5 Days Old

5 Days Old

Their eyelids are beginning to flutter! Their next stage of development is opening their eyes, but that won't happen for a few more days yet. Their ears waggle sometimes though which has got to be about the cutest thing ever!! Their sense of smell is strong though. They are likely able to hiss, though they haven't met any unfamiliar smells yet!

They are nursing vigorously. They don't knead yet, but do splay their paws and will start kneading while nursing soon. The kneading doesn't usually start until the second week because that is when the milk production begins to slow. These guys are growing so fast, I'm not surprised they haven't started up with the kneading.

Most of them still have their umbilical cord stumps. My reading says these should have fallen off by now, but they don't look infected or sore so I'm just gonna hope for the best. Here's today's weigh in:
196g - Male [+13g]
178g - Male - Larger white dot on throat [+17g]
175g - Male - Small white dot on throat [+20g]
157g - Female [+12g]
183g - Male [+21g]

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4 Days Old!

4 Days Old!

I'm sure all newborn kittens are cute, but these little guys (and they are mostly all guys) and unbelievably cute. It's important to remember that they can't see or hear still. They are really strong and active and are crawling ahead of schedule, but they are totally dependent on Mom so the most important thing we can do for them is keep Willow and happy and healthy as possible!

Here's the Daily Weight Report:
155 grams - Male - white mark at throat [20g gain]
145 grams - Female [19g gain]
162 grams - Male [14g gain]
183 grams - Male [23g gain]
161 grams - Male - white mark at throat and on tummy [10g gain]

I'm trying not to worry that there growth has become more uneven. While they do scramble for nipples, they all seem to be getting good nourishment. The Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, which I highly recommend, says that healthy kittens gain 7-10grams a day, so they are all still well within (and exceeding) growth needs.

They also had their first visitors today! Carrie and Dane who rescued Willow from the hotel came by to see how they were doing. It was a huge relief to hear someone else comment on how well they were doing and how strong and adorable they were.

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3 Days Old

3 Days Old

We are gonna need a bigger box. These little guys are growing sooo fast! I anticipate it might taper off here soon, but they are starting to crawl around and I'm proud of how strong they are. They spend just about all of their time sleeping or eating and anything in between is all wiggling. I weighed them again tonight and they've each gained about 20 grams, weighing in at 126-160 grams now.

Mom is doing well, but these guys are sooo squirmy she needs to vacate the box to get some peace and quiet. As they get bigger and more demanding, she will want her own time more and more. Right now, she doesn't go very far and is always alert whenever they make a peep. It's amazing how their instincts kick in so quickly. She's eating more than ever too! I can't blame her though as she has 5 very hungry growing babies to care for and nourish.

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2 Days Old

2 Days Old

Wow! These are clearly super-kitties as they are growing much faster than anticipated. My reading says healthy kittens gain around 10 grams a day. Here's the breakdown of their weights now (with my guess on their gender and their markings, if any):
141 grams - Male
114 grams - Female - Tiny white dot at her throat
125 grams - Male - Larger white dot at throat
125 grams - Male - Small white dot at throat
117 grams - Male - Small white dot at throat

They are crawling, grunting and rolling around. They eat, sleep and wrestle like champs. I'm surprised they have claws already. They are kind of sharp and make a scratching sound when they are against the cardboard of the box. I will trim them when they are closer to 2 weeks old. I expect these guys are going to be quite the energetic handful!

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1 Day Old!

1 Day Old!

Hip-Hip-Hooray! The kittens were born last night, Friday, August 14th, between 8pm and midnight. Things went pretty smoothly though kitten #3 came out backwards and so needed a little help. Around 10:30 or so when #4 arrived, we thought the show was over. An hour later, Todd went to check on her, then came back out and said, "How many kittens did you say there were?" to which I replied, "Four." He crooked his finger at me and told me I had to come in the room. Lo and behold, the magical #5 kitten had arrived. Everyone is doing well and thriving. They are much more wiggly than I thought they were. They are strong and vibrant which I take to be a very good thing. I weighed them today and they were around 95-103 grams. It's really hard to tell them apart! They should gain 10 grams a day.

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