Incredible News!!!

As some of you may know, I am in favor of sterilization of cats, primarily owing to the health benefits. However, where I live the veterinary clinics that offer neutering/spaying of cats are numbered ~ at least there is none in my vicinity. So naturally Snow and Forest are not sterilized.
I was aware that they were therefore up to something! However, I hadn't realized that Forest was pregnant until a few weeks ago when I could establish this underneath her long hair. During the past few weeks Forest had curtailed her playfulness to some extent and looked particularly reserved yesterday.

Last night I could even feel the presence of babies in her belly. At around midnight today, she was sitting inside her house and Snow was guarding the door. All of a sudden she gave a sudden growl unlike any I've heard before ~ next she came out of the cat house like a bolt of lightning, with a streak of blood and a little object coming along with her. For no apparent reason, she pawed Snow, picked the little object - that to my amazement was a kitten - and thundered towards the compartment in the side table. The kittens then followed during the next hour - with a total of five kittens being born!!! Forest cleaned them all up and groomed them whilst cleaning herself of the blood.



Fortunately all the kittens are healthy and are doing great! Forest is feeding them while Snow watches from a safe distance. They are just a few hours old now but are already crawling about and making small meows! I am so happy that it is hard to describe ~~~ !!!

I am watching them intently now though I am not exactly sure what I am supposed to do. Despite all my knowledge about big cats, I find myself lacking information about dealing with this particular situation ~ like how long until the kittens are weaned etc. I've set the room temperature at 27 Celsius - I think it will be comfortable. What else to do - I'm not sure ~ any ideas from you smart kitties are greatly appreciated.

I'll try to take a break from work, though I am not sure if I will get a leave since I'm the only doctor during my shift in my unit, but I will try to have my duty hours reduced to five or six per day, at least during the next couple of weeks. Mom and Dad are already saying we can't keep all five of the kittens since we are moving in a while - in fact Mom is already planning to give them to her friends! - but we have agreed to defer this decision until at least the kittens are six months old - I don't know I may have to delay my trip to the States now for a while - these are incredible times!

Sorry I totally forgot - the answer to Saturday's quiz was Tanzania - the winners are Daisy, Ben, Marilyn Monreow, Miss Peach, Yao-Lin, Ali & Fiona and The Zoo Crew. Thanx Jeter and Karen Jo for participating. The maneless lions responsible for man-eating in Kenya belonged to Tsavo region during the close of nineteenth century. They are featured in the movie The Ghost and The Darkness, as indicated by The Zoo Crew, one of my favorite movies also. I may not be able to post new quizzes for a while, though I will try to post some articles and visit other blogs ~ love to all ~ please pray for the new family of Snow and Forest and suggest some names... :)