Lily’s Second Litter – Kitten Diary

Birth – 31st May 2012

I decided to move into the Lilyput kitten room a few days prior to when we expected Lily to have kittens. The date given by the stud owner as a guide was Thursday 31st May 2012 so Andy had booked the Thursday and Friday off work. Lily had been a bit quiet all day on 30th May and seemed to have lost her mucous plug around 4pm so I knew we were to expect kittens within the next 24 hours or so.

We went to bed as normal but Lily was very restless. At about 5am she started digging under the covers to lie next to me. It was then that I felt her have contractions. I leapt out of bed and woke Andy up. We prepared the room, covering the bed in a picnic blanket and got all my birthing stuff ready. She had the first baby about 5:30am and had the 8th about 6:30am! They were all a decent size except for one small baby like last time. Lily settled down really quickly with her 8 babies.

Week 1 – 7th June 2012

All babies were weighed and colour coded within an hour of birth which was a good thing as there were 7 blue babies and 1 lilac baby. They are all, bar the little one, similar weights so it would be impossible to tell them apart.

It became apparent that the little one had a few issues and it was likely he would not survive. We made the decision to help out to get him a bit stronger to properly evaluate him. The others seemed to be doing very well. It appears that we have 5 girls and 3 boys so a nice mix. We had already distributed the colours when we decided on sexes so my little man was in a pink colour. He did really well for a few days but by Monday 4th June it was obvious he was struggling. He passed away in my hands which was very sad for both me and Andy. He is buried in our garden so he will always be close to us. Thankfully Lily can’t count and didn’t seem to notice she was missing one. The others continued to thrive.

I heard quiet purring after only a few days, now I know what I am listening for.  White and Orange had both doubled their birth weight by 6 days and the others followed suit the next day. All eyes were open by the 8th day as well. They have started to get personalities…. The boys are quite different, Yellow is quite loud whilst white seems to be more laid back. Of the girls, Red and Blue are fairly quiet and easy going whilst the other 3 are a little bit more vocal. Still, not as vocal as Yellow though. It will be interesting to see how their personalities develop, I can’t wait – let the fun begin!

Week 2 – 14th June 2012

Can’t believe that another week has flown by. They are very contented little babies. Lily is doing so well with them. They have all tripled their birth weight by 15 days which is fantastic. They are still lighter than last year’s litter at this age but they were lighter to begin with. Their personalities are getting stronger and more defined each day. I think Blue is going to be the most laid back girl. But then they are all fairly laid back so long as I’m not weighing them!! The boys are very different from each other though. Yellow is very loud and demanding!! He reminds me of Turquoise from last year. I think he might turn out as mischievous. White band likes to roll over when I tickle his tummy. I think I have heard them all purr when stroked but I think Red was the first. Purple and Green are the smallest girls so I think they will be little dainty girls. They seem more laid back when it comes to the milk bar, unlike Orange who is the fattest, I mean biggest of the girls. I am still in their room but hoping to move out in a day or two. I will miss them but I may get more sleep!

Week 3 – 21st June 2012

I moved their bed onto the floor last weekend as little Purple was starting to investigate the bed a little. I set up the kitten pen and popped them on the floor. Lily didn’t really seem to mind. I slept in there for a couple more days just to be sure she was happy. I finally moved out on Monday and, to be honest, I miss hearing their squeaking in the middle of the night. I swapped out the bed they were using to a flat one so it would encourage them to explore a bit more. They are slowly finding their feet and look quite funny trying to run when they can barely walk!

Purple is becoming a little explorer. She is always first to look around. Her and White boy seem the most confident. He is a little sweetheart who seems to have a naughty streak… biting the others when they are asleep. Yellow remains the loudest although Orange girl seems to given him some competition at weigh times! Red, Blue and Green seem to be fairly laidback but I have a feeling they will be typical naughty tonks when they find their feet properly! They all have a nice set of teeth which are getting sharper day by day. Lily seems a little unsettled now they are moving around a bit, it seems she has difficulty rounding them up!

Week 4 – 28th June 2012

This has been a fairly stressful week. Lily has been very unsettled due to the heat and was very worn out last weekend. I moved back in with them as Lily was moving the kittens around and it seemed to help. Plus I decided to supplement Lily’s milk for a day or two to give her a rest. This seemed to do the trick.

They are no longer confined to the pen and have lots of fun climbing all over the room and getting up to mischief! They all tried a little of Lily’s food this week although only Purple really seems that keen. She has been seen using the litter tray as well, clever little thing. It is still early days though so they are doing very well. Orange remains the quiet one of the bunch, maybe she feels left out since all the others are blue. All the other girls are quite outgoing, although I suspect Orange is quietly up to mischief like her Mom! The boys are quite different. Yellow is still quite loud, although he is mellowing and quite likes a cuddle. In contrast, White is a quiet little fellow but is very playful and likes to sneak up on the others for a play fight! We think we have decided on their pedigree names but want to make sure before we let you all know.

Week 5 – 5th July 2012

Gosh, what a difference a week makes. They have turned into crab hopping little terrors! They are either asleep, feeding or bouncing around at 100mph! They have been coming down into the living room in the day time and being put back in their room at night. First of all they were confined to their pen but that only lasted 24 hours before they were allowed to venture out.

Their individual personalities are coming out now. I can almost tell who it is by what they are doing. Little Purple is by far the most advanced in terms of eating and litter tray habits. She loves her food and is very consistent about her toilet habits as well. She is a little minx though! Green is the climber, she likes to climb everything especially legs! Red and Blue are fairly similar little girls. They love to play and are especially fond of feather toys. Usually one is asleep when the other is playing and then they swap places. Orange is so funny. She is the most vocal one. She cries if they play too rough with her, cries if she is left on her own and cries if she has climbed up somewhere and now wants to get down! The boys are turning into sweethearts. I think I have fallen for White. He climbs onto me and purrs so nicely. I keep checking but he is still a he! Yellow is also a little purrer! He is a bit more boisterous than White and he also loves his food. He has been the only one to make noises when eating! I also found him growling after he ‘won’ a furry toy! They are all a delight to watch! Time is going too quickly!

Week 6 – 12th July 2012

They are very lively now and seem to be into everything. This includes climbing the bookcase and exploring the window sill. We have had a few visitors to see the kittens this week. The boys have found new homes fairly easily which is hardly surprising as they are gorgeous. White is going to the mother of a friend of ours. He will be a very pampered little boy called Sapphire. Yellow is going to a couple in Leicester who had fallen for him weeks ago. They loved his pedigree name so he is going to be called Harry. It must be very hard for people coming if they haven’t already got a preference because they are all so adorable.

A lovely lady came back to see the girls again today as she couldn’t make up her mind before. She has decided that Purple has stolen her heart. I have warned her that she is a very mischevious kitten but is so full of character. She has managed to climb over the board to the living room as we found her in the hallway. We have now removed the magazine holder which she was using but I don’t think it will be long before they all figure out a way over the top. Blue has impressed a couple in Holland who would like her to join their breeding cats. I will have to teach her some Dutch. Of the remaining girls, one is staying here. We had decided on Red but we now may change our mind and keep Orange or even Green as she has developed a very sweet character this week. We will take all enquiries for them but we will take a couple of weeks to make our minds up, so please let us know if you are fond of one and we will keep you informed of our decision.

Week 7 – 19th July 2012

They have had a week of exploring the house. Purple and then Green managed to climb out of the living room so the board was moved to the kitchen door. Well, it didn’t take long for them to figure out that they could climb over that to be with me. Green and Yellow were the worst culprits, the terrible citrus twins! I am having a taller board made so that we can have another week or so without worrying about them underfoot in the kitchen. It also gives Max a little bit more time to himself. Uncle Toby doesn’t mind though as he likes playing with the kittens and seems to like Red the best.

They are all gaining weight nicely, the boys being the biggest out of them and Blue is the biggest girl. I do have to remind them about food as they are too busy playing. On their 7 week birthday they all started escaping from their bedroom so we ended up with 10 Tonkinese on the bed last night, with Orange snuggled up next to me and White purring in my ear. I had the worst night’s sleep since they were 1 week old! I think they thought it was playtime all night long! They are all growing up so quickly. I have to make the appointments for their first vaccinations soon.

Week 8 – 26th July 2012

Well, the taller board worked for less than a week… they can now climb over and into the kitchen so that’s it now, Max’s peace is well and truly shattered! It started with little Miss Green and closely followed by the others. We were visited this week by Sue Amor of Amorcatz. It was nice for her to see how Evie had grown up. The kittens slept for most of the time as it was so hot!

Little Orange was showing off a bit. We have decided that we will keep her after all. She is going to be called Pippa and has been a naughty little madam since we decided she was going to stay. The boys have been little cuddlesome sweethearts. Purring so loudly and demanding attention. Sapphire has a very short squeak for a cry and Harry has a long whine! Harry’s mom and dad visited him this week and he slept through that mostly, again due to the heat. Blue has been funny this week, she had to ‘help’ me take this week’s pictures by trying to get in front of the camera at all times. I have a lot of pictures of parts of her head!

Purple’s mommy is to visit at the weekend. That just leaves Green and Red to find new parents. I think they feel a little left out when the others get visits as they always play nicely for them. They were showing off to Andy’s work colleagues when they visited. All the kittens played hard but Green and Red really showed off. Pippa flirted with Jelena and little Red loved playing with Akvilina. Purple took a shine to Chris and loved climbing his jeans to get to the toys! All the kittens got chicken wings which they loved. Sapphire really enjoyed his but it was Red that was the funniest. She was growling at anybody that tried to go near her food.

Week 9 – 2nd August 2012

They had a busy week with visitors. First Purple’s mommy visited and decided on her name. She is to be called Twinkle which is a nice pretty name for her. She had played hard before and so just slept on Anna’s lap – so content. Then my parents in law stayed the weekend and the kittens relished all the attention. I was then visited by a friend, her daughter and daughter’s friend; the girls loved the kittens.

They have played hard all week! Harry (Yellow) and little Miss Green are very often together, the terrible citrus twins. Green has found how to get on the kitchen worktop so it won’t be long before the others follow her! They all sleep on the bed at night. Not sure there is room for 10 tonkinese but we manage! Red has become my sleep buddy. I often wake to find her snuggled next to me. She loves to be tickled on her tummy! Pippa has continued to be quite mischievous, she often cries if the others playfight with her but always runs back for more! Sapphire is still a cuddlesome boy. He is the biggest of the litter as he loves his food. He wakes and squeaks until he finds you to give him cuddles before bouncing off to cause trouble! Harry is much the same but he has a louder cry. Little Blue is going to live with Cindy in Holland, she is going to be called Yuma. She is so funny when playing as she runs around and charges in like a boy. She is the biggest of the girls.

They are all going to have vaccinations and vet checks next week, it is going so quick again. It won’t be long before Max gets his peace and quiet back. I get a little sad just thinking about it so I will treasure these next few weeks!

Week 10 – 9th August 2012

This week has gone by so quickly. The kittens are pretty much running riot through the whole house. Max gets some respite at night when we shut off the kitchen area for him and so all the Tonks sleep in the bedroom with us. We have spent a bit of time watching the Olympics this week but we have had some kitten Olympic events of our own – high jumps, triple jumps, football, 100m sprints and even some relay events. I think they have started a new sport called ‘the utility room dash’. Every time we go in we have to catch naughty little Tonks!

Harry’s parents visited him on Tuesday which will be their last visit before they collect him in 4 weeks. They left a bed that they have bought for him so he can get used to it and it will smell like his first home. He did wake up for some of it but was quite happy to sleep on David’s lap for while. They all said hello to them but Pippa liked Elaine and seemed to think her bag was a new toy.

Red almost found a home but unfortunately the new people had to drop out. However, there is a lovely couple visiting at the weekend to look at Green and Red with the hope that one of them would like to go and keep their Russian Blue, Mouse, company. I feel it is a good omen because little Button last year went to live with another cat called Mouse. I have told them to be on their best behaviours and use all their Tonky charm but they don’t really need to try very hard.

Twinkle has been very funny this week. She still climbs my legs to get to things higher up, she always looks confused when I squeal. I think it is time for nail trimming. Twinkle and Yuma are so bold when it comes to playing and barging in. Yuma is very determined to get to a toy first but if Red gets there first she growls at the others to say, “It’s mine!”

They are all very purry but I think it’s the boys who purr the most. Sapphire will squeak at you until he gets attention and then he purrs so nicely. We have lovely cuddles when he wakes up. But I do have to share my tummy rubs around and say hello to them all although I usually get a love bite from Pippa in return.

Week 11 – 16th August 2012

They were very good at the vets this week. It is in a branch of Pets at Home so, as we were a bit early, we wandered around looking at the fish and mice. The vets reception even had a large fish tank so I parked their trolley up by it so they could watch the fishes. They were all very good when they saw the vet, the boys went first with Harry giving out a little cry. The girls were much calmer except for little Red who did hiss at the vet after he gave the injection! I then had a friend meet me and we sat in the car for an hour chatting. The kittens all were let out of the carriers so they could stretch their legs in the car and say hello to my friend. After about 30 minutes they all climbed back into a carrier and went to sleep. They slept pretty much all afternoon and evening but woke up absolutely fine on Saturday morning, as if nothing had happened. Lily was a little confused by it all. She was very pleased to see her babies back in the house, apparently they all needed a good clean!

A couple came to view Red and Green on Sunday. It was a fairly warm morning in the conservatory but they all played nicely showing off before falling asleep. They were both so relaxed with the new visitors sleeping on Gwyneira’s lap. I think they made it very hard for them to choose either one so they are both going to live with Gwyneira and Martyn. I’m so pleased for my babies to be going to a home together. Green is such a character, so loving one minute and racing round the house the next. Little Red was going to be staying here at one point so we bonded with her. She too has a wonderful character so I’m sure they will be great friends in their new home.

They have all taken to Harry’s new bed very well. I think Auntie Evie likes it the most but they all cuddle up to her on it. It should remind Harry of his first home when he leaves us. His new mom and dad are on holiday now so he won’t get any more visits until they come to collect him. They will see a big difference in him as he is growing so quickly. He is the tallest of them but Sapphire remains the fattest, I mean heaviest. He is a bit calmer than Harry although they both love their cuddle time. Sapphire is very talkative for attention and cuddles he is going to get loads of them in his new home with Jenny.

Pippa and Yuma tried on walking harnesses that I had for Toby and Lily. They rolled around for 30 seconds before being distracted by toys. I’m going to start taking them out in the carrier for trips to try and get them used to travelling a bit. The harnesses will help allow me to get them out for a short time to be admired. Yuma completely forgot about hers and fell asleep on the cat tree so I’m sure they won’t mind them one bit.

Twinkle is such a pretty girl. Everyone that sees her thinks she is really sweet. She was born to play though and bounces so high for toys. She is also quite smart and can quickly work out the best way to get ahead of her siblings, this usually means climbing my leg or climbing up something else to get an advantage.

I was on my own for some of this week as Andy was away in Norway with work. All the Tonks slept on the bed with me at night as if they knew to keep me company. I had some snuggle under the covers next to me and others were on top but close so I could barely move. You can never be lonely when you share you life with Tonks!

Week 12 – 23rd August 2012

I decided to try and take Pippa and Yuma out this week to get them used to travelling and people. I took them to Weight Watchers with me. They were great. Not fazed at all and loved the attention. They fell asleep in their carrier whilst the meeting went on then came out on their harnesses for some cuddles and to stretch their legs after it had finished. They were such stars. I may take them again next week.

Well, the time has gone so quickly and it was the day I was dreading – neutering day. They were all starved from 9pm the night before so they were starving in the morning. I managed to trick the 5 of them into carriers and rushed off to the car. They cried and chewed at the carriers for a few miles and then were quiet. I was haunted by the image of Lily’s face as I was leaving the house with some of her babies. I was actually at the vet’s practice a little early so we sat in the car and I let them out of the carriers for a bit. They had a bit of an explore around for 5 minutes before curling up on my lap to go to sleep. I sat stroking them for a bit with tears in my eyes before popping them back in carriers to take them in.

They were checked one by one by the vet and given ID bands for their stay. Then the vet took them away from me. It was really quite emotional seeing their worried faces. I decided to go shopping to take my mind of it all. I got them some treats as well as some for myself. Then I returned home to give Yuma and Pippa a fuss. Lily was a little unsettled as well. I rang the vet and they were all doing well so I could go and collect. Yuma was having her rabies vaccination so I took Pippa along as well, to get her used to travelling again. Pippa decided to cry a bit on the way but Yuma was very good. Maybe she knew something was going to happen. She was okay with the rabies but didn’t really like microchipping very much. Not that I blame her! We sat in the waiting room and waited for the others to be brought out. Some silly dog kept sniffing at the, which upset Yuma. Then the rest came out and they were quite vocal to see me. When we got in the car I let them out for a cuddle. They were so, so purry. It was a shame when I had to put them back in carriers to drive home. The girls fell asleep but the boys were quite vocal all the way home.

On letting them out at home, Lily was on hand straight away to groom them all. They were all very purry. Sapphire was hyperactive and kept pouncing on everyone else. Yuma didn’t like the others and hissed everytime they went near here which Sapphire obviously took as a challenge. Pippa felt that they all needed a good wash. Harry has seemed the quietest since the op but I’m sure he’ll be back to his mischievous self pretty soon. All the girls seem to be recovering well. I have not seen any of them lick their wounds very much but I shall be watching them closely. Twinkle was very active so I was trying to calm her down a little but it wasn’t working much she just thought it was a game. Red and Green were a little better behaved, at least whilst I was watching! By the next morning they were all back to normal and Yuma had stopped hissing at them so it was all good. Just need to keep an eye on their wounds for a while. Vaccinations next week and then I only have 1 more week to spoil them. I will miss them so much. I think Lily will as well because she is such an attentive Mom this time.

New Homes

Sorry for the lack of updates the last couple of weeks. Things have been pretty hectic here so I just never seemed to have the time to sit and write it all down.

They were all so good after their neutering and recovered so quickly. I was really happy that I made the decision to early neuter them. It was so different than older kittens who take a while sometimes to be themselves. It took an hour or so, if that! It was all I could do to slow them down. Having no external stitches helped immensely as they didn’t seem to lick their wounds or mess with them at all past the initial ‘get the vet smell off me’ wash.

Vaccinations went without incident. Pippa was microchipped at the same time which she hated and she cried. She gave me such a look as well that made me feel so guilty. They all got a complete health check as well and got the ‘all clear’. Again the vet had problems listening to the heart and lungs of the boys and Green due to massive purring! Sapphire even had a cuddle and purrs for the receptionist and Harry flirted with a girl in the waiting room who thought he was very handsome.

Their last week was a blur. I frantically sorted out their kitten packs and made them their sock cats to take home. Sapphire was to leave first as his new owner and I knew I would miss my cuddle boy so much. It was made slightly easier by the fact that he was such a longed for companion for Jenny plus he was going to a friend’s mom so I knew I would get updates. I had a giant piece of cake at the local farm shop after to take my mind of it. 24 hours later and I was saying goodbye to my cheeky boy. Harry was not going far away so I may get to see him again soon. Elaine and David were thrilled with him and he settled in at home straight away. Another 24 hours later and we said goodbye to the first girl. Twinkle was to go and be a pampered girl for Anna. She has been so looking forward to taking her chosen girl home after falling in love with her very early on. Anna sent me a couple of pictures of Twinkle asleep in her new home.

Poor Lily was starting to worry slightly. She appeared to be counting and getting a little upset that she couldn’t find all her babies which was upsetting to watch. The next morning we took Pippa to her first cat show. She did very well and coped with the stress like a professional. She was the youngest in her classes by a little way as she was only 2 days older than the minimum age allowed. After getting home we made sure we had everything ready for the departure of Red and Green who were leaving us the next day.

Gwyneira and Martyn arrived on Sunday to take their girls home. They had decided on their names which were to be Coco for Red and Mole for Green. I had known them as Red and Green for so long so it was lovely they had proper names now. Lily was given a couple of presents to help her forget her babies a bit. She had a new blanket and a cuddlesome Mouse toy to snuggle to in her bed. I was given some beautiful flowers which are still going strong. So off they went to their new lives with a nice big dog to cuddle to and another cat to chase. They settled in fine and I have some lovely pictures of them looking content in their new house.

So that meant we were left with Pippa and her partner in crime, Yuma. We still have Yuma until 23rd September so get to spoil her some more. In fact, she is curled up with me now. It is lovely for Pippa to have another kitten for a little longer as well as for Lily. Yuma is a minx though and leads Pippa astray! Andy decided that Zooma is more appropriate as she zooms everywhere at full speed. She can now jump onto various doors and loves to sleep in the door beds with the grown up cats. Her and Toby are very often together which is a very destructive pairing!

So that’s it, nearly the end of the second Lilyput litter. It has been a fantastic few months with lots of laughter as well as tears. I have heard from all of the new owners about their kittens and they are very happy in their new homes so I have done what I set out to do. I know Yuma will be a happy kitty in Holland as well and I will hear about her continuing the Lilyput line there next year. It has been a very hard but rewarding few months and I can’t wait for the next instalment in 2013!