The Adventurous and The Meek

Happy One Month old anniversary!!

I can't believe they're already 4wks old, and at the same time, I can't imagine them NOT being here. 

They are moving around a lot now, exploring the whole space under the futon, including the "bed" I put near the front.  It's great when they are in there, because I can just pull the whole bed out from under the futon to play with them and cuddle:)  Usually Fluffy is okay with me doing that, though she's still hormonal so occasionally she will hiss and be in "protective mom" mode.  However, in the last few days, I've been able to pick them up and snuggle for a few minutes, which is helping them get used to being handled (and I get my kitten fix).  This morning when I came in, I was able to get this picture of them:

Yang is definitely more outgoing and a bit more advanced in development.  He's walking pretty well now.  Yin is having a harder time getting her back legs under her and balancing.  I was discussing her development with a TCR coordinator over the weekend during the bowl-a-thon.  She pointed out that Yin could have been a later pregnancy than Yang...even though they were born at the same time.  Cats can have one litter that has multiple fathers, and the mating span can last about a week or more, so it's not uncommon for kittens born of the same litter to vary in development.  I've known that, but because the last 2 litters I've witnessed from birth to weaning were of the same father, I hadn't experienced that scenario before.  I'm really hoping that's what is going on here, and that Yin doesn't have actual issues with her hind legs.  She can move them well, holds her own when playing with Yang, and she's alert and active.  I noticed today that Yang's teeth have come in a bit more than hers as well.  Their baby teeth are so little and cute (she says before they start biting her fingers)!

About a half hour ago, I managed to get another video of them playing.  Sorry for the lighting issues, but I didn't want to shine the bright flash in their faces so I had it on the "low light" setting.  You can still see them having fun:)

You can see in the video than Yin is moving her back legs around quite well.  She just hasn't gotten the hang of standing yet! 

Here's another one of Yang and Fluffy, after a little playing where he likes to "attack" mom's head while she's trying to clean him:

The bowl-a-thon for kitties went really well on Saturday!  Toronto Cat Rescue volunteers and friends collected a lot in donations, all of which goes directly to the cats and kittens:)  It was great to meet some of the other volunteers as well, finally putting some faces to their names. 

And now for a little bit of shameless self-promotion:  If you or anyone you know lives near/in Mississauga, and/or also loves art shows, you should head here on June 3rd.  I have a booth so will be selling prints (some framed, canvas, prints and greet cards) of my art/travel photography, plus there will be many other types of artisans, live music, and strawberries!

Paw in your face!

Wobbly first steps, sitting up wide-eyed, and playing with each other...ohh the life of a 3 week old kitten!

Being without the kitten faces for 3 days, it seems like they grew so much!  I'm glad that Fluffy was tolerant of different people while we were away, even letting her babies be touched and pet a couple times.  Now when I'm hanging out with them, Fluffy wanders around and even plays with her toys when she's not nursing or cuddling her babies.  I can pet them when she is out and about, and I picked up Yin (black one) for a little cuddle yesterday:)

Yang (B&W kitten) is a couple steps ahead of Yin with walking and balance.  He's taken a few first steps, putting more weight on his back feet.  I'm a bit concerned that Yin isn't walking the same yet, but hoping that she's just a bit slow.  She can sit up on her front legs, and can move her back legs and tail properly.  She's starting to put her back legs underneath her to hold more of her weight, she just hasn't gotten the hang of moving them correctly.  I asked a TCR coordinator about them, as even though I've studied about and observed kitten development, it helps to have another experienced person's input.  She agrees with the theory that some develop slower than others, and to watch how they move in the next week or so before worrying too much.  It's been a few years since I've been with kittens throughout the whole process, from birth to weaning, so I'm relearning as I go along.

I FINALLY recorded a little video yesterday of them playing!  Over the next week I'll try some more, but this is a good start:

Aren't Yang's giant front paws the cutest thing ever??  It looks like he's wearing oven mitts!

They are starting to venture out of the corner a little bit, and as their movement ability increases, it will be easier to scoop them up for loves and take better quality photos and video:)  Ultimate cuteness phase has begun!

After playtime is over, it's sleepy cuddle time:

As soon as I have some more video and photos, I'll post them!  So stay tuned...and thanks again for reading and sharing my blog:)

Absence makes the heart grow...

I feel like a new mom leaving her baby with someone else for the first time.  We've gone away for the long weekend...3 whole days without Fluffy and kittens!  Of course I'll miss Spice and Stitches as well, but I've been away from them before while on vacations and I know that they adjust well to our absence. 

Friday evening before we left I made the rounds and said bye to all the animals.  Stitches was talkative, as usual, and simply wanted more love.  Spice was needy, as usual, and wanted to go for a car ride.  Fluffy was...well, a little indifferent but I could see that she knew what was going on.  Yin and Yang were impossibly adorable and I ended up staying in there watching them for almost 20 mins!

During the last few days, their sight has improved, and I can see their ears starting to move around as they focus on various sounds.   They are much more mobile, though still staying in the corner "nest".  Ultimate cuteness phase is soon to begin...I tried to take a video on my phone of Yang.  It's a bit dark but showcases their latest ability which is to look very cute rolling around on their backs, belly and feet in the air, looking around and "grooming" themselves.

They can lift themselves up from their front feet, raise their heads and look around.  They're also starting to play and wrestle with each other.  Here's another sleepy kitty pic:

You can see that Yin's colours are starting to become defined, showing a grey belly and some tabby stripes.  They are definitely outgoing, exploring more and responding to sounds, and looking up at me when I talk to them:)  Starting next week I'm hoping to take some better pictures, as they explore and emerge out from the corner.  It's hard to capture ideal pictures from above all the time, and there aren't any other angles from where they are currently situated.  Plus when they start walking around, I can get some action shots!  Below is another one where you can see Yin's markings developing on her face and body.

Anyways, well I've been away from them for a whole day so far, and miss all my creatures!  I'll have to rely on my photos to get me through the next two days without so much cuteness in my life...but I'll be back in time for their 3 week anniversary of being alive:)

What a world when you're 2 weeks old!

Saturday morning, staring down at wrestling kittens, when one of them looks up at me...with tiny little open eyes!  Obviously they can't focus on anything yet, but somehow they are even more adorable:)  Right now, their world view consists of a wall, some binders, a cardboard box, and a giant looming over them who grins constantly and speaks softly.  What a world, indeed!  I don't have an "eyes open" picture yet, but I'm working on it.  Here's one from Mother's Day, she's giving Yin a hug!

I did try to convince Fluffy to nurse them in a more ideal location, but she chose that corner and once I put a towel down there it's been fine.  I'm sure that she decided to remain there as she knew it would be more difficult for me to reach them.  Again, being a protective mom, which I can't complain about.

I have to say that Yin and Yang are progressing at the top of their development class.  They're 2 weeks old today, and they are starting to groom themselves, which is, again, adorable!  Tiny pink tongues!!  Their strength is increasing every day...they can raise their heads and upper body without being too wobbly.  I can see their ears move around a bit, they can hear and are beginning to respond to sounds.  I make sure I talk to them a lot, and often watch shows or listen to music in here during the day or evening so that they get used to a variety of sounds.

I found some interesting facts about eye-opening in cats, from Cambridge University Press, by a professor of animal behaviour.  I knew about the dark vs. light rearing but the rest is very interesting!  If you read further into the article, it really sucks that so many of these discoveries in animal behaviour were discovered due to experimentation:(  But that's a whole other topic....

"The variety of factors influencing the course of development is well illustrated by the age at which kittens open their eyes. Under normal rearing conditions, the time of eye-opening varies considerably between individuals, ranging between two and 16 days after birth. A considerable amount of this variation was explained by four factors: the father's identity (paternity), exposure to light, the kitten's sex and the age of the mother. Dark-reared kittens opened their eyes earlier than normally-reared kittens; kittens of young mothers opened their eyes earlier than those of older mothers; and female kittens opened their eyes earlier than males. The number of siblings (litter size) and kittens' growth rate were not related to the time of eye-opening. Of all the factors influencing eye-opening, the one which explained most variance was paternity, indicating a strong genetic effect."

http://www.fathom.com/course/21701782/session2.html


She still really won't let me handle the kittens, but is definitely relaxed with my presence in the room now.  I can look down at them and talk as much as I want, but almost as soon as my hand goes anywhere near them, she's right there.  If I push it, she'll swat at me...so I don't.  She needs to stay relaxed.  Also, I think my presence and speaking to the babies will still have a positive effect on their development.  Once they are a bit more independent and mobile, I can scoop them up for cuddles, and get them used to being handled:)

I'm wondering, when they are about 5-6 weeks old, about having friends over who have kids.  That way they are socialized with people of all ages.  Ideal socialization in kittens and puppies is between  approx. 8-12 weeks old, but I'm not sure if I'll still have them when they are 8 wks (sad face!).  That time frame is considered the most ideal as part of the "sensitive period" for coping, growing and learning about their environment.  During the years that I worked as a veterinary technician, I helped advise countless new kitten/puppy owners on proper socialization.  In fact I'm still counseling clients at the doggy daycare, happy to impart knowledge, as usual.  It's been years since I've actually had to practice what I preach in this area, however...so it's like I'm learning all over again:)  So I'll do what I can while I have them in my care, and I'm still working every day on helping Fluffy become used to human contact. 

I'm also volunteering to do assessments for potential fostering/adoption cases through TCR, which will utilize more of the skills I've learned through the years.   Even though I quit working as a vet tech over two years ago, it seems fate has made it clear that my calling is to help animals:)  It just feels right.  So...as I still love my artwork and traveling, "photographer/animal rescue guru" is my new profession, and I'm looking forward to many adventures in both aspects! 

9 Days of Cuteness and counting!

It's been a few days since I've posted anything, I know.  Everything is going very well, I've simply been busy with "life" and "work"...those things that take me away from the room with adorable kittens.

The babies turned one week old on Monday:)  You can see that their ears are starting to unfold, and they are able to move around a bit more.  As far as the stages of kitten development, they are fairly advanced for their age, especially as far as their movement and awareness.  They purr a little bit, and Fluffy is starting to call out to them as their hearing develops further.  She will sit a foot or so away from them and chirp to them...it's very cute.

She is still quite protective!  Sometimes she will let me pet them and occasionally pick them up, one at a time.  I can't wait until they are walking and I can do the ole' "scoop up n' cuddle".  She won't let anyone else see her babies, preferring to hide them by literally sitting on top of them, as if to say "what kittens?  You were mislead..."

Here's a cute picture I took on Sunday of them sleeping and cuddling each other:

Monday was when they officially turned one week old:)  It's hard to believe they've only been alive for 9 days now.  Such little miracles!

More pictures!!!  This one is from Monday afternoon, after coming home from working at the doggy daycare and feeling super tired.  Waking up at 5am when you've been used to 8:30-9am kinda sucks.  But even though I was sleepy, I couldn't help but watch Yin and Yang and marvel at their cuteness:)  Then I had a nap on the futon:p  I love naps...further proof of having been a cat in a past life.

This is a slightly blurry but cute picture of them nursing that I took yesterday:

As the adventure continues, my main goal is to earn the trust of Fluffy, who is slowly becoming comfortable in the environment and my presence.  Before she had the kittens she would emerge out from under the futon to hang out with me, and she is starting to do that again when babies are sleeping.  She shies away from approach, though if I slowly put my hand out she will sniff, and she responds when I talk to her:)  I want her to get accustomed to people and voices over the next few weeks, as eventually she will go in to get spayed and then find a new home.  She will definitely be staying with me until that happens.  I'm committed to making sure she is safe, secure and healthy:)

On another note, I keeping receiving reports through TCR about abandoned kittens who need bottle-feeding and older kittens/cats who need foster homes.  If I had the space...

If anyone reading this has room in their hearts and homes for kitties in need, let me know:)  Or if you're able to donate towards their health and happiness, I'm also part of a team fundraising with others for TCR's annual Bowl-a-thon, which is on May 26th.  We're collecting donations that will directly help any stray or feral cats/kittens in the GTA:)

http://savecatsfromthegutter.com/

Well I'm going to take my laptop back into kitten heaven room, watch a show or edit some photos...any excuse will do, really...

Kittens vs.

The other day I posted on Facebook that I'd decided baby kittens are the best thing on Earth.  One of my friends commented that freshly baked cookies (specifically chocolate chip) can compete for that title.  I just happened to have baking ingredients and a lot of time on my hands, so I made some cookies...you know, to test the theory...for science and all...

Although my baking skills have vastly improved over the last few months (I blame working from home) and the cookies were delicious, I have to stand by my original statement.  Kittens are definitely the best thing on this planet, especially when you're in a bad mood!

For fun, I created this using one of the adorable kitten pictures and a photo I took of my cookie creation:

Also, upon the suggestion of another friend, I'm officially calling the kittens Yin and Yang.  I have no idea what sex they are yet, though I'm convinced the black and white one is a boy (Yang).  I could be wrong.  Either way they are the cutest!

Fluffy is still quite skittish, and won't let anyone except for me near her babies.  Even I still have to convince her occasionally that I mean no harm.  She's just being a protective mom, which is amazing.  Once the kittens are more mobile, and eyes/ears are open, then they can have visitors.  Fluffy won't be able to stop them from running around at that point!  They are already surprisingly adept in their movements, considering they are only 6 days old.  At one point when I went in to hang out yesterday it looked like Fluffy was sitting on Yang, but as I observed, he quickly crawled right over her head and made a beeline for milk!  He (yes, I'm going to keep calling Yang "he" until I find out otherwise) is the kitten with extra toes.  It actually looks like he has thumbs...he has about 2 extra toes on each front paw:)  Have you seen that "Cats with Thumbs" on Youtube?  I think it was a commercial, but either way it was great and you should watch it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flf-9dkFw2k

Yesterday, Fluffy allowed me to pick up and cuddle Yin and Yang, one at a time so that she didn't think I was taking her babies away.  I was in desperate need of kitten love, as I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and was having a super grumpy day:p  Little Yin has a baby bear face, black with grey undertones, and is more vocal than Yang when away from mom.  I still think they're big for their age, but they were huge newborns so comparatively they are on the right track.  Plus because there are only 2 of them, they are receiving a consistent amount of mother's milk and they don't have to compete.  Larger litters will have the stereotypical "runt", the weakest of the bunch who doesn't always win the battle for the nipples.  There is NO runt in my house!  They are growing equally, which makes me super happy.

I even heard them testing out their purr machines yesterday and the day before.  SO adorable, I can't explain how crazy cute that sound is...you need to hear it yourself.  I can try and get a recording as my phone takes a pretty decent video, like the one of my dog that I posted a while ago.

In the meantime, here's a photo of the happy family:

Of course, she's not using ANY of the beds I set up, preferring the corner between the futon and the bookcase.  I put extra blankets and towels in that area and under the futon, so that the babies aren't on the hardwood floors.  Fluffy is still eating well and having regular visits to the litter box, so I'm certain she is healing well from her birthing ordeal.  The babies still have their umbilical cord bits (totally the technical term:p) but they should fall off in the next week or so.

Now that I've finally finished editing the last batch of photos I was working on, I can start taking proper photos of them without feeling guilty that I'm neglecting my actual work:)   I also have an art show coming up in a month, so stay tuned for details about that event (shameless self-promotion time!).

Hoping everyone has an amazing weekend:)

The Best Things When Waking Up...

Are baby kittens!  I suppose coffee is a close second...

I'm happy to report that both Fluffy and babies are doing very well:)  Fluffy is eating regularly and using the litter.  The vet was a bit worried that she wouldn't eat because of the inflammation, but she's strong, and healing well.  I'm very grateful that she is such a stellar mom!

My routine now is that I'll go in and spend some time with them during the day, either on my laptop photo editing, reading or watching something.  Also if I'm up later at night, I'll watch something with them until I get sleepy.  Mostly I am an observer, though I make sure to talk to Fluffy often to reassure her.  She'll let me handle the babies without too much fuss...I don't keep them for very long, just to make sure they are doing alright.  The main thing I wanted to check yesterday was their ability to eliminate properly.  Ideally, mom is supposed to lick their hind ends to stimulate them to go, and I hadn't actually observed her doing so.  Upon inspection (which included getting urine all over my hands...not the first time that's happened to me when dealing with cats!) I was satisfied with their progress and development.

They're a whole 3 days old today:)  Here's the yin-yang kitties.  I managed this shot about a half-hour ago while Fluffy was off eating. 

Litter-mates, they love each other already:)  I'm looking forward to their ears and eyes opening, which will be over the next couple weeks.  Tomorrow I'll break out the real camera, so expect some more pictures soon!