Rameses: Ellie's kittens

This is Ellie my Blue Point Siamese queen, looking big enough to have at least 10 kittens. In fact I was sure we'd have at least eight, but Ellie had other ideas. On Wednesday 29 May 2002 (yesterday as I'm writing this) she produced three very nice big kittens nearly a day and a half early and then sat around looking very smug and VERY fat. Turns out I just have an obese Siamese queen, and my only worry now is whether she's so fat that she'll lie on the kittens and squash them! However so far we're doing fine, and Libby, who is a lot younger and only two and a half weeks pregnant is getting lots of practice in being a surrogate mummy for her fat friend.

Day1: Birth
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Day 2
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All gained 12 grams and all looking good! Libby is as protective as any mum could be, and clearly thinks she had something to do with producing these babies. She was certainly around to do all the cleaning up which Ellie reckoned she didn't need to do, having done the hard bit.

Day 3
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A depressing day, but things are definitely looking up this evening. The smallest kitten showed a weight loss overnight, and no gain over the last 24 hours, and he looks significantly skinnier than his fat friends. He refused hand-feeding point blank, and also wouldn't suckle all morning, though Ellie was being obliging. Some kittens 'fade' and die, but I didn't feel this was happening with this little one - for one thing he screamed blue murder if I picked him up. His heart was ok, going at the right rate and also with no sign of a murmur. He was active, bowels going strong, and also retaining his own body heat away from his mother, all of which he would not have been doing if he had been fading. I gave him Nutri-drops which would give him energy, and Rescue Remedy (a tiny drop) in case he was colicy. In the early afternoon he showed interest in feeding and I held him in place for 20 mins while he had a very long suckle, though he didn't appear to take on any milk. Although I've never had a 'cord infection' that was a possibility so we went down to the vet this afternoon at 5.00. The vet said he could feel a tiny swelling behind the umbilical that could be a cord infection, and also found he did have a temperature (don't ask!) though he agreed that he was not showing signs of fading. He gave him a tiny antibiotic jab and a dose of liquid paraffin (for colic), and when I got him home he flung himself at Ellie and has been stuffing his face for half an hour - he obviously was feeling too colicy to eat, and the paraffin has done the trick on that one. The antibiotic should show results overnight. I'm feeling a lot happier about him now, so here's the picture - he's the little greasy one on the right!

Day 4
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The smallest boy who was not doing so well yesterday is back on track, with the same weight-gain overnight as his brother made in 24 hours. He's a different cat now, feeding all the time. Having lost a day on his big brother and sister he is visibly smaller than them, but his little tummy is fat again, and he's strong and energetic so I have no worries about him (at least for now!). They have been purring for a couple of days (only when feeding) and their eyes are still fast shut, though the inner corners are beginning to unstick. The two bigger ones definitely have grey nose-leather today and all the tails and edges of the ears are turning grey. Looks like Dad doesn't carry chocolate then!

Day 5
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Another really good night - the smallest one gained 20 gms in 24 hours, so he's obviously back on track, and even managing to catch up on his siblings a little bit. This evening there are clear signs that their eyes are coming unstuck a bit, so maybe we'll meet properly for the first time tomorrow - somehow they don't seem quite like real 'people' until they can look around.

Day 6
Their eyes are still unsticking - they're not completely open yet. Weight-gain is still good and they are very contented indeed. At this age they either eat or sleep, so the most excitement I get is when I weigh them!

Day 7
Today I came and found Libby (not their mother) in full 'mother' mode, with Ellie looking on. Libby occasionally tries to steal the kittens to move them somewhere else, but Ellie is pretty laid back about it all. The kittens don't seem to mind having two mummies, and they're always immaculately clean. Here's the first 'rogues gallery' - in order of birth: large male, female, small male