llywela | kittyspam

Another week, another kitten update. Not much to report, mind. They have grown into active little adventurers, exploring their immediate surroundings for all they are worth...but not brave enough yet to stray too far from the security of the room they have lived in all their little lives. Their eyes are now starting to change colour, although it is too soon to say what colour they will end up, while three out of four are now enjoying solid food - Jasper and Sidney both like milk and some biscuits the best, while Domino will eat just about anything...but wee Tabby remains completely disinterested in anything other than his mother's milk. This is a slight problem because a) he is still the smallest of the litter and would benefit from a few good meals, especially since Chloe is feeding less, and b) with the kittens turning 6 weeks old on Wednesday, we are now just waiting for him to start taking solid food so that we can get Chloe spayed before she goes into heat again! Time to be weaned already. Still, if Tabby needs a bit more time to be ready, then so be it. He is the runt of the litter and had a difficult start, so we can make allowances for him.

Anyone with any advice to offer on coaxing a reluctant kitten to taste solid food, please speak up!

A week ago it was looking like it would be Sidney and Domino I would be choosing between to come home with me, but everything has changed again now. Chelsea has first choice, see, and she keeps dithering - which, we have assured her, she is within her rights to do, no rush. Before the kittens were born, she wanted a ginger cat. So when Number Three was born and was white-and-ginger she cheered. That was the one she wanted, and he was going to be called Ginger. But then a week later she went to stay with Big Sis Deb, and all of a sudden everything changed - now Deb and Ray were going to have Ginger (re-named Jasper), because they too wanted a ginger cat and considered him more ginger than his almost-identical brother Sidney. Or possibly they just liked the idea of naming their ginger cat Jasper but didn't want to re-name Sidney. Anyway, however it happened, Chelsea had been talked out of Ginger/Jasper and transferred her allegiance to Tabby. That left me with Sidney or Domino, and I've been keeping an open mind, loving them all equally - although I have to say that as adorably photogenic as Domino is, Sidney is more affectionate, so I've been leaning in his direction.

Now, though, things have changed. Having been assured that she still has first choice and that includes Ginger/Jasper, Chelsea has transferred her allegiance back to him. This being the case, I am inclined toward the little Tabby, having had a sneaking preference for him ever since the moment he was born and I had to help start him breathing, poor little thing. He had a rough start and is still the smallest and I kinda want to keep him where I can see him! Plus, he is beautiful, the prettiest of the lot. That means that Deb and Ray can still have their ginger cat if they take Sidney, who is a darling. But then that leaves Domino out in the cold, and I feel really guilty about that because he is gorgeous and confident and ever so poised and self-contained. But there is a good home lined up for him with a chap from my Dad's work, and I have said that if that falls through I will take two and just find a way to absorb the extra expense, because I do like the idea of having two and letting them grow up as company for one another. We shall see - only time will tell how it all pans out in the end.

So that's how things are looking for the moment. It could all change again by next week, so I'm not setting any plans in stone! I will still be happy with whichever kitten comes to me.

That said, if I do take Tabby, I will probably want to change his name, since we had a cat called Tabby when I was a child and although he could be Tabby II, I'd kinda prefer to give him something more individual. Possibilities currently include: Arthur, Alfie, Oscar. But I am entirely open to suggestion, so come on, people - throw some kitten name ideas at me!

And...that was a lot of words. Which I shall now balance with some pictures and videos - although it is getting harder to take decent pictures because they just won't keep still long enough! Fingers crossed all the videos upload okay...

Here is Domino exploring Ruby's toybox