They do say a watched pot never boils, and boy was that ever true in this instance. This is Lottie, and Muddy’s come to that, first litter. Not when talking about the actual birth, Muddy should really get a mention as he was blissfully aware unaware of these proceedings’ but as with all maidens you never know what to expect. Actually you never know what to expect with experienced queens either, they seem to delight in surprising you as well! But I decided to be prepared for action from day 62 just incase she decided to have them early. She was quite huge bless her and very uncomfortable. So every night, I set the alarm to go off every 2 hours, so I could get up and check on her. Day 65 came and went, no signs, just ever growing bags under my eyes, as I was still getting up every 2 hrs in the night to heck on her. Day 66 came and went. Day 67, finally some promising signs, at last, scratching up her bed, chirruping to the other cats. Then about 5pm, I noticed a contraction – hurrah we are off, I rushed about getting a cup of coffee warming microwave heat pads, sat down outside her pen to wait………………….and wait………………………………and wait…………………………………………and nothing. Another small contraction about 7pm, but no real action. She ate all her tea, still looked uncomfortable, but other than that, nothing. I got up every hour all through the night, still nothing not even a twinge. She had her breakfast the following day, settled down for a snooze in her box. I did all my chores, and sat at my PC with her asleep in her pen behind me. Passing the time, chatting on The Siamese & Oriental Cat Chat Club, great place by the way, swiveling round on my chair ever so often to check on her and STILL nothing.
I was just about to go and make some lunch, turned round and there she was pushing for England! I swear I only looked at her 20 minutes before and nothing, she was curled up asleep. Mad rush as before, heating pads, etc. and sat down and waited. At……. a bubble appeared, then the tip of a tail, then a pair of ENORMOUS feet. I have to say I was a little concerned as the feet were huge! More pushing and a bit of the legs appeared, but they looked enormous as well, I have to admit I was getting extremely worried as to whether the kitten would be normal, they legs looked very short and fat, with this giant feet on the bottom, it was a Hobbit kitten. More pushing a large body started to appear, I can not tell you what visions I had of this kitten, but Stephen King would have been interested. A few more pushes and everything was out bar its head – which at this point I really did not want to see. One more push and with a little help out popped a perfectly normal looking Siamese girl, but she was a very large kitten. The reason she had looked so odd in her bag was unlike every other kitten I have seen born, who usually come out sort of side on, if they decide on tail first, she presented with her tummy towards me, with her legs slightly tucked up in front – no mean feat for Lottie to have pushed her out first I can tell you. I dried her off a bit and took all her particulars, sex weight etc and gave her back to Mum, who seemed very pleased with her efforts and washed her all over. The little baby started rooting for a teat straight away , but Lottie was off again, so I popped her in her warm fleece nest to dry off a bit more, and waited for the next one. The next one popped out easily, a bit smaller than the first but perfect in every way, after a 3 year wait, I finally had a beautiful lilac oriental girl, and she was so worth the wait. No time to spare and Lottie was off again, another Siamese and another girl! Just got time to get her sorted and way she was again, and there was no mistaking this ones colour, huge sleek and jet black, he looked like a mini panther, and was instantly given the name Baggy, after Bagheera from Rudyard Kipling’s the Jungle Book. Four gorgeous huge babies, and poor Lottie was absolutely shattered. I sorted out all her bedding and she just flopped exhausted whilst all her babies, who needed absolutely no encouragement, latched on sucking madly. |
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