01/11/2024
What do you see?? 4 empty cat cages?
Not I... I see...I feel...
I cannot help feel emotional and shed tears as I prepare each cage with puppy trainer pads for any accidents, drink containers and taping their vet books to the top of their cage along with their flight lodgement forms, each cage will hold a precious kitten whom I have come to know personally, their ways, their likes and dislikes and everything else in-between.
In the morning there will be 4 beautiful kittens on their way to new owners.
The time has come to say goodbye to mouse's litter.
As a breeder I cannot help but get attached, I assist as a birth partner to each and every girl ( Mouse, Narla, and Monkey) even if they are late delivering I will take time off work to be home where necessary, and stay up til 3am til last kitten born.
I have them in my room for 4 weeks in my closet, which becomes my make shift maternity suite, they are within earshot of my bed and I pass by them going into the ensuite.
Here I can make sure mum and babies are comfy and warm, all babies feeding well and it's a comfort for the girls to see me and receive love and attention while nursing.
Within days the babies are all plumped out and around the 1 week mark they begin to open their eyes, hello world!
Around the 2 week mark they are strengthening the limbs as they move around in their bed, and at 3 to 4 weeks they are off walking.
Around the 4 to 5 week mark they are exploring their area, climbing my shoe rack and taking an interest in mum's food water biscuits and even the cat litter.
By 5 /6 weeks they are doing it all, eating drinking using litter tray and running and playing. Nearly time to leave the safety of my room.
6 weeks it's time for their first vaccination and microchip, and sometimes I include a trip to Bunnings.
By now at home I have graduated from my closet/room to the kindy cat area.
Here they have a whole new world of cupboard, boxes, cat tunnel, cat tree, ping pong balls etc
Around the 6 to 7 weeks I open the double screen doors to let them venture into the 10 metre x 4 metre cat enclosure. Here, there's more stuff to explore, all the ledges to run along and jump up and down off, or sometimes they just find a spot to laze in the sun, listen to the birds and enjoy the fresh air.
This is where mum's turn into a very watchful playground duty officer, they intently watch where kittens are and what they are doing, and are quick to investigate if the see a kitten focusing on something unusual! A mother's instinct never fails, Yes a kitten is chasing an insect but it's ok nothing to worry about !
At 11 weeks it's time for the 2nd vaccination and desexing. And this is their final week is allowing healing.
So I hope you understand the reason the preparation of their cat carriers is a very sad time for me as it's a culmination of their first 12 weeks.
Tomorrow they start their new lives in their furever homes with their new families. Not just families these are my Aby friends I have become acquainted with over the last 3 months, sending photos and videos and sharing life stories and laughs. I hope you stay in touch and send me pics now n then too.
