Owner: Lattuada (MI)
 | Make sure the kittens get warm as soon as possible after they are born. When they are still wet their temperature can drop rapidly. Put them under a ceramic lamp (if the queen lets you take her kittens away), or use a heating pad or cushion, a bottle filled with warm water (covered with a towel) or even warm (not hot) towels. Warm a chilled kitten gradually! |
| When the queen is finished giving birth, return the kittens to her (after cleaning up). |
| It's very important that the kittens receive the queen's first milk during this day. This first milk, colostrum, contains antibodies that help to protect the kittens against infections. The ability of the kitten to absorb these antibodies will cease after 24-48 hours. |
| Determine the sex of the kittens. Lift the tail of the kitten. You should see two openings, if they are close together, the kittens is a female, if they are farther apart, the kitten is a male. |
| You should weigh the kittens every
day - or at least during the first two weeks. They should have
doubled their weight at the end of the first week and gain at least
10 grams each day. Sono nato il 23 luglio poco dopo la mezzanotte. La mattina seguente pesavo 115 grammi. |
Wed 24 Jul 2002
| The first two days of your kitten's life are the most critical for its survival. |
| Try not to disturb the queen and her kittens too much, but do check every two hours or so to see if everything is OK - especially if it's the queens first litter. Keep a close eye on the queen. If she appears to be feverish take her to your vet. |
Thu 25 Jul 2002
| The umbilicus should be carefully
inspected for evidence of inflammation or infection. Aiuto perdo peso, sono arrivato a 99 grammi. E sono freddo freddo :-( |
| Some kittens loose a bit of weight during their first day, but will catch up during the second day and fill out rapidly after that. |
| A healthy new-born kitten is either sleeping or sucking. |
| If a kitten appears to be apathetic or cries constantly, something is wrong (consult your veterinarian)! |
Thu 25 Jul 2002
| Umbilical cord drops off. Dal veterinaio ho scoperto che la mia mamma ha poco latte, meno male che è intervenuta mamma umana con siringa e latte in polvere.... |
Thu 1 Aug 2002
| The kitten's eyes will start to open. Their sight is still very foggy. |
| Kittens are born with blue eyes. |
| Make sure the eyes are clean, look for any signs of pus. |
| Keep the kittens away from bright
lights. Il 27 luglio ho fatto le prime fusa, sono un coccolone precoce. Ma devo farmi volere bene visto che mamma umana si deve alzare in mezzo alla notte per darmi un po' di pappa. Lei di giorno lavora... almeno di notte si sacrifica!!! Ora non sono più freddo freddo. Ero affamato. |
Mon 5 Aug 2002
| The ear canals begin to open. |
| If the queen can't handle the feeding of her kittens, you might want to take care of two or three feedings each day. |
| Feed the kittens a commercial artificial queen's milk (like KMR). Use a syringe or with a soft rubber nipple. |
| Don't overfeed the kittens (when it is full, bubbles come out around its mouth). |
| Don't forget to give the queen some
too (as much as she likes). Ho perso il cordone ombelicale. Il primo agosto mamma Guiny ha cominciato ad avere un po' più di latte così ora do un po' di tregua a mamma umana che comunque ogni tanto arriva con siringa. Ho anche cominciato ad aprire gli occhi e vedo tante ombre salterellati... sono i piccoli giganti di Viel che vengono a farmi visita e mi annusano tutto e mi danno le zampate. Non sono un topolino di peluche! Chi glielo spiega? |
Mon 12 Aug 2002
| The kittens are more aware of their
surroundings and will start to explore. |
| Ear canals should have completely opened by now. |
| The kittens will be able to excrete without being stimulated. |
| Kittens are able to purr now. |
| Kittens can stand up now. |
| At this stage you may want to introduce a miniature litter box, but be very cautious - some kittens try to eat the litter filling. Switch to another type if they do (try the sort that is made out of paper or wood). |
| Socialisation with people and cats will take place during this period. |
Mon 19 Aug 2002
| Baby teeth will start to appear. |
| Most kittens can start to eat semi-solid food. |
Mon 2 Sep 2002
| The colour of the iris of the kitten's eyes will start to change colour. |
| Kittens can be dewormed now (or even sooner if the kittens are infested with worms). |
| Make sure to use a preparation suitable for kittens this young (consult your veterinarian). |
| Never worm a sick kitten (see your veterinarian first). |
| Kittens are fully weaned now and need lots of space to exercise. |
| Second vaccination against Feline Respiratory Disease - Rhinotracheitis virus (FVR) and calicivirus (FCV) - and Panleukopenia (Feline Infectious Enteritis) can be given now. |
| Adult teeth will start to appear. |
Nove mesi:
Il 10 Agosto 2003 Floriant ci ha
prematuramente lasciati.
Aveva appena compiuto un anno
ed era un micio fantastico.
Tanto bello quanto affettuoso,
ha saputo conquistare tutti.
Ha vissuto per un anno come un
Principe e ringrazio Serena per
averlo reso tanto felice.
Da vero Principe ha chiesto
aiuto alle Perseidi per
mandarci l'ultimo saluto.
X agosto
San Lorenzo, io lo so perché tanto
di stelle per l'aria tranquilla
arde e cade, perché sì gran pianto
nel concavo cielo sfavilla.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
E tu, Cielo, dall'alto dei mondi
sereni, infinito, immortale,
oh! d'un pianto di stelle lo inondi
quest'atomo opaco del Male
(G.Pascoli - Myricae)
Ciao Floriant,
Ti ho voluto troppo bene.
Non ti dimenticherò mai.