Pregnancy 101

I have decided to write a blog on the pregnancy and birth of a litter of my kittens. I'll be featuring week to week updates including birth weights etc. Now, I am a big softy and am liable to cry if I lose any, just thought you should all be aware.

Ok, so Mum-to-be is DGCH Leetamy Shine On, Titch. This will be her second litter. Her first litter she decided to have in a kitchen drawer with a one inch gap at the back. How she got in, I have no idea. We lost three of the six kittens due to being smothered. She has taken a very long time to come back reliably into call.

Dad-to-be is the Chunky Hunky Monkey, Kracken Perfect Storm. Bred by my husband from my lines, this is THE mating I have been waiting for, the litter I have prepared for and bred for. Which means everything that can go wrong, probably will...

Titch is between six to seven weeks pregnant. And below is her first tummy pick. Usually females will pink up, which means their nipples going a bright fluoro pink, at three weeks. Titch decided to pretend to NOT be pregnant and took until six weeks to show off her large pink nipples. The hair has receded around the base of the nipples in preperation for the milk pads becoming swollen with milk.

She is not very big, my guess at this stage is for three kittens. Devon babies range from around 50g to 80g for smaller litters.

I will post more pictures as her belly begins to swell. At the moment I haven't felt any movement but that is quite normal with my queens.