4-6-18 Friday

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Have y’all decided if/how you’re going to let the kitties have the run of the second floor?

We haven’t really discussed it recently, though at some point in the past we talked about putting a screened door at the top of the front stairs, and closing the door to Fred’s office, thus giving kittens my bedroom, the guest bedroom, and Fred’s bedroom to explore, as well as the hall bathroom. With Katia and Kristi, I don’t think that letting them have places to run and hide (and us having to herd them back into the kitten room) is a very good idea, so I may start bringing the kittens into my room for the better part of the day and then eventually letting them run around the house and meet the permanent residents. We haven’t made any decisions yet, so we’ll see.

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I was reminded when watching the 30 days of kitties video when Katia meowed, kitty talked to you as you petted her newborns… do you think she’ll ever come around or will remain forever feral like Emmy… she’s so pretty.

I’m not making any progress with Katia, though I will say that it’s really hard to know how cats are going to be once their kittens are weaned and gone. She tolerates me as long as I don’t get too close to her or try to touch her or stand over her. While I still have hope that she’ll come around, it’s been my experience that mother cats are at their friendliest right before they give birth, and right after. Once the hormones wane, the friendliness does too (this is feral/semi-feral cats I’m talking about – cats who are used to/like people and are accustomed to being inside continue to be social and friendly.)

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Remember this video? Cats with opposable thumbs …

YouTube link

Keeping an eye on that Brian Boitano!

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Is it odd that only one kitten is polydactyl? Isn’t that genetic? You know – like Hemingway’s cats….

I am very touched that you guys think I have clue number one about genetics. I looked around and found this interesting article about it, and I think this explains it fairly well:

Genetically, polydactylism is a simple autosomal (not related to gender) dominant trait. Cats with extra toes have the dominant gene, Pd. A cat needs only one copy of this gene from either parent to have the trait. If one parent has it, 40 – 50% of the kittens will have it too. Although it has been said that if the parent has extra toes, the kittens inherit extra toes in the same configuration the extra-toed parent, this isn’t 100% true, because polydactylism genes show “incomplete dominance”. In other words, the genes inherited from the normal parent do figure into things, and the configuration of the kittens’ toes can vary. Because many polydactyl cats carry the gene for normal toes, the trait is never “fixed”. In other words, even breeding two polydactyls doesn’t guarantee all the kittens will be polydactyl. Inbreeding would increase the percentage of polydactyl offspring, but there will always be a few normal-toed kittens in the litter, because of that recessive gene.

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I know you said Ohno is the lighter of the two meezers, but dang if I can tell that, even in the side-by-side photo. Are there any other ways to distinguish between her and Picabo?

I am hoping to get better pictures of the two this weekend, but as it stands now (and it’s only really developed/become obvious in the past few days) Ohno has white feet, whereas Picabo’s are a medium-dark gray (she almost looks like she walked through charcoal), and her tail is much darker, too. Ohno has a big, round head, and Picabo has more of a sleek profile. Ohno also looks like she’s going to be floofier than Picabo – she’s certainly bigger. The two weighed exactly the same for the first week and a half, and now Ohno is visibly larger.

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Correct me if I’m wrong here, Robyn, but… Feral, Kristi? Purry, kneady-pawed, getting petted lots and loving it Kristi? That cat’s not feral. Skittish, maybe, but she’s no Emmy or Katia. *pets her!*

The purring and kneading was before she had her kittens. Now that she’s had them, she hasn’t purred at all for me (though she purrs for her kittens); she tolerates petting, but if she can get away from me, she will. I’m not saying that there’s no possibility that she’ll be a semi-friendly house cat, but at this point, it’s hard to know what her true personality is.

In a perfect world, someone who wants a couple of cats as companions, but not necessarily lap cats, would take Kristi and Katia, knowing that it’s a possibility Katia might never come around, but even if she does, it’s a ways in the future. Kristi also might not come around, but then again she might. It’s really just hard to know at this point.

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Is it me, or did Kristi and Katia make a fairly hairy bunch of kittens? It’s too soon to tell of course, but at least two of Katia’s are definitely on the floofy side, and it looks like maybe some of the tinies are gifted in the hair department, too.

At the point, I’m thinking one orange tabby and one meezer are going to be on the floofy side. One of the potential fathers of the litters is long-haired, so I think we can blame him (or not. Have I mentioned genetics isn’t my strong suit?)

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Are Katarina’s whiskers more obvious than Oksana’s?

Katarina’s whiskers look more tousled to me – sticking out in all directions – whereas Oksana’s are more sleek and properly styled, so the tousled whiskers probably draw the gaze more than the sleek ones. They both have fabulous whiskers, in any case!

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Are they poopin’ and peeing in the designated box yet?

Litter box usage isn’t at 100% yet (thank god for washable pee pads), but they are using the litter boxes (there are 6 of them scattered around the room) pretty regularly – AND both Dean and Katarina have used the big litter boxes in the closet (which Katia and Kristi have been using, and which I didn’t actually intend for the little ones to be using just yet). They’ve both been DYING to get into those boxes since they realized they were there, and in the past couple of days they’ve gotten big enough to get in and out.

I imagine that just as we get to 100% litter box usage for the big kittens, the little ones will start coming out and trying to figure out the whole litter box thing. Did I mention thank god for washable pee pads?

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Ohno contemplates her paw.

What would Brian Boitano do, if he were here right now? He’d cuddle up for a snoozeroo, that’s what Brian Boitano’d do!

Ohno shows off her fuzzy head and her white paw.

Brian Boitano (left) and Scott and (I think) Ohno.

Torvill is not buying what you’re selling, y’all.

Hello, trouble.

Torvill’s found that if she sits here long enough, someone eventually comes sliding through that hole.

Katarina and the crazy eyes.

Deanzilla, checking out the box. (I will forever think of that as “Emmy’s box,” since that’s where she birthed her babies and raised them for the first few weeks of their lives.)

Did I mention the crazy eyes?

Also Deanzilla with the crazy eyes. It seems to be genetic!

“No crazy eyes in here, lady!” (I love how Dean is looking through the mesh at them like they’re an exhibit at the zoo.)

Deanzilla’s keeping an eye on you.

In this picture you can see how much darker Picabo’s ears are than Ohno’s. (Picabo is up by Kristi’s head, Ohno is flopped across her feet.)

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Video! If you’re following me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ve seen a different (shorter) version of this, but this cracks me up, so I wanted to share it here.

YouTube link

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I adore this picture of Stefan.

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Previously
2017: “Lady, pardon me. They’re NURSING, and they NEVER DO THAT.”
2016: “Here!” says Art Vandelay. “Let me help!”
2015: Meet the Fools.
2014: No entry.
2013: “Um. Is kinda boring in here, lady.”
2012: “Dat was yummy.”
2011: “Tastes like chicken.”
2010: FAKING IT THE ENTIRE TIME.
2009: No entry.
2008: No entry.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.

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