Lexi’s babies have arrived!
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. 