Day 23
"not more pictures!"

Day 24
There is a movie for today
To escape or not to escape...
On a more serious note, Ellis (the smallest kitten) has not gained any weight over the last 24 hours, though he seems chirpy and well (I have been giving him Nutri-drops to keep his energy up). I think this is a problem with Ellie rather than with the kittens. Their weigh-gain has been very precarious over the last few days, zooming up and down very unreliably. I think the problem is Ellie, who is bored and spending more and more time away from them. She also wants them roaming all over the room, which is not practical for such small babies as they will get themselves into corners and won't be able to find her when they need milk or warmth. So they have a big 'arena' to play in, but I can't persuade Ellie to spend enough time just lying there being a milk bar. I think I just have to sit this one out and try not to worry (ha ha!).

Day 25
There is a movie for today

they have sharp little teeth now, and have started to rush up to me when I go to see them, which is really lovely. Ellis and the girl love to be handled too, but the fat boy (Dudley) arches his back and struggles, getting into a panic. He will take careful handling over the next weeks to try and reassure him that being held is not the terrifying thing he has decided it is.

Three stooges, or three Musketeers?

Day 26
The family say Thank You Very Much to 'auntie' Hannah, who is looking after them while their human mother is away (very reluctantly). As you can see, Auntie Hannah has sussed out the camera!

Day 27
There's nothing quite like Mum to lie on...
Dudley (the bigger boy) is finding being picked up quite an ordeal. He screams, goes rigid and arches his back. There's no reason for this as nothing nasty has happened to him, he has just decided that this is the way it is. It takes very careful persuasion to convince a kitten that he may be wrong when this happens, and as no two kittens are alike and no single strategies is guaranteed to work, I will just have to try and see what happens.

Day 28
There is a movie for today
Weights weren't very good while I was away and I'm not sure why. I have been quite strict with Ellie's diet as she was unhealthily overweight when the kittens were born. She's shed a lot of the fat now, and I suspect the poor weights are an indication that I can relax her diet more. The kittens also have very poor 'colour' - not their points colour, but their gums and pads are too white - they should be very pink. I decided this evening to start them on small doses of iron supplement (from the vet) in case they are anaemic. Here they are in order of birth - Ellis, my little girl (still unnamed) and Dudley (asleep as usual!)