched on suckling, even when asleep. Berry fusses and pushes in to get a nipple, latches on and suckles well. Poppy will be the kitten I will worry about in this litter. Poppy is not aggressive and when I help position at a nipple s/he spends more time getting latched on and once on falls asleep right away and loses the nipple. We can see the result in the difference in weight gain. I will keep a close watch and try to make sure s/he is getting latched on before the milk supply is drained.
L-R - Poppy, Snow and Berry,
Left is Poppy and top is Berry, bottom is Snow. Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 114 grams (4 ounces) up 3.5 grams Snow
is 150 grams (5.25 ounces) up 21 grams Berry is 135 grams (4.75 ounces) up 18 grams
March 01, 2008 -Sleepin', sleepin', sleepin', eatin', sleepin', sleepin', sleepin', eatin', sleepin', sleepin', sleepin', eatin'.....nice weight gains for the first day!
Evening weigh in...... Poppy
is 110.3 grams (3.13 ounces) up 21.4 grams Snow
is 128 grams (4.5 ounces) up 25 grams Berry
is 117.5 grams (4.13 ounces) up 18 grams
February 29, 2008 - Leapin' lizards we have a leap day litter! Special kittens born on a special day. They all arrived as expected head first and without too much fuss. Keva was pretty vocal with her contractions for the first two so I sent all her guests (Siamese) out of the room. Finola came back in while Keva was resting before the third kitten delivered. She checked everyone out then set about helping her sister to care for the newborns. She cleaned them while Keva rested. The third kitten delivered without any noise from Mum. Both Keva and Finola were cleaning it together, right after it delivered. Finola is being very supportive of Keva and it comforts Keva to have her near so I am allowing her to stay while I am in the room. I check frequently to make sure the kittens are only nursing on Keva. Kittens are born with their eyes closed. They need to imprint their scent on Keva's nipples so they will always know where to feed. Their eyes will begin to open from around 5 -10 days of age.
Cleaning up the bottom too.
Two new babies
Rub my tummy more please.
February 25, 2008 - A couple photo's of Keva's growing girth. She now spends all her time eating small meals and sleeping.
February 18, 2008 - Today Keva went in to find out how many kittens she has. Given the fact that she delivered her first litter in two birthing sessions we decided it would be best for us to know how many kittens to expect. Dr. Schaefer says we can expect three. Here are the first baby pictures of this litter.
The kittens heads are the small oval shapes. All the heads are toward Keva's pelvis. The little zipper like structures in the x-ray are the kittens spines.
February 15, 2008 - I can feel kitten movements on Keva's left side. I think this litter will have fewer kittens. From what I can feel I believe two kittens are on her left side and one is on the right.
Finola and Keva checking out the accommodations. Keva is expecting kittens in February
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