Day 85, 3 May

Vaccination day (again). This was the booster, which is given three weeks after the initial shots. Vets don't tell you this, but NEVER leave a litter of kittens alone after a vaccination shot. They really need to be watched carefully for the first 24 hours. I've been lucky never to have had a bad reaction -- the most I've seen is doziness (welcome usually!), but I have many many friends who have had anything from pronounced limping to severe diarrhoea and sickness. A couple of friends had a cat go into severe anaphylactic shock following a vaccination booster, and if they had gone out he would have suffocated and died. As it was, it was a close thing. Often we don't know if it's the vaccine causing the problem, but we have seen a link between wormer used before vaccination followed by vaccination: the combination of the two seems to cause the mucous membranes to react. I don't usually worm my kittens until after vaccination anyway, so that may be why I've not had problems with reactions.

Day 86, 4 May

Calamity and Pandora (for Charles, Kate and Freya)

Day 87, 5 May
Guide to kitten behaviour:
19. Never walk when you can run

... and it's quite possible that they're running because they've seen me heading their way with the tube of wormer! Today is the first of 3 days in which they get a single dose of panacur every day. They tend to go off their food a bit during worming, but are otherwise active and well.

Day 88, 6 May
Today was such stunning weather that the kittens were allowed to come down and taste their first grass. The garden is completely enclosed, so they are safe looking around here. There is nothing more beautiful than a kitten drenched in sunlight.

GET THAT CAMERA!!!!

Day 89,7 May
Proud mother.

Day 90, 8 May
The garden is very popular, and it brings out the best in the eye colour and coat. I'm beginning to feel quite maudlin at the thought of them going, particularly Moriarty who is going tomorrow.... Time to fix the insurance.... ugh.

Day 91, 9 May
The last ever Rogue's Gallery <sniff>

Moriarty left this evening....