Four Puttikins Caught for an Instant

It becomes increasingly difficult to capture the kittens in a decent photograph. Their energy always appeared to be boundless but now they are constantly in motion when I am in their presence.

They have developed extraordinary talents as pickpockets as well. Whenever I wear any garment that contains pockets, they slip a paw or two effortlessly into those pockets to remove the contents one by one. They dip into the pockets again and again until they have emptied them, bearing off their booty in the form of paper hankies, plastic wrappers from sweeties and bits of paper. No matter what the object, it is a toy in their hands and they explore it from every angle, nibbling at it, biting it, hurling it across the floor or into the air. In fact, they are so terribly disappointed when I wear clothing without pockets that I now am condemned to an eternal fate as a spurious 'bag lady', wearing four pairs of trousers to prevent injury when they climb my legs and old cardigans or jackets with capacious pockets so they can steal from me.

I was able to take one photograph of the four kittens as they paused for a moment before they prepared to mount a new assault on my pockets.

Puttikins Adventures I

I wanted to capture the first couple of months of the Kittens' life somehow. This may be of little interest to any one, but I think I will be happy to have the record of these Kittens and their antics one day.

Kittens on Display

Here is a current photograph of the Kittens as they appear when I interrupt their afternoon nap simply by entering the room. They are so attuned to me that they instantly awaken.

I had forgotten how extreme the behaviour of children (both human and feline) can be, how they swing wildly from frenetic activity to total exhaustion. Usually, my entrance is the cue for them to begin playing. They do nothing halfway. WHen they play, their energy is boundless. They tend to try to do things that are beyond their capacity, like climbing the walls (literally). They are endlessly entertaining but they leave a trail of destruction in their wake. They play and I have to tidy up after they race through their food dishes, splash through their water and overturn anything that they can manage to tip over.

The kitten stretching on the far left is the only female in the litter. The kitten to the right of her is the smaller male. The flamepoint on the far right in the northeast corner is the one who has been dubbed 'Leo.' He is the fluffiest in the litter.

Mayor Breakthrough! A Proud Mother Applauds!

The Warriors series by Erin Hunter is a major tour de force in the world of children's literature. The 'Warriors' are cats and the series describes the life of cats who belong to various clans. The perspective is strictly feline. Humans are called 'Twolegs' and cats that do not belong to any of the Clans are referred to as 'rogues'. The euphemism employed for cats who perform the normal function of elimination is called 'making dirt. Well, this morning, two of my kittens 'made dirt' for the first time in the litter box! Oh happy day! Perhaps I no longer will be treated to the discovery of little hidden 'treasures' in their bedding. Actually, I do not expect instant compliance with the regulations of civilisation by all four kittens, but I was thrilled by the quick comprehension of the two I monitored.

Beauty had nothing whatsoever to do with THIS. My morning ritual with the Cats has changed radically now that all four escape from their playpen immediately when I arrive. They are willing to eat and drink ANYTHING, and are as happy to sample the water bowl and food bowl of their parents as they are to drink or eat from their own dishes, even though the 'adult' feeding station is too high for them to reach. They simply find a way to climb and then eat while their little back legs dangle! It is such an amusing sight.

In any case, after the usual pandemonium of kittens tracking food and Catmilk all over the floor, combining early warrior training with their breakfast, I returned all four to the playpen/bed, hoping they would settle with their mother. I suppose I should not have been surprised when two of the kittens instantly ran to the eastern boundary of the bed, designated by them as their 'dirt place'. Seeing this, I promptly deposited one in the smallest litter box, where I had placed some of their little 'treasures' previously in order to show them its function.

The little kitten promptly 'made dirt' in the box without any preliminaries. His sibling was scratching in the eastern border of the bed, so I transferred her to the litter box. She had a completely different ritual. Like an adult cat, she scratched and created a deep hole in the litter before she 'made dirt'. No parent could have been prouder (and more relieved!). Now it remains to teach the other two.

It is amazing how kittens from the same litter can be so different even from birth. Two girls who met them immediately named the two most adventurous kittens Leonardo and Dora, but as I did not name them, those names are not official. The reason for the name of 'Dora' was 'Dora the Explorer'. I probably will affix an 'A' to it to make the name a bit more elegant and she will be Adora, although I daresay Dora will stick as a nickname. 'Leo' seems apt for the largest cat, although I had intended to give him the name of Attila, as he fits it far better than his father, Ashleigh Attila.

In any case, it was this pair who first mastered the art of eating solid food, of drinking from a bowl and now, of 'making dirt' in a litter box. In fact, they were the first to make dirt without help from their mother. My personal favourite, as usual, is the 'runt' of the litter, the flame-coloured male who is slightly smaller and more docile than his littermates. He is not too far behind the others, however, as he now can escape from the playpen, and I found him hanging from the adult feeding station yesterday.

All in all, a morning feeding ritual that once took half an hour at most now can occupy almost two hours. There is the Greeting ritual, where I must have each of the parents in turn on my lap, followed by each of the Kittens. Then there is the Setting of the Tables, where I must use ingenuity and every dish I can find to dispense wet food, adult dry food, kitten dry food (thanks, Mars!), Catmilk and Water in various locations, so that the more aggressive diners cannot monopolise the food or Milk. I have to supervise this now, as Kittens tend to romp OVER the plates, tracking milk and food everywhere...

Once the breakfast is somewhat concluded, I have to tidy up both kittens and floor before rounding them all up and depositing them again in the playpen/bed. This morning, the litter box ritual was added. I now will have to spend more time waiting for the Kittens to decide they wish to make dirt, so that I can make certain they go to the litter box instead of the eastern border of the bedding!

Sadly, I did not have my camera when I saw two of the Kittens hanging perilously from the adult feeding station this morning, sampling their parent's dry food, but I did manage to take a photograph of Beauty with her little son as he sampled the same food, eschewing the kitten dish and kitten food in favour of his parents' fare.

Pandemonium

At the start of a new year, the four Kittens have developed new awareness and a heightened sense of adventure.

They were born on 2 December and thus are a month old now. There is such an enormous difference between newborn kittens and kittens who have reached a month's age.

Their hearing and vision now is keen. As soon as I enter the room, they begin to clamour for me. They attempt to leap out of their box and today, one succeeded in doing so. It is only when I place all four of them on my lap that they stop crying, but they do not settle down by any means. Instead, they engage in wrestling bouts and bite and scratch their siblings playfully. Today, Beauty actually leapt onto my lap as well with the Kittens and one attempted to nurse despite the awkward position!

They are so very beautiful, so perfectly formed, so filled with life. Every day with them is a joy.

Kitten's First Real Drink

The Kitten who once was the 'White Kitten' now displays points, albeit far lighter than the two siblings who resemble him in a general way. The other two definitely will be Flamepoints. Although this Kitten has points that are lighter, they still may be golden rather than blue.

In any case, always more mature than his siblings, he lunged towards the little dish I had filled with Cat Milk about half an hour ago. Beauty had demonstrated such a need for food that I decided to give her a tin of Cat Milk to restore her strength. The four Kittens do drain her a little.

When I served the Milk to her, the largest Kitten showed a definite interest in it. I placed the dish in a strategic location and put him next to it. He immediately began to lap the milk!

The little marmalade kitten, on the other hand, simply bit the edge of the dish repeatedly and never really took an interest. I expect all four will be drinking liquids from the dish in a day or two.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

A tree that once belonged to some dolls has been lent to the Kittens to introduce them to some old Christmas traditions. A sleigh, likewise borrowed from the dolls, was given to them briefly, although their exploration of it was tentative. It is not the Dolls' best Tree, so if Beauty destroyed it in a fit of rage, the dolls would not grieve too much.

Beauty quickly became agitated by the two alien objects and I was forced to return them to the dolls... For Beauty's sake more than the Tree, as she bit it rather fiercely and I did not wish her to ingest any of it. I don't dare place real evergreens near them.

All done in some haste as I need to trim a REAL TREE before Christmas!

The Independent Soul

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The White male is the Independent Soul in the litter. More and more, I see him moving in his own direction. While the others race to find nourishment, he stretches languidly or wanders off. He is not neglecting his nourishment by any means, but somehow he must satisfy himself earlier than the others. As one of the most aggressive in the litter, that makes sense. He then takes a nap off to the side, stretching, yawning...

His brothers and sisters often climb over him but this does not disturb him in the least. Beauty is a little non-plussed by the change in his behaviour. She will try to groom him to return his attention to her, but often he simply naps on, refusing to emerge from his relaxing pose.

I am beginning to wonder if the White Kittens will be Flamepoints rather than Bluepoints. Ashleigh is a classical Bluepoint but although it is difficult to tell what sort of colouring will emerge in the next two months, these white kittens could become Flamepoints, given the lightness in their colouring and their mother's colouring. I always fancied a Flamepoint Himalayan but one falls in love with personalities rather than appearance for the most part, and my Cats ultimately chose me rather than the other way round!

A Suspicious Mother

When the eyes of all four kittens opened at last, they immediately began to explore the horizons of their newly discovered universe. Their personalities have begun to surface as well. The white male is the most adventurous of the litter. He often wanders far from his Mother and his siblings. 'Far' in relative terms, in any case, as the limits of his world are within two handspans of the 'centre' at most. The little Marmalade kitten is the other adventurous soul, wandering away from his Mother sometimes even when the others are nursing.

These two intrepid explorers nonetheless tend to cry as they wander, whether out of a desire to test their lungs or to make their mother aware of their location, I cannot tell. It is a small cry rather than a desperate one, a voice that almost sounds like a running commentary of the kitten's discoveries.

I know I am reading far more significance into their actions than probably exists. They may simply be stretching their stubby fat little legs or they may be attempting to find the all-important source of milk now by sight rather than smell...

I can hold a kitten now only if he/she is silent and does not cry. If the kitten makes ANY sound, Beauty becomes extremely agitated and I must return him or her to the natural guardian. She differs in this respect from every other Queen I have had. My beloved Isis always trusted me with her kittens and welcomed my attentions. My Princess never was much of a mother and deposited her kittens into MY lap immediately upon birth. My first Himalayan Queen, Tasie (Anastasia) was a loving mother but like Isis, her daughter, welcomed my help. Beauty alone has a very jealous nature where her babies are concerned. Perhaps this is due to the tragedy in September when she lost her entire litter. I wonder if she associates my attempts to save their lives with their ultimate disappearance. Cats DO have a long memory. Trauma suffered by a kitten can influence his/her behaviour forever. I have detected a steely determination in Beauty from the moment she went into heat again after the death of her last kitten in September. This is not something I have imagined, contrary to my creative interpretations of the little Kittens' current thoughts and motives.

Ash still is not at ease with the presence of his own children in his world. He has taken over the old kitten box and peers over the edge of the box at the Kittens with their mother. He and Beauty were inseparable before she delivered this litter. I could not take one from the room without making the other anxious. In fact, if I took Ash from the room, Beauty would cry loudly and angrily for his return. Ash simply would wait anxiously at the door until his beloved sister returned. This new phase in Beauty's life where her attention is directly exclusively towards the four kittens, must have smashed a hole in poor Ash's spirit. He must come to terms with it, obviously. After all, he is half responsible for the existence of the little ones! He always has been a quiet cat and a thoughtful one, and I can see that he gradually is coming to terms with the changes in his universe. I have no doubt that he will be a very loving father when he overcomes his cowardice and Beauty allows him to move closer to the Kittens. I expect that she has warned him off to some extent as well...

Now that the eyes of the Kittens have opened, Beauty has a new voice for them. She makes a small sound to let them know where she is when any Kitten begins to wander away. She does not prevent the Kitten from doing so, but she will continue to make this sound until all four kittens are nursing again. It is rather charming, very different from her voice when she is anxious about them.

Beauty's jealous nature with respect to her Kittens as well as her total focus upon them has distanced her from me, temporarily I hope. She will not sit in my lap now, although she will leap onto my lap for a second in order to be caressed very briefly. She is more likely to do this when I am holding Ashleigh, and in fact, this always was her habit even before she had the Kittens. She is a rather jealous cat in every respect, formerly jealous of my attention and now jealous of her Kittens. I love both Beauty and Ashleigh dearly, but neither of them exhibit the sort of total love that my other Cats displayed for me. Of course, a fundamental difference between my other Cats and these two is that the others knew me from birth and with Queens who shared every aspect of their lives with me, they almost considered me their Mother as well.

Every Cat, like every human being, is unique and one does not replace another in the heart. The deaths of those whom I loved, whether human or feline, has forced me to recognise this. The pain of loss cannot be dispelled by a new love. A portion of the heart becomes a mausoleum where the memories of all the beloved dead reside. If one person or pet could be substituted for another, any memories of former loves would become worthless. As it is, we continue to value each person or pet we have known and loved while widening the scope of our hearts to include new loves.

This brings me to an equation for Love that includes Need. In the old Northern Rune system, the Rune Nauthiz signified Need or Need-Fire, the power of a fire kindled by necessity, and indeed the physical form of the Rune is that of a firestick and the twig that is rubbed against it to produce a flame. The love of a mother for her child is permeated by Nauthiz on both sides. The child's entire existence for the first couple of years is based on Need for the Mother's love and her ability to give sustenance. The love between any Pet and Owner is founded on the same sort of Need. A Pet usually cannot survive without the Owner's care and this deepens the bond for the owner as well as the animal. It would be the same if our society permitted ownership of Slaves. The bond between a Slave and a good Master or Mistress would have a very strong foundation based upon mutual Need.

In terms of the Love between equals, however, it is said that Need is a a negative element in the equation. True Love should not depend on Need but be free of all considerations of personal interest. If this were the case, however, one would be in the position of a Saint whose love for each and every creature must be equal. One could not elevate any individual over any other in the heart, for if we remove the element of personal interest from the equation, what remains is essentially impersonal. We could base love then upon value in terms of character or the actions of an individual but that creates a foundation for Admiration and Respect rather than Love.

Love must be based either on Need or upon some psychic connection between individuals, whether it is initiated by sexual or another sort of attraction. Attraction is not Love but it creates the spark that initiates it. Need and Attraction often are combined and the equation of any relationship between 'equals' never can be defined properly in simplistic terms. Where the relationship between any human being and a Pet is concerned, although the equation is not as simple as basic Need, it certainly is an inherent part of its foundation.

It is part of the human condition to need to be needed by some one or something. It validates us as breathing, living entities. It provides us with a place in the universe in connecting us with others, whether they are human beings, animals, Nature iteself or another philosophical, political or social Cause. The individual who is afraid of Love tends to cut himself or herself off from others completely. I have known those who, having lost some one, whether a member of the family or a Pet, vows never to become involved with any one again. The reason for this is fear of Pain.

Yet the pain of intense loneliness can be as sharp or relentless as the pain of loss when some one beloved dies. Without Love, no creature can thrive. Without wishing to become a Slave either of any human or any animal, I actually love the sense of being needed by my Pets. My heart expands in the knowledge that my actions improve their lives. When my own life is particularly difficult, I am inspired to continue struggling in the face of potential despair by the knowledge that I am needed. Is this a weakness of character? I do not believe it is. I believe it keeps me connected with the universe and by opening my heart to love, I receive a blessing that is as essential to my spiritual welfare as sunlight is to the body.

In any case, despite Beauty's insistence on being the sum total of everything her babies need, they all need me and she relies upon me to keep her fed and to keep her home clean and warm. It gives me joy to provide for my Cats and sustains my spirit when life is rather grim. My spiritual need for my Cats is as intense as their physical need for me. I know that the emotional bond is equal, that my Cats would grieve if they lost me. I have seen it in other Cats who lost their Masters or Mistresses. They never forgot them, even if they learned to love a new Master or Mistress.

The spiritual and emotional benefits derived from interactions with our Pets has been studied and documented. In fact, there are those who take Cats and Dogs to retirement homes and hospitals for visits and the results have been extremely positive. Simply petting a Cat or Dog can lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety and lighten the burdens of the soul.

The ancient Egyptians worshipped cats as sacred creatures and that attitude actually is neither primitive nor illogical. For the ancient Egyptians, animals and human beings shared a common foundation and their depictions of their Gods therefore were half-human, half-animal. Their vision of the afterlife encompassed all the creatures of Nature, including plants, rivers and seas. In fact, later religions incorporate some of this, both in Christian and Islamic views of Heaven. In Islam, Heaven is described in terms of Gardens and Fountains. Christianity describes Heaven as a place where the Lion, a predator in this life, exists in harmony with the Lamb, the most helpless of prey here on Earth. Any one who loves Animals and has Pets would like to believe that the Afterlife would reunite them. Furthermore, contrary to some dogma in Christianity, Islam and other religious philosophies, I believe that ancient depictions of Gods as part-human, part-animal served to remind humanity of the fact that they erred if they believed they somehow were superior to other creatures in the eyes of the Divine. When we forget our place in the Universe, we are in danger of destroying that Universe. Any environmentalist can provide evidence of the damage humanity has done to OUR environment. We can pretend we are superior to other creatures but, in the ultimate analysis, our survival is linked to that of the same Earth that shelters ALL life. It is only by recognising that all Creatures are part of the same entity that we will thrive.

Eyes Open, Eyes Closed!

There is a little game that I played with a little girl at bedtime. Very few children ever want to go to bed and one tries all sorts of strategies to lull them into sleep. Bedtime stories are one of these. I would read the child a bedtime story but find that her eyes remained fixed upon the book or upon me as I read. I would cry: 'Eyes closed!' and she would respond, 'Eyes OPEN!' It became a little game for the toddler, and she would laugh delightedly each time she cried out, 'Eyes OPEN!'

I thought of that as the newborn kittens began to open their eyes for the first time. In the space of two days, all four of them opened their eyes to take their first view, however blurred, of their new world.

Yes, capturing a photograph of this wonderful new landmark in their lives proved far more difficult than I expected. I am the one who would have to cry, 'Eyes OPEN!'
Either they close their eyes or their faces are hidden from me each time I try to take a photograph...

Part of the problem is that I must shoot downwards into their bed, which is not very promising where a view of their bright little eyes is concerned. Beauty does not help matters either. If I try to remove a kitten for a moment to place him/her in a location where I have a better angle for a photograph, Beauty becomes very distressed. The kittens cry, the Mother cries and I allow myself to be defeated very easily. After all, it's only a photograph...

I did manage to take one 'candid' photograph of a kitten finally with his eyes open. My first successful photograph, taken by holding the kitten's head firmly in the palm of my own hand to keep his head aloft, looked too grim for words, as it appeared almost as though I were throttling the poor little creature. In reality, I held him very gently, but the photograph of him in his own 'bed' will be far less disturbing, both to Beauty and to any potential viewers.

The Kittens on a Cold Saturday

We are being subjected to extremely cold weather here, but the Kittens remain warm, thanks to Beauty and their natural instinct to huddle together in a pile.

This morning, I found only three Kittens in the pile when I first awakened and performed my early morning inspection. Not hearing the sound of any desperately lost soul, I was anxious for a moment... but I found the fourth Kitten sandwiched between the duvet and the heavy blanket, sound asleep!

This represents a new stage in maturity for them actually. Previously, no Kitten would have gone to sleep unless Beauty or its siblings were close enough to touch. Nor would any Kitten allow me to take him/her from siblings or mother to hold. This morning, I was able to set a Kitten on my knee for a moment and rather than howling, he sat there contentedly for a brief interval while Beauty was catching a quick breakfast.

The eyes of all four Kittens remain sealed shut, but there are signs that this will change shortly. It almost looks as though their eyes are shut in sleep now, rather than being sealed.

Holiday Anticipation

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This has been a very difficult Autumn for me, and one that has been fraught with anxiety. With very little money and almost no mobility, I almost despair of being able to organise a proper Yuletide celebration.

Beauty's delivery of four healthy kittens on 2 December was the best Advent gift in the world. Now, each day, I look forward to the next little sign of progress in the lives of the kittens. It generates almost as much anticipation as the thought of opening the next little window on the Advent Calendars we had as children.

Nine days old now, the largest kitten's eyes may open in the next day or two. Another sign is a new tendency to roam a little when they are not nursing. Their movements would not be described as 'roaming' by any frame of reference other than that of a week-old kitten, I daresay, but for a tiny blind creature who has been in the world for only a week to strike out and explore his environment a few inches from his mother's warm belly IS courageous.

Beauty tends to them scrupulously. They are spotless, warm and their little bellies are rounded and plump. She still have an incredible appetite herself but never loses sight of their needs for a moment.

Any one who spared a glance for the photographs on this site probably would think them all alike, and not be able to see any significant change between the appearance of the newborns on 2 December and their appearance a week later.

To me, though, it is fascinating to note how their little heads have changed in shape, becoming less elongated while their fur becomes ever thicker and their legs fatter. Their future markings begin to show a little now.

The biggest chance, however, is the one that has occurred where Beauty herself is concerned. She had no hesitations in assuming the role of Mother but now, a week later, she is beginning to relax a little rather than convincing herself that the kittens need to be nursed constantly. She will throw herself down next to them and go to sleep now, which is something she would not have done a week ago. Dear Beauty, I really do think she is one of the best mothers I have known, and I am relieved to see her rest once in a while!

Meanwhile, Ashleigh finally has taken his courage in all paws to leap tentatively into the Kitten Bed Beauty abandoned two days ago as too small to contain her and her babies any longer. He now arranges himself rather disconsolately in the deep box, peering over the edge at the Kittens and his consort, once his constant companion and playmate, now completely absorbed in her new role. I do hear him playing with his toys, though, in the middle of the night, so he has not become clinically depressed... but he remains utterly bewildered and insecure in the face of the new invasion of tiny Ashleighs and the one little baby who looks like Beauty.

Bedtime on 7 December

How perfectly and peacefully they fit together to sleep when their Mum has satisfied every desire... From this idyllic vision alone, you never would imagine the thrashing and endless power struggles that occur when they are awake!

The little Marmalade kitten is going to be a Holy Terror. Last to be born, the Flame began as the smallest and weakest but now is the most active, always trying to steal a nipple from his/her siblings. Although this probably is not the case, the Flame appears to be the one who is most concerned to stay closest to Beauty, pushing all the others out of the way to take the best position.

Progress Report for Monday

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Late on Monday morning, I have nothing dramatic to report, thank God! I do not want any dramatic events to occur with respect to any of the Cats. I was able to change the bedding, after Beauty herself pulled it apart, almost burying the little kittens beneath the old duvet. The current bedding was not intended to be anything but a pad beneath a smoother cover. I will have to find a sheet or smooth towel for the bed. Beauty's claws hook into this multi-coloured throw rag and she tends to take it out with her when she leaps out of the box, throwing the kittens, who finally have been sent off to blissful slumber, into disarray and disorder.

Ash still prowls the boundaries of the box. No doubt he will investigate at some point IF and WHEN Beauty allows it.

Beauty's Four Tiny Beauties

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Three days old, here are Beauty's four Kittens in a photograph taken during one of the very brief intervals when their Mother actually was willing to leave the bed to have a quick meal.

I didn't dare change the bedding yet, for fear she would reject the entire bed afterwards and try to drag all the little ones somewhere else in a panic. It is snowing outside, rather cold and the Kittens' bed is in the warmest possible location. I wouldn't put anything past Beauty in terms of her obsessive care of her children. She is incredibly possessive and protective of these little ones. I have not been able to make certain of their genders yet. There is no rush, however. I am very happy that she has bonded so strongly with them.