Elsa's Kittens Are One Day Old

Late last night when I checked on the babies, a few of them either weren't nursing or couldn't find a nipple.  I picked them up and they were limp.  I thought they were dead, but there was still a little life in there.  I opened a can of kitten formula, filled five 3ml medicine syringes (a little over 1/2 teaspoon), and gave a couple mils or more to the ones laying on the outskirts.  They wouldn't take the nipple, but did suck and swallow the formula.  I kept giving a little here and there till the syringes were empty.  All of the four or five I fed crawled to mom and found an empty spot to nurse, which surprised me, but I was very relieved and hopeful.  

I set my phone alarm for 4am to check on them, but I evidently slept through it and woke up at 9am.  I didn't know what to expect, but all eight were squirming around.  It looked a lot like when you first open a container of worms and they all get excited.  I was just as excited.  All eight of them were in a pile. I watched them crawl all over each other for several minutes.  The pile stayed the same width and in the same place, but all eight kittens were in constant motion - over, under, and around the next guy.  It finally dawned on me that they were exercising!  They were using their muscles and learning how to crawl.  Their eyes won't open till about day 10, and they can't hear for a while, but they sure knew how to work out.  Then, they all decided at one time to eat breakfast.  That's when I went downstairs and got the camera.

 This is a while later after they ate.  Everybody had a nice round belly and was ready for a nap.  This is when I got a carrier, put Elsa in it and gave her a much-needed shower.  I put a heater in the bathroom and ran my hair dryer, too.

 She didn't like it much, but she sure looked a lot better afterwards.  Before I let her out of her carrier, I changed the towel - Elsa was spotting a little - and tried to get some of the blood stain off the new box.  For all you CSI fans, blood does not come out of cardboard.

Being the anal type, I was going nuts not being able to identify eight orange kittens.  I couldn't record their weights, know who was eating when, and who was more active.  I need to know who is who.  I got my collection of Velcro out and made little collars.  As soon as I was done and took the picture, I decided the kittens were too little and took them all off.  I'm trying to chill.  Nobody is limp.  Nobody is skinny.  Everybody is active and eating.  But, didn't they look cute!


Three kittens are lighter, called buff, and two of the buff ones have a wavy coat.  So, I can identify ONE.  I can't tell you how much this bothers me.

This is one of the wavy-coated buffs. I'm going to try to document this same kitten throughout the nine weeks before they get neutered and vaccinated and available for adoption.  Mom's already been tested and is negative for feline leukemia and aids, so babies most likely are too.

I checked six of the eight and they are all boys.  The other two were eating.

He still has a little of the camel look.