Day 13 - January 30, 2005

I have so much to do now today after having been out yesterday so again, this is a short entry with no photos but I'm hoping to be back to normal by tomorrow. The little Herbs weight gains are all still quite good and Amaretto is still eating a bit more now. The babies are really funny now because whenever we enter the room or talk to them, they now all focus on us, and on our voices and they love being stroked while they're in their box. Of course, if you stroke some that are awake, the ones who are asleep start to wake up to see what they are missing out on and then the kitten choir starts.

Day 12 - January 29, 2005

Not only is this entry incredibly late going online, there are also no photos I'm afraid. The reason for this is that I've been at a cat show all day which means I had to leave at 6am and didn't return until later in the evening. The Herbs were left in hubby's care all day and upon my return, I happened to notice that I wasn't missed at all so he has done a wonderful job as per usual :) I am happy though to say that I've found a very special home now for my darling Thyme with one of my previous kitten owners, which I'm absolutely delighted about.

Day 11 - January 28, 2005

It's not much of an entry today as it's a rather busy day and I have quite a lot to do. Amaretto ate a full pouch of Gourmet Gold Pearl last night which I was pleased about and she had some more again this morning which is so far, the only thing she has shown any interest in. Our little Herbs are doing very well and are all such happy little babies. Already, a couple of them are trying "walk" like their mum and it's so funny to watch because they put their front legs on the bedding, try to stand up straight, wobble about a bit and then when their front legs are in the position that "they" think is right for walking, they lift a paw up, try and take a step, and generally fall flat on their little faces :) It doesn't stop them trying though and I have a feeling it won't really be that long before they are starting to walk about and climb out of the box.

Day 10 - January 27, 2005

I've made up for yesterday's missing photos by adding in a few extra ones for today which will make some of our diary readers happy. The Herbs are still doing very well. You would think that now their eyes are open they could see where they're going and not actually run into, and walk on top, each other. The way I figure it is that they're actually being very clever and are using their litter mates as a stepping stone to help them get to wherever it is they're trying to go. I had to giggle last night as Graham and I were in the kitten room having a chat and cuddles with the little ones when poor little Sage rolled right out of the opening in the box and onto the floor. Naturally he wasn't hurt as it's a very low opening, but I don't think he fully knew just what had happened. I picked him up and popped him back in the box because Amaretto wasn't over perturbed about him being out. Afterwards though, I did put some bedding down on the floor just in front on the opening in case it happens again. The problem with them at this stage is that they are moving around everywhere now and I've actually seen a few of them at the box opening, trying to climb out, fortunately, unsuccessfully so far.

Day9 - January 26, 2005

I almost didn't get today's entry online at all as it's been such a very hectic day in the Schimmel household. Unfortunately, as we've been so busy today, I haven't had a chance to take photos of the Herbs but I will make sure I take some tomorrow. The little ones are doing absolutely beautifully and it makes such a difference now to go into the kitten room to chat with the Herbs and to actually have them look up at me with their beautiful little eyes. I really love this time when they are starting to become more aware of their surroundings. Our daughter isn't particularly impressed with them at the moment though as they are incredibly loud and when she's trying to sleep, she can hear little squeaks. Mind you, it won't be long before they are downstairs here with me in the back room where they can make as much noise as their little hearts desire. Their weight gains are all quite good and we're really pleased with their progress.

Sorry that today's entry is later than usual going online, however, after I took the photos, the camera batteries died and I had to charge them back up before I could download the pics. Still, a late entry is better than none at all :) Our little ones all now have their eyes open which is very sweet and they all made good weight gains last night so we're really pleased with them. I noticed yesterday that a few of our little ones have now started to groom themselves and each other which is really wonderful to watch. They simply poke out their tongues and start licking whatever bit of fur they can find, sometimes their own, sometimes their litter mates. It doesn't last very long though, only a minute or two, and I don't even think they really know what they are doing and it's just instinctive. Having said that, Amaretto is an incredibly clean cat and is forever grooming her little Herbs and obviously they are learning from her actions, as all babies do.

Day 7 - January 24, 2005

Our darling Herbs are now a week old and when I checked on them a little while ago, I was thrilled to see that tiny little eyes are now opening up. They are so incredibly adorable. I didn't have to hand feed Thyme yesterday at all as he's now doing incredibly well all by himself. Also, at long last, Thyme's cord has fallen on, much to my relief. The little ones are moving around quite a bit now and when they are awake and not feeding, they tend to crawl all over each other and poor Amaretto. Darling Retto is so patient though and is such a terrific mum. Apart from that, it's a relatively quiet day for the Herbs and there isn't really anything else to tell.