Kitten Dimensions

My sister mentioned she couldn't quite get a proper read on how small the kittens are. Truth be told I often have the same problem as photos lie and make kittens appear much bigger than they actually are.

Alas we lined each kitten up beside a ruler to get a rough estimate of their size. The average is around 6 Inches tall but obviously kittens and sitting still don't go together unless they're sick.

So here we go

Squeak Front on
Roughly 6 Inches (7 including ears)

Squeak Side on
About 5 Inches in this picture but she's not standing upright

Flash front  (aprox 7 Inches)
Hey what's that? ~ Flash

Aprox 6 Inches Upright
What are you doing? ~ Flash

Sparky Front On (kitten moved ruler not directly beside)
Eh Did you have to wake me up for this? ~ Sparky

Back at about 6 Inches
Sparky Side on

Rebel trying to pass herself off as 4 Inches

Rebel Standing (Apologies for Blur)
Truth found she's about 6 1/2 Inches standing

Smokey being difficult (about 5 Inches sitting)

Eh I'm over this *eye rolls* ~ Smokey
Roughly 4 Inches in this picture lying down (wasn't cooperative at all)

 And The Colors (being nicknamed the Mese's because of their Siamese appearance)

Little Ranga (About 5 Inches sitting upright)

Little Ranga Side On (Ruler not straight)

Amber (4 and a bit Inches)

Amber Side On
 (Five-ish upright, Would be 6 including her massive ears)

Rose (7 Inches)

Rose again (6 Inches to the back)

Ruby (Bit over 5)

Ruby Again (4 when huddling)

Violet
(17 cm ruler upside down)

Violet Again
(At back would be 4 1/2 maybe)

I thought I'd introduce you to the new kittens properly but they too want nothing to do with posing or sitting still.

Meet Amber

Amber is the Calico with no dilution. Sadly she has been dropping weight and is little more than skin and bone at the present. I haven't seen her eating independently at all. I am hoping worming them will eradicate her of whatever the problem is but a vet check tomorrow will hopefully rule out any serious illness.

Meet Violet

Violet resembles a mouse. She has a narrow face, narrow body, massive ears and this spindly little tail. Thankfully she is eating but like her litter mates is suffering some serious bowel issues. It is early days and I expect a few days of growing accustomed to regular good food.

Meet Ruby

Ruby and Rose are near identical. Rose has orange going above both eyes where Ruby only has orange above one eye. Looking at them from behind I would have no idea who is who but usually Rose is just bigger in appearance than this little kitten. It wasn't until after they were named that I realized they'd been named after a celebrity.

How dare you call me names ~ Ranga

Thought it was quite funny with his massive ears pinned back in his swatting match with his sister Rose. Neither were cooperative for their own picture and from here on the kittens just wouldn't look the right way or I was too slow. Shall try for a group picture another day.

Ranga is about as small as Violet and Amber only a bit less bony. They are all sleek looking kittens and will probably be leggy thin things when they grow more. I find their coats quite fascinating though. Compared to Smokey who has thick fur these little ones seem to have barely any and their skin just feels different, thinner maybe. Likely why they seem to want the hot water bottle all the time.

Rose (Ruby's twin) may not be here for long. She's already fairly high in the 600's although she is dropping backwards a little. Fingers crossed those numbers go back up soon.

Attempt at group photo....FAIL

Colors of More

We're down to a 5 kitten household.

Less mouths to feed but no less noise.

The rumbling of tiny feet bounding around the study and squeals of disagreement are still loud as ever.

Well........................

*rocks back and forth on feet looking decidedly ashamed*

I really should learn to say no....but they're so cute.

Here's a brief glimpse of The Colors...

How many can you count?

Another five were added to the total of the kittens already at home. I wanted a few younger kittens to grow up with Smokey when the time comes that his four buddies move out and move on with their lives. There is a potential of three leaving on Friday maybe less.

Smokey and Squeak get along alright most of the time but I do not think the little fuzzy torti will be so tolerant of his need to suckle on other kitties fur.

Smokey suckling on Rebel's fur

Then again, if she can keep this close quarters with him then maybe....

Rebel, Smokey and Squeak

Any way how The Colors got their names as The Colors.

I blame my mother. The Colors consists of 4 Torti (3 dilute ones). In technical terms it would probably be 2 Dilute calico's, 1 calico, 1 Dilute torti and a Ginger.

Well on the way home my mother decided she wanted to call the Ginger one Ranga. In thought of naming said kitten was after my sister's boyfriend who also gets pinned with such a nickname as do many people born with red/orange hair...

Sister this is for you.

Meet Ranga...chance of Siamese in here somewhere?

I shall return with more pictures of each kitten with their own color associated name. I really do wish I wasnt given a choice on names....

The Missing Kitten & Departures

Well Friday was a hot day. I skipped vet day as only a few of the kittens were 800 gram-ish and tended to drop down to 790 something in the morning. By next Tuesday I was hoping I would have 5 graduates.

Despite it being a hot day I gave the room an entire clean. I even decided to introduce kittens to vacuum cleaner on floor level as it was something they may encounter in their new home. The noise and the vacuum were tolerated with wide eyes and bushy tails...and much scampering for the smallest nook or cranny in the room.

Once the room was much cleaner I placed all items back on the floor that needed to be there and then began picking up each kitten to weigh and worm it with syrup. I got up to the 7th one and for the life of me I could not find the 8th one.

First I checked in the usual places underneath things, on top of the cages in behind parts we've barricaded off to prevent them getting in cupboards or behind the study desk...no kitten.

I began wondering if in the chaos of the big noisy vacuum if maybe the kitten missing - Rebel - had scaled the big board across the study door and made for a hidey hole somewhere else in the house. I figured Terra or Leo would have alerted me if any kitten had escaped but then again it was hot they were flopped on the floor with legs in the air and belly showing to try and cool down...they wouldn't alert me to a kitten escaping today...

Madness ensued trying to figure out where on earth a kitten would get to or hide. All the time returning to the study, doing a head count. I admit, I panicked. I feared the worst that she'd escaped the study and if someone had gone outside and she'd slipped past them. I was believing I'd foster failed on epic proportions by misplacing or losing a kitten and not by death by simply not knowing where on earth it had gone.

In my hundredth attempt to pull the study apart. All kittens had been put in their designated cage just so I could see if another kitten appeared on the floor. I was in the process of pulling drawers out of some bedside tables that Flash, Sparky and Smokey's cage sits on and I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.

Oh the relief.

Then the incredulity on how on earth Rebel had found such a place to recline while not making any noise at all when we were calling her. I wanted to wring her scrawny neck for worrying me - I showered her in kisses before stuffing worming syrup down her throat instead (Heh Heh).

Can you spot the kitten?

The Duo's cage sits atop two bedside tables with a gap between them. There is an old picnic blanket over the top of those bedside tables to save the tables being scratched. The cage of course sits on top of said blanket.
In the course of the weeks the kittens have been tearing around the room and climbing said blanket there is a bunch of slack over one side (of which they love to fight with) and apparently Rebel had climbed up this slack, then wedged herself between the bottom of the cage and the blanket effectively creating her own hammock.

I wasn't lost ~ Rebel

Clever Clever kitten....

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Departures.

Brat Short-Stay was of course only a short term foster. She made the 800 grams today and will have quite the full next few days with the near future landing her in the loving arms of her new parents and whatever fur siblings she may have (I did hear that her owner may have another kitty). Thankfully Brat learned to get along with the Quads and all the other kittens but is quick to announce her displeasure....also very quick to climb up people for pats and cuddles often leaving nasty red welts from sharp claws. Good luck future family :)

I'm too cute to go back? ~ Brat

I was expecting Flash, Pip, Jet and Rebel to be leaving today also. However the weigh before I left for the shelter turned Flash being about 10 grams shy of 800 and Rebel who was 800 last night decided to drop down to 780 just to hang out here for the next few days. Typical.

Pip and Jet made the return journey both being over 800 and ready for their new homes. Unfortunately they didn't head directly to the sale rooms as they already have quite a few kittens out but hopefully they will be moved up in the near future. Fingers crossed.

You mean there's a family out there waiting for me? ~ Pip

I have no fear, I will purr at their feet
until they take me home ~ Jet

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Update - Ferals

All Ferals have left the building. Itchy left ages ago, Prissy, Scratchy and Hidey have all been sold although details on their new owners I have no idea on. They're no longer in sales and therefore they have a new home. Marley (Sadie) is still wandering around the rooms but as a larger cat they are often overlooked so its not unusual for her to still be there, sad but true.

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Farewells

Since groups are now not quite so complete I figured I would post group photos of each of the four groups I had this morning

Madness of 4 groups of kittens

The Quads

Darn you Pip! Why'd you have to blink!

Consisting of.....

Rebel

Pip

Jet

And Posing Squeak

The Duo

Finally kittens that sit still....

Consisting of....

Flash (Aka Blimp)

Sparky

Smokey Howler

It's High up here ~ Smokey

Consisting of.....

Just Me ~ Smokey

Brat Short-Stay

I'm a singleton too! ~ Brat

Hope you enjoy the pictures and will be back with updates of departures. Pretty sure Rebel, Flash and Sparky will be leaving on Friday and I'm positive Squeak will be soaking up all the attention with only Smokey as a buddy until she too, leaves the nest.

Making Headlines

Well whoever visited and sent positive thoughts this way THANK YOU

Squeak reached 600 grams and got her first vaccination along with two other little kittens....

Anyone who pokes needles in me gets bitten I'm a tuff Kitteh ~ Squeak

Yes, Flash and Sparky decided they wanted to live and nothing was going to stop them. They have been hoovering since the last vet check and Flash has a new nickname...little Blimp.

I was a tough girl for mine, not a peep ~ Sparky

Shhh I only whined a bit when I had my needle ~ Flash

His belly seems to continuously resemble a tennis ball. He hasn't seemed to have grown any other way but outwards and has actually crossed the 700 gram mark. In five days he went from low 500 to scraping past 700. *dances around room*

Totally going to miss this little guy

Nice curves Flash

Sad news. Jet, Pip and Rebel are pretty much guaranteed to have hit 800 grams by next Tuesday so preparations for departures of my little house guests are imminent. Sad News for me...not specifically them :)

I'll just pose until they fall at my feet ~ Jet

I'll attack them with cuddles ~ Rebel

Worried looking Pip
New Home, You mean we have to leave? ~ Pip

The way Flash is going he might gain another 100 grams in a few short days and be departing as well.

Oh....

Headline News...silly me

I now have 8 kittens

Meet Brat Short-stay

Miss Bratty

Brat was accidentally put out on sales when she was little over 600 grams - some mix up - and typical some people spotted her and wanted to make her theirs. No kitty can leave until they are 800 grams and this little lady has been taking her sweet time getting up past the 800.

I brought her home fully intending to have her integrate with the Quads as she was around 700 grams already but this little princess has decided she wants to smack down any other kitten that tries to make friends with her. Thus her new name.

Friendly with people, hates other kittens

All in all I could have 5 returning next Tuesday. The only one I can guarantee will be hanging around for awhile is Smokey but I'm pretty sure Sparky and Squeak will have another week before they go.

On the Adoption front. Prissy's home fell through *Boo* on the bright side she's been adopted *yay*
Not 100% sure but there was some mentioning that Scratchy might have a home as well *Yay*
No news on Hidey's home and hoping that doesn't mean all my dark torties will have the same problem....

I dont fear for Squeak when its her turn. Her little orange ringed peepers make anyone fall for her and if not she'll tackle your feet or get you with the cutes....that little girl is quite the charmer.  She even charmed some people who were adopting a different kitten and weren't technically supposed to see her *Oops*

I'm Cute, What You Gonna Do About It? ~ Squeak

*tackles*

Any who I went camera mad this morning and thought I had quite a few decent shots of each kitten. Totally bummed when 90% of those photos are actually out of focus, blurred or have a kittens behind smack dab in the center of it *SQUEAK! Stop Photo bombing!*

So pat yourselves on the back these little darlings are all safe from the needle of death and I intend to keep them that way.

I so hope his eyes stay blue

Will return with either epic photos of kittens or with news on who has left the building and begun the journey to find their permanent home.