Day 8
Another quiet day - all their eyes are fully open, and they crawl around the nest pretty at quite a lick but there's still not much to see at this stage as they're either eating or sleeping still. One nice thing is that they no longer scream when I pick them up now, so I can cuddle and stroke them even though they don't really respond yet. They seem amazingly big for their age, and I need both hands to pick them up.

Day 9
It's been a bit of an up-and-down day: the smallest one again had a bad night and lost weight instead of gaining overnight, though he still had a gain over the 24-hour period. He's as lively as the others, and just as keen to feed (if anything he's a lot more intelligent than the others as he grabs a teat really easily if I put him near one, whereas the others - like all kittens - seemingly refuse to latch onto the teat you want them to use! However, I suspect the problem was one of my own making: last night was really filthy weather and quite cold, so I put the heat pad on underneath three layers of fleece. They generate a great deal of heat themselves, and I think they just didn't need this. I think the little one just doesn't cope very well with being too hot, so he didn't feed properly during the night. His daytime weight-gain is back to normal, so no heat pad again, and let's hope the overnight gain is also back to normal. They are beginning to be a bit responsive, listening to me when I pick them up and talk to them. It's such a pleasure to have these lovely creatures.

Day 10
There is a movie for today
[for Jane Bolderson - sorry Jane, I cannot reply to you as your e-mail address is bouncing]
Everything still going well: although the smallest one is gaining weight well for his size, his larger siblings are gaining faster, and the gap between them is growing. During the day I wake him up every time I go to visit and he gains weight very well, but during the night he tends not to feed so much.

Day 11
Oh dear! I've really messed up today! The smallest baby did really well in the last 24 hours, gaining 23 gms, a lot more than his siblings managed. However, I went out all day from 8 am to 5 pm, and when I got back I found that Ellie had been jumping about and shut herself in the kitchen. I have no idea how long she had been away from the kittens. Libby has been looking after them, and they had clearly attempted to suckle from her as two of her teats are very swollen and pink, and look quite sore. The kittens were asleep, not crying, and the two boys suckled as soon as Ellie got back to them, but not the girl, though she seems OK. However in those few hours they have all lost 7-9 gms, and I'm so frustrated as this was just when the little one had done so well. I don't think she was away from them all day, but long enough, and she didn't seem unduly stressed, probably because she knew Libby was looking after things. When they got back together Ellie seemed more anxious to wash Libby than the kittens!

<- My clever Libby!

Babies looking surprisingly contented...

Day 12
Within hours of being back together the
kittens had regained any lost weight and
also put on about the same amount they
should have during the day on top of the
loss! They're amazingly resilient, but
they have to be with an owner this stupid!

Day 13
They still just sleep and eat, though they're screaming less when picked up. Mostly they seem to be complain about being woken rather than anything else. They're not that active, but I suspect they're just too well-fed. They're growing like weeds still, and have just crossed the 300 gm mark.

Day 14
There is a movie for today
There's a definite change in them today. Yesterday evening they were showing signs of walking around a bit, but mostly only to get closer to each other. Today they were clearly sitting looking around (not either eating or sleeping), and taking little walks to explore the nest. Unfortunately I have given them a clean bed and kittens just love the taste of fabric softener so they kept sucking bits of fleece, leaving a rather damp bed. Must remember to double-rinse next time.

Day 15
Two weeks old at last, and so big and beautiful. Today for the first time they are playing - the smallest one was looking all innocent and then suddenly gave his big brother a great big bite! The fat girl was also rolling about on her back kicking her legs in the air. Unfortunately this means they are entering the 'time-wasting' phase, which makes it very difficult indeed to get any work done! Their ears suddenly look more grown up too, and less like little floppy bits of velvet. They are gradually moving up the sides of their heads into the proper place. I'll have to be thinking about names soon, though it's not very easy until they have more personality showing through.

Ellie (L) and Libby (R), not very impressed by all this photographic nonsense. So here's this week's rogue's gallery (in order of birth)