DEVON REX AND SPHYNX

Leyla's kittens had their first innoculations on Tuesday.  Both Bailey and Lugh have had reactions leaving Bailey needing nursing care for 36 hours involving syringe feeding and encouragement to take fluids.  He is now back to his old self, charging around with his siblings.  Lugh has just been a little lethargic but is also much improved today.

Who says breeding cats is easy!!

We lost Robbie last night aged 8 weeks and 6 days after a short illness.  God knows why he takes such young innocent souls, I dont.

Sleep well little man, we loved you very much.

Leyla had 8 kittens on 8th December, two days earlier than her due date.  We knew she was carrying a few, but 8!!!  As of today they are 12 days old.  I have had a few problems as the birth weights ranged from 42 to 84gramme.  The smaller kittens have had to work hard to compete with their larger brothers, but with a little help from me by tube feeding, they are all still with us. Two of them are still needing dietary support but I am optomistic about their chances.

Rosa's girls are thriving.  They are healthy chubby little girls who at the age of 4 weeks show no sign of wanting to wean just yet.  I never force kittens to wean and allow them and their mum to set the pace.  Whilst Rosa wants to feed her babies and doesn't lose condition, then that is okay with me. 

The day that Eoghan and I have been dreading arrived on 20th November 2009.  Medhbh had been deteriorating rapidly over the last few weeks.  She had been on drugs for Atrial Fibrillation and Congestive Cardiac Failure and these had sustained her for over 6 months.  Unfortunately, and as we knew it would, the time came for us to let her go and at 01.45am we called out our Vet to let her have some well deserved peace.  She died at 02.20am and the house is quiet and dreadfully lonely without her enormous presence.  She was and always will be my hearthound, a big, happy girl with not a bad bone in her body.  Sleep well puppy, we love and miss you.

As if to give me something to think about, Rosa had 5 little girls exactly 12 hours after Medhbh died.  They will be named in her honour.

Because I think I must be.

Rosa, Leyla and Caoimhe have all been mated and I am only waiting for Caoimhe to pink up.  Rosa is due on 21st of November, Leyla on 9th December and Caoimhe on 7th January!!

I have never done this before and am begining to doubt my sanity in doing it now.  It is only because I am off work until February that I have done so.

Watch this space for further details.

Beibhinn and Blanche left home last week.  Susan, their new owner flew down to Exeter airport from Edinburgh, stayed overnight and then took the 8 hour train journey home with kittens along.  They travelled beautifully and have now settled into their new home, along with their two older Devon Rex pals.  I hope photos will follow so I can share them on this site.

I promised Leyla that this would be her last show before letting her have kittens again.  I did hope that she would be awarded her 3rd Grand Certificate - but it was not to be  She was awarded the Reserve Grand and so is now on honeymoon with the very handsome Grand Champion Bountiful Jack Thelad, a gorgeous Chocolate boy who I hope will help improve the veracity of Leyla's rather beautiful but very hormonal coat.

Being a glutton for punishment, Caoimhe is also away at stud with Nelson for a repeat mating that produced my very handsome Archie and beautiful Ailish.  Rosa has also been away to stud and we are now waiting to see if she has conceived.

Ailish - now called Buffy, has been shown 3 times and each time has been awarded 1st and Best of Breed, also being placed in most of her side classes - clever girl!!.

Well - at our latest show Leyla wasn't placed in the Grand Class, however, she was awarded the Best of Breed of 7 Devon Rex there on the day.  Talk about sublime to the ridiculous after winning Best in Show at her last show!!   She will have one more attempt and if she doesn't succeed she will be mated.  It is 18 months since her last litter and she has called on several occasions.  It would have been nice to get her made to Grand Champion, but it is not the end of the world if she doesn't make it.

Caoimhe on the other hand was made up to Intermediate Champion after winning her 3rd Intermediate Certificate.  She is the first adult Sphynx to achieve this award and we are all very proud of her.  She did this in 3 shows and was unbeaten as a kitten and now as an Adult. 

Not such good news about our Medhbh, the eldest of our Wolfhound girls.  Last week she became quite ill and after a visit to the vets where eventually a diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation and Conjestive Cardiac Failure was given to her, she is now on large doses of diuretics and Digoxin. 

This measure has given her massive relief, although we have to get up several times during the night as Medhbh lets us know in her own inimitable way, that she needs a wee.  She stands at the door and rattles the letterbox, followed by a large Wolfie bark.

We now have to restrict her exercise (not that she minds - a bit of a couch potatoe is our Medhbh) and monitor closely.  Weekly bloods are taken to ensure she is getting the correct dose of Digoxin and she is weighed to see how effective the diuretics are being.  Last week she lost almost 4 kilo!!

We hope that she will be with us for some time yet.

Beag and her kittens continue to thrive.  We have named them Bán, Blanco, Blanche and Beibhinn, all of which mean white in Gaelic, Spanish or French.  The prospective owners of the two boys have chosen their names already - but they are so outrageous and daft that whilst they remain with us the boys will be Bán and Blanco!!  One of the girls is already provisionally reserved, but I do not take concrete bookings until the babies are at least 8 weeks old.

The kittens are now 3 weeks and are living in our sitting room, along with mum Beag and granny Leyla.  They have not yet fully opened their ears, but are able to hear us when we coo at them over their box.  We take them out and handle them on a regular basis and Ailbhe, our younger Wolfie has already initiated them into the joys of 'being cleaned by a Wolfhound'!