Just in time for Christmas, eh?

[Snoof]

Sashimi has just given birth to two kittens. She's not done yet, but they're here and they're being very vocal about it (especially the firstborn!).

They're either black or grey (they're still wet!) and I haven't sexed them because I don't know if she'll let me touch them.

We saw discharge this morning, and she wouldn't stop following every move I made. She adored her birthing box, but when she was ready to give birth (by this time my heart couldn't take another yowl from her, lol! I've been sooo nervous!) she moved next to my chair and turned so I had first-row seating to the firstborn coming head-first into this world. She really didn't want to be far away from me at all, poor lass. I'm so proud of her, even though she ended up giving birth on the lounge CARPET :lol:

I'd never seen a birth before, and oh my god, I cried. So beautiful!

Unfortunately my camera's batteries need charging, so no pictures until that gets done - at the moment I'm busy tending to my wonderful momma cat and her brood.

[Claire m]

Hey snoof, how truly wonderfull for you, congratulations hope mum and babies are doing fine.

[Fran]

Big congratulations Snoof!! Keep us up to date :cool:

[Snoof]

She's still on two. She's so glad I'm here, it's really quite touching. She ended up lying on her side with one kitten either side, so the firstborn couldn't get to her nipples. I stroked her (she gave me her "Pleeeaaaase I need some loooove" look) and she purred, and since her kitten was right next to her head as she was leaning back, I gently touched it... And she purred even louder.

In the end when I was sure she was comfy with it, I picked it up and put it by her belly, where it immediately found a nipple and did some suckling :-)

[Jac]

Oh snoof thats so nice for you! Is'a an amazeing thing isn't it. I was lucky enough to see a cat give birth once, like you she woulsn't leave my side.
Let us know how many babies she ends up with.
Thoughts and hugs to you all. (((())))

[Snoof]

She's now had another. The first two are either all black or all grey (they're still wet) and this new one is either black and white or grey and white.

It's amazing. All 3 are doing well and being very squeaky about all this being-born business :-D

[Mags]

Congratulations to you and Sashimi Snoof ........ what an amazing experience for you!

So pleased everything is going fine there ........ please keep us updated ;):D

[Snoof]

Well, we're up to number four here, but I haven't had a good look at number four yet. The first two, I have managed to establish, are a girl and a boy. I also had to cut the cord on the black-and-white baby, which was a harrowing experience, but of course shortly after I did that, the little madam decided now was a good time to eat his placenta :roll:

She crawled under my chair shortly before she had number four, leaving a pile of soggy kittens next to it on the other side :roll:

I got the box, put it under the tree (where she strategically decided to have them, indeed :roll: :lol:) and carefully put the three kittens in it. She seems a lot happier now and came out from under the chair once I'd done that, so it seems that was indeed the problem.

Two of them are nursing at the minute, the other two are lying to one side cuddled up together.

I've just gotten to see enough of number four to see that it's also a black-or-grey-and-white :-)

[Claire m]

Thats brilliant snoof i'm so happy for ya. xxxxxxx

[Snoof]

Thanks a lot, Claire :-)

[Donna]

Awwww congratulations to you Snoof, and Sashimi!!! Glad things are going well and wishing you luck for the rest of the day x

[yola]

Oh my gosh how exciting :D :D :D :D (one for each kitten . . . so far)!!

Congrats Snoof and Sashimi :-D

[Snoof]

Thanks, Donna and Yola :-D

It seems she's going to stick with four - she looks a bit awkward, only when she's standing up (I'm stuck - she follows me to the loo and everything) can you tell she's no longer pregnant. I figure because her skin hasn't gone back yet and she's carrying some extra.

I haven't sexed the babies yet, but I'll do so shortly so I can have them sexed before they get all fluffy and impossible.

Currently (they're drying rapidly now) it looks like two all-black babies (one boy and one girl) and two black-and-whites (unsexed atm). But it's a bit rough figuring out who's who when they're all the same colour, largely, and doing that kitteny "We must all sit on each other's heads" thing!

My camera is being absolutely impossible, so I've still not taken any pictures, but Sashimi is doing absolutely wonderfully and the kittens are all nursing except for one who seems to've decided to cuddle in her armpit and fall asleep instead.

We're probably going to keep the one whose cord I had to cut, so I'll have to find out if it's a boy or a girl! That one dragged its placenta 8 inches along the floor to get near its mum - she was exhausted at that point because 1, 2 and 3 came very close together and 1 and 2 needed nursing because she'd only had a few fleeting moments during which they tried (and, mostly, failed) to locate a nipple each.

What a fighter eh? Cheeky little monkey, too. That's one of the black-and-whites, with the cutest white toes I've ever seen, and that's saying something because Sashimi has white toes and they're very adorable indeed :-)

I think I best get organising! What little madam gives birth under the Christmas tree, eh?

[charliebubs]

Oh what a lovely story Snoof!! Congratulations on your new arrivals!!! :)
Just a thought, but if they're still wet won't they be getting cold? They can't regulate their own body temperatures yet, so you'll need to make sure they're dry and warm. I'm sure you know that tho!! :)

[Claire m]

What little madam gives birth under the Christmas tree, eh?

Well she obviously thought that you needed another present under the tree snoof, congratulations agian. xxxx

[Tanya]

Oh what a lovely story - Christmas kittens! Im glad mum and kittens are doing well.

It sounds like an experience that everyone should have (being around when kittens are being born!) :)

[Snoof]

They've been kept warm, Charlie, no worries. They've also dried now, and :oops: I apparently got confused in the pile of soggy kittens earlier - looks like 3 black ones, one black-and-white.

They're adorable, and Sashimi looks so contented! They're a right happy family :-)

[charliebubs]

Ahhhhh - that's fantastic!!!!! We def want pics as soon as you get that camera working!!!! lol :)

[Donna]

You should call them Christmas names as they were born near Christmas under the tree....

Star, Angel, etc etc!!!

[Snoof]

I'm huffing and puffing here, I turned up the heating in the morning so the house would be nice and warm, but I prefer things cool(ish) myself and I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off all day!

But I posted two pictures in the Pictures section. All I could get before the camera started messing me about, but it'll have to do for now (even though you can't see the little black and white one in either of them!).

[Mags]

It's so exciting Snoof !! This must be Catsey's first Christmas babies :D

I agree with Donna, Christmas names for them ....... Angel, Star, Holly, Noel etc :-D

[dinahsmum]

Oh, oh! I was only wondering about you yesterday and wondering if you would have xmas babies :)
Sounds like you all had a 'good' time, and that mum was professional about it.
Am now off to the picture section.
(Imagine having a cat that you've known since you cut its chord. A bit like Luke and Bella)
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_22_18.gif

[Snoof]

Thanks everyone :-)

I've looked up a slightly more useful picture of kitten genitals, and figured out that the black and white one is a boy. There's at least one black boy, and at least one black girl (I was confused by the fact that I could see teeny tiny labia :lol: but apparently that's perfectly normal - tomorrow I'll have another look and see if I can figure out what the third black kitten is).

I was secretly hoping for the black and white one to be a boy, since that's probably the one we'll keep, so I'm well chuffed :-)

One of each, how perfect can you get?

[dinahsmum]

Has Random seen them Snoof? Or did he watch the performance? What's his reaction?

[Snoof]

He was at school while they were born, DM, but he got to have a look when he got home (all the while being told to be quiet and calm and not touch them). He's pronounced them "tiny and cute" :lol: :smt049

[dinahsmum]

Awwww :) :) :)

[Fran]

I am so pleased all went well!! Going off to find the piccies :cool:

[whiskey]

fantastic im glad all is well and i couldn`t think of a better christmas presant:D :D :D

[Kazz]

Glad all went well, congratulations, Karen

[smudgley]

Glad all is well.
We have a Christmas litter of Guide dogs pups - there's 4 in the litter (all girls) they are
Angel, Holly, Ivy & (oh what on earth was the other one called, that's buggin me now!)

[EmmaG]

Congratulations Snoof, I looked at the photos earlier and they are just adorable :)

[Mags]

Glad all is well.
We have a Christmas litter of Guide dogs pups - there's 4 in the litter (all girls) they are
Angel, Holly, Ivy & (oh what on earth was the other one called, that's buggin me now!)
Star? ........

[smudgley]

it could be actual Mags :shock: - I'll have to check tomorrow. Got a feeling it is Star!
I know it's not Mary before anyone asks :roll:

[Mags]

Or it could be Beth as in Bethlehem !;)

[Snoof]

Just wanted to let you all know the kits are doing very well. As near as I can figure we have 2 boys and 2 girls. They're still very squeaky, and of course so sweet they give you cavities ;)

We've moved them to the cupboard under the stairs in the back room and kept the back room door shut so Random can't go in without supervision - they've got a lot more privacy in there :-)

Edit: Hippie took today off so we caught up on some sleep and sorted out a lot of pre-Christmas shopping (like making sure we'll have enough food till after Boxing Day). We've got masses of food and litter for Sashimi, too, don't think we'll need to buy any more till well into the New Year!

[Fran]

Glad all is going well!

[alexgirl73]

Aaww, they are so sweet. Glad everything is going well. How about Chris and Noel for the boys and Holly and Ivy for the girls, lol.

[Mags]

Pleased to hear all is well with mum and babies Snoof ........

[Snoof]

I got some more pictures, so I'll go post those in the picture thread now :-)

I won't be online much in the next 10 days - after tomorrow Hippie is off for 10 days, so we'll be doing a lot of family stuff - not least Christmas.

We've called the black-and-white boy Wasabi (to go with Sashimi ;)), the others are Holly, Star and Noel :-) You can see Wasabi in two of the new pictures, so yay :-D

I'll try and post updates/pictures when possible, but I won't have much time!

[smudgley]

Star? ........


I checked & the other puppy is Star.
Well done Mags :)

[Mags]

I checked & the other puppy is Star.
Well done Mags :)
http://bestsmileys.com/wink/2.gif