I got a little impatient this past weekend and decided to add some color to my garden. The seeds I sowed about three weeks ago are all sprouting, but it's going to be a couple of months before I start getting blooms from them. So I bought some hanging baskets to add a dash of color while I'm waiting.
The kittens are a day over two weeks old and their blue eyes are shining brightly. As if little Larkspur wasn't adorable enough already. Those baby blues are just to die for.
I built this "Little Free Art Gallery" for my wife a few years ago. She's turned into a prolific artist over the years and creates way more art than our house can handle, and she's run out of friends to gift them to. So now she can give her art away to the neighborhood.
They are just under two weeks old now. All eyes have opened, but they really won't be able to see for at least another week or two. Everyone is eating and growing well.
Fun fact: All kittens are born with blue eyes. For most kittens, their eye color will start to change around 6-7 weeks old. A few will keep their blue eyes, particularly if they have Siamese in them. But even though mom is part Siamese, these kittens won't have them.
This is little Lobelia. She's a black tuxedo kitten and almost the spitting image of her twin sister Larkspur. Their chins are slightly different. Lobelia has a nice black chin outlined by thin white stripes. Larkspur's chin has a little more white.
Fun fact: Kittens can't regulate their own body temp for about the first four weeks. They rely on mom or the environment to keep them warm. If they get too cold they will stop eating.
We are required to get a pic of each kitten for the shelter's records. So I thought I'd share their mugshots. This is Lavender, a female brown tabby.
Fun fact about kittens. They are born deaf and blind. Their eyes will be completely open at about two weeks, but they still won't have great vision until about four weeks. Hearing will come a little sooner.
I don't know how, but Lilac is still holding out on us. I can tell she's getting more uncomfortable by the day. And the kittens are really kicking around in there. Last night we thought we noticed a few minor contractions, but it was probably just her body reacting to all the kitten activity. We are on high alert. But as the saying goes, a watched pregnant cat never delivers.
Kitten Watch 2024 continues. Lilac is still holding out on us, but there is a lot of activity in her belly. The kittens are definitely restless. I will be surprised if we don't have little ones by the end of this coming week. In the meantime, Lilac continues to be very sweet and affectionate. She was found living outdoors, but it is obvious that she was once someone's pet.
Got half a dozen things crossed off the honeydew list this weekend. As Red Green says: "If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."
This little girl is Caitriona. She's a cutie, but she always seems to have a slightly silly expression on her face. For example, if you look closely, you can see her tongue just barely sticking out.