BEIGATTI

Last week, the final week of February, our area was hit with a massive storm.  Snow started on Wednesday and didn't stop till Friday; the accumulation was measured in feet, not inches.  We lost power and stumbled around without electricity or water for a couple of days.  So Tasha decided it would be a good day to deliver kittens.

I was ready.  I had the box set up with the supplies:  washcloths, scale, alcohol, paper and pencil, bulb syringe:

I also had a very pregnant cat:

and a fire going to warm up the house:

By early evening on Saturday, Tasha had finished delivering 6 little ones:

Now we just had to work on getting out of the driveway:

Many people think that breeding involves putting two cats together and waiting for kittens to arrive.  Mom pops out the kittens, feeds them, and all live happily ever after.  I wish that were true, but it is quite a bit more complicated than that.

Breeders start by obtaining the best cat they can after studying pedigrees.  How much inbreeding is there?  How many ancestors are still alive?  Are there any issues with hearts, hips, knees, kidneys, or gums?  What can this cat add to my breeding program?  If I get this cat, with whom can I mate it, and what is the inbreeding there?  What health issues am I facing if I put cat A with cat B?

After getting that drop-dead gorgous cat with a low inbreeding coefficient and good health, showing it to the title of "Champion" or "Grand Champion" and breeding it with another spectacular cat, you wait, hoping the kittens will have Dad's strong muzzle and Mom's perfect earset.

After a preganancy is confirmed, the breeder hopes that the queen (momma cat) does not get any type of infection, does not resorb the kittens, deliver early or does any number of crazy things to harm the babies.  Kittens arrive, hopefully on time and alive, and the breeder prays that mom takes care of the kittens.  Not every mom has the good instinct to care for her kittens properly, so a breeder may find him/herself cleanng kitten bottoms to stimulate defication, bottle feeding babies every two hours and weighing kittens daily to make sure any problems are caught early. 

I say this because it has been tough these past few weeks. Several friends of mine have lost kittens due to unusual circumstances, and each has been heartbroken.  Today was my turn.

Olive gave birth to this little guy who started off fine, but at one week old stopped gaining.  I brought him to the vet who thought he might have a low-grade infection of some sort.  I gave him antibiotics twice/day.  I tried feeding him with an eye dropper.  He did not gain - so a few days ago I went to tube-feeding, threading a small tube through his esophagus and into his stomach, and carefully getting some nourishment into him.  He was feisty, adorable, and I loved him.

This morning I tube-fed him as usual, and put him into the kitten tent so that he could cuddle with his mom.  She licked him and I knew she would take care of him while I was at work.  I came home at 5:00 PM, got the tube ready for his next feeding and discovered he was gone.  He just didn't make it and my tube-feedng didn't help.

I now have to concentrate on the other kittens, but I thought I would post his picture here.  He is no less important than the others, and he touched me so deeply.  Rest well little guy.

I have been worried about my little Tasha.  She was with a stud male in October and she "pinked up" right on schedule.  Unfortunately, she was not gaining weight, and she was racing around the house like a kitten.

I had a veterinarian friend look at her, and she also could not determine if she was pregnant by palpating her.  She suggested I bring her in for an ultrasound.

Today it was confirmed:  Tasha had a "false" pregnancy.  Even though her mammary glands enlarged, she is carrying no kittens.

I am pleased that she is healthy and as soon as her body regulates itself, she will be bred again.

Moon was the last of the kittens from Tasha's spring litter to find a home.  I couldn't figure out why she wasn't finding her forever home...she is very loving, laid back, sweet, but she also has the "kitten-ness" to ignore the word "no!"  Moon is a solid black Maine Coon with a winning personality.

My philosophy is:  the right home will always come along.  I do believe that sometimes it just takes time.  Moon has landed in a wonderful home where she can romp with the kids, chase her feline "brothers and sisters", and sleep with her human daddy. 

Here she is in her Christmas wear - little Santa-Moon!

This weekend (November 21/22) I will be at the Westchester Cat Show in White Plains, NY.  There will be well over 200 cats and kittens, book signings by members of the Cat Writers' Association, numerous vendors, and even an appearance via web-cam of Nora the Piano Playing Cat!  Two Beigatti will be shown in kitten class.  Stop by and say hello!

On Thursday, Mary of Aderondak Maine Coons and I took some cats to Mass Vet Cardiology Services to have their hearts tested.  We wanted to ensure that our breeding cats have sound hearts.  The only cat I needed to test at this time was Tasha who had been staying with Mary for three weeks.  Mary's boy was supposed to mate with Tasha, but nothing was happening - he just was not interested.

So Mary and I met in a parking lot so that we could put all of the cats into one car (mine) and drive out together.  As we were moving cats from one vehicle to another, a very lovely stray cat decided to get in on the action - poor guy, he was very interested in what we were doing, and he decided to supervise our activity.  We actually had to stop him from jumping into the car at one point!

Loading the car:

driving down the highway:

Dr. Nancy Morris (ACVIM Board Certified Veterinary Cardiologist) examined all of the cats and found no evidence of HCM.

When we returned, Mary teasingly asked me to check Tasha to see if she had "pinked up."  We both knew that nothing could have happened at Mary's house, because her cat, Mr. Jiggs, simply had not been interested in Tasha.  I checked her belly and...what's this???  Tasha is pregnant!!!

Based on the dates she was in heat, and the days she was not smacking Jiggy around with disdain, she is due around New Year's Eve.  What a surprise! 

Last night I was able to confirm that Olive is pregnant!  I was pretty sure she was - ever since she got back from her visit with "Jiggy" she's been a bit lethargic and off to herself.  I'm very excited about this litter!  Although the timing could be better (really - Christmas Day kittens?  ugh!), the kittens should be pretty nice:  solid black, smoke, silver tabby and brown tabby are all possible.  Let's hope for a healthy pregnancy!

I do not have a "whole" male in my house.  I usually depend on other breeders for stud service, so when Olive came into heat, I called on Mary and asked her if I could use her male "Mr. Jiggs."  He is a beautiful silver male with a classic pattern that looks like it was painted on.  Fortunately Jiggs bred Olive on October 21/22 and if it "takes", we'll have Christmas babies.

The following weekend, Chris and I took a leisurely drive to the foothills of the Adirondacks to retrieve Olive from her tryst.  She was happy to be home.

The next morning, I woke up to the familiar brruup...brrruup...brruup.  Oh no!  Chris stumbled out of bed and announced, "Tasha is in heat."  I called Mary and shyly asked if I could drive up with Tasha.  She laughed, made a joke about Jiggy's "prowess" and said to come on up with Tasha.

This drive was tedious, as I was driving though a rainstorm with a carsick cat.  I got to Mary's, said my goodbyes and headed home.  Tasha was practically standing on her head when she saw Jiggy.

It has been four days now and Jiggy has no interest in Tasha.  What?  Since when are cats fussy??  Jiggy has decided on a platonic relationship with Tasha.  This is not what I planned. 

Stay tuned...

Aderondak Kitchi (aka Mr. Jiggs)

Today I am driving to the Utica area to pick up Olive from her tryst with Jiggy. 

Olive is a bit unusual because it is not obvious when she is in heat.  Other cats howl and roll and "present" when they are in estrus, but Olive does not.  After her first birthday, I started paying really close attention...she meows a couple of times and that's it!

Last week, Olive meowed while I was having my morning coffee.  Is this it?  I called to Chris, is Olive in heat?  "She meowed last night, so I think so."  (Really...this is how quiet she is.)  Great!  I have to get her to a male, but I was on my way to Niagara Falls for a conference.  (Cats are great at timing things at the most inconvenient times.)  I called my friend Mary from Aderondak Maine Coons, telling her that I was on my way to Niagara Falls and could I drop Olive off to her boy Jiggy on my way.  Mary agreed right away and I put Olive in her carrier and drove down the New York State Thruway, kitty as my co-pilot.

This really shows what a wonderful community of breeder friends I have.  All of them -- Lynn, Sharon, Margie, and Mary are there for me when I need them.

You'll see us together at show halls.  At the Cape Cod show, Sharon and I were holding two cats upside down comparing paw pad colors to determine if a cat was a blue or black.  Or you may see Mary and I drawing pedigrees to figure out if the solid black cat will produce a mackerel or classic tabby.  Best of all, there is a great deal of laughter, brutal honesty, and support.

Now to bring Olive home.  If this breeding took, we'll have Christmas kitties!!

Today I received an email from Ginny and Ted, a wonderful couple who have sibling kittens from me.  Years ago, when the babies first came to live with them, they photographed Diana guarding the coffeepot....today, I received an updated photo.  Here's to beautiful Diana!!