At
long last, here is the entry that I have been waiting to write!
KITTENS!
It
happened last night. I had just
crawled into bed with Lula, but instead of opening my book, I set it aside to
pet her. I’ve spent so much time
with my hand on her belly lately, and so when I rested it there and noticed that
she had some milk, and asked her “Are you ready to have those kittens yet,
Lu?” I didn’t expect her to go into contractions that very minute.
It took me a second to figure out that they were, in fact, contractions.
I tried to time how far between they were, but I kept losing track
because they came so frequently, and even if I’d been successful,
I have no idea what the times mean in cat labor time anyway.
The contractions started about 8:50, and within ten or fifteen minutes,
the first bit of baby 1 started to emerge.
I’m not naming them until I figure out if they are boys or girls, so
sorry for calling them by numbers in advance!
#1 was born at 9:30, and is all black.
I’m pretty sure it’s a boy. #1
was born breeched- his tail was the first thing out. Poor Lu handled the pain like a trooper, and I helped her by
letting her push her feet against my hand during the contractions like they
suggest, and petting her and telling her how wonderful she is in between (which
I normally do every waking hour of the day).
When Baby 1 was out, and I
saw its cute little paws with the tiny little claws, I cried.
I
was worried because every time that #1 tried to nurse, Lula would either start
grooming it, thus moving it around, or she would move to try to get into a more
comfortable position. At 9:55,
she went into contractions again, and
at 10:09, #2 was born- black and white, and just as cute as #1.
Some quick examinations led me to believe that #1 is a a boy and #2 a
girl, but I don’t really trust my judgment yet.
I’m not sure what time the contractions started,
but #3 was born in one fell swoop at 10:40, the only one to come
head-first. I don’t know if it
was that she was turned the right way around, or just that Lu had already popped
two out, but she literally popped out, in contrast to the several minutes it
took each of the others to emerge into the world.
Number 3 is black and white like 2, but I can already tell them apart
despite almost identical markings. 3,
fast in birth, seems to be fast at anything- she can find a nipple if its within
50 feet of her, where I can set 2 right on top of one, and she will search
forever and still not find it.
I
waited and waited for #4. According
to the clock, there had been 40 and 31 minutes between the others, so #4 should
have arrived around 11:15. When the
clock hit 11:40 and there was still no #4, I gazed at Lula and once again
proclaimed her the best cat in the world- all these weeks since I’ve known she
was pregnant, I have told her over and over “Only 3, Lu.
That’s the most we can keep.” Can
this cat do no wrong?
Did
you catch that she had the kittens on my bed?
I managed to get towels down under and around her during the first
contractions, but some of the…em…ickyness still got through to my pretty
pretty new sheets. The towels got
thrown away, but a good pre-treating and then washing of the sheets have them
looking good as new. Good thing
I’m not squeamish. When mom found
out Lu was in labor on my bed, she wanted me to move her, but I flat out
refused. Lu sleeps with me ever
night, and if she chose to have her kittens in my bed right next to me, as
opposed to most cats who try to hide, then that’s where she was going to have
them. Lu is a very spoiled only
child.
I
nearly fell asleep waiting for another kitten,
which is amazing given the horrendously uncomfortable position my legs
were in, but Lu was resting her arm on one, and the other was keeping the
kittens from wandering off the side of the bed, so I couldn’t move them. I was so exhausted by the time they were all born, I felt
like I was the one who had just given birth.
Given my tendency to occasionally roll over on Lula in the middle of the
night, I knew they couldn’t stay in my bed, so I lined the bathtub with some
fluffy towels and relocated them there, where they all seem to be quite content.
2
and 3 crack me up. First, its
uncanny how much they look like Lu, except for that they both have a tiny splash
of white on their forehead. 3, the
expert nipple finder, and 2, who can’t find one under its nose, fight over the
same nipple constantly. (Anyone else think my google hits will skyrocket with
this many uses of the word nipple?) 2
does everything he/she can to whack 3 off of his/her nipple, because I guess
that’s the only way that 2 can find one.
Its hilarious to watch them kick-scratch-fighting each other over a place
to eat. 1 is laid back and kind of
the loner so far. Very mellow.
I
can’t wait for this time next week when their eyes will be opening! More than anything, I look forward to when they become a bit
more independent- I miss Lula’s company!
Its hard to explain how weird it is to look over at my bed during the day
and not see her there, or how lonely it was to fall asleep without her last
night!
I tried to take lots of pictures of them, but apparently when you’re a tiny black fuzzball whose eyes aren’t even open yet, its hard to be photogenic. Thus, in the meantime, I’ll leave you with just this parting shot.
leave a comment - Or at least go buy Lula some baby shower presents. I hear she likes dvd's and books.
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