The “K” Litter has arrived, ‘milk’ names are chosen

No great photos yet, nor videos, but those will all come in due time.  Sahara gave birth to four babies yesterday (May 29th, 2012).  Her official due date was on Sunday the 27th, so this means I was primed and ready for THREE days before she finally had them.  It’s interesting to look back at my journal later as it’s so easy to forget, and what felt like hours and hours was in reality much less, or visa versa.  Kitten #1 arrived at 1040 am, kitten #2 arrived at 1050 am, kitten #3 at 1055 am, and kitten #4 at 1120 am.  This was a FAST birth–four kittens in less than an hour.

Did it seem that fast for those of you who saw it on live cam?  Yes, I did have the cam on for this birth.  I don’t know how many folks watched.

One kitten has the classic tabby pattern (blotchy swirls) and three kittens have the mackerel tabby, also called Mc Tabby (with the tiger style of stripes).  This will make at least one of the kittens easy to spot while its here.  Remember that they all end up looking pretty much like Sahara by the time they are 6 months old.  In any case I have them coded as follows: ‘classic,’ ‘blue foot,’ ‘pink foot,’ and ‘plain foot.’  (pink and blue colors is a dab of nail polish on left hind foot) Later a couple will likely get little colored collars.  Per usual I’m not sure of the genders yet, but I *think* I’ve actually got more than one female! Maybe even three.  I’ve chosen their milk names but haven’t assigned them to kittens yet: Kemo Sabe (KEY-MO SAH-BEE, for those of you who are too young to remember the Lone Ranger), Kabuki, Kumquat (I’ve always wanted to say “my little Kumquat!”), and Kettle.  Kemo Sabe will be a male, and if there is another male he will be Kabuki.  Any of the names except Kemo Sabe can go with either gender… and even it can too since I’m making the rules.

Here’s some nicely out-of-focus shots I took this morning:

Doodle Boarding & Sahara is doing fine….

Kitty news first.  Sahara is doing great.  She weighed in this morning at 8.30 lbs (a gain of about 2 lbs) and she is just a over a week from her due date.  I think she’s going to have a good sized litter.  She has never had less than four, and my guess is that she will have about that many this time if all goes well.   The little guys are going to be very active if fetal movement is any indication.

I set up her bed in the nursery a week ago and started confining her to the nursery at night.   This way I can set out extra food for her at night without the rest of the kitties getting it, and it also gives her a sense of proprietorship.

DOODLE BOARDING:

I have a canvas gathering dust in the garage.  Maybe this year will be a three painting wonder as my art returns to the back burner in favor of kittens?  However, I thought you might like to see one of my ‘doodle boards.’  I just finished this one last night.  I take a scrap piece of masonite, reinforce the back with two ribs of wood trim and paint it white.  I use pencil — just a mechanical pencil with an in between soft/hard lead — and start doodling.  There is no plan.  The idea is to doodle until the board is covered.  I spray it with a fixative as I go so the pencil doesn’t get too smeared.  It’s great evening-in-front-of-TV activity and it’s always interesting to see it develop.  This one probably took six weeks or so.  The board is 7″x24.”

New kitten arrival estimate + lots of photos

Hi Everyone.  Again way past due for a post.  All is going well with the ‘K Litter’ project.  I’m expecting birth on Memorial day weekend, give or take a day or so.  I moved Sahara’s ‘nest’ into the nursery yesterday so that it can be properly inspected by everyone and take on familiar house odors.

Not much new as far as kitty news, except that I decided to clean out the kitty door tunnel that goes through the wall to the outside the other day and give it a new paint job, only to discover that much of the wood has rotted and the flap was dragging and badly worn.  I do not understand how it could have gotten so worn since the kitties have me WELL trained in opening the patio door for them, but there you have it.  I installed that door when Tiny Bear and Nugget were kittens almost 8 years ago.  I think it should have lasted longer than that!  Granted I did make the tunnel and framing myself and didn’t use the best wood.  In any case, the long and short of it is that they have a NEW door on order that comes with a nice metal tunnel and better quality replaceable flaps and magnets.  I’m currently retraining myself NOT to jump every time I see a cat at the patio door.  I only had to stop myself a half dozen times last night.  There’s definitely room for improvement.

One other thing – I recently purchased a new camera.  It’s basically the same as the old one but it will make HD videos and bigger photos.  I’ve been learning to use it, so I have quite a few photos to post.

Tiny Bear

Cleaning out the camera … Tiny Bear has been SO beautiful lately.  Not that she isn’t always a beauty.

Sahara is doing great and is enjoying some very nice spring weather this week.

Tiny Bear 7 1/2 years old – mother of 8 litters, now retired Queen Mother:

We are expecting! (revised)

WELLLL!  For some odd reason this post went out with nothing but the title…. trying again.

Kittens hatching soon!

Sahara is pregnant and if all goes well we can expect kittens on or about June 1rst.

Hopefully I’m right this time or I’m going to have to backtrack and grovel in a half dozen places…

A new painting, photos, a little of this and that …

All is well with me and the kitties.  They keep me busy as usual and with the rain we’ve been having, wiping up muddy feety prints is a large part of my serious responsibility around here.  And, of course, there’s Kalahari with feet the size of a Saint Bernard’s and he loves to come in with wet feet to use the litter boxes.  This is cat herding at its best!  Still no confirmed kittens in the forecast.

I recently finished another painting.  This one is of a Mythicbells Alumni kitten (now adorable adult kitty).  It’s hard to believe she will be TWO this month!  Misha formerly ‘Half Pint’ of the “H” litter, born in April 2010.  It’s acrylic on canvas – 18″ x 14″ and will be hanging on a wall in Misha’s home soon (clicking on the image will bring up a larger image).

Mythicbells Michelle Ma Belle (Misha)

I haven’t been taking a lot of photos lately, and instead have been learning more video editing “stuff” but since my last barrage of photos, these have been collecting (can click on the thumbnail to see a larger version):

Gypsy Rose and her tapestry

Lest you think that it was a simple matter to get Gypsy Rose to pose for this … ummm … NOT!  But I have my ways.  I’m both honored and a bit incredulous that my kitties are celebrities – lol.  Not that I don’t think they are celebrity material.