Leanne, Ocicat breeder, North Yorkshire, kittens available

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Below is a guide to what is happening (and when) with your cat through out the gestation period. Curious as to what was going on inside Zahraa at this time, I've been reading websites and books on feline pregnancy to find out - below is a basic summary of what I've learned.

Day 1 The sperm migrates up through the cervix. (17.02.07) Zahraa & Inca have their first successful mating - 3 mating's in total occur on this day.

Day 2 The ovulation is induced by intercourse taking place 24-36 hours after intercourse. 4 more mating's took place.

Days 3-4 Sperm reaches the eggs in the oviducts.

Days 5-6 Fertilization occurs.

Days 7-9 The fertilized eggs travel down the oviducts & into the uterine horns - the migration continues to allow even spacing between the embryos. During this time, the eggs grow into blastocystes (aggregation of cells).

Days 10-12 The blastocystes implant into the wall of the uterus .

Days 12-25 The blastocystes will grow into embryos (some cells will come together to form the embryo at one end, and the other end will form the placenta).
During the next 2 weeks all the important organs will develop. The nipples begin to 'pink up', and the fur around them will gradually become thinner.

During this period, Zahraa's nipples have 'pinked up' (on day 21 - see pic below), meaning literally that they have gone from a very pale pink colour to a much brighter pink, and have also become slightly larger (they are now visible to the naked eye, whereas before, you would have to move the fluff on her belly to see them). She is also sleeping more than usual.

Days 22-29 Morning sickness may occur, due to hormonal changes and changes to the uterus. The queen may be quieter or more tired than normal, even off her food. Its recommended to feed smaller more regular meals rather than 2 or 3 larger feeds.

Days 28-31 The embryos are now walnut sized (25-30mm). Palpitation (if required) should ONLY be done by an experienced veterinarian if you think you need confirmation that your queen is pregnant.

Day 30 The foetuses are now fully developed miniature cats! Your queen will more than likely be requiring more feed at this stage. (Zahraa has Royal Canin Kitten or Royal Canin Queen, as she is usually fed the RC foods, so its not too bigger change in diet to her other than the amounts & frequency of feeds which are adjusted accordingly).

Days 25-35 Queens abdomen will start to grow (though Zahraa's has been increasing steadily but slowly since about day 17!).

Day 46 By this time you can expect to feel the kittens moving! (This is such a wonderful experience!!)

Days 49-57 Queen may spend more time grooming herself, and may 'clear' the area around her nipples. (If you have a long haired breed its sometimes necessary to trim the fur around the nipples in preparation for the kittens to suckle at the very end of term). The nipples will become more swollen, and she may start 'nesting'- searching for the quiet place in which to have her kittens.

Days 51-65 As her abdomen is full with the movement of large kittens, its not unusual for the queen to experience a loss of appetite - again this is where it is clear that smaller more frequent meals will be more beneficial to her than 2 large servings.

Day 63 Milk may be expressed from the nipples. The queens temperature (approx 38.5 degrees Celsius) will change when labour is about to begin - it can drop to around 37.5 degrees Celsius which is a good indicator that the kittens are on their way.

Day 65 A clear or blood tinged discharge may occur, which again is a sign that labour is not too far away. Kittens can be born approximately 63-68 days. 65 being in between is a good indicator of date of birth (in Zahraa's case day 65 is 22.04.07)

Zahraa's nipples pinked up slightly on day 21 - but they were still hard to see under all the fur on her belly without parting it- I wasn't able to get a decent picture of it until day 33. Now you can feel them, they are larger (and pinker to the naked eye than they are on camera).

Here is Zahraa on day 33 (21.03.07)- you wouldn't tell unless you know her, but she is already showing slight swelling of her abdomen. I took this picture for comparison, so you will hopefully see much more of a difference when I take her picture at the same angle in a week or two.

Here is Zahraa (no matter how much I've tried I cant get a decent picture of her bump at the same angle as above!) so here is a picture of her on day 45, being spoiled on roast beef by my son Jack. We have seen the kittens moving inside her now - and wow - its a fabulous thing to see. You can waste hours just watching her tummy! She seems less tired now than she was a couple of weeks ago, even though she is bigger. She has started going into the airing cupboard and climbing into drawers when you open them, so I think in the next few days we will put the 'kitten pen' out so she can discover that. A nice safe, covered place where I hope she is content to have her babies. And judging by the movements I've seen in her tummy so far, they are going to be like whirl winds, very active like their Ma :)

Day 52 (09.04.07) and Zahraa isn't giving any secrets away! I asked how many buns she had in the oven, and what flavour they are - she just gave me that cheeky look which says - wait and see! She is getting quite tired again - she has a burst of energy then has to lay down for 2 hours. But she is purring a lot, and grooming herself a lot too - Id love to know what she is thinking - does she know she is having kittens? I have been sorting out the linen, towels & bedding in to separate piles in the airing cupboard this evening - not something I'd normally do - think I'm nesting on her behalf! I wish I could get a photo of her which shows her 'bump' off well - she really doesn't look as big in the picture below, as she does in real life! I think the biggest reason for my sheer excitement about these kittens comes from my love of Zahraa - she is just such a wonderful, exciting, fun part of the family - and I keep thinking 'oh my god - if the kittens are even a tenth like their Mum' ...they are just going to be so incredibly special...

Day 57 (14.04.07) now 8 weeks pregnant, and Zahraa still thinks just because you are 8 weeks pregnant you shouldn't let yourself go - she is always doing her nails :) She is now waddling as opposed to walking, yet seems very relaxed and contented. She still has a play, but has realised because of her size there are some limitations now - like not being able to do 60mph up the scratch post, or being able to leap without thinking to her favourite spot above my bedroom drawers. Such events now take some contemplation - or even a chair lift to help you to that favourite spot :) I think this last week will feel like the longest week ever!! We waste much time watching the kittens move around in her tummy, and are lucky enough to have felt them kick several times too. I have tried to guess how many babies there are moving around but when they do there seems to be several movements in several places in quick succession - so I have given up with that game its too hard :)

Below is a very special video to share with you - this is Zahraa's tummy, 8 weeks pregnant and you can see the kittens moving inside :)

Day 64 - (21st April) and Zahraa is in and out of the kittening pen. I can see the babies moving as I'm typing this, and wandering - will I meet them today? She likes Anbini with her in the kitten pen at the moment, and has taken some toys in there :) Now its just a waiting game...

Latest - 24th April - And Zahraa is holding out on us! Still no sign of the babies (at 5.15pm as I write) *sigh* - I've been up 4 nights now waiting, watching - she is very happy, and apart from being huge, and more sleepy is carrying on as normal. So...still waiting...

At last!! 25.04.07 - Zahraa awoke us at 4.45am to let us know she was getting started! She gave birth to 5 very beautiful kittens - please see Nursery page for their details and to watch their development :))))) SOOOOOOOOOO very happy!!!!

Latest - Y See new 'Pictures from owners' page Y

Latest - Y See new 'Pictures from owners' page Y
Below is a guide to what is happening (and when) with your cat through out the gestation period. Curious as to what was going on inside Zahraa at this time, I've been reading websites and books on feline pregnancy to find out - below is a basic summary of what I've learned.
Day 1	The sperm migrates up through the cervix. (17.02.07) Zahraa & Inca have their first successful mating - 3 mating's in total occur on this day.
Day 2	The ovulation is induced by intercourse taking place 24-36 hours after intercourse. 4 more mating's took place.
Days 3-4	Sperm reaches the eggs in the oviducts.
Days 5-6	Fertilization occurs.
Days 7-9	The fertilized eggs travel down the oviducts & into the uterine horns - the migration continues to allow even spacing between the embryos. During this time, the eggs grow into blastocystes (aggregation of cells).
Days 10-12	The blastocystes implant into the wall of the uterus .
Days 12-25	The blastocystes will grow into embryos (some cells will come together to form the embryo at one end, and the other end will form the placenta). During the next 2 weeks all the important organs will develop. The nipples begin to 'pink up', and the fur around them will gradually become thinner. During this period, Zahraa's nipples have 'pinked up' (on day 21 - see pic below), meaning literally that they have gone from a very pale pink colour to a much brighter pink, and have also become slightly larger (they are now visible to the naked eye, whereas before, you would have to move the fluff on her belly to see them). She is also sleeping more than usual.
Days 22-29	Morning sickness may occur, due to hormonal changes and changes to the uterus. The queen may be quieter or more tired than normal, even off her food. Its recommended to feed smaller more regular meals rather than 2 or 3 larger feeds.
Days 28-31	The embryos are now walnut sized (25-30mm). Palpitation (if required) should ONLY be done by an experienced veterinarian if you think you need confirmation that your queen is pregnant.
Day 30	The foetuses are now fully developed miniature cats! Your queen will more than likely be requiring more feed at this stage. (Zahraa has Royal Canin Kitten or Royal Canin Queen, as she is usually fed the RC foods, so its not too bigger change in diet to her other than the amounts & frequency of feeds which are adjusted accordingly).
Days 25-35	Queens abdomen will start to grow (though Zahraa's has been increasing steadily but slowly since about day 17!).
Day 46	By this time you can expect to feel the kittens moving! (This is such a wonderful experience!!)
Days 49-57	Queen may spend more time grooming herself, and may 'clear' the area around her nipples. (If you have a long haired breed its sometimes necessary to trim the fur around the nipples in preparation for the kittens to suckle at the very end of term). The nipples will become more swollen, and she may start 'nesting'- searching for the quiet place in which to have her kittens.
Days 51-65	As her abdomen is full with the movement of large kittens, its not unusual for the queen to experience a loss of appetite - again this is where it is clear that smaller more frequent meals will be more beneficial to her than 2 large servings.
Day 63	Milk may be expressed from the nipples. The queens temperature (approx 38.5 degrees Celsius) will change when labour is about to begin - it can drop to around 37.5 degrees Celsius which is a good indicator that the kittens are on their way.
Day 65	A clear or blood tinged discharge may occur, which again is a sign that labour is not too far away. Kittens can be born approximately 63-68 days. 65 being in between is a good indicator of date of birth (in Zahraa's case day 65 is 22.04.07)

Zahraa's nipples pinked up slightly on day 21 - but they were still hard to see under all the fur on her belly without parting it- I wasn't able to get a decent picture of it until day 33. Now you can feel them, they are larger (and pinker to the naked eye than they are on camera). Here is Zahraa on day 33 (21.03.07)- you wouldn't tell unless you know her, but she is already showing slight swelling of her abdomen. I took this picture for comparison, so you will hopefully see much more of a difference when I take her picture at the same angle in a week or two. Here is Zahraa (no matter how much I've tried I cant get a decent picture of her bump at the same angle as above!) so here is a picture of her on day 45, being spoiled on roast beef by my son Jack. We have seen the kittens moving inside her now - and wow - its a fabulous thing to see. You can waste hours just watching her tummy! She seems less tired now than she was a couple of weeks ago, even though she is bigger. She has started going into the airing cupboard and climbing into drawers when you open them, so I think in the next few days we will put the 'kitten pen' out so she can discover that. A nice safe, covered place where I hope she is content to have her babies. And judging by the movements I've seen in her tummy so far, they are going to be like whirl winds, very active like their Ma :) Day 52 (09.04.07) and Zahraa isn't giving any secrets away! I asked how many buns she had in the oven, and what flavour they are - she just gave me that cheeky look which says - wait and see! She is getting quite tired again - she has a burst of energy then has to lay down for 2 hours. But she is purring a lot, and grooming herself a lot too - Id love to know what she is thinking - does she know she is having kittens? I have been sorting out the linen, towels & bedding in to separate piles in the airing cupboard this evening - not something I'd normally do - think I'm nesting on her behalf! I wish I could get a photo of her which shows her 'bump' off well - she really doesn't look as big in the picture below, as she does in real life! I think the biggest reason for my sheer excitement about these kittens comes from my love of Zahraa - she is just such a wonderful, exciting, fun part of the family - and I keep thinking 'oh my god - if the kittens are even a tenth like their Mum' ...they are just going to be so incredibly special... Day 57 (14.04.07) now 8 weeks pregnant, and Zahraa still thinks just because you are 8 weeks pregnant you shouldn't let yourself go - she is always doing her nails :) She is now waddling as opposed to walking, yet seems very relaxed and contented. She still has a play, but has realised because of her size there are some limitations now - like not being able to do 60mph up the scratch post, or being able to leap without thinking to her favourite spot above my bedroom drawers. Such events now take some contemplation - or even a chair lift to help you to that favourite spot :) I think this last week will feel like the longest week ever!! We waste much time watching the kittens move around in her tummy, and are lucky enough to have felt them kick several times too. I have tried to guess how many babies there are moving around but when they do there seems to be several movements in several places in quick succession - so I have given up with that game its too hard :) Below is a very special video to share with you - this is Zahraa's tummy, 8 weeks pregnant and you can see the kittens moving inside :) Day 64 - (21st April) and Zahraa is in and out of the kittening pen. I can see the babies moving as I'm typing this, and wandering - will I meet them today? She likes Anbini with her in the kitten pen at the moment, and has taken some toys in there :) Now its just a waiting game... Latest - 24th April - And Zahraa is holding out on us! Still no sign of the babies (at 5.15pm as I write) sigh - I've been up 4 nights now waiting, watching - she is very happy, and apart from being huge, and more sleepy is carrying on as normal. So...still waiting... At last!! 25.04.07 - Zahraa awoke us at 4.45am to let us know she was getting started! She gave birth to 5 very beautiful kittens - please see Nursery page for their details and to watch their development :))))) SOOOOOOOOOO very happy!!!!
Latest - Y See new 'Pictures from owners' page Y