Week 1 - 9/12/2021

Week 1 is in the books for these little kittens! Even though we went through the birth with Zazu and have been planning this litter for a while, it's always amazing when I go into the dining room and stare at these little cuties and then pick one up to snuggle and wonder how I got so lucky to have puppies in my house again! It never seems to get old watching a week old puppy, who barely moves, can't see or hear and only eats and sleeps, yet they are still so much fun! Their noises of the "mews" and "grumph grumph" are still so adorable (yes the "mew" sound is a common thing, not just because I'm calling this litter kitties... look back on previous week 1 updates and they "mew" too!). I guess it is fitting to have that cute little "mew" sound actually be more realistic with the kitty litter! ;o)

Zazu is still being super mom. She will take care of her puppies but spend some time outside of the whelping box to sleep elsewhere on her own, or hang out with us while we're working, or go on longer walks. Such a drastic difference from day 1 Zazu who we practially had to drag out to go to the bathroom! But she still goes in and takes care of them when they need it, so she earns that freedom. She also has an excellent babysitter to help out this time around (too bad the babysitter wasn't on the larger litter!). Her daughter, Aelin- who is almost 2 years old, has been quite the sweet helper! The first week she kind of stared at the puppies like, "What are these things? Can I play with them? Do they do anything?". A few days ago, all of a sudden, she did a 180 and is being super mom herself! She will gently lay down without stepping on anyone (hmm Kyra... good thing Zazu and Aelin didn't take after you in this area!), Aelin will then lay down in the box and clean the puppies and help them with bathroom duties. She will also nuzzle and lick their faces and they will climb all over her! They only get slightly frustrated when they suckle on her and they don't get any delicous milk in return, but overall they've been super sweet with each other! It totally melts my heart and we think she will be a great mom herself one day. I told Zazu she needed to start paying Aelin for her duties, you know throw her a milkbone or two for helping out. She just stared at me and said "pet me" with her eyes. HAHA! Sorry Aelin, I tried, I guess I'll be sure to pay you an extra milkbone myself. :D

When the pups were 4 days old we started their puppy stimulation exercises which helps the puppies become better well-adjusted dogs that may be more resistant to cancers and disease, become more stable, exploratory and learn faster. These small stressors on the pups help stimulate the electrical activity in their brains. The exercises have us hold them in different positions, like laying on their backs (which is super cute), and putting them on a cold, damp cloth and tickling their toes with a q-tip.

Photos

Videos

They will go through these exercises for a week and a half and have different ones as they age. These little buggers are already attempting to walk around (for a wobbly week and a half old puppy, they sure can haul across the whelping box!), well except for Mau. That boy surpassed three pounds at day 10- he may take a few extra days to build up leg muscle to walk around! The pups are already problem solving as well, when they bump into mom or Aelin and can't pass by, they will actually back up and go a different way instead of screaming for help.

Next week their eyes and ears will start to open or be mostly open so they will start to look like little kitties... err I mean puppies, instead of the little bear-seal pup look they have now. They will wake and start to play with each other a bit more, well for the 2 minutes they're awake! And I'm sure we'll have some cats trying to break free from the whelping box at the rate they're gaining strength and moving around! I'm sure it will get more and more adorable watching Aelin play with them as they grow. And they get nightly snuggles with Jon and I on the couch as we watch TV. That is the best part of my day with these little and soft cuties! All seem to be pretty chill and sweet for a week old pup so far. We got a little howl from Aby when we held her one day, and I think Manx is trying to be vocal like mama Zazu. We'll see what happens when they grow! Zazu has been known to make some roo'ers in the past. Enjoy the pictures of our kittens and we will see you next week!

The Kitty litter (as always in order of appearance):

Desert Sol Mau

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Pronunciation:

MOU

Sex:

Male

Weight:

2lb 12oz

Name Origin:

Eqyptian Mau: Egyptian Maus are a small to medium-sized short-haired cat breed. They are one of the few naturally spotted breeds of domesticated cat. The spots of the Mau occur on only the tips of the hairs of its coat. It is considered a rare breed. The Eqyptian Mau is the fastest of the domestic cats, with longer hind legs and a unqiue flap of skin that allows the legs to stretch back farther. Maus have been clocked running more than 30 mph! The Mau is known to be a loyal, playful and friendly breed.

Desert Sol Aby

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Pronunciation:

A-bee

Sex:

Female

Weight:

1lb 14oz

Name Origin:

Abyssinian: The Abyssinian is a breed of domestic short-haired cat with a distinctive "ticked" tabby coat, in which individual hairs are banded with different colors. The Abyssinian breed is one of the top five most popular breeds worldwide. In the terms of domestication of cats, the Abys have been found to be one of the oldest types of animal in existence, with mummified cats in Eqyptian tombs. Abys are frequently regarded as "Clowns of the Cat Kingdom", and their dog-like characteristics include their particular need for affection and desire for interaction.

Desert Sol Manx

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Pronunciation:

MAYNKS

Sex:

Male

Weight:

2lb 7oz

Name Origin:

Manx: The Manx cat is a breed of domestic cat that has a naturally occurring mutation that shortens the tail, known as the "Manx taillessness gene". Many Manx have a small stub of a tail, but Manx cats are best known at being entirely tailless, the most distinguishing characteristic of the breed, along with its elongated hind legs and round head. Manx are prized as skilled hunters, and have been sought out by farmers as rodent hunters and a preferred ship's cat breed. They are social, tame and active cats.

Desert Sol Bir

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Pronunciation:

BUR

Sex:

Male

Weight:

2lb 6oz

Name Origin:

Birman: The Birman is a domestic cat breed with long-haired, color-pointed fur, distinguished by a silky coat, deep blue eyes and contrasting white "gloves" on each paw. Birmans were almost wiped out as a breed during World War II. Only two cats were alive in Europe at the end of the war, a pair named Orloff and Xenia. They were the foundation of the breed, and all offspring were of this pair. They were heavily outcrossed with other long-hair breeds, like the Persian and Siamese, to help rebuild the Birman breed.