Voodoo's Litter Born February 12,2020
Watch us Grow!
Our litter of eight was born on February 12, 2020. We are so blessed to be able to not only watch them be born, but to watch them grow up for 12 weeks until they go to their forever homes. I wasn't going to name them, but soon realized that calling them all kitty or "blue, red, pink, 1,2,3, etc" was NOT very fun. My kid's helped me come up with their names (which must start with the letter "A" according to club rules. We also learned wuickly that the males (which are all dark) are nearly impossible to tell apart. So with the help of my daughter, we painted their nails with nontoxic Piggy Paint :)
We have:
Acclaimed Bing Clawsby (male)
Athletic Cathew Stafford(male)
Active Catrick Mahomes(male)
Absolute Notorious CAT(male)
Amusing Will Feral(male)
Affectionate Catalie Portman(female)
Adorable Demi Meower(female)
Ageless Khloe Katdashian (female)
Our litter of eight was born on February 12, 2020. We are so blessed to be able to not only watch them be born, but to watch them grow up for 12 weeks until they go to their forever homes. I wasn't going to name them, but soon realized that calling them all kitty or "blue, red, pink, 1,2,3, etc" was NOT very fun. My kid's helped me come up with their names (which must start with the letter "A" according to club rules. We also learned wuickly that the males (which are all dark) are nearly impossible to tell apart. So with the help of my daughter, we painted their nails with nontoxic Piggy Paint :)
We have:
Acclaimed Bing Clawsby (male)
Athletic Cathew Stafford(male)
Active Catrick Mahomes(male)
Absolute Notorious CAT(male)
Amusing Will Feral(male)
Affectionate Catalie Portman(female)
Adorable Demi Meower(female)
Ageless Khloe Katdashian (female)
Kittens (the first day...)
Here are our kittens just seconds after they were born. Voodoo knew exactly what to do and started licking them and nursing them right away :) During the first week Voodoo was very hesitant to leave them alone, even to eat and drink. Because she is nursing 8 kittens she needs a lot of extra calories to support herself and her babies. We give Voodoo kibble, fresh cooked chicken and scrambled eggs, and canned cat food. She is working so hard to take care of her babies, and I want to provide her with the most nutritious, healthy foods to keep her healthy and strong too!
The babies umbilical cords started to fall off around 6 days old, and a few of them even started to open their eyes. If Voodoo hears any of them meowing she looks for them and licks them. On the first night one of the babies made its way out of the nest (he was latched onto Voodoo when she tried to get out to go potty). Luckily I had a camera on them as she couldn't figure out how to get him back into the nest!
The babies umbilical cords started to fall off around 6 days old, and a few of them even started to open their eyes. If Voodoo hears any of them meowing she looks for them and licks them. On the first night one of the babies made its way out of the nest (he was latched onto Voodoo when she tried to get out to go potty). Luckily I had a camera on them as she couldn't figure out how to get him back into the nest!
Kittens at 1 week old...
The first week FLEW by! Luckily Voodoo has been a PHENOMENAL momma and is doing such a great job taking care of her babies. Their umbilical cords have fallen off and 4 of the babies have their eyes open. They are still blind and deaf, but they have an excellent sense of smell. Some of them open their mouths and breathe to smell better. They are growing a TON and already have doubled in size. The little kitten with the orange on her face (Demi) has even started to purr :) They wiggle around a lot but still don't have very strong necks or legs to actually stand up.
I have been weighing them daily and on average they are gaining between 10-20g per day! You can't tell just by looking at them, but our little lady, Catalie, is the smallest. A few of the kittens push her out of the way when they're nursing, and with 8 kittens it gets pretty crowded. Luckily when the others are finished nursing I can put her with Voodoo all by herself and she is catching up to her littermates!
At 12 days old all of their eyes are open and are blue, and they are starting to become very curious about this big world. They are still wobbly and unsteady on their feet, but they will paw at each other and already are starting to lick and "play" with each other. The other night while they were sleeping, I startled one of them and got hissed at! The tiny little noise was so adorable, and the little palm sized kitten was trying to be so ferocious :)
I have been weighing them daily and on average they are gaining between 10-20g per day! You can't tell just by looking at them, but our little lady, Catalie, is the smallest. A few of the kittens push her out of the way when they're nursing, and with 8 kittens it gets pretty crowded. Luckily when the others are finished nursing I can put her with Voodoo all by herself and she is catching up to her littermates!
At 12 days old all of their eyes are open and are blue, and they are starting to become very curious about this big world. They are still wobbly and unsteady on their feet, but they will paw at each other and already are starting to lick and "play" with each other. The other night while they were sleeping, I startled one of them and got hissed at! The tiny little noise was so adorable, and the little palm sized kitten was trying to be so ferocious :)
Kittens are 2 weeks old!
Since a young child I have struggled with anxiety. Anxiety sucks. I LOVE my cats/kittens but there is a great deal of uncontrollable things that cause my anxiety to sky rocket... needless to say I have not been getting much sleep since the kittens have arrived. I am constantly checking on them to make sure their breathing, gaining weight, warm enough, you get the picture ;) Luckily I have a Wyze camera setup and a temperature alarm synced to my phone so if they get too warm I get an alert on my phone. Technology is AWESOME!
Voodoo has completely amazed me with how well she is doing as a momma. For this being her first litter, and for there being so many kittens, she knows exactly what to do. She has her own quiet room with soft music playing, we give her plenty of love and attention too, and she gets treats every time I visit her. A healthy mom is vital for healthy kittens! She will nurse them until they fall asleep, then venture out of the nest box. As soon as they start crying she tends to them again, it is so sweet to watch her with them!
The kittens have grown exponentially the last 2 weeks, they are HUGE! Each one of them is starting to show glimpses of their personality. Demi has been the most feisty since birth, and Notorious BIG is really chill. They are starting to try and walk around but are still wobbly and unsteady. I'd like to think they recognize my voice, when they hear me their ears perk up and they clumsily look around. As you can see they are getting cuter and more "kittenish" every day! My kid's are starting to ask if they can keep them all, thank GOD my husband is the voice of reason around here because I say what's 8 more cats anyway?!
Voodoo has completely amazed me with how well she is doing as a momma. For this being her first litter, and for there being so many kittens, she knows exactly what to do. She has her own quiet room with soft music playing, we give her plenty of love and attention too, and she gets treats every time I visit her. A healthy mom is vital for healthy kittens! She will nurse them until they fall asleep, then venture out of the nest box. As soon as they start crying she tends to them again, it is so sweet to watch her with them!
The kittens have grown exponentially the last 2 weeks, they are HUGE! Each one of them is starting to show glimpses of their personality. Demi has been the most feisty since birth, and Notorious BIG is really chill. They are starting to try and walk around but are still wobbly and unsteady. I'd like to think they recognize my voice, when they hear me their ears perk up and they clumsily look around. As you can see they are getting cuter and more "kittenish" every day! My kid's are starting to ask if they can keep them all, thank GOD my husband is the voice of reason around here because I say what's 8 more cats anyway?!
Kittens are 3 weeks old!
These teeny tiny little immobile, fragile kittens are starting to move around, follow my voice, and a few of them have figured out how to get out of their nest box. Voodoo is leaving them on their own more, and not nursing them as much as she was. She has been such a great momma, especially since there are so many kittens to tend to! Sorry if it's TMI, but nursing all of those kittens has taken a toll on her nipples. Poor girl has cuts from their sharp claws kneading her for milk :/ I have been applying Bag Balm to her nipples and it seems to be helping. We've been letting her out of the kitten room for short periods of time and she'll scratch at the door when she's ready to come back in the room with her babies.
Kittens are 4 weeks old!
I am now wondering if I am raising piglets or kittens??? Those sweet, immobile balls of fur are still the SWEETEST things ever but they are little pigs! They are now all venturing out of the nesting box, a few of them have learned how to use the litter boxes, but mostly they go potty wherever they need to go... which is ALL over their room. No big deal since it's vinyl flooring and easy to clean up, but I am pretty OCD about cleanliness ;)
Over the last week they have shown the most development so far. Their unsteady, wobbly walk has turned into a steady gait and some of them are running. My daughter calls me a walking scratch post because they climb up my legs, and I am in crazy cat lady heaven because they ALL want to climb into my lap. They bring me so much joy and happiness and it is such a blessing to watch them grow!
Now that they all have very sharp shark teeth, Voodoo is not a happy camper nursing them. They have playfully bit my toes and fingers, so I can only imagine how it feels to nurse them all (OUCH)! They are getting a few supplemental bottles from me to make sure they are getting enough to eat. A few of them have figured out how to eat out of a dish with formula and canned cat food, but mostly they walk through it. They are even starting to chase little cat toys around and are very curious about life outside their box :) Happy 4 weeks little ones!
Enjoy the video of my "talker" Bing Clawsby. He inherited his talking skills from his dad, Kris King :)
Kittens are 5 weeks old!
The kittens are all growing like little weeds and have begun to show their individual personalities. Bing Clawsby still refuses to eat out of a dish and meows whenever I walk into their room because he knows I'll have a bottle for him. He is definitely the most reserved, snuggly kitten of the group and I LOVE that about him. His dad, Kris King, also meows for attention and I can see that Mr.Bing inherited that trait.
The kittens will chase each other, scratch at their scratching post and have tried climbing. A few of them have figured out how to climb onto a chair, but they mostly still snuggle up together in their nesting box. They are such a joy and can bring us all much needed smiles amidst all of the COVID-19 despair and uncertainty. We hope that you all are staying safe, healthy, and sane!
The kittens will chase each other, scratch at their scratching post and have tried climbing. A few of them have figured out how to climb onto a chair, but they mostly still snuggle up together in their nesting box. They are such a joy and can bring us all much needed smiles amidst all of the COVID-19 despair and uncertainty. We hope that you all are staying safe, healthy, and sane!
Kittens are 6 weeks old! (and we're spending even MORE time with them because of the shelter in place order ;)
First and foremost I hope you all are staying safe and healthy during this CRAZYNESS :( My kid's are sick of being at home and my son has mentioned that he will never say he hates school ever again. (This is coming from a kid that HATES school). I can know confirm that I wsa NOT cut out to be a teacher, that toilet paper and paper towel are equal to gold right now, and that I have had enough of being inside my own house (and I am an introvert so that says a lot).
Anyway, on a positive note, the shelter in place order means we ALL have more time to spend with the kittens. The are climbing, jumping, running, purring little balls of fluff now. Mr.Bing FINALLY realized he can feed himself and eat out of a bowl, and they are mostly using the litter boxes :)They have no idea about the absolute chaos and I am so grateful for them. Sitting with them brings me joy, happiness, and a sense of purpose.
Anyway, on a positive note, the shelter in place order means we ALL have more time to spend with the kittens. The are climbing, jumping, running, purring little balls of fluff now. Mr.Bing FINALLY realized he can feed himself and eat out of a bowl, and they are mostly using the litter boxes :)They have no idea about the absolute chaos and I am so grateful for them. Sitting with them brings me joy, happiness, and a sense of purpose.
Kittens are 7 weeks old!
The kittens had their first trip to the vet and received their first set of vaccinations!
Our world is completely different right now because of COVID-19. I am sure that nobody ever expected to go through something like this, and it definitely has changed the way we live our day to day lives. Luckily our vet is still operating but is only seeing clients for emergency visits and necessary kitten/puppy vaccines. We were not allowed to go into the clinic and it was very hard for me to hand over the kittens and wait in my car. Our vet and their wonderful staff took excellent care of my babies and gave me phone updates throughout the entire process. It was very different from what I had envisioned, but we're all trying to create a new "normal" right now.
As the shelter in place order was declared in Michigan, it was extremely hard to find Tidy Cat litter! Even Chewy was sold out of it for about a week. We ordered a few extra buckets of litter, a few extra cases of canned food, and a few extra bags of dry food just in case. We were a little late to stock up on toilet paper, hopefully we'll have enough to get by for a few more weeks.
I hope you all are staying healthy, sane, and doing well amidst all the chaos. The kittens are all doing so great and they are so much fun to watch!
Our world is completely different right now because of COVID-19. I am sure that nobody ever expected to go through something like this, and it definitely has changed the way we live our day to day lives. Luckily our vet is still operating but is only seeing clients for emergency visits and necessary kitten/puppy vaccines. We were not allowed to go into the clinic and it was very hard for me to hand over the kittens and wait in my car. Our vet and their wonderful staff took excellent care of my babies and gave me phone updates throughout the entire process. It was very different from what I had envisioned, but we're all trying to create a new "normal" right now.
As the shelter in place order was declared in Michigan, it was extremely hard to find Tidy Cat litter! Even Chewy was sold out of it for about a week. We ordered a few extra buckets of litter, a few extra cases of canned food, and a few extra bags of dry food just in case. We were a little late to stock up on toilet paper, hopefully we'll have enough to get by for a few more weeks.
I hope you all are staying healthy, sane, and doing well amidst all the chaos. The kittens are all doing so great and they are so much fun to watch!
Kittens are 8 weeks old! Happy Easter!
With my kid's being home from school due to COVID-19, the kittens are getting PLENTY of interaction from all of us. The kittens are so happy and playful, and bring us so much joy and laughter. They are now flying all over the place; chasing each other around, playing with toys, climbing up the cat towers, and getting into whatever they can find. They experienced their first thunderstorm and were both terrified and intrigued by the thunder and lightening. I am looking forward to meeting their new families, but I know it will be hard saying goodbye to them!
Kittens are 9 weeks old
All of the kittens are starting to get so fluffy and resemble Maine Coons. They are all so adorable and have their own personalities. Bing still loves to snuggle most, Catrick is crazy, Cathew likes to "high five" me when we play, Notorious likes to squeeze in small spaces, Will meows and throws himself on the floor so I'll pet him, and my girls (Demi, Catalie, and Khloe) still think I'm a giant cat tower and try to climb up my legs to sit on my shoulder. They are all amazing!
Kittens are 10 weeks old
Voodoo spends less and less time with the kittens. She'll snuggle and play with them, but definitely wants her space now. Every now and then a few of the kittens will try and nurse from her, and she quickly tries to run away. She's letting them know they are old enough to eat kibble and drink water now ;)
Kittens are 11 weeks old
It is hard to contain 8 wild, jumping, running, crazy kittens! We set up a safe spot in our back living room with a puppy playpen to block off the doorway, but a few of the kittens figured out very quickly that they could climb up and over it.
The only reason they're confined to a certain area of the house is because I worry about them getting hurt or escaping outside somehow. They are extremely curious about this big world and want to explore!
The only reason they're confined to a certain area of the house is because I worry about them getting hurt or escaping outside somehow. They are extremely curious about this big world and want to explore!
Kittens are 12 weeks old
Our kittens were loved before they were even born, and I knew that saying goodbye to them would be extremely bittersweet. Their new families were counting down the days to take them home, and we had been in contact with each other for weeks, yet I was not looking forward to the day they would leave me. Each kitten was sent home with a kitten package with their favorite toys, treats, food, photo album and blanket.
Even though they no longer will live here with us, they will always hold a special place in my heart :)
Kisses to my sweet babies and best of luck in your new forever homes!
Even though they no longer will live here with us, they will always hold a special place in my heart :)
Kisses to my sweet babies and best of luck in your new forever homes!
