~ This diary reads from the bottom up ~

Finola's Kitten Diary Fall  2007

The music used on this page is Let Them Be Little by Billy Dean 

These kittens are the progeny of our sire Balor and dam Finola. This is Finola's first litter.

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 17, 2008 - The beginning of the new year brings a close to our winter diary. We look fondly back at each of the kittens in this litter. They have a special place in our hearts. Each of them of fabulous character. 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. :)

Coco (Pumpkin - chocolate point female)                      Pixie (Fern - chocolate point female)

Maxwell Rain (Rain - blue point male)                         Zuzu (Holly - seal point female)

The color will continue to come in as the kittens mature. 

Chocolate points will have full chocolate masks. Seal Point will become a dark almost black seal color.

Closing Stats

#1 Pumpkin – is now Coco and lives in Leominster, MA

#2 Rain –  is now Maxwell Rain and lives in Grafton, MA

#3 Fern – is now Pixie and lives with her sister Zuzu in Melrose, MA

#4 Holly – is now Zuzu and lives with her sister Pixie in Melrose, MA

January 16, 2008 - Pumpkin went home with her new family today. She has a new mom and children who adore her and we're sure she will have Sgt. Mike trained to serve her in no time.

January 15, 2008 - A quick trip to have Dr. Schaefer so she could look at Pumpkin's tummy and she was ready to go to her new home. The doctor confirmed she is completely healthy. The little one centimeter bump she has at her incision site is the blood clot that formed around the sutures. It will take a few months for it to resorb.

January 14,2008 - We are snowed in. 

Pumpkin has become a much more outgoing kitten now that her siblings have moved on. Last night she was on the bed rubbing on all the adult cats and her purr was in overdrive. It was very loud and she is being very affectionate. Maeve adopted her as "her kitten".  She spent the evening giving Pumpkin a bath.

Pumpkin is doing some emotional nursing on Maeve. Maeve has no milk. Think of it in terms of a pacifier.  

Maeve is running around calling to her whenever she is out of Maeve's sight.

Finola is doing well. She is now out of the closet. She was up on the bed last night for a visit. She still sleeps most of the time, healing. I'm sure her pain medication makes her a bit sleepy too. She purrs and is happy when we are loving on her. She has not bothered her stitches at all. She groomed Pumpkin a little bit tonight. Pumpkin was happy to have two momma's doting over her.

You can see five of Finola's X sutures in this photo. She has a total of eight. They shaved the patch of fur on her leg for the IV.

January 12 -13, 2008 - twelve weeks old- This weekend we sent Rain, Holly and Fern to their new homes. 

Rain will have a new companion when he meets their resident blue point Siamese. He will also have two little girls who can't wait to fill all his desires for playtime. 

Fern and Holly are staying together. The spoiling process started weeks ago with a custom made cat condo. Their family doesn't stand a chance against the Siamese powers or persuasion. The girls will be in charge before the week ends.

We decided to keep Pumpkin a couple more days just to be sure she is healing well. 

Pumpkin's tummy is looking much better.

You may be asking...What happened with Pumpkin's tummy? Sometimes a small blood vessel in the subcutaneous layer gets nicked  when closing with a suture. The bleeding isn't apparent because the cut it so tiny. It allows for a slow leak until the blood can seal and heal the blood vessel. It's sort of like when you twist your ankle or get a black eye. You damage the small blood vessels and in a couple days your skin looks awful...much worse then it feels. But your just fine, embarrassed but fine, :) lol 

January 11, 2008 - Pumpkin has been a very good girl allowing me to soak her tummy. It's already looking better. Here she is with her warm compress.

Fern helped to care for Pumpkin by giving her a bath.

Everybody got a special canned treat and boy was it yummy.

Look who is biggest and whose head is under all the others, lol.

Finola came home tonight. She was very unhappy in the Tuft's hospital. They had to give her a box inside her cage to hide in. When she got home we had her all set up in her own room but she slipped out and decided she wanted to be in my walk-in closet. We brought in her bed and water and a litter box and she is all set to recover in peace. Her one centimeter hole repair left her with a new 4 inch long incision, poor momma. She is very happy to be home.

January 10, 2008 - Every one is behaving normally this morning which means I may need to sit on Rain, lol. Tummy check showed Holly, Fern and Rain are looking good. Pumpkin's bruise it growing exponentially. I have called into the vet. We will use warm compresses on Pumpkin's tummy to help her body heal and to resorb the blood.

January 9, 2008 - I woke up with Fern and Holly in bed with me. They were sleeping soundly and I stayed in bed  so I wouldn't disturb them, lol.

Holly was stretched out to her full length. She was snuggled against Emma's tummy. As I watch her Emma began grooming her face and Holly curled up her toes in delight. I could see her tummy and it looks fine. I stroked Fern so I could get her into a position I could see her tummy and hers looked good too. I turned on the TV and Pumpkin came in to sit with us. I checked her tummy and it is about the same maybe the spot is a little bit bigger.  I am happy that the girls all did well over night. We got up to have breakfast and I checked Rain. He looks great. Boys have it easier. 

Rain and Pumpkin are asleep in the big family nest. Twice today Holly has come calling for me. She is asleep in a nest on my desk right now and Fern is asleep on the cat tree. 

I called over to Tuft's and spoke to the doctor who did Finola's surgery. She had me bring Finola in today so she could check her. Everyone I talked to even the surgeon has told me that Tufts will charge to fix this hole. While we were at Tufts the doctor said she could adjust the surgery fee but that she wouldn't be able to take care of the other associated fees. It would still be in the hundreds of dollars for the repair. She took Finny to see the chief surgeon and to find out what the estimated cost would be. The Director of the hospital happened to walk by while she was holding Finola. Finola worked her charm and he agreed to take care of her repair at no cost to me. Finola stayed at Tufts and will have her surgery with an overnight stay. The doctor said I should be able to bring her home on Friday.

Tonight Pumpkin's spot is larger then it was last night. I think it has about doubled in size. She is behaving normally and their doesn't seem to be alot of swelling under the skin. No fluid at the incision site. I believe this is subcutaneous bleeding like a bruise. I will put a call in to my vet in the morning to double check though.

Fern's tummy        and      Pumpkin's tummy

Fern has come in three times now to tell me it is time for bed so I better get this published.                                                                                                           

January 8, 2008 - The kittens went in to have their alter surgery today. 

I also took Finola back in with me. I noticed this week that she had something in her abdomen that shouldn't be there. Knowing that Maeve was found to have a opening in her muscle wall where her incision never healed shut I was worried this might be the same. Dr. Schaefer confirmed that the center section of her muscle wall incision is open. She hadn't noticed it on her annual exam. This will need to be repaired with surgery ( my vets estimated cost $245-$385). Finola truly is following the same road as Maeve. I am told that this is unusual but I have two girls both moving step by step thru the same experiences... c-section, infection, hernia caused by a failed suture.

All the kittens surgeries went smoothly. We were home by 7 pm. I gave each a little food to eat. They all did well keeping it down so they were allowed to have dinner at 9 pm. When I first picked them up at the animal hospital they were quiet until we were in the car. Once under way they all began to talk at once. Little Holly must have felt she was more aggrieved because her extra loud, deep, mournful wail filled the car. I was again surprised that such a big noise could come out of a little quite kitten. I think she wanted me to know how much she really disliked going to the doctor. Once home and out of the carriers they all decided they needed to lick the surgical glue off. Dr. Schaefer makes a tiny incision in the skin and glues it so there are no sutures on the skins surface for the kittens to pull at. There are dissolvable sutures in the muscle wall. I love Dr. Schaefer's technique. Not having a long incision makes a big difference in how well they do after surgery. 

 Holly kept rolling backwards trying to reach her tummy with her tongue. Fern showed off how smart she was by putting her back against the coffee table leg so she didn't roll back. I used a toy to keep them busy while sitting still. They were very good. Pumpkin only licked herself a couple of times. She has a bit of bleeding in the skin at her incision site and she looks a little bit more puffy then the other girls. It looks like a bruise about the size of a nickel. I'm watching her a little more just to be sure this is just a surface bruise. Rain only licked himself once and then decided he was fine. Fern is looking really tired.

The kittens all ate dinner and then we headed off to bed. Fern went right to sleep between my legs. Holly curled up at my side with my hand on her back sort of snuggling her to me. Rain fell asleep in a nest. Pumpkin kept trolling for someone to play. She tried really hard to make my feet  under the covers turn into mice. She pounced and bit the covers for about five minuets before giving up and coming up to me and curling up to sleep. 

January 6, 2008 - eleven weeks old -

Birthday photos!

January 4, 2008 -  Somebody pilfered a little paper dixie cup from my bathroom and brought it out to the living room for a fast paced rowdy game of world CUP soccer! The action was so fast paced that most of my photos of the action are like this one ...see the tail on the left upper corner?.....

If you look carefully you can see bits of the cup in these photos...

And after the final points were scored...(cup is in the background)..... a fight broke out between players...while the soccer referee (Grandma Maeve) looks on from her safe position up on the coffee table.

Holly has entered a new phase. She decided she doesn't boys, lol. Naturally her effervescent sister Fern thinks she is being totally silly. Holly being the more grounded of the two has come to suspect those big feet men have could be dangerous to little girl paws. She hasn't been stepped on but she fully intends to not let it happen right now. She knows she only has nine lives and she wants to keep them all. Fern on the other hand feels, what's the point in having nine lives if you can't throw caution to the wind and really live them to the fullest. The girls are also beginning to show some changes in their physical development too. Holly is starting to bulk up a bit. Her build is starting to look like her father Balor's. I can feel the difference when I cup each of them under the belly with my hand. Fern is a lean and lithe while Holly has a solid thick middle.

Right after I took this photo above, Holly stood upon her hind legs, grabbed the mouse with both front paws and keeping the tail in her mouth, launched herself up into the air. She brought all four paws together on the mouse and formed herself into a little ball during her "hang time". It all happened so fast I was really sorry my camera was not ready to take a shot of her in mid air. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen a kitten do while playing.

Rain likes to play King of the Cat Tree and in the evenings will climb up to the top perch the hardest way possible.

Rain is currently lap and food focused. He has been seeking out my two sons to lap sit with and do a little male bonding. He has shown he has extraordinary powers when it comes to finding who is snacking. Within seconds of sitting down with a snack he is at our side wondering what it is we have and asking if he may have some too. We don't encourage begging so he is learning that people snacks are not for kitties. He's not giving up easily. :) He noses around until he is sure there is not even a lick left on a plate and even then he comes back just to make sure he hasn't missed anything, lol. He is ready to take on a whole new world too.

January 2, 2008 - Happy New Year!

The kittens are starting to show more of their personalities as they learn more about the world around them. Pumpkin still maintains a bit of her demure persona but we know there is a heart of a lion beating in her. She reserves her strength for times when she feels it is appropriate. She has started coming up on the bed with me at night. She likes to curl up by my legs and will attack movement under the covers if I play with her. She is starting to show she is ready to go to her new family and bond. 

December 30, 2007- ten weeks old- 

All the kittens have been behaving very well. No one has climbed the tree or even batted at an ornament. Even when we play with them close to the tree they take little notice of it. The most action the tree got tonight was when Fern sniffed the gold ornament in todays fourteenth photo (scroll down).

Oops, I forgot to mention that the kittens went in for their first vaccinations on Monday the 24th. They all did really well.

December 25, 2007- Merry Christmas!

Did Santa bring me anything?

Who is this for?

Who is under there?

Wrap-n-Wrestle

The Candy Cane Caper

December 23, 2007- nine weeks old - The kittens discovered that Grandma Maevie is getting a special treat and they wanted to try some too. So I let them each taste a little plain yogurt. Rain loved it and wanted more. Pumpkin was indifferent. Fern licked a little and ran off to play and Holly was not sure what to make of the spoon. She boxed at it a few times but still wanted to get to the yogurt. She took her time licked the spoon and decided she liked it but was still not sure of the killer spoon when it moved.

Fern helped out with baking Christmas Cookies. She watched them to make sure I didn't over bake them. 

I'm sure the nice warmth coming from the bottom oven vent had nothing to do with her choosing this job.

Holly & Fern with a little Irving Berlin

"Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters"

"All kinds of weather, we stick together, the same in the rain or sun.

Two diff'rent faces, but in tight places, we think and we act as one"

Holly the Tent Inspector

December 17-20, 2007- Rain fights the deadly sock.

This photo is terrible, my flash failed, but I had to add it since he is floating in the air.

December 16, 2007- eight weeks old

When I tried to weigh the kittens today they made it clear they were too grown up for the baby scale. The only kitten that would sit in the basket long enough for me to get her weight was Fern. She seemed quite pleased to show off she was now a two pounder. She just barely squeaked by at 2 lbs 1/4 ounce.

Fern was fascinated with the snow outside the window. She would stretch her little neck up to try to smell the snow that was stuck to the screen and bump her nose into the glass. She has also started to sit at my feet. I have to be very careful before walking. She sneaks in so quietly. Twice I felt her under my foot before I stepped down....I didn't step on her.. I stopped when I felt her and she didn't move. I had to move around her.

Holly discovered that the big girls sleep on my bed. I found her asleep with Magi and Emma this afternoon. They awoke when I entered the room. Holly snuggled closer to Magi and Mags groomed her a bit.

Rain found a warm laundry basket to climb into.

Rain Pumpkin and Fern dreaming of....?

December 15, 2007 - Eight week photos a day early. The sunny  morning and the kittens near the window made for a good photo opp.

December 14, 2007 - Today is Pumpkin day....she was the only one who wanted to play at mid day....Fern was comfort nursing and Rain and Holly were sleepy heads.

December 12, 2007 - I'm very sorry I don't have an big update for the past few days. Maeve our foundation queen is ill. She is in the hospital over at Tufts. If everything goes well she will be there for about a week.

Next Sunday will be our last weigh-in. We stop weighing the kittens when they reach 2 pounds.  Mon Petit Chou, Fern should make it to 2 by our next weigh-in.

We be sleepin'

Wednesday's Bi-weekly weigh in......

Pumpkin is 1125 grams  (2 lbs.7.5 ounces) up 128 grams

Rain is 1189 grams (2 lbs. 9.75 ounces) up 107 grams

Fern is 847 grams  (1 lb. 13.75 ounces) up 89 grams

Holly is 968 grams  (2 lb. 2 ounces) up 100 grams

A few photos from tonight...

December 9, 2007 -Seven weeks old-

Sunday's Bi-weekly weigh in......

Pumpkin is 996 grams  (2 lbs. 3 ounces) up 71 grams

Rain is 1082 grams (2 lbs. 6 ounces) up 121 grams

Fern is 758 grams  (1lb. 10.6 ounces) up 75 grams

Holly is 868 grams  (1 lb. 14.5 ounces) up 128 grams

December 8, 2007 -

December 5-7, 2007 - I have been working on putting up our holiday decorations which always offers fun play opportunities for the cats. They can hide in the coils of artificial evergreen roping and pounce on unsuspecting victims. Pumpkin was helping me by picking up pieces that fell off. It was so funny she carried them and placed them into the pile I had started. She does seem more mature (reserved).... I wonder if she has an old soul?

They have all become comfortable with their new freedom and have been very well behaved....no accidents so far. I'm no longer requiring them sleep in the kitten room. They are very happy with the nest in the living room. When I decided to allow them free reign I also decided to put the little training litter pan in the corner under our Christmas tree....just in case.

Things have been jumpin'...

I kept trying to get Holly in a jump but she was too fast for me.

Wednesday's Bi-weekly weigh in......

Pumpkin is 925 grams  (2 lbs. 0.5 ounces) up 32 grams

Rain is 960 grams (2 lbs. 2 ounces) up 50 grams

Fern is 683 grams  (1lb. 8 ounces) up 32 grams

Holly is 740 grams  (1 lb. 10 ounces) up 7.1 grams

December 4, 2007 - The promised portraits. My models were uncooperative they wanted to play not pose.

Our big girl Pumpkin looks to be a chocolate point. Her nose is just too dark for a Lilac, I think. It may be her color is just slower to come in. 

She looks most like her Aunt Keva.

Rain was the most cooperative so he has more photos. This past week his face has been changing to a more mature look with a defined muzzle.

He reminds me of his famous cousin Tymo who went to the Netherlands.

Fern is our petite pixie. She will look most like her grandma Maeve.

Holly also has a finer bone structure with a wider skull then Fern. I think she will look like her momma Finola.

December 1,-3, 2007 -Today I added a movie to the November 13th entry. Click this bookmark link Kitten Song to go to it.

You may have noticed in some photos that Finola is now wearing Keva's collar and vise versa. Keva has been hissing at Finola since the kittens were born. I switched their collars to help Finola smell more like Keva. Keva also will smell Finola's scent on her collar as she wears it. The hope is that Keva will again accept Finola as part of the clan.

On Saturday the kittens had visitors come to play. Fern went out of her way to show then what a big tough kitty she is. She spent most of her time beating up her brother and sisters, lol. In the afternoon we put up our Christmas tree (not decorated) so far they are not showing any interest in climbing it.

December 2 - Six Weeks Old - sorry I missed getting some good face photos for today. I will try to get some this week.

I am now allowing them to run about the house. I make sure they return to the kitten room for bathroom breaks and for meals. They don't seem to care where they take naps. I find them sleeping on the floor right where they ran out of energy, lol. The favored group location is on the heat registers in the floor. They will still spend nights in the kitten room until I am sure they know to return to use the litter box.

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. 

Sunday's Bi-weekly weigh in......

Pumpkin is 893 grams  (1 lb. 15 ounces) up 124 grams

Rain is 911 grams (2 lbs. 0ounces) up 128 grams

Fern is 651 grams  (1lb. 6.9 ounces) up 82 grams

Holly is 733 grams  (1 lb. 9.75 ounces) up 78 grams

December 3 - the new digs...I noticed some of the kittens were napping behind the sofa near the heating register. It didn't look comfortable to me so I tossed a nest behind there for them. I had to laugh when I went looking for them tonight. All four and Finola were trying to get into that single nest. I've added a big family nest behind the sofa that will accommodate them all.

November  29-30, 2007 -  Finola was wanting to show the kittens outside of the kitten room so we have allowed a couple of exploring parties to set forth.

November  26-28, 2007 -  I expanded the run area. The kittens have been very busy exploring and learning. 

Wednesday's Bi-weekly weigh in......

Pumpkin is 768 grams  (1 lb. 11 ounces) up 71 grams

Rain is 783 grams (1 lb. 11.5 ounces) up 71 grams

Fern is 569 grams  (1lb. 4 ounces) up 71 grams

Holly is 655 grams  (1 lb. 7 ounces) up 50 grams

Holly and her "office space".....

Fern and the shoe caper....

Rain.....I'm tube exhausted....

November  25th, 2007 - five weeks old -

Litter box use has been excellent all the kittens are eating dry food well and still nursing some. I have seen Pumpkin, Fern and Rain drinking water from the bowl. Pumpkin has it down but Rain still sneezes with each drink. Fern put her paw on the surface of the water while drinking. Papa Balor and Aunt Keva do this too. I think it helps them see the surface of the water.

Fern is not as wedge headed as the above photo makes her look. Both Fern and Holly are more petite in build then big brother Rain and sister Pumpkin. They must take after Grandma Maeve. She has more refined boning then our other cats.

Bi-weekly weigh in......

Pumpkin is 697 grams  (1 lb. 8.5 ounces) up 135 grams

Rain is 712 grams (1 lb. 9 ounces) up 103 grams

Fern is 498 grams  (1lb. 1.5 ounces) up 43 grams

Holly is 605 grams  (1 lb. 5.25 ounces) up 103 grams

This photo shows Finola's fever coat and demonstrates how sensitive the Siamese points are to the cats body temperature. 

Even thought she has not had a fever for the past month her points are still showing the results. Her mask is intensely flecked with lighter fur. 

November 23rd, 2007-  All the kittens are now eating the baby cat kibble. I stopped the evening snack of  kitten milk replacer to encourage them to eat and drink on their own. We've had very good litter box use from all the kittens. Holly just needs to prove herself when her Thanksgiving meal is processed. They have all turned into toe biters for anyone who is in socks. They are still working on learning gentle mouth use from each other. Fern is the worst toe biter and I think big brother Rain is trying to teach her how it feels because she is the kitten most often yelling a protest to a hard nip from him.

Doin' our best to drive Momma crazy.............................she's startin' to get that crazed look.

November 22nd, pm...Holly decided to have Thanksgiving dinner :)

November 22nd, 2007- Happy Thanksgiving

Pumpkin Rain and Fern all gathered at the food bowl this morning and ate breakfast at the same time. Pumpkin left the first solid deposit in the litter box. The kittens are enjoying running back and fourth and wrestling together. They are also teaching each other not to bite hard. 

You may have noticed the lighter patch between Holly's eyes. This is a normal part of her mask color coming in. She will have a solid seal mask.

November 21st, 2007-

Bi-weekly weigh in......

Pumpkin is 562 grams  (1 lb. 3.75 ounces) up 32 grams

Rain is 608 grams (1 lb. 5.4 ounces) up 43 grams

Fern is 405.7 grams  (1lb. 0 ounces) up 50 grams

Holly is 502 grams  (1 lb. 1.6 ounces) up 35 grams

Fern and Rain eat breakfast...note the feet in the food.

November 20th, 2007- Fern, Rain and Pumpkin ate baby cat kibble tonight.

Pumpkin eats baby cat kibble

Pumpkin and Finola play

November 19th, 2007- We begin weighing two times a week now. The kittens are all running, playing, and learning.

In the center is Fern, left is Rain, right is Holly and bottom is Pumpkin.

Fern helps with school work ..................................Pumpkin climbs to the first level

Mom has something important to say to Holly..................................................................Pumpkin scratching

Rain discovers toys

  Time for a nap....Pumpkin on her back, Fern nursing, Holly on the side and Rain sleeping on the tail end.

November 18th, 2007- Four weeks old -

When I weighed the kittens this after noon Finola was engorged. Maybe I should have waited to weigh until after the midday meal? Looks like Fern needed to eat.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 530 grams  (1 lb. 2.6 ounces) up 32 grams

Rain is 566 grams (1 lb. 3.9 ounces) up 25 grams

Fern is 405.7 grams  (14.25 ounces) up 0 grams

Holly is 466 grams  (1 lb. .38 ounces) up 21.4 grams

November 17th, 2007- 

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 498 grams  (1 lb. 1.5 ounces) up 7.1 grams

Rain is 541 grams (1 lb. 3 ounces) up 32 grams

Fern is 405.7 grams  (14.25 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Holly is 445 grams  (15.6 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Fern & Pumpkin chatting, Rain on right the side

Holly eating....Fern coming back for more after a couple of big burps....and Rain nicely waiting for his turn......Nobody wanted my bowl of milk and kibble.

Holly was the first kitten to play with a ball. She was so cute. She kept picking it up in her mouth and romping with it. I took lots of photos but on caught one of her with it up in her mouth...but what a great one it is, she lives up to her nick name of....

Holly Bear!

November 16th, 2007- 

Not to be out done by his litter sister, Rain proudly showed me he knew how to use the litter box this morning.  When I turned back from congratulating Rain I found Pumpkin up on the first level of the tree I missed getting a photo. Holly bear was also doing her favorite activity climbing up on the cat tree.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 491 grams  (1 lb. 1.25 ounces) up 25 grams

Rain is 509 grams (1 lb. 1.8 ounces) up 17.8 grams

Fern is 395 grams  (13.9 ounces) up 32 grams

Holly is 434 grams  (15.25 ounces) up 21.4 grams

Finola likes to play as much as the kittens do

I'm cleaning my toes, lick lick chew chew................Hey don't watch me chewin' my nails.............................nibble nibble.........................................................

This is Pumpkin. She fell asleep on my lap. You can see from her position that her head just became too heavy and it plopped down on her face.

I noticed today when I had both Pumpkin and Fern on my lap that their ear color is starting to differ.

Fern's ears are becoming a little darker. Chocolates are slow to develop their color compared to Seals and Blues.

Could Pumpkin be a Lilac?...or is Fern morphing away from chocolate?....time will tell as their color continues to come in.

November 15th, 2007- 

Today I re-arranged the run. I removed the birthing box and put the nesting bed next to the cat tree. Now everyone is happy to curl up and sleep in this bed. With the box gone there is more room to run and play. I also have the small pet tent and a whicker pet house and a couple more beds, The training litter box and an adult litter box. I have found a new clay litter that I think is superior to the supermarket clay litter I was using. Soft Paw Clay litter. The thing that makes this better litter for kittens is that it does not stick to their lips. With other clay litters the light colored clay granules would stick to any wet areas (nose, lips, tongue) and the kitten would lick to get it off and more would stick. The end result was they would eat the litter and I would have to help brush it off their lips. With my last litter I was running low so my husband stopped at a supermarket and picked up a couple bags of Soft Paw. I noticed the difference but wasn't sure if it was because the kittens were older. Now I am sure, with this litter we have not had any litter eating or being stuck on the kittens at all. Soft Paw All Natural Cat Litter is made by the Bennett Mineral Co. It is packaged in a bright yellow bag with red lettering. We found it at the Hannaford Supermarket. Fern was the first kitten to leave her wet mark in the litter box tonight. Way to go Fern! I have also allowed the temperature of the room to decrease to 75 degrees or the normal room temp. This room has a large window that faces south on sunny days it can warm to 80. all four kittens had KMR again tonight. Three ate very well and Pumpkin had just two droppers full. Tomorrow night I will make a bowl of KMR and add some baby cat kibble to it and see if we can get some of the kittens to eat it. After the initial licks of kibble none of the kittens have eaten it again.

I was thinking of a holly berry when I chose Holly's moniker but she has earned herself the nick name of Holly Bear. 

She loves to climb the cat tree. So far she is the only kitten to climb or scratch the cat tree. 

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 466 grams  (1 lb. .38 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Rain is 491 grams (1 lb. 1.25 ounces) up 32 grams

Fern is 363 grams  (12.75 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Holly is 413 grams  (14.5 ounces) up 10.7 grams

November 14th, 2007- 

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 455.5 grams  (1 lb. 0 ounces) up 28.4 grams

Rain is 459 grams (1 lb. .1 ounces) up 14.2 grams

Fern is 352 grams  (12.4 ounces) up 17.8 grams

Holly is 402 grams  (14 ounces) up 14.2 grams

I had a busy mom day running kids to appointments and classes. During a one hour break we stopped home to visit the kittens and they were all AWOL. We found them under my bed. We leave the run in a position that allows Finny to jump out of the run so she can come and go when the kittens are sleeping. Usually I'm in the room and open the door for her. When I'm not here she can leave the run but not the room. I'm still scratching my head as to how Finola opened the French door. To move the kittens she had to jump out of the run while holding each kitten. Tonight when I was feeding Fern, Rain and Pumpkin were climbing on me wanting to get to the KMR milk. I had made a double batch so I gave them both some. I had to mix up another batch after Finola finished off the leftovers because Holly decided she wanted some too. So everybody had a bedtime treat. Now, Finny is asleep with the kittens under the cat tree. I guess they have graduated out of the birthing box and mom agrees.

November 13th, 2007- 

Make sure your volume is up!

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. 

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 427 grams  (15 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Rain is 444.8 grams (15.6 ounces) up 32 grams

Fern is 334.5 grams  (11.75 ounces) up 14.2 grams

Holly is 388 grams  (13.6 ounces) up 17.8 grams

Fern and Rain have been into the training litter pans numerous times to scratch and squat....no deposits yet. During one visit both Fern and Rain squatted with their tail tucked up under the rears. After they left the box I petted them only to discover both of them had wet tails...so they know what they are doing they just need to get it all coordinated properly. :)

So far Holly is the only kitten that has learned how good it feels to scratch the scratching posts.

November 12th, 2007 - 

This morning I was taking "cherry" in to see Dr. Schaefer. Learn more on the Spring 2007 Diary  The kittens with Finola went on the road trip with us. Dr. Schaefer listened to each kitten's heart. She said they all sound good and healthy.

Finola has taken to sitting outside the front of the box when the kittens are awake and wrestling with each other. All the kittens with the exception of Holly were out walking about and Finola was in the box meowing for them. Holly was spurting across the box all around Finola driving her crazy, lol. It reminded me of when my children were little and driving me crazy with all their energy. As the kittens returned to the box Pumpkin was the last to come in. So far she has shown herself to be a cautious refined lady. I burst out laughing at her when she walked up to Finola and started batting her in the face with both paws. She fell over backwards doing it and then started running about the box and smacking everyone. It was great to see some of her spiritedness coming out.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 416 grams  (14.6 ounces) up 17.8 grams

Rain is 413 grams (14.5ounces) up 21 grams

Fern is 320 grams  (11.25 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Holly is 370 grams  (13 ounces) up 0 grams

November 11th, 2007 - Three week's old - 

From 3 to 7 weeks is when kittens begin to learn from their environment and about the world around them. This is a very important time in their social development. Being hurt or frightened by a person can imprint a fear of people that will stay with them their whole lives. 

We have brought in the kitten run and have it set up so the kittens can explore and play in a limited safe area. The kittens will stay in this until they are weaned and litter box trained. This is usually completed by 6 weeks of age.

 Holly had a few lil' bits of food this morning when she took her morning walk. I also saw her chewing on her toes but couldn't get the camera fast enough to catch her at it. 

The kittens are teething now and are starting to get in their baby teeth. Their incisors (2-3wks) are in and they will working on their canines (3-4wks) then their premolars (3-6wks). Their baby teeth will be replaced by permanent adult teeth by 7 months of age.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 398.6 grams  (14 ounces) up 14.3 grams

Rain is 391.5 grams (13.75ounces) up 7.1 grams

Fern is 309.6 grams  (10.9 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Holly is 370 grams  (13 ounces) up 28.5 grams

November 10th, 2007 -

Holly - "Momma, lets play mushy face"

Momma - "It's my turn"

Holly - "Whoa-oh-oh"

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 384.3 grams  (13.5 ounces) up 17.8 grams

Rain is 384.3 grams (13.5ounces) up 25 grams

Fern is 299 grams  (10.5 ounces) up 21.4 grams

Holly is 341.6 grams  (12 ounces) up 10.6 grams

The kittens have decided they are ready to explore. 

They drove Finola crazy tonight right after these photos were taken. I could tell she thought she was losing control over them.

Rain liked the smell of the food in the big bowl so I put some out for him and he ate a few bits of it. 

Then he checked out the water and sneezed it out of his nose. The went back for a taste.

November 9th, 2007 - The kittens are walking around in the box quite a bit now. A couple of them are showing a curiosity for what is beyond the safety of the box edge.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 366.5 grams  (12.9 ounces) up 17.8 grams

Rain is 359.4 grams (12.6ounces) up 10.7 grams

Fern is 277.5 grams  (9.75 ounces) up 25 grams

Holly is 331 grams  (11.6 ounces) up 17.8 grams

November 8th, 2007 - Finola doesn't wait anymore for me to feed Fern. As soon as she sees the saucer she starts drinking her milk. Fern only wanted one dropper of milk this morning. She did have about 5 last night. I've been trying to get some photos that show the kittens eyes. I'm not doing very well at it but it did get a couple of head shots to share. We can now see  the pupil and deep blue eye color. It will be another week or so before they will be able to recognize their mom by sight.

Can you tell who is who?  see the answer

Note in this photo that Finola's mask is showing flecks of lighter fur. This is because of the fever she had when she was sick. Fevers make a cats head warmer and Siamese points are temperature sensitive.

Note the whiskers :) They are not chewed off. Fans of Maeve and Keva know they are whisker nibblers. So far Finola is not nibbling.

This is Rain. You can see that his nose leather is a lighter bluish gray compared to Holly's black nose.

This one show's holly's eye color better. At this stage the kittens can't really focus so sometimes they will look wall-eyed in photos.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 348.8 grams  (12.25 ounces) up 14.2 grams

Rain is 348.8 grams (12.25ounces) up 21.4 grams

Fern is 252.7 grams  (8.9 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Holly is 313 grams  (11 ounces) up 14.2 grams

November 7th, 2007 - This morning was a repeat of yesterday morning for fern. She did eat well for my husband last night. She is gaining weight nicely and seems more content now with her full belly.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 334.5 grams  (11.75 ounces) up 14.2 grams

Rain is 327 grams (11.5ounces) up 21.4 grams

Fern is 242 grams  (8.5 ounces) up 21.4 grams

Holly is 299 grams  (10.5 ounces) up 10.7 grams

November 6th, 2007 -  This morning Fern was not as hungry for my KMR. She drank just a couple of droppers. Finola was happy to get the full saucer of milk.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 320 grams  (11.3 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Rain is 306 grams (10.8 ounces) up 17.8 grams

Fern is 220.6 grams  (7.75 ounces) up 17.8 grams

Holly is 288 grams  (10.1 ounces) up 14.2 grams

Holly spent some time staring at me this afternoon. I think their vision is starting to come into focus. I caught Rain staring at me tonight. I think they are studying my face. It's so cute to see them react to my voice. They all get so excited and call out and scramble to the front of the box. I want to try to get a movie of it. Unfortunately when Finola hears their cries she runs to shield them.  I need her to stay out of the way so you can see them in a movie clip.

November 5th, 2007- I mixed up some kitten milk replacer for Fern last night. She sucked it down very hungrily. I was a little worried she was eating too much. Her tummy was so big. After she was full I held her in my hands and rubbed her back so she would burp. I held her near my face and talked to her and she stared very intently at me while she released a few bubbles then got the hick-ups. It was one of those moments that makes all the breeding troubles worth it. It seemed to me her little brain was making the connection that people were good and important to her. At least I like to think that. She may have been thinking " oh I am so full if I don't get this bubble out I going to spit it all up or burst" lol  Finola finished all the KMR that was left over. 

This morning Fern was again very hungry. I think she was really starving. She drank down 6 droppers full before she decided she was full. Finny again wanted to drink the left over milk. She started drinking before Fern was done. I wonder if she really wanted it or if she wanted me not to feed her baby. She is protective of the babies. I now need her to leave the room before I can weigh them. When they meow Finny gets upset and thinks they are in trouble. I have allowed Magi and Emma to come in the room. Magi is very good and sits quietly on the rug or chair. I think Finola likes her company. I also allowed  Keva to come in and see the babies. She stuck her head in the opening of the box and growled and hissed. Poor Finola, I think she knows I help her protect the kittens but now when she leaves the box she  tries to scratch the nest upside down to cover the kittens and keep them hidden.  

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 309.6 grams  (10.9 ounces) up 25 grams

Rain is 288 grams (10.1 ounces) up 3.5 grams

Fern is 202.8 grams  (7.1. ounces) up 21 grams

Holly is 274 grams  (9.6 ounces) up 10.6 grams

November 4th, 2007- Two weeks old -  In the photo below left to right is Rain, Pumpkin, Fern, and Holly.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 285 grams  (10 ounces) up 21.4 grams

Rain is 285 grams (10 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Fern is 181.5 grams  (6.4 ounces) up 3.5 grams

Holly is 263.4 grams  (9.25 ounces) up 10.7 grams

The kittens should double their birth weight at two weeks of age. With today's weight we can see; 

Pumpkin 99.645 grams at birth x 2 = 199.29. Today's weight 284.7 - 199.29 = 85.41 Pumpkin is 85.41 grams over her goal weight.

Rain 124.556 grams at birth x 2 = 249.112. Today's weight 284.7 - 249.112 = 35.588 Rain is 35.588 grams over his goal weight.

Fern 92.528 grams at birth x 2 = 185.065. Today's weight 181.496 - 185.065 = -3.569 Fern is 3.569 grams short of her goal weight. Yesterdays no gain kept her from meeting her goal. I'm concerned that she is not gaining as she should and have decided to offer her supplements if she wants them. It may be that genetically she is meant to be a finer boned petite cat like her grandmother.  I just want to be sure she is getting adequate nutrition so she can be what her genes intend her to be. 

Holly 99.645 grams at birth x 2 = 199.29. Today's weight 263.348 - 199.29 = 64.058 Holly is 64.058 grams over her goal weight.

November 3rd, 2007- I no longer need the colors to tell the kittens apart. Each has its own distinct look. The obvious difference in nose color is a big hint and Fern's coat is a tad bit fluffier then Pumpkin's. Fern has just a little bit more under fur. It's what makes her look a little bit lighter too. Less skin is showing through the fur.

Afternoon weigh in......  

Pumpkin is 263 grams  (8.75 ounces) up 14.3 grams

Rain is 274 grams (9.6 ounces) up 0 grams

Fern is 178 grams  (6.25 ounces) up 0 grams

Holly is 253 grams  (8.9 ounces) up 3.5 grams

November 2nd, 2007- 

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 249 grams  (8.75 ounces) up 17.8 grams

Rain is 274 grams (9.6 ounces) up 14.3 grams

Fern is 178 grams  (6.25 ounces) up 3.5 grams

Holly is 249 grams  (8.75 ounces) up 28.5 grams

Rain left, Fern top center, Holly bottom center, & Pumpkin right.

Holly and Rain

Fern standing

Left to right - Pumpkin, Holly, Fern and Rain.

November 1st, 2007- You may have noticed I've been using he and she quite liberally in my descriptions. I am pretty confident that I know sex and color. I think we have one boy, Rain who looks to be a blue point and three girls, Holly the seal and Fern and Pumpkin who are chocolates.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 231 grams  (8.13 ounces) up 14.3 grams

Rain is 260 grams (9.13 ounces) up 14.3 grams

Fern is 174.4 grams  (6.13 ounces) up 3.5 grams

Holly is 220.6 grams  (7.75 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Fern has had some weak gains the last two weigh-ins. I will be watching the next few days to see how she is doing. The goal is for a kitten to double it's weight at two weeks. She is pretty close to the 6.5 she needs to be on Sunday so I'm not really worried. The other kittens have already doubled their weights.

October 31st, 2007 - We are having some lovely boring days of healthy growth and development.

A gaggle of Ghosties for Halloween

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 217 grams  (7.63 ounces) up 14.3 grams

Rain is 245.5 grams (8.6 ounces) up 7.1 grams

Fern is 170.8 grams  (6 ounces) up 3.5 grams

Holly is 210 grams  (7.4 ounces) up 14.3 grams

October 30th, 2007 - Today is nail clipping day for the kittens. Finola's shaved belly needs to be protected for their little needle claws. They are beginning to work on strengthening their legs and necks. When they walk in the box they do the shimmy shake. Their muscles quaking under the strain and effort. Finny's incision looks really good and has closed. I'm leaving the band-aid off today. I'll be watching closely to see if I still need to protect it from the kittens. It's been off about 5 hours now and it looks good. She is happier and more active. Leaving the room to check the house and say hello to the other girls when the kittens are sleeping.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 202.9 grams  (7.13 ounces) up 14.3 grams

Rain is 238.5 grams (8.4 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Fern is 167.3 grams  (5.88 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Holly is 195.8 grams  (6.88 ounces) up 7.1 grams

October 29th, 2007 - Finola is feeling more comfortable with leaving the box when the kittens are sleeping. I gave her the liquid antibiotic this morning. She did not want to take it but we managed.  Kittens are all doing wonderfully. Now when they hear me they run to the front of the box faces turned up, meowing. I only supplemented 3 times today and the kittens did not want much. I think Finola is up to the volume they need. If there isn't alot of fussing tomorrow I will allow Finola to handle all the feedings and see how they do with weight gains.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 188.6 grams  (6.63 ounces) up 14.3 grams

Rain is 227.8 grams (8 ounces) up 14.3 grams

Fern is 156.6 grams  (5.5 ounces) up 17.7 grams

Holly is 188.6 grams  (6.63 ounces) up 14.3 grams

October 28th, 2007 - One week old  

Lots of sleeping and nursing going on. 

In the photo below, left, bottom of the pile is Holly, on top of her under Finola's paw is Pumpkin, in the center trying very hard to get in too is Fern and on the right, trying to push Holly's head down with his paw, is Rain. Fern made up for her weight loss yesterday by being the weigh gain leader today.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 174.4 grams  (6.13 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Rain is 213.5 grams (7.5 ounces) up 14.3 grams

Fern is 138.8 grams  (4.9 ounces) up 24.9 grams

Holly is 174.4 grams  (6.13 ounces) up 15.5 grams

We have some nice nose leather color coming in....looks like two in the chocolate family and two in the seal family. I'm reserving judgment on if any are dilutes.

October 27th, 2007 - Animal Country Animal hospital called to check in on Finola. Dr. Schaefer received the full results of the culture sensitivities and we have everything covered. The one bacteria needed a more frequent dose then the other and on Monday we can cut back to dosing  twice a day. Dr. Schaefer has been wonderful through this. She looked up medications to be sure they would cover the bacterias and be okay for the kittens if a little went into the milk. The kittens are thriving and healthy. Finola is eating and drinking well. I'm going to wait until Monday to go to the oral antibiotic just to make sure her milk production is good and her stomach has recovered from not eating. Below the white tape on the sides of the band-aid is to help keep in stuck on. The band-aid says it has super adhesive to stay on longer but it doesn't stay on a fuzzy belly, lol

All the kittens eyes are starting to peep open a little. Pumpkin is talking quite a bit...I think most of what she is saying are complaints, lol. She does not want any kitten milk. Only moms milk for her. As you can see from his photo below Rain has lost his cord. It looks like maybe by accident. Its a little irritated but will be fine in a day or two. He is happy to eat whatever whenever and falls asleep on my husband's chest as he eats. Fern lost a few grams. I'm not surprised. She is a very active kitten and would crawl out of the box if not prevented. I have been watching her and I think when she can't find a nipple or is prevented she gets frustrated and starts yelling and power crawling. She can't see yet and most times it's toward the front of the box. I wonder if she senses the light and crawls to the light? I will make sure she is getting enough supplement to make up for being shut out of Mom's cafe. She fusses when she eats but will suck well once she realizes it is kitten milk. She also falls asleep while eating.  Holly shed her cord today too. She refuses supplementing and only wants moms milk.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 163.7 grams  (5.75 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Rain is 199.3 grams (7 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Fern is 113.8 grams  (4.0 ounces) down 7.1 grams

Holly is 158.9 grams  (5.58 ounces) up 5.8 grams

October 26, 2007 - We allowed the kittens to go the night with no supplemental feedings. My husband got up and fed them at 5 am. Pumpkin shed her cord today and her eyes are a tiny bit more open. The weights look great for today so we will continue with no supplemental night feeding and reduce the daytime supplements.

I spoke with Dr. Schafer this morning and the lab identified one of the bacteria and the sensitivity was good for the antibiotic we are using. They are still working on identifying the other. She called in an oral version of the antibiotic for Finola. When I feed the kittens I have started allowing Finny to lap a few droppers full too. Then I gave her a dose of antibiotic mixed in with KMR. She drank it very nicely for me. I went and washed up and came back with the droppers and found her out of the box throwing up. I think the antibiotic was too strong for her poor tummy. We are going back to the sub-q antibiotic and giving her tummy some time to adjust to eating again. She knows when I have the syringe and tries to keep my hand away from her scruff but with Toms help we get it done without too much fuss and disruption. Her incision is looking much better. No longer seeping the white yellow yuck. It's pink and red and where it is open I can see the healing filling it in. I try to use the bandage to hold it as closely together as possible. I switched to a extra large band-aid and tape to allow the incision to breathe better.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 153 grams  (5.38 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Rain is 188.6 grams (6.63 ounces) up 21.4 grams

Fern is 121 grams  (4.25 ounces) up 17.8 grams

Holly is 153 grams  (5.38 ounces) up 14.2 grams

____________________________________

For the 23rd through the 25th I tried to type a little when I could or to keep myself awake :). I'm sorry if it sounds disjointed or odd, lol. You will want to scroll down to the 23rd and read up to today.

We have not heard back on the culture and sensitivities yet but I wanted to let everyone know that I think we have turned the corner and are heading back to normal. 

October 25, 2007 - Tom took first shift tonight. I went to bed until midnight then came in to give Finola her injection. I had a terrible time with the needle. I couldn't get it to go through her skin. Poor girl, I tried three times and on the the third try the needle bent. This is the third needle I've had trouble with. I decided to switch out the needles I just got for some smaller ones I have left over from Maeve's Murphy litter. Antibiotic delivered I went back to bed. Tom was supposed to wake me at 2 am so he could get some sleep before work. He let me sleep until 5 am. He then slept until 8am and headed off to work. I'm getting really worried about Finny not eating. She is getting fluids sub-q so I'm not as concerned with her not drinking. I called into Dr. Schaefer to see if I should force feed her the Nutri-Cal. Yesterday I put the Nutri-Cal into a large 12cc syringe (no needle) to help get it into her mouth. It has the consistency of caramel ice cream topping. Very sticky and just runny enough to drip. Syringe delivery didn't help but it did show me how much she was actually getting and what a large amount one tablespoon is (15cc's). We could only get her to take about 3 cc's all day. Unfortunately when Nutri-Cal is not licked off the fur it hardens and sticks like glue. Dr. Schaefer is concerned too and wants me to get her eating before her body goes into starvation mode and her organs start shutting down. We wont let her get there. She will be hospitalized and tube fed if necessary. We also discussed the use of an appetite stimulant. I have some tablets from the Murphy litter when I had to use them with Maeve.

I took Finola into our small half bath and wrapped her in a towel, cocoon like. I was able to get her to swallow the half tablet and tried to feed her the Nutri-Cal. It was not pretty. I ended up using my finger to put glops on her upper lip so she would lick it off. She ate a third of a tablespoon. That seemed right for one meal. After we both did some self cleaning for the stickies we returned to the kittens. I got everyone fed and began Finny's hot compress soaks on her incision and behind. I also spent much of the day grooming her with a wet terry cloth wrapped on my finger. All the places she can't reach with her tongue needed the Nutri-Cal dissolved from her fur. Under her chin the fur was like a hedgehog. She was so cute, she closed her eyes and looked like she was enjoying a spa treatment as I stroked under her chin and along the side of her face.

The kittens all have round little bellies after they eat. Rain has made up for his past 0 gain days.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 142 grams  (5.0 ounces) up 28.5 grams

Rain is 167.3 grams (5.9 ounces) up 50 grams

Fern is 103.2 grams  (3.6 ounces) up 17.8 grams

Holly is 139 grams  (4.8 ounces) up 17.8 grams

Above: You can see Pumpkin's eyes are just starting to open a tiny bit.

You can see a little color in Rain's nose leather and ear tips.

Fern's face is a bit messy. She just finished eating and has a milk mustache and beard.

Holly's nose leather and foot pads are already showing dark color. She is going to be a seal point.

The kittens are nursing and resting well. They seem more satisfied to nurse and not need extra milk.

Finola started eating this afternoon. She has had three small meals. She is starting to show her displeasure when I stick her and when I remove the bandage barrier to do the warm compress and change the bandage. I had a difficult time giving her the antibiotic tonight. I'm not going to even try the sub-q fluids. I'll have to see about getting some oral medication to finish the rest of her doses.

Pumpkin shed her cord tonight.

October 24, 2007 

Finola: There is a visible difference in Finola this morning. Her eyes look more normal. Her temp is now 103.5. After her morning fluids and antibiotic she looks even better. She still does not leave the box and will not eat or drink. She spends all her time sleeping and caring for the kittens. She uses both her front paws to reach out and pull each kitten to her so she can stimulate elimination and clean their bottoms. She is very loving to them despite how bad she feels.

These two photos show how we have Finola's care area setup. The poster foam board door is usually closing off the front two thirds of the way. We hang the towel over to keep Fern from crawling out. Finola can then come and go through the towel. This was taken just after I gave her the sub-q fluids. The bag hanging on the white hanger goes back into the black plastic bag to protect the b vitamins from light. We are using bottled water to mix the kitten milk. This way when the kittens start fussing for food we can watch over them and the abdominal bandage while mixing the milk. Once everyone is full and sleeping we go to the kitchen and wash everything. Each kitten has its own color coordinated eyedropper to eat from, just to be as safe as possible. If one were to become infected we won't be cross contaminating the other kittens. The canister on the left by the litter box is oxygen. Not seen here is the big stack of towels and wash cloths,  Bedding gets changed out frequently, with all the drainage, soaking compresses and drippy feedings we wash several loads a day.

The Kittens: The kittens are all doing well and eating well. There are times when I worry about their color. The maddening thing about these little ones...and I mean maddening as in drive me crazy, lol...is that they are starting to show their point color a bit and it makes their healthy pinkness look dark. Fern has a way of eating that makes her gums turn dark. She must be holding her breath the hole time she eats. When in doubt I've given them little whiffs of oxygen. Oxygen removes toxins from the blood and helps strengthen the immune system. Fern is very mobile and when awake is always crawling to the front of the box and out if she can. She never crawls to Finola to nurse. This was worrying to me because a sick kitten will stop eating and crawl away from the others. Fern will eat well when hand fed ...when she wants to...and she is very vocal. She is a scrappy little kit. Once she gains a bit and is stronger it will be interesting to watch her personality develop. Rain is one of the best eaters so I am surprised that he didn't gain any weight today. We will pay special attention to him to be sure he is eating enough. Rain and Holly get into royal battles with each other over nipples. They have done some of the fiercest paw flailing I have seen in babies. They both seem to think the other is responsible when they can't find or get knocked off a nipple. It will be interesting to see if they develop dominant personalities or if they were just really really hungry. There is less yelling and scratching since we began supplementing. It could be that each kitten is settling in and learning which nipple is theirs. Pumpkin seems to be a middle child. She burrows under and finds a place to nurse and isn't bothered when knocked off she just heads back into the pack.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 113.9 grams  (4.0 ounces) up 21 grams

Rain is 117.44 grams (4.13 ounces) up 0 grams

Fern is 85.4 grams  (3 ounces) up 10.7 grams

Holly is 121 grams  (4.25 ounces) up 17.8 grams

October 23, pm - As we first began supplementing the kittens with KMR (kitten formula) the kittens needed to eat every hour. They also continued to suckle. The thoughts behind supplementing are multiple. First and foremost is to keep their weight up and keep them thriving. A full kitten will not demand as much from it's mother. This helps to reduce the chance of loss from septicemia. If we cannot get ahead of the bacteria it will eventually pass to the kittens through infected milk. I am watching the kittens closely for any sign of infection. A septic kitten will stop eating and it's mucous membranes will darken (blue purple) from a lack of oxygen in the blood. We are prepared to remove the kittens from their mother if it's necessary to save them. Reducing their demand on Finola also helps her to conserve calories. She has not eaten or had anything to drink since 5:00pm Sunday night (2 days). You might ask, "Why allow them to nurse at all?" Mainly because it is better for them and us. We caught this infection really early. Less then 48 hours after surgery. With antibiotics we can keep the infection from spreading to her milk. Once we are able to eliminate the infection and get Finola eating again the kittens can be weaned off the KMR as Finola's milk volume increases to meet the kittens demands. You will also notice in photos that I have created a barrier between the kittens and Finola's incision. If the kittens come into contact with the infected drainage they too will become infected. With no immune system developed yet this would be devastating. I'm using sterile non stick absorbent first aid pads and waterproof medical tape. Keeping this adhered to Finny's belly is a challenge especially with the kittens scratching at it in search of nipples.

With each feeding some kittens eat eagerly while others fuss. It seems to be a cycle. The kitten who ate well last time is the fussy one for the next feeding. The amount they take in and how long they sleep until needing to be fed again is increasing a little with each feeding. By morning we are feeding at hour and a half intervals.

October 23, 2007 - DAY TWO

 This morning I took Finola's  temperature twice (different thermometers) and she is at 104.7 f on the 60 second digital and 105.1 f on the digital I use for us. These are both new thermometers for me. In the past I used a glass mercury thermometer that took forever to get a reading. The hospital instructions were to monitor and report a temp over 103 f. I also noted that the incision between her two back mammary glands is leaking a white fluid. I was thinking this was milk. The kittens are not nursing on these nipples and the glands are engorged. The fluid smells bad but is very thin like milk. I spoke to the Dr. at Tufts and with my Vets, Dr. Jarbeau at Apple Country Animal Hospital. (Dr. Schaefer was in surgery) The doctor at Tufts felt that having milk sitting on the incision sets up an environment for infection. I have tried many times to get the kittens to suckle on these nipples, to reduce the amount of milk, but have had no takers. It was suggested that I try to express the milk myself. Never having done this I was unable to get any. At the time I was thinking of Ben Stiller as Greg Focker in the movie "Meet the Parents" when he discussed milking cats. I've decided to take Finola and the kits in to see Dr. Schaefer this afternoon. Having been through an infection with Maeve I want to be extra vigilant and avoid an infection if possible. 

I gave her another 100cc lactated ringers this morning. Dr. Jarbeau thought it was a good idea to continue with it. This is a procedure that causes no discomfort. A needle is inserted in the scruff so it goes just under the skin. The scruff has very few nerve endings so they really don't feel it. The fluid is absorbed from there.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 92.53 grams  (3.25 ounces) up 0 grams

Rain is 117.44 grams (4.13 ounces) up 0 grams

Fern is 74.73 grams  (2.6 ounces) down 10.7 grams

Holly is 103.2 grams  (3.63 ounces) up 3.5 grams

I'm sorry but I am going to stop the kitten diary here for the next 48 to 72 hours.

Finola is very, very sick. She has three types of bacteria draining from her. Both gram negative and gram positive. The biggest concern is for how fast this happened and that she had been to a "big institution" hospital. Big institutions have strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Dr Schafer is doing a culture sensitivity test on them. This takes 48 hours. Right now we are giving Finola an injectable antibiotic sub-q every 8 hours. This should cover these bacteria if they are not "super bacteria." We are also giving 75cc's sub-q fluids two times a day and trying to get her to eat Nutri-Cal. One tablespoon has the calories she needs for a whole day. She has not eaten or had anything to drink since her surgery. I have rubbed small bits of Nutri-Cal on her fur to get some into her. The Sub-q fluids have b vitamins added to help her feel better and we have the bag refrigerated to help bring down her temperature. I am taking her temp every 4 hours. She is running above 104 right now. If she goes above 105 we have to get it down asap. Removing the kittens and giving more cold sub-q fluids, rubbing her paws with alcohol and if necessary we will have to give her an ice bath. I really hope we don't have to try that last part. 

I  also have to keep the kittens from coming in contact with her incision or the vaginal drainage.  I have a cloth covering the incision that I hold in place when the kittens are active. Having lost kittens because of a septic mom I am scared to death for these kittens. I am hand feeding them as much KMR as they will take whenever they are fussing for nipples. This is a couple of droppers full about every hour or so. I am especially worried for Fern. She has lost more weight and doesn't have the energy of the other three kittens. I will be getting little to no sleep so this diary is no longer a priority. I hope the next 48 to72 hours will allow me to continue with good news.....posted: Tuesday night 11:30pm

October 22- PM - I can't help worrying about the kittens and the effect not eating any food is having on Finola's milk. The kittens really need to nurse for the colostrum Finola first produces for milk. It provides the kittens with mom's antibodies. I decided to give each kitten a little kitten formula if they wanted it. I use an eye dropper. I've never been successful using a bottle with newborns. Fern, and Rain both sucked down a couple of droppers full. Pumpkin and Holly refused. I did get holly to drink a couple droppers full by putting the dropper next to the empty nipple she was sucking on. 

Finola had not had anything to eat or drink by bedtime so we decided to give her 100cc of lactated ringers sub-q so she has the fluids necessary to produce milk and not become dehydrated.

October 22, 2007 - DAY ONE

Finola has been a very good new mom. She is concerned and caring with her kittens. She is still a little anxious when the kittens fuss and fight for a nipple. Of course they all want the same nipple. I think Finny is worried she is hurting them when they cry. She also does a low protective growl when one is crying and she knows she is not laying on it. Holly has been quite vocal since it's first breath and aggressively pursues "my nipple." Given all Finola has been through in the past 24 hours it is not surprising to see weight loss. We will  hopefully see better looking  numbers tomorrow. 

Finola arrived home from the hospital at 8 am this morning and settled into the birthing box with her kittens. She has spent most of the day resting with them. When they are sleeping she has taken a couple walks to see how everyone is and to verify her house is as it should be. So far she has not had anything to drink or eat. This concerns me but having been through this type of surgery with Maeve, it is not surprising. Finola is not as vacant as Maeve was but she definitely  spaces out. She will begin a walk with purpose and suddenly stop and just stare off into space. Petting or coaxing her makes no difference. She will come to the realization she should be near the kittens and will walk back to the box and check on them. Through her body language I can tell she is sore. When she sits her bottom never touches the ground. Those of us who have had an episiotomy can sympathize with her.

Afternoon weigh in......

Pumpkin is 92.53 grams  (3.25 ounces) down 7.1 grams

Rain is 117.44 grams (4.13 ounces) down 7.1  grams

Fern is 85.41 grams  (3 ounces) down 7.1 grams

Holly is 99.65 grams  (3.5 ounces) up 0 grams

Because I don't want to upset Finola, and cause the kittens to burn any unnecessary calories, I have not bothered them to take individual photos yet. I will get some in the next couple of days as things improve with Finola.

October 21, 2007 - BIRTH DAY  - Putting your cursor on a photo may tell you more about that photo.

The names used represent the color each kitten is marked with for identification. Owners will choose real names. Since Siamese kittens are born all white we use non-toxic permanent colored markers to mark each kitten, on the rear so we don't have to mess with them to see who is who in the nest and the arm pit as a back up in case mom licks the rear identifier off. Kittens are weighed daily to be certain they are getting enough milk from mom. We would rather err on the side of caution and feed them kitten milk replacer then allow them to waste away from a lack of food. A loss of weight on one day is not cause for alarm it is the over all picture that is important.

Okay maybe Rain isn’t the best choice of a blue name but it's better then jet blue or selson blue, lol ;) 

I think rain is a pretty name, especially if you think of a rain when the sun is shining and a rainbow forms. :)

The Stats at birth

#1 1:15 pm  orange –Pumpkin – 99.65 grams (3.5 ounces) born tail first

#2 2:24 pm  blue – Rain – 124.56 grams (4.38 ounces) born head first, difficult and resulted in a small vaginal tear (episiotomy like)

#3 2:28 pm  green – Fern – 92.53 grams (3.25 ounces) born head first

#4 2:55 pm  red – Holly – 99.65 grams (3.5 ounces) born tail first

#5 -117.58 grams (4.13 ounces) delivered by c-section deceased soon after.

This is Finola's first litter and she took the gestation for these kittens to a full 68 days. Gestation can run anywhere from 60 to 67 days (71 for some Siamese). This is the longest gestation we have experienced and the size of the kittens reflects this. The largest kitten we have had to date was Keva (Ruby spring 2006 litter) weighing in at 3.6 ounces. After delivering the fourth kitten Finola's labor stopped despite that she had not delivered Holly's placenta and having one more kitten not yet born. We took Finola and the kittens into Tuft's ER and tried Oxytocin twice. The contractions this medication produced failed to move the kitten along an emergency c-section was performed at 1am. The emergence fee on a Sunday in the middle of the night for a c-section is $2200.00. Cost info provided for those who think small hobby breeders make money.  A more detailed explanation of the birth and emergency surgery is available on this diary's supplemental page.

At least the Red Sox won before the surgery team had to be called in to help Finola.

The student anesthetist didn't mind having to come in , in the middle of the night.

She said she had never seen newborn kittens and seeing our kittens was worth the trip. Yes, we think they are mighty fine too.

I don't like to guess the sex of the kittens right away. If I refer to them as she or he it's out of habit and not an indication of their true sex. I will post what I think they are in a few weeks.

October 15, 2007 - Finola is resting alot now. Calmly waiting....

October 10 - Finola is filling out. We can feel the kittens moving about. She spends most of her time stretched out on her side relaxing. When she is up and about she is usually checking in to say hello and may I have more food. She has had a very good appetite throughout her pregnancy. The middle photo below sure does look uncomfortable. That bump is nearly a right angle. She was looking uneven for a few weeks so I was thinking an uneven number of kittens but she had filled out to be solid and more balanced now.

Finola is expecting kittens in October

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