Yesterday moved past in a continuous blur of feeding every few hours in between all the usual daily chores. I am feeding them in the same manner as the lambs, no set routine, just tiny sips often. Now that they are hydrated the kittens are starting to look about three weeks old. One even played a little at nappy time. Both the bigger ones are now actually sucking on the bottle, I still have to start them off but we are making big strides in the right direction.

The marmalade-cat kitten is the biggest and the loudest. Boo watches it with barely disguised adoration. I close to the door to the cloak room when I am not in there and he lies outside the door with his nose pressed to the crack listening.

The littlest one almost died twice. I came into the room the first time to find him quite still with his head thrown back and his mouth wide open, eyes glazing over, barely breathing. Shallow. So like a mother cat I roughed him up, massaging his belly, stroking and getting him moving. It took a while, but both times he seems to rouse. I fed him only water until he began to pee properly.

I checked with a local cat breeder and she said that RAW cows milk is so much better than pasteurised boxed goats milk. And of course raw goats milk would be better than raw cows milk. But I don’t have a milking goat. So raw cows milk it is. The raw is the important word. Cats, like many people, often develop lactose intolerance to ultra-pasteurised milk.(When the enzymes necessary for digestion have been killed off plus most of the nutrients). And cats, like people, have a much easier time digesting raw milk.  So I am feeding them diluted raw cows milk  with no problems at all. All systems are go.

By 2.30 this morning the little fella had begun to purr when he was brought to my knee for his feed. He is on warm diluted milk now. Though it is still more of a force feed and only drops at a time. But I feel he is improving.

Boo would spend all day in there, if I let him. Once when I popped out to get a rag, I found that he had jumped over their barricades and was in with them because the marmalade kitten was getting itself in behind a dresser and it worried him, he was making darting movements towards its disappearing tail, not sure what to do. But he is too big for that and was told to jump back out and stay out while I rescued the little worm of a cat.

TonTon busied himself with the real chores while we coaxed the little scraps to eat.

He is not a cat-dog.  He much prefers to be outside with his big animals.

In the night as I was up already, feeding the wee kitties, I thought I would take some shots of the sky. This being the challenge for this month and all.

Just to prove that there are lots of stars here.

Today I will do some study on taking shots of the moon. The moon is my objective after all and it is a different set of equations to the stars I think. Plus it is a big light in my night sky, like a search light. I had another trouble with the star shots last night because LuLu the little cat was following me around the yard, rubbing herself on my legs and the tripod legs. Sigh.

Good morning. The coyotes have been close by since the early hours of this morning. Yipping and barking and running along the creek.  After one kitten feeding time I went out with the torch to the boundary and the dogs and I shouted at them. As I write Ton is barking himself hoarse making sure they know not to come too close. It is still dark. Predawn.

With their playgrounds (the fields) being harvested, they are on the move again. Their territory lines are being busted up.  Plus the big machines dislocate all kinds of other tiny mammals and birds, the field mice and the ground squirrels, the pheasants and quail. The coyotes are having a literal field day. I don’t want them getting emboldened and drifting into my fields.  Today, I will very slowly walk the chickens in their ark back closer to the barn. It is easier for the dogs to guard them when they are closer.  Our corn is still up. Lots of cover for predators.

Have a lovely day, it is going to be another busy one here, but just maybe I can take some time off and get down to pick those apples.  Thank you so much for all your kind and informative comments yesterday. Your combined knowledge has helped save these wee kittens.  I think I should rename that post “How to hand rear kittens  – please see the comments of the Fellowship”.

My arms and hands are tired. You know, that tiredness that gets into your little bones.  And now it is time to get dressed and begin the chores.

your friend on the farm, celi