After a long time I am happy to post about good news, my darling daughter Diana who was pregnant in late September bore a tiny baby on the 27th of November. And up to now my entire time and energy was being diverted towards him making sure that he was growing up fine. Now that he is 18 days old I thought it would be the perfect time to introduce him to everyone.

After Diana’s disastrous first pregnancy I was really apprehensive and scared about letting her get pregnant once more since I was sure that she would not go through it safely. But It was too late for she mated just a few days after her visit to the vet, so I bit the bullet and decided to go ahead with the pregnancy. She was due in the last week of November but a week before the birth of Tristan Galen I felt something was wrong but I chose to ignore it since pregnant cats can behave weirdly sometimes. How I love the “gut feeling” for 3 days later I was sure that something was wrong as she looked visibly fatigued, uncomfortable and kept drinking plenty of water. My fear was Pyometra and since 3 days of “nesting” yielded no kittens I decided to finally get her examined by the family vet.

After an X-ray we got both the good, bad and ugly news, the good news being that she was actually pregnant with what seemed to be a developed kitten (it has been circled). But next to the kitten you can see black mass which was supposedly poop (number 2); I was shocked to hear that she had so much since she was regular with her bathroom duties. Next came the ugly truth :-

The kitten is  to the right of the big white spot (light source).. And to the left of the white spot is what seemed to be gas, the doc could not confirm whether it was from the uterus or from the intestinal tract. Basically we did not know whether the gas was because of constipation/food or because the babies had all died and rotted inside her uterus. The vet visit happened at 7 pm on the 26th November therefore the earliest we could get my cat operated on was the next day in the afternoon. The night was indeed terrifying so with Diana nestled in my lap we spent the entire night cooing to each other with lots of tummy rubs to make her feel better. Later in the morning I decided to pack my knapsack with things I might need later or probably carry her in that in case she was not fit enough to be placed inside the cat cage.

I was told earlier that the surgery would be at 2:00 pm but I need to be at the clinic by noon in case she needed to be given an intravenous. The afternoon went fairly well as I spent my time with the other clients letting Diana nap. After a visit to the bank I was told that it was time for her surgery. Me and my friend were asked to wait outside till the entire thing was over. After a grueling wait which felt like forever the doctor let me in to look at her but he said nothing about the kitten so it was assumed that it would probably be dead. But then the doctor asked me whether I wanted to see it and I immediately went over to see it…

To everyone’s surprise I saw a little gasp which set us all in motion, “Save Baby Cat” was the mission and no stone was unturned in finding a way to get it to breathe. The vet was extremely awesome!!!! He did everything from swabbing the mouth to swinging it to get the fluid out of the lungs. A makeshift incubator was made for the baby to get it some clean air but we realized that we were out of oxygen so the doctor suggested that I let it sun bathe. Earlier I had packed in a rough napkin which was really useful since we needed something that would act like Mother’s tongue. Then the frantic effort of rubbing and cleaning while sitting in the sun seemed to pay off since the kitten was breathing much more regularly.. From 1 gasp a minute to almost regular breathing in half an hour was something that excited everyone in the room.

Day 1

Tristan was apparently a really special and lucky baby since the vet ordered another oxygen tank just for him and as Diana was coming out of her trance we all headed back home. Back at home I decided to hold onto the kid until Diana felt better which would not happen for another 12- 24 hours so every 2 hours I was expected to feed the brat. It was hectic but I survived the 1st day and from day 2  Diana luckily started feeding the baby but I had to still be with her every time she fed him to make sure he did not scratch her raw skin or the stitches. A good trick is to keep a cloth over her, the kitten on top and let him enjoy but you would be surprised about how quickly he can pull it off…

From that day on, my work load reduced but the stress on my food and sleep was not though it was a really joyful experience raising him seeing him develop and grow in front of my eyes. Constipation was a major problem but he seems to be doing much better now, eyes open and crawling about. It is incredible for he has started responding to my voice so much better enjoying cuddling, kissing and napping with me. Until 2 days ago we did not know whether he was a Tristan or a Tristania so my house had 2 campaigns where my friend and dad wanted a girl while my mom was sure that it was a boy. I for one did not care for anything but his health so merely enjoyed the entire thing. The name Tristan Galen is a two word name combined using Tristan, The tragic Arthurian knight and Galen which means little and lively. So here I raise a glass of kitten feed in honor of my darling little grandson Tristan Galen

Tristan Galen 18 days old

Having had cats for decades I sort of understood how their bodies worked and what are the typical problems a cat goes through. But cat pregnancy & kittens was and is still something that baffles me, my earlier cat (Pollux) had a really difficult time with her kittens, they all died days after they were born. In July my lovely lady Diana gave birth to her quadruplets but it was a sad beginning with a really heart breaking ending.

Whether it is a planned or an accidental one, pregnancy is difficult and a delicate stage for a mother cat. Diana mated with her half-brother who sadly has problematic genetics. The kittens were born 60 days later after a fast but troublesome labor. The first kitten died minutes after he was born but the other three were strong enough, sadly the kittens looked premature so I was already worried about their health. I let the mother be with the kids to nurse the kids but I noticed after a few hours that she was unable to feed them, I was worried but not too bothered because it sometimes takes babies time to suckle. Sadly she gave birth to the kittens in the night so I could not call the family vet for a temporary solution. The next day after much trying to get the babies to suckle I decided to immediately go to the vet and get a pack of kitten feed. But the babies refused to feed and we lost 2 of the kids. The last baby raised our hopes by accepting the bottle feeding but by night she rejected the bottle and we knew then that we were gonna lose her too. After many attempts which miserably failed we decided to leave the child with her mother in hopes that some miracle would change the situation. But it never happened and the baby passed away. It was a really sad experience and now I make plans on getting my darlings operated  not because I feel the pain of the loss or find the pregnancy tedious but because the mother is the main person who goes through the pain of carrying, nourishing and protecting the children.

From my experience I am writing a post that gives you the A-Z of how a female cat goes through the cycle of pregnancy and how you can manage any hurdles before, during or after the kittens are born.

A little bit on cats :-

Kittens are born blind, deaf and with no teeth.They are born furry so any kitten born with  bald patches or very little fur  are really immature and weak. They cannot walk but simply crawl from one end to another. A kitten like a human baby cannot control the heat in its body so you need to ALWAYS keep it comfortably warm as they lose heat real quick. Kittens usually feed immediately after they are born and open their eyes at 7 days but their eye sight is immature until the age of 10 weeks. They start walking from the age of 2 weeks, female cats go into heat (the time when they are ready for pregnancy) anytime from the age of 6 months to 14 months. The pregnancy lasts 64-67 days though it can be more or less by a few days.

Mating :-

Female cats go into heat anytime from the age of 6 months to 9 months but sometimes can be as young as 4 months and as old as 14 months! Females usually start “calling” for a mate but sometimes like in my case the cat did not. Sometimes they are full fledged yowls or really loud purring sounds. Once she has accepted the mate she will sit in position with her rear raised waiting for him, towards the end she will start screeching really loudly; don’t worry for it is normal and once he lets go of her she will start rubbing herself on the floor, wriggle about and then will proceed to initiate another mating session. The cycle generally lasts anything from a week to 10 days and if the cat does not get pregnant she will be ready for mating in a matter of 2-3 weeks since her last cycle. When a  queen (female cat) is not allowed to mate she will come out of the cycle quicker , hormonal injections and certain medicines can stop her cycles but this entirely depends on what is being administered to the cat and by whom. Cats unlike dogs do not bleed during heat but can sometimes have a slight discharge.

Pregnancy :-

A Queen releases an egg from her ovary (ovulation) 1-3 days after mating, if the egg gets fertilized successfully 10-15 days later it implants itself in the uterine lining thus starting the actual pregnancy. The pregnancy lasts 64 days but can be a few days less or more, a vet can confirm a pregnancy early on (17-20 days) either by gently massaging her belly or an ultrasound. The common signs are :-

1. She will stop “calling” for a mate thus signaling the end of her estrus.
2. Her appetite will noticeably increase, many females start hunting during pregnancy to feed their young. Some cats also go through the “morning sickness” phase in the initial week of pregnancy.
3. At about 20 days her nipples become pinker and she may or may not milk.
4. At about 35 days you will see her stomach looking bigger and her appetite increasing.
5. Towards the end she will spend a lot of time “nesting” (clawing at spaces, couches or any isolated part of the house)
6. She may get more and more lethargic as the pregnancy progresses but queens tend to get insecure around other queens. They also get really affectionate and clingy during the pregnancy.

Birthing :-

Queens usually give birth a few days before or after the 64 day mark. It is always good to have at least a rough idea of the due date so that you can be accordingly prepared since there are chances that the babies would be immature or the pregnant would need to be induced. Before the actual due date, sometimes a day or 2 before your cat might get REALLY clingy, anxious and clearly restless. If she already has a “nest” she will sit in there more often and might keep scratching it or circling in it but if she does not already have a nest she will sit in boxes, under the bed or such places. My cat Diana started crawling under my blanket while I was asleep a few hours before giving birth, she would crawl in and stick really close to me. On the onset of labor your cat would keep licking her vagina to clean up the discharge, the normal “arrival time” for the first kitten should be anything from 5 minutes minimum to an hour maximum. Females cats instinctively for the safety of her young would want to give birth to the babies alone away from”any” danger. The mother after giving birth will eat the sack that covers the baby and the umbilical cord attached to it, if any of the babies are dead she will eat that too. Sometimes the mothers will pass gas or excrete during labor.

Kittens :-

The kittens start crawling about in search of their mother’s nipples to start feeding immediately, like I mentioned before they are born blind, deaf and without teeth but they can meow, crawl and have claws. They are born with fur covering their bodies but are incapable of staying warm on their own and will continue to lose heat rapidly if they are in a cold room or kept away from their mothers for too long. Babies will huddle together to keep each other warm.

My darling boy bears with any kind of torture I inflict on him ranging from visits to the vets, baths and of course my twisted humor. He was actually awake when I was placing the candy on his tummy and waited until I removed it too

The normal ritual me and Diana go through is that she fluffs out the trashbag I would use for the trash. Now she is too big for the trashcan but she does walk inside the trashbag to “inspect” it.

One of the most common problems with having a pet is the poopy (shit, crap, number 2, nuclear waste… whatever you want to call it). The trick to having them disintegrate only specific spots is to get them to do it when they are young. If you have a garden or there is an area present near your place where your cats/dogs can go on their own then you then you have to be careful… but if you have to get your pets used to a litter-box you have  half your work done for you

1. Public Defecate rs :- These are the pets that fertilize the area outside your house, they either need to be let out or walked out. Commonly people make the mistake of waiting for the puppy/puppies or kitten(s) to grow up before getting them used to the outside, the result is that the pet confuses the inside to be their toilet and the outside as some one elses house. When you see your pet scratching about or basically looking as if it is looking for a spot, immediately take it outside and let it continue the process and hopefully poop. You will have many false alarms but will soon know the right time to take the puppy out. After it is done, do not immediately take it inside but let it sniff about a bit and try to make it follow you back home if the door is nearby. Like human babies, baby animals poop 3-4 times a day sometimes 5 times so take it once early morning, late morning, afternoon, evening and late night. Many times you might not be able to due to schedules so leave a newspaper for it to use. Make sure to keep the newspaper only in one place of the house so that the baby knows where it should go every time the time comes. Babies pee (urinate) a lot so keep newspapers handy at all time.
2. Indoor Defecate rs :- These are the ones that need a litter box as going out is not an option for them. They are easiest to train as cats and dogs do their business only in one place the same way we use only the toilet. So when you get a new pet, let it poop/pee in the litter box but if it does it elsewhere, instead of throwing it all away keep a bit or the entire thing inside the litter box (sounds disgusting but it works best). Slightly bury it for you want only the pet and not the entire family to smell it. The next time when the baby starts scratching and searching, you simply need to redirect it towards the litter box.

It is pretty simple to get a pet potty trained if you are patient and alert. You need to treat the baby like a human for their pooping behavior is similar to ours. The same way we do not poop right out in the open or anywhere and everywhere, these  guys will pee or poo only in places where their scent is. Another nifty thing to have is floor cleaners made with zeolite, like I said animals tend to pee/poop in spots previously “marked” so if you are training the pet to use the litter box make sure to clean the marked spot with the zeolite floor cleaner. As pets rely on their sense of smell to find their special spots you need to get rid of the smell. Normal floor cleaners have chemicals that smell similar to that of urine/faeces so using a floor cleaner made with zeolite helps.

After being my baby for more than a year, my pet fish gourami has passed away. I woke up as usual and as I went over to his fish tank to feed him, i saw him belly up and realized that he had died… He was my companion fo more than a year

Gonna miss you little buddy, rest in peace

The major problem one faces when having multiple pets is keeping them from having scuffles, normally these fights are playful and the pets mean no harm but many times owners need to keep their pets away due to the numerous fights. The problem is most evident among cats where one or more would reject another. It is very difficult to live with these kinds of internal conflict but it is easy to make sure that there is no bloodshed.

Animals like us live according to hierarchy/ranking and cats & dogs have different rules of hierarchy.

1. Dogs being descendants of wolves always live in packs (groups) which is led by one Alpha (male or female). Typically the oldest or largest being the ring leader so scuffles for leadership are always present whether playfully or aggressively. The best solution? make sure to keep your pets pampered according to their age where the oldest gets their food first, their leash put on first or given a bath first. When you reinforce this sort of control, the younger brats realize their place in the pack.But when setting the ranking among your pets, you need to remember that you are the Alpha female/male so if you have 2 dogs the ranking should be you, older mutt and then the younger mutt. This prevents the older mutt from being aggressive in front of the younger one.
2. Cats are primarily solitary creatures who never live in groups but can live with one or two partners at the most (siblings or mates most commonly) but upon introduction of a new cat they can get hostile and sometimes run away from home. To prevent cats from fighting, you can either use their age to give them their ranks or keep the hostile cat in a separate room away from the others (A special spot where only it is allowed to sit/sleep).
3. Have a mix of cats and dogs? The only method is to use their age and never break out of ranks. My dog is the oldest while one of my cats is the youngest so they are given treats, fed & pampered according to their age and they seem to understand that. The best time to get them used to the ranking system is when they are kids so if in case you introduce more pets they are not too bothered by it as they would know their ranks.

When they have their scuffles (dog vs dog, cat vs cat or dog vs cat) do not interfere unless they get serious. And when you do interfere do not scold or beat anyone but simply separate the pets until they have calmed down. Sometimes there are pets that cannot get along with the other no matter what, the only solution is to keep the most aggressive one away from the others (this includes the water and food bowls).

We all know how wonderful it is to have a pet or to dream about having one some day but many times due to bad advice, over enthusiasm, lack of knowledge about the pet or just bad luck we end up with a disobedient dog, dead fish, bald parakeets & a furniture warring cat. I have had all kinds of weird & amusing pets ranging from a chicken, squirrels, parrots & now with cats, dogs and fish. I remember my mother accidentally killing our goldfish (overfeeding) but it was not her fault just her lack of knowledge. But even if it is a fish we get upset over anything bad happening to the pet and us because of them. So from my personal experience with animals I have pointed a few things people should keep in mind while getting a pet (more…)

Normally people assume that taking care of pets is easier than human babies but animals & humans are scarily similar, I used to feel the same until I got my first dog & babysat my friend’s baby. Being a mother of 6 ( 3 cats, 2 dogs & 1 fish) has made me realize that humans and animals are indeed so similar. The same way raising human children involves feeding, bathing, hugging, patting them to sleep, lots of reassurance, laughter, poopy cleaning & lots of love, it is the same with having animals.

I learn that day on day with my own kids; hug one more & get the wrath of the other, constantly comparing their food dishes with each other (they all feel that the other has better food), will chide you for ignoring them for too long (Too long : more than 5 minutes), do funny things to make you smile. Raising these guys reminds me how delicate & innocent every creature’s heart is. Almost every night one of the kittens usually Diana gets cranky and needs me to pat her to sleep, she will start meowing unnecessarily & get my attention by nibbling my toes or fingers. Muffin is the more insecure puppy so she hates it when you touch any other baby when she is around, she uses her paw to whack her victim. Delphi usually walks away when she gets whacked but Diana never lets Muffin boss her around. The tom, Castor is a serial nuzzler… He loves to rub his nose on my chin every time he wants something. The most common thing we go through with our kids is being woken up by them for food or water right?… Well, Castor knows how to do this without hurting me or making my ears bleed. He starts rubbing his nose on my chin until I change my position slightly then depending how comatose I am he will either squeeze himself into my arms or nibble on my nose. He sometimes places his paw on my nose, my usual counter attack is to pull the blanket over my face. But Castor without breaking a sweat simply pulls the blanket off my face and starts the nuzzle attack again.

Diana is more aggressive, she starts by nibbling on my little finger then progressing to my toes. If all fails she will grab my ear lobe and tug on it until I either jump off my bed or offer her my ring finger as a bribe to get her from gnawing my ear lobe off. Cleo wakes me up when she gets bored or needs to go potty, she will grab my leg with her claws and keep biting on it until I take her where ever she wants.

Ever played referee when your kids fought?? Sure you have.. I am sure you are pulling out your red & yellow cards right now. I sure as hell am, apparently Diana & Muffin got into a scuffle over a cookie so here I am with Diana and Muffin both talking sense to them while being given guilty (Muffin) & insulted (Diana) eyes. Every time a fight breaks out or the kids fall down they look all embarrassed running to Mommy to complain about how their sibling beat them up or cry about how they fell down. At that moment all they want is a hug & lots of reassurance. Even when they do something wrong, they will sit all guilty in front of me wiggling their bottoms or trying to pacify me with a lick… Even my fishy has a personality of his own, he loves it when I talk to him & comes to the top when I show him food. He sometimes nibbles on my finger but he mostly answers every time I call him ^_^

As a mother, I am responsible for their health, sleep, food & hygiene so there are many a times when my dogs/cats want to eat some dead animal or another but if it’s not good for them I am forced to remove it from their eager mouths and dispose of it. After the disposal I am subjected to lots of complaining & forced hand shakes which makes me feel guilty. I also see my share of tantrums and bratty behavior when it comes to taking their pills or having a bath. How much I have to cajole & call before they agree to come here, once they do come near I spend another 20 minutes trying to lasso my wild animals XD

But the bottom line is that kids whether with four legs, 2 legs or no legs are pure, filled with love and want to be loved by you. I try to make sure to deal with them with nothing but positivity sharing with them my very existence because every one loves it when they are involved in a person’s life.

One of the most relaxing & enjoyable exercise in this world has to be walking your dog(s), to some it is a nightmare but no one will deny the fact that daily walks make your canine happy & healhy not to mention how clean your house stays But like humans each dog is different from another therefore to some walking their dog is like taking a relaxing horse ride, to others they see not a dog but a toddler on a pogostick  hopping on the roads, people, other dogs & mainly on you.  Typically you either have a quiet little pony, a bomb sniffer, a cart horse or the grasshopper.

I personally have one little pony (Delphi)  and a grasshopper (Muffin). Ponies basically are quiet, mellow little creatures who make the ideal walking partners while the grasshopper spends half the time bouncing & weaving and the other half trying to explore as much as possible. My previous dog, an Alsatian was a cart horse… He used to take me for walks instead of the other way around. His partner a Pomeranian was a bomb sniffer who would not leave anything unsniffed. Cart horses can be small or big, they love to yank you whether you are 5 feet tall or 7 feet tall you simply take long strides and enjoy the ride while watching your step. The bomb sniffer so easier to control is really boring, you simply cannot spend 3 hours in your driveway XD

You should also be careful while mixing them because they will emulate each other like with Delphi & Muffin. I take them out at the same time, the usually gentle and slow Delphi turns into a cart horse sniffer mix while Muffin turns into a carthorse grasshopper Mix. The result? I have one dog yanking south while the other goes north leaving me outstretched and giggling. Sometimes they join forces and I end up holding onto trees, rocks, my best friend, digging my feet into the ground… Sometimes I wish I could carry an anchor around

Now typically people wonder how they can make their dog walks more relaxed, more fun or faster. I will share with you what I have learn t so far.

1. Let the dog choose the direction but you walk at your pace.

If your dog walks towards the left or right, you simply follow but you make sure that the dog does not make you speed. Be firm with your dog even if you hear those choking sounds, they will slow down after the first few times.

2. The energy you emit decides the mood of the walk.

During the entire walk, your dog will feed off your mood/energy so if your dog is a carthorse make sure that your energy is calming and relaxed. For your sniffer get happy & bouncy. Maintaining your energy helps you manage your dog when you are in sticky situations (Bumping into unfriendly dogs, your doggy sniffing wrong spots or he/she starts yanking you).

3. Don’t get frustrated if your dog turns you into a rag doll or sniffs at a bum.

What we do wrong is that the instant our dog misbehaves we yell or beat the dog. Avoid that and instead chide him like you would to your toddler or a kid. It works better and the chances of them listening is much more.

4. Avoid negativity before, during and after the walks.

If you are angry, regretful or plain sad during a walk your dog will pick up the energy and end up in the same mood as you. It ends up making the dog restless & more prone to misbehave or start a fight.

5. Let your dog decide when to go home, if you cannot try stretching it for as long as you can.

Unlike us, our dogs don’t get as much exercise as they would like so when you take your dog(s) out for a walk make sure to have a lot of time & energy on your hands. There are times where my dogs take me for 5 – 10 minute walks and there are other days where I end up walking for 45 minutes. Especially if your dog is overly energetic, letting it decide the walk releases all the excess energy thus making it less troublesome at home. I have a bad knee and bad back but ever since I started taking my dogs out again, he pain has reduced a lot. If you worry about overworking your body, don’t worry simply trust your mutt & it will know when to give you a break. My knee and back improved only after I started walking with my dogs, till then no therapy, cream or exercise helped. The positive energy & trust makes the healing process go smoothly and in balance.

6. Talk to your pet while walking, they are always listening

Whether people look at you or not, talk to your canine pal. They love listening to you because they feel loved and pampered. When they find something interesting ask them what they found and you will see the wagging tails Keep asking them whether they want to go home or still keep walking, ask them how the walk is going on.. Tell them about your day, ask them about their day… After some time they will respond. Muffin responds when I talk about my day while Diana my cat loves talking with me when I am stuck at some decision or another.

So, next time you take your pup out for a walk have fun even if it is a chore. Take an ipod, a friend or talk to them. I hope you have fun with your dog as much as I do with mine.

- Critter