Pardalis Ocicats

Yesterday we decided to bring the kittens downstairs. They’ve got a nice roomy pen now and will stay in there until they’re ready to explore a bit further. We’ve also started weaning, just tiny amounts to see if they’re ready. After a few sucks at a saucer of mashed kitten food I put one of them in the litter tray and scratched her paw in the tray. A few seconds later she performed! She promptly sat back down in it and poor Lexi and had even more mess to clean up! Ah well, they’ll get the hang of it soon enough.  We’re half way there with trying to get them to eat solid food and litter train - they’re eating the litter (glad I switched to a non-clumping paper-based sort!)

Since Fizz got back from her ‘honeymoon’ she’s been non-stop miaowing. Poor little girl’s had a lot to put up with lately. She’s not allowed upstairs while Lexi and her kittens are there as Lexi is very protective. Fizz’s tendency to growl at Lexi since she’s had the kittens doesn’t endear her to Lexi either at the moment, so we’re keeping them apart until the kittens are older. Two females with raging hormones don’t mix well!

At the weekend we were sitting at our patio table enjoying the sunshine and Fizz was miaowing at us from the conservatory. We felt sorry for her and were saying we’d have her outside on our laps if we could be sure she wouldn’t jump down. I remembered a cheap harness I’d bought when we first got the Ocicats, the idea being we’d walk them to the garage playroom or outside run. I’d tried it on Lexi once when we first got her but she hated it and I never persevered. I thought it might be a good idea to try it on Fizz so she could sit outside with us but we’d feel happier knowing she couldn’t go far. She was an absolute star and just accepted the harness being put on. Needless to say she didn’t stay on our laps for long, there was far too much to explore! She rolled now and again when she remembered it was there, but was so engrossed in swatting flies and poking her nose into the flower pots that she was barely aware of the harness. It was lovely to see her enjoying the garden safely, and it probably won’t be long before she’s fetching it herself and demanding ‘walkies’!

There’s a short video of Fizz’s first garden walk here http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=H7KNqozBrRY

Lexi’s kittens are now 9 days old and all putting on weight at a steady rate, so far so good!

No eyes open yet though the little ears are starting to unfurl. I can just about tell them apart, the classic pattern does differ slightly between the 4 and 2 are boys which helps too I’m pretty sure the rest are all girls. The 2 spotteds look to have a lovely clear pattern though it’s early days yet.  One is slightly smaller than the other and has lighter spots so they’re not too difficult to tell apart.

Fizz went off to stud at the weekend, we chose Curry again as he proved a worthy suitor for Lexi She came off call pretty soon after so that looks promising! If she’s pregnant her litter will be due around 12th August so we’ll have 2 sets of kittens for a few weeks until Lexi’s leave for their new homes.

On Monday evening Lexi was starting to use one of the nesting boxes in the conservatory more, she was meowing a bit more than usual but I still thought she was just gearing up for the birth in the next day or two. She seemed to have picked one of the boxes upstairs in our bedroom as her birthing box, so when she curled up in the box downstairs with Fizz in there too, I never thought she was about to have them.

I had the TV on, Graham was in the kitchen when I heard a little squeaky noise. I thought it was something Graham was doing in the kitchen or that he had the TV on in there. When he came back to the lounge a minute or so later the noise continued and as I got up to see what it was it sounded more like a bird. Then I saw a new born kitten writhing about on the wooden floor in the conservatory with Lexi on the sofa nearby, wide-eyed as if to say “what’s happening to me?”! I yelled for Graham to get the towels, heat pad, hot water bottle and all the other paraphernalia from the bedroom where I’d been convinced she’d give birth, grabbed a clean towel from the conservatory birthing box she’d obviously decided she wasn’t going to use, and started the dry the baby.

Lexi had dealt with the cord and placenta but not attempted to lick the kitten dry. Another was coming almost straight away so she didn’t have enough time to it. We managed to coax her into the box by putting a heat pad in and another was swiftly born. Again, she managed to chew the cord and break the sac and give the kitten a half-hearted lick before tucking into the placenta. Then she was more concerned about cleaning up the mess and washing herself than drying the kitten and this pattern followed for the rest of the births. So we ended up with all six snuggled together on a warmed hot water bottle under a towel while we rubbed them gently. Just an hour later all 6 were born and she looked like she’d finished.

We let her clean herself, made her comfortable with fresh bedding and gave her the babies back. She’s been wonderfully attentive ever since, they’re all feeding well and have put on weight at the expected rate. They’re all so cute!! All chocolate in colour, 4 Classics, which is amazing, and we’re so pleased with all the squeaky, furry bundles and very proud of Lexi.