Duchess and Kittens, Week 3

There is never a dull moment when fostering a little cat family! Here is another update from Jackie.

My Fascination with Kittens
I arrived home from work to join the world of cats for a short while. I like this time when nobody else is around and I can be with Duchess and the kittens all by myself. With Duchess no longer caged up in the kennel she is free to roam the room and she is very protective of her doorway. When you enter the Domain of Duchess you need to be fast. I have now had the experience twice of Duchess catching the scent of the other cats outside her bedroom door. The first time Oliver was cornered on the couch and the most recent time it was our kitty Princess that was the target. Momma cats are very protective of their litter because in the wild unattended babies would surely mean death for them. Princess tucked tail and ran as fast as she could. It was minutes later we located her on the dining room table. A quick pet on the head and she was fine.

With the kittens growing and starting to use their wobbly legs it won’t be long before they are chasing the tail of one of the cats or dog in the house. The decision to keep them located in a bedroom seems a safe bet for everyone involved. We also have had to make a new nest for the wee little kitties as they were getting cramped in their laundry basket. I told my husband we would never have a use for the rolling cupboard shelving and now it is a nest for Duchess and her babies. The box we converted is roughly 24x39x10" tall and has ample room for the kittens to try out there new legs.

At 3 weeks old they are moving quickly through the milestones I have read online about. An interesting cat fact I found was that they are born unable to retract their claws. I noticed right away the little balls of fluff razor sharp claws. At about 27 days old kittens can retract their claws at will. Kittens will learn most of the things they need to know from interactions with their mother and their siblings. Something as simple as raking litter will be learned by watching Duchess in the litter box.

At 6 to 8 weeks the kittens will start to wean from Duchess and at that time she will go to the vet to get spayed. The kittens will start to eat solid food as their tiny teeth start to come in. These first teeth will be only temporary and are replaced with permanent teeth.

Young kittens grow quickly. By the age of 6 months they have reached puberty and can reproduce litters of their own if pet owners do not take precautions to prevent them. If you chose to adopt one of Duchess’ kittens you will sign a contract with P.F.A. agreeing to have them spayed or neutered at the appropriate age. Usually 6 months is the age recommended by vets.


Jackie

Foster Mom

P.S. After I wrote the blog I sat to watch our little family nurse. It is a mosh pit of kittens fighting for their favourite nipple. They will paw at their siblings and dive head first to get what nipple they have. The tiniest of the litter is our Mittens and I find myself helping her to find a spot to eat at night. After the feeding frenzy is over the kittens’ one by one break latch, lick their lips and curl up on the back of whoever is the closest. It is at this time that Duchess is the most content and purring. I wonder how I am going to be able to let them go, they are all so cute!