Well, the little monkeys still aren’t too bothered about food, but with a litter of only four kittens they are still getting plenty from their mum and from their rapdly increasing size certainly aren’t going short of food! They do eat when the plate is put down, but only a bit. It will change – they aren’t even five weeks old yet!

The CK’s are old enough however to climb out of the kitten pen! This morning I came downstairs very early to let the dog out and they were running around playing in the lounge, bless them. I left them in peace and went back to bed with a cuppa but within a few minutes I could hear a commotion downstairs and it was Trinny moving the babies into the conservatory – again! This has happened a few times this week and we can only assume it’s because the conservatory is very warm in the mornings. Anyway, as always with battles between cats and us we know the cats always win, so all the food, water, litter tray and bed was moved to the conservatory where mum and babies have been happy all day.

Although this morning there were only three babies – we lost Talek!!!  Now, he is the explorer and my house can be a muddle at times, but there are only so many places a kitten can hide – or so we thought! We looked everywhere (I confess I even went into the garden in case he had squeezed out somehow). We found him in the end of course, behind a roll of off cut carpet (we are always being given off cuts to put down in the kitten area) and he was very cosy and fast asleep!

So all is well with the CK’s. Getting bigger and getting naughtier!

This is the pic that every breeder wants to be able to post – four bonny kittens tucking into a plateful of food! It’s been hit and miss over the last few days (apart from Piran who is a pig!) with the babies not exactly very enthusiastic about solids, but today has seen all of them eating quite happily, and finishing off the plate even! We have also been delighted to watch the CK’s discover the water bowl, especially when Piran put both his front paws into it and then just stood there until I rescued him! Talek dunked his nose right in and came up spluttering!

Jago is really such a naughty and playful kitten – he is always tormenting his brothers and sister but they are just as bad! Talek and Jago together make up double trouble! Karensa is a total sweetheart – definitely a little girl but a bit of a tomboy. And our Piran, who is staying with us, is such a gentle little soul who gets whacked and pounced on by his siblings but never retaliates.

Karensa                                          Talek

                                            Piran                       Jago

Pics!! At last !!  And how they have grown up!

                    Talek – Quite the outgoing adventurer……….

              Jago, and Jago with Talek – definitely Boys causing trouble!

Our sweet Karensa – but she can stick up for herself against her brothers!

                       The only pic of our Piran that came out!!  (far right)

              And yes – there is a cuckoo in the nest!!  Dino!

Last night I left the kittens downstairs in their basket as usual and was suprised each time I woke not to find them sneaked into bed with me. I found out where they were though when my alarm went off as on hearing the sound a set of four very loud kitten meows could be heard as the CK’s came running out from under the bed. Of course we had cuddles – for over half an hour so yes, I was late for work again )

Talek is definitely the bold leader of the gang! He has been first to do everything and as I am typing this he is leading Karensa and Jago around the lounge with Trinny worrying after them. Piran is asleep, bless him!

There is one thing that Talek hasn’t been first with though, and that’s eating! Piran is our champion as every meal sees him eating from the plate – and he just doesn’t stop! We are rather pleased about this though as recently Piran has not been keeping up with his siblings in weight or size so this may be what he needs. Karensa is eating from my fingers, but only if I literally push it in front of her nose. Talek and Jago though aren’t having any of it! There are tails to pounce on and ears to bite instead of boring food!

Lastly we think colours are changing!!  Jago is getting so dark we are thinking that he is more likely to be a Seal Tabby with White. As for Talek two people have suggested he is Fawn Spotted, not Lilac………..and Karensa? There is no way that girl is Lilac – she is so pale and so if Talek is indeed Fawn then Karensa is likely to be Fawn Tabby with White – quite an exciting colouring for us! We shall see………

And I’m so sorry as I know everyone is waiting for pics – but if I don’t get this diary online now there won’t be anything! I will try for later but as I am running out of time tonight it is more likely to be tomorrow.

What a difference a few days makes! The CK’s are everywhere! Two days ago Talek decided to be the first out of the basket and as we have seen with so many litters before, once one kitten decides to do something the others rapidly follow, and so it was only a few minutes later that all four kittens were tentatively wandering around the floor, carefully sniffing and exploring. Of course the next day they were up to speed and really don’t feel any nervousness now about running around their area.

We don’t believe in penning kittens, but until the babies are litter trained we do find that sectioning off an area of the lounge with the puppy pen stops them developing the bad habit of using any dark corner as a litter tray! It also ensures their safety when they are so small from our very playful spaniel! It won’t be long before the pen isn’t needed as the babies will just be able to climb over it anyway!

Last night Trinny stayed downstairs with her kittens – until 7am when one by one they were unceremoniously plonked down next to me in bed. Needless to say I was late for work because I spent half an hour just playing with them and watching them play – the CK’s were pouncing on each other, jumping on each other’s tails and trying hard to catch them – unsuccessfully! Trinny tried to wash Jago but the lad wasn’t in the mood – he in turn just tried to grab his mums ears between his paws and bite them! He didn’t win though because Trinny just pinned him down and gave him a darned good washing anyway!

This lunchtime I decided to offer the kittens some milk/baby rice mixture, which is what we always start to wean the babies with. I started with Talek as the biggest and boldest kitten. Well !! You’d have thought I was trying to poison him! The face he pulled had to be seen to be believed! Jago next with a very similar reaction, bless them both!!  Piran is a little smaller than the other two boys and so I didn’t think for one minute he would be ready to try any food from my fingers but wow! He

licked, and licked…….then sunk his very sharp teeth into a mushy lump of rice which unfortunately was on the end of my finger! I was delighted though that he showed a good interest. Karensa probably caused me the most amusement because she too was clearly not impressed….she shut her eyes and literally shuddered, but then ate some! She kept doing this and it was just like when I was little and knew I had to eat the disgusting boiled cabbage served up for school dinners!

This evening I will offer a little food again, and when all the kittens are happy to eat from my fingers I will start to add some meat to the mixture!

I was determined to get photos on tonight, but since 4pm I have been waiting for the CK’s to wake up – and they haven’t! I will try to add some later, however bad they are!

This morning we decided to bring the CK’s downstairs. Normally we wait until they are three weeks old but today seemed a good day as we are at home and can make sure that Trinny is settled and not trying to move the babies back upstairs again without us here. So far she has been quite content, and not at all bothered about our other cats coming to say hello to the babies. Even Dino spent five minutes cuddled up in the basket which was sweet, as she got a good top and tailing from Trinny along with the CK’s!

It won’t be many more days before the kittens are out of the basket and exploring! Then there will be no stopping them!

Talek’s patterning has developed enough for us to be certain that he is indeed a Spotted Tabby, so that’s one kitten decided on! We are still confident about the boys both being Blue, but someone yesterday suggested that Jago may be Seal!!   The two colours can appear very similar in the early weeks so we shall just have to see if he darkens any more.

We had a photo shoot today, but it wasn’t too successful as although Trin didn’t worry about her babies being taken from her, the kittens were so busy sniffing the new material I had put them on that almost all the photo’s were of kittens with their noses to the ground!

                                                            Talek                                         

                                                        Jago

                                                         Piran

                                                       Karensa

                                            The Cornish Kathes

                            (back – Jago; front – Piran, Talek, Karensa)

We gave Talek the wrong name! He should have been called whatever the Cornish name for "Adventurous Explorer" is! Talek doesn’t want to stay in one place – he just wants to go further, to see what’s beyond the nest…the bed……. Four times last night I woke up to find that Talek had climbed out of the nest I have made from some of my duvet, scrambled up me, and was just sat watching me! That boy is deep!

Karensa is a noisy girl! She is as talkative already as her mum who without doubt has that wonderful Siamese characteristic of being a total chatterbox. Karensa always tells me all about it! The boys are, well………….lazy! But boys are, aren’t they!!  They both seem very laid back chaps.

At 2 1/2 weeks old the CK’s seem very much like little kittens now. They are so much more mobile and in a couple of days we will be bringing them downstairs to the lounge. Trinny won’t be happy about it, but that’s a battle we’ve had many times before until a new mum realises her babies are still safe. Although Trin is still moving her little ones into the suitcase every now and again, but sometimes she only moves two of them???  We don’t understand that one!

When the CK’s come downstairs I admit I shall miss them being in bed with me at night. I don’t think we have ever had a litter of kittens that get as much fuss and cuddles as these babies, and that’s saying something because we have always spent a lot of time with our kittens from the day they are born.

The last few days have been very busy as our Flinstones have been leaving us – all except Fred and Dino that is who, bless them, are still waiting for the right home to come along.

The CK’s are becoming such strong babies and are a lot more mobile. Today I left the kittens on the bed in a sort of nest made from my duvet. When I returned Piran was sat in the middle floor just quietly looking around! As soon as he saw me he started yelling for England! Typical!

These are such relaxed babies and I’m sure that is a combination of the inherited temperaments from both their parents who are so loving themselves, and the fact that I am not often away from these kittens – they are constantly being cuddled, more than any litter we’ve had. Mind you they get cuddled all night as well and we have a special 20 minutes in the mornings! Talek particularly likes to have his tummy tickled )

We have been surprised at the number of enquiries we have had for these babies, but then they are from a mating between two very special and unique lines.

Karensa is starting to get just slight colour to her ears now and we are more confident that she is a Lilac Tabby with White. Talek is more definitely a Lilac Spotted Tabby, rather than any other pattern.

Unfortunately the weather has been so dull today I couldn’t managed pics without the flash, and I so hate seeing pink eyes because  in reality they are such a beautiful blue!

The Cornish Kathes are back in the suitcase!!!

We thought we had got over this stage but obviously not. I haven’t even bothered this evening to move them out because until I go to bed and Trin can bring her babies into bed with me I would be wasting my time!  In fact I should know better than to try to go against the natural instinct of a mum!

I was even very late for work this morning because just as the alarm went off Talek climbed up my and sat near my face gazing at me……! Well, that was me lost for a good 20 minutes playing with the kittens. Talek even fell asleep and was purring so loudly!  It still amazes me that a kitten only two weeks old can purr!

This afternoon we decided that Trin should have free access to the whole house again. She isn’t aggressive (as a new mum can sometimes be) to any of our other girls, and at lunchtime she was jumping up at the bedroom door trying to open it. We would rather have a happy relaxed mum….

I will add pics tomorrow! Sorry! But this evening has been busy because due to a change of circumstances the family that had hoped to have two of our kittens from the Flinstones cannot now offer them a home, so as these two kittens are ready to leave home we have been busy trying to list them on all the websites as available again. Mind you, if they end up staying then…..well…….I can’t say I’ll mind that much!

And weights? We are really, really pleased! Karensa (being a girl) is falling behind but that is to be expected. The boys have all puton huge gains and both Talek and Jago are now over 300g with Piran not far behind!

Sorry that tonight there isn’t a proper diary but it’s been a very busy day, with kittens leaving from the Flinstones as well as a kitten family visiting. Just as they were leaving our dog was barking in the garden which was most unusual and when we went to see what the matter was it seems the safety gate hadn’t been closed properly and two of our cats were wandering in the garden!!!  Well, at least our dog was clever enough to know this wasn’t right and let us know. We easily collected up the cats and brought them back in but it did give us a fright.

I realised tonight that for the first time ever I am not weighing this litter every day! This is because we are so happy with their progress and can actually see them growing daily. We will weigh tomorrow (2 weeks old) for the record. We have never felt so relaxed about a litter before.

We have decided that Piran isn’t a Tabby but most likely just Blue Point with White as we cannot see strong stripes on his tail. We are still thinking Karensa is Lilac Tabby with White and are hoping she may go to a show/breed home. Jago at the moment is the kitten that is most likely to stay with us. Although we do adore Talek – he has a certain ‘something’ about him – his colouring and pattern just doesn’t work for our breeding programme.

At nearly two weeks old these babies seem very vulnerable – they stagger about the kittening box and are still totally dependent. It seems impossible that only one more week will find us with babies that are strong enough and confident enough to leave the kittening box and run around causing extreme stress to their poor mum!

Watch this space……………