Update - Nebraska's Gorgeous Girl

Heres the latest of Nebraska final litter.  This is Totallycoastal HookLineNSinker a very, very podgy girl with a wonderful bobtail.  Linsey is our hope for the future that we retein Nebraskas looks beyond her retirement for years to come.

Super Eyes and Chunky Build.



Diamond Muzzle Galore...

Such a chilled baby.

Adore this wild face!

Like Mother, Like Daughter!

Update - Photoshoot @ 1 week (Linsey)

Nebraska's girl Linsey is coming on leaps and bounds.  I think she's absolutely stunning and will be staying here if she keeps this face.

 

Update - First update of Nebraskas Girls

Nebraskas had 2 girls named Linsey and Andrea (at just 1 day old).  I think they both have strong faces for girls. Hopefully Ed and Nebraska decided for a Grand Finale litter, now Nebraska will be retiring.

Linsey (Totallycoastal HookLineNSinker) &Andrea (Totallycoastal HighNDry) is the decided ped name. Both girls are quite different from each other, in markings and size. Linsey is dumpy and fat and light toned, Andrea long and leggy and very dark. One thing they share though is muzzles they are "in ya face" prominent big muzzles. We are very keen to see how this really dark tones develop over the coming weeks. I personally think dark tones give an extra wildness to a pixiebob face, wondering if Andrea will captivate us with it. Both kittens snuggle with mum for a while. I have to say she reminds me a lot of Totallycoastal Jolly Roger. Next instalment will be with quality of pictures, so you can see these girls in all their glory. 

Annoucement - Nebraska Duo, the Strangest Thing!

The annoucement is Nebraska had her babies 1 week early (born 9th August), but under the strangest circumstances.  

I set up a nesting box in the same room as Shanty both expectant mums a few weeks back.  Shanty was due first, but both were due within a fortnight of each other. It's Nebraska's preference to shack up with another in the same room. 

Anyway, the oddest of event unfolded yesterday, when Nebrask decided she wanted to climb in with Shanty and her 5 kittens and start licking them and basically stealing them from Shanty.  I moved the spare nesting box inside a kittening pen and put Nebraska in there, hoping she'd settle down and stop being hormonal.  Thinking to myself she's definately feeling mumsy, her babies will come next week and not the week after.

Instead of settling she was getting frantic and climbing the walls to get to Shanty's babies, as if they were her own and I'd excluded her.  I had to let her back out for the noise she was making was very loud and it was getting late.  I certainly didn't fancy receiving an ASBO for upsetting my neighbours, nor causing Nebraska any undue stress in her delicate condition.  So I set up camp to monitor the situation through the night, as something was definately occuring. 

Nebraska laid down behind Shanty and half the kittens were nursing from shanty, the other half being groomed by Nebraska.  Who then proceeded to groom Shanty, and then the 3 she was nursing.  2 mum's and 5 babies laying together.  As the evening progressed Nebraska came out of Shanty nesting box, and went back to her own.  Excellent saga over, she's calmed down or so I thought.  

She went into labour, gave birth to 1 kitten cleaned it up and then left it and went back to the week old ones that belonged to Shanty... how bizarre.  Now I had a kitten squealling for its mum and being ignored.   The saga was only just beginning and not coming to an end at all... eventually had to move the newborn in with the 5.  Once it was there Nebraska was very attentive of it but still equally attentive of the kittens that were not her own, and it was beginning to get on Shantys nerves somewhat and she was hissing and growling.  OK this was not working.

So, I had no option than to exclude Nebraska to a completely different room, with her new born kitten and re-set up camp there.  I went back to ensure Shanty had calmed down with her babies. They were all nursing and Shanty was resting, good. Back to Nebraska, at first she wasn't interested in the baby she just wanted to get back to the other five.  I spent time with her and reassured her, laid with her and her baby and helped her bond with it.  The first kitten was born at 9pm, by this time it was getting on for midnight.  

I came to the conclusion that it was because it was a singleton litter that Nebraska wasn't keen, but usually that just means they're not keen in any kittens.  I haven't been able to come up with any better reason for this strange attachment to Shanty's 5 babies. 

The second kitten put in an appearance at 3am.  Thankfully this second kitten instantly kicked off the usual full on maternal instinct for her brood and not anothers.. Nebraska was licking it and the first kitten, and all in the world was good.  I waited some time longer to see if anymore came but nothing, but I knew Nebraska would wake me if anymore were on there way!  So I felt comfortable with trying to get some sleep, and when I woke at 4.30 both kittens were suckling and mum was purring away and grooming them and so we have just a duo. 

I have no idea why Nebraska wanted another queens babies above her own, but thankfully it was only a temporary thought.  Both Mum and kittens are doing well, and both the babies are Girls with bobtails and very strong faces.  I am hoping after a time I can move Nebraska back in with Shanty, but I really have to play it by ear.  I just want them all to be happy and contented. 

It's rather coincidental that no-one picked any names from the list I submitted.  It was most unlike my Totallycoastal followers not to join in the fun.  I tried to encourage some audience participation saying my favourite 2.   Now I think it was meant to be.  The names for these 2 girls, will be the suggested ones, Totallycoastal HookLineNSinker (Linsey, instead of Linus) and Totallycoastal HighNDry (Andrea).

As usual, picture to follow.

Movieclips - Nebraskas Kittens

Update - Kittens Eyes Beginning to Open

Nebraska litter is just over a week old, and their eyes are just starting to open.  As with all young kittens they spend most of their time sleeping, eating and growing.  Watchful mum is never too far away, but she is quite good and sitting to one side to allow photo's to be taken of her brood.  Some of my queens get very anxious that their babies are being lifted out of the nesting place.. Nebraska trusts 100% and I have no problems handling the babies or changing bedding as long as they are within sight she's happy with it.  I have taken some photo's of these babies sleeping fondly known as a "kitten pile", so you can see just how sweet they look.  Plus when they woke up, you can see that their eyes are just opening..by next weekend I think they'll all be wide eyed.

Mum Nebraska keeping a close eye!

Kittens are now 8 days old, and very big a chunky!  Now for the Kitten Pile Pictures....

They begin to wake up, and the first born, Red Girl named

TOTALLYCOASTAL BURIED TREASURE aka BERRY clambers up!

All that Clambering by BERRY, wakes the Other two.
(Left) TOTALLYCOASTAL JOLLY ROGER aka JOE and
(Right) TOTALLYCOASTAL OVEAN WAVES aka OCEANA.

BERRY decides to go for a Stroll.

Update - Nebraska Litter 1 Week Today!

Well they certainly have got a lot bigger from last week...a bunch of giants!  Nebraska's babies are thriving and their colours are developing too. You can really see the differences now between the 2 browns, and the blue/cream is getting more and more peachy undertones which just looks divine, even if it's not standard it's stunningly beautiful!  To excite you even more we have faces this week as well ;oP. Only 1 word to describe this bunch and that is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E! 

Anyway, lets get on with the photo's so you can judge for yourselves. Finally, I've selected some names, from the "Nautical Naming Game" I ran on Our Facebook page last month, where you voted or suggested names for this years litters.  I am announcing these today too... yes, unveiling of faces and names.

This beautiful red Girl already looks so sweet and gentle... Her Name will be
TOTALLYCOASTAL BURIED TREASURE (AKA BERRY)

This Blue Cream Girl simply had to have a this name...
TOTALLYCOASTAL OCEAN WAVES (AKA OCEANA)

The ONLY boy in the litter and a rugged and strong Face he has...
I had to name this lad TOTALLYCOASTAL JOLLY ROGER (AKA JOE)



Annoucement - Nebraska Babies Finally here

Well Nebraska was a week overdue and we've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of these babies.  I took her for a scan on Friday morning, as I was concerned she may need a C-Section to deliver them.  I was told there were 3 maybe 4 kittens, and they were a good size and in the correct position for delivery.  That afternoon she went into labour, and over several hours 4 kittens were born.  All big, active and healthy, and took to suckling well.  Nebraska was as usual acting the doting mum and constantly cleaning and checking on her little ones while they fed.  Overnight however, it appears 1 kitten had strayed and managed to crawl or get wrapped between the folds of the blanket.  Unfortunately mum inadvertantly laid on it too and smothered it, so now we are have just 3.

These kittens were born on Friday 18th March, so I've had time to observe them over the weekend and sex them.  We have 2 girls and 1 male. 1 has been born the unusual blue/cream with undertones of rufus showing in the coat and around the face.  The remaining 2 are standard brown with black spotting, the female appears very red brown, the male more cooler toned brown.  All babies have fantastic visable random spotting and will have very striking coats when they are fully grown.

We took these pictures of Mum nursing and cleaning her brood when they were still under a day old.  As you can see these 3 are a good size. All are straight-footed, the 2 females are rumpy kittens (i.e. no tails) and the male is a riser tail but longer than mums.