My little fighter!

I keep seeing a lot of threads about lost kittens recently and it breaks my heart. I wanted to share a good news story to lift some hearts!

If you haven't read my earlier posts, I'll catch you up. My baby had her babies on Monday March 4th. Two of them came out in the same birthing sack. The larger of the two was still small compared to her other five babies, but the smaller of the twins was extremely small. 56.2 grams. She wasn't moving or breathing, had to suction her mouth, rub her down really good, and hold her head up for her so she could eat.

She gained weight fantastically, (although she is still over 1/4 smaller in size than all the other kittens.) On March 11th, exactly one week old, her eyes were fully opened! Days ahead of all the others. At just over two weeks, my little fighter girl is already running at full speed on her little stubby legs. Keeps hopping over the edge of the box to try and explore the living room! Despite being so little, she is the most developed (and seemingly the smartest, she goes and looks for mama's milk instead of waiting for mama to come to the box!) I've had to pile a folded blanket up in front of the box to try and deter her lol.

I know how hard it can be to lose a kitten, and I am sorry for all the losses that have happened. It's horrible, especially when you can't figure out why and nothing you do stops the decline. I am not trying to demean those poor babies death, I just want to make someone smile.

Here's my beautiful little Hemi:

The second smallest, her twinnie. (I have no clue where the bobtails came from. Mossy doesn't have it in her, so must be from Big Boy. Only two that have bobbies.)


RAWR! I'm fierce!





Lets explore! (Why yes, that IS a big clump of black ca thair on my floor! lol)


I found you!

Aww, Hemi is so darling. I am glad to hear that he is doing well. Keep on growing and thriving, little one.

By far the biggest issue in the tiny ones survival is determined by how often they are able to nurse without getting bumped off of the nipple by bigger kittens, which is like always the case!

When the smallest are kicked off/overpowered by the bigger ones, time after time, they seem to get defeated in a sense. This will cause a fast decline you don't even see coming, and they stop thriving.

If your baby is only 2 weeks, watch carefully!!! He is not out of danger of this happening until he gets PAST the 3-3 1/2 weeks old point.

At times I would actually have to pull the litter except for the tiniest one or 2, and allow them to nurse alone, and would do this twice a day until they were out of danger size wise.

Good luck to you and Hemi!!

I was worried about that too catwoman, but she has no problem screaming/shoving the bigger chunks out of the way for a nipple. It's actually quite humorous to see. She can hold her own despite her size. At first I did have to hold her in my hand, just so she could hold her head to the nipple because she couldn't do it on her own. I also bottle fed her formula frequently. She's also faster than them so she gets there first. 

It worried me because at first Mossy wouldn't touch her. Wouldn't lick or nuzzle or anything, but after she started getting better and stronger that changed and she gets all the same forceful lovin' as the other 6 now. 

I am still weighing them every two days, and she's not had a single day where she hasn't gained at least 8-10 grams. I think one day she put on almost 14! 

I'm curious to see how their coloring is going to come out. Mossy is bombay/DLH mix, with pretty pretty glossy black long hair. Big Boy is a solid black DLH, but he was more of a matte colored black than glossy. The kittens seem to have charcoal coats, with darker black stripes running lengthwise down their heads, and what looks like possible silver/smoke stockings on a couple of them. 

 bombay/DLH mix, with pretty pretty glossy black long hair.

Click to expand...

Ahem.  A genuine Bombay cat can't produce a longhair offspring...  More likely a lovely sleek shiny DSH.

It's preferable to weigh the kitten every day, not every other day.

That's what we were told by her "previous" owners, she has the shiny glossy sheen in her coat coloring and several of the traits, she has solid black leathery pads. Her hair isn't very long, just barely long enough to not be considered short haired. She's more of a fluffy semilonghaired than a long haired, but she has a rounded head, wide set eyes, her ears are set fairly far apart and tilt just a bit to the front. She has a short, but well defined muzzle. She looks lean but has a lot of muscle and strength. Aside from the coat length everything about her looks/feels/sounds Bombay. I know there is no way she would be a full breed, and that its probably a very low chance she has ANY "registered" bombay in her at all. 

Whatever she is she's pretty. And she makes pretty babies.  

There is a European long haired Bombay I saw somewhere, but I'm not sure what they bred with to get the effect. I don't think its a fully recognized breed yet, especially in the US.

Hmm could she be an "Asian" mix I wonder?

 "The term ‘Asian’ is used for cats of Burmese shape and coat texture, but with non-Burmese coat colour, pattern or length."

I was weighing them everyday up until day 15. Even though none of them have showed any decline in weight gain, activity, feeding, or movement I should still weigh daily?

Edit:

Her first litter took almost 4-5 months for their coat coloring to come in, and they all had the same glossy sheen she does. I wonder what the percentage is on the glossy coat over the matte coat for this litter. 

Asians are the UK cats descended from chicilla x Burmese mating and include black sh & slh.

A Bombay has a very short sleek coat and cannot produce lh kittens.

Vets are awful at cat breeds and shelters are very inclined to give cats breed labels as sadly it seems it helps home kittens.

If you cat has any real Bombay blood its a grandparent or further back.

PS all black cats have black pads as do brown tabbies, unless they have white feet. Then the pads are pink.

She was the first cat i've ever had with black pads. I know they can do genetic testing with dogs to find out their breed. Wonder if they do the same with cats? I'd love to know what she really is. 

Her first litter all had glossy short hair. Perhaps there is some burmese or bombay somewhere in her past that shows up in her kittens. hmm it would have to be very dominant though to pass through that many generations wouldn't it?

All black cats should have glossy coats!  It shows up better on short sleek coats, but a coat that isn't glossy indicates the cat isn't in the peak of condition.

I have some photos (somewhere!) of tabby street cats in Greece scampering away, and their black pads can clearly be seen.

However she is on at least her second litter.  How about getting her neutered?