Archive for September, 2010

Video of kittens playing

Posted by Jacq in Kitten News on September 21, 2010

I should probably note ahead of time that the white kitten does not actually glow in real life. Only on my phone’s camera.

They are almost 6 weeks old now…

kittens, litter 2, video

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Cork Cat Show – Xena’s a Champion!

Posted by Jacq in Cat Shows on September 19, 2010

Our Xena is now Champion Labrys Warrior Princess and she then went on to get Best British over some very lovely kitties. We’re chuffed!

It was a busy day for Em who was there on her lonesome as I had to stay at home and play with kittens (it’s a hard life, I know!). She was also helping one of the judges on the day (stewarding) so she didn’t get to chat with many people unfortunately!

Show Results, Xena

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You might find this interesting: Weigh Ins

Posted by Jacq in Misc on September 19, 2010

You might think cat breeding is all about being surrounded by adorable fluff-balls all day, and it mostly is. But we have to do a few things to make sure that the adorable fluff-balls are healthy.

Weight gain is the easiest measure of a young kitten’s health. Any kitten not gaining steadily needs to see a vet or be supplemented with bottle feeds.

A lot of people stop weighing after the kittens are weaned. And that probably makes sense. But because we had a rescue kitten in foster care here once who died at the age of 6 weeks, I keep weighing the kittens until it’s too unwieldy to do so.

So yeah, a few seconds every morning makes sure we know our kittens are happy and healthy and full. Going on last year and this year’s average (yup, I have a big ole spreadsheet on the computer too), the average gains are 10-11g/day.

White kitten looks set to be the giant. He was the largest when born and is now 60g heavier than his siblings. He also has massive paws and loves his food in a way that’s a bit unholy.

The rest are very close in size and a bit calmer about their food.

health

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New Photos: 5 weeks old

Posted by Jacq in Kitten News on September 17, 2010

These weren’t easy to get. Even after the length of time it took me to get 3 kittens to sit still long enough to have their photos taken, white managed to get his face dirty (doesn’t he look like he’s having a laugh!) and I have no idea which blue kittens I have photos of. They move too quickly for me these days.

They’re starting to discover toys, and deciding which ones are theirs. There was a little bit of baby growling today as one tried to use another’s toy!

They are so much fun. Only 3 weeks now til those of you waiting can come and visit the babies!

British Shorthair, kittens, litter 2

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Buying a Kitten?

Posted by Jacq in Misc on September 11, 2010

It's vital to see the home the kittens were born in

This is a guide for anyone who lands on this page, whether you decide to buy one of our kittens or not. I’ve recently placed our ad on DoneDeal.ie and at the same time have noticed ads on websites that sound suspect or where the kittens look unhealthy.

I don’t want you ending up with a sick kitten. So here you go, some tips for kitten shopping.

1. Read the GCCFI’s Code of Ethics. If you are purchasing from a breeder, these are the absolute minimum standards you should expect. Our in-house policies go significantly further.

2. Read up on your chosen breed. If there’s one in your area, go to a cat show and meet the cats. There are breeds whose looks I love but their personalities wouldn’t fit with my lifestyle.

3. If you have never had a cat before, be upfront with the breeder about that. Most of us have a lot of cats and assume that people know the basics. It’s not big deal if you don’t, provided you’re happy to learn!

4. Never, under any circumstances, accept an offer to “meet you halfway” to deliver the kitten unless you have already been to the breeder’s home. It is in your absolute best interest to see where the kitten has spent the first 3-4 months of her life.

5. Ask to see the mother cat. You may not get to see the father as many breeders (ourselves included) take our girls to boys owned by other breeders.

6. Turn off your emotions for a little while. Don’t walk out with a sickly kitten. You’re only encouraging bad breeding and the suffering of more animals if you pay money for kittens who have not been properly cared for. If you feel pressured or manipulated, just leave.

7. If the breeder doesn’t ask any questions of you, think carefully about how much they care about the home that kitten is going to. And then wonder how much they cared while that kitten was in their care. The questions may be annoying and intrusive, but they help us match the right kittens to the right homes and make sure that the kittens we’ve cared for go to the best possible situations.

Any questions at all, feel free to email me.

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4 Weeks Old… how time flies! (video & piccies)

Posted by Jacq in Kitten News on September 10, 2010

The kittens are flying around the place! They’re eating solid food now, which is a huge relief because Snowball’s milk was drying up and we were having to supplement with a bottle.

The kittens are colour-coded so we can tell them apart, so we call them by their colour codes. White is, obviously, white. The three blue kittens are blue, pink and purple. Purple and White are males and Blue and Pink are females.

Pink is the sweetheart of the litter. Super-friendly, she always wants human attention. They’re all friendly, but only Pink races to the door to greet us!

White is a loner and doesn’t play with the other kittens as much. Just a quieter kitten, but he loves his cuddles.

Blue and Purple are adorable slobs. They love to sleep and eat.

Pink and Blue appear to have the most promise as far as type is concerned, so anybody looking for a show kitten will want one of the girls.

Now, pictures!