Week 7: Nearly ready to go!

     

Kitten Watch 2024: Caramel and her sweet kittens

At 7 weeks of age, the kittens are enjoying their last week or so with their siblings and mum, before they are ready to find their new homes in the big wide world at 8 weeks old!

All kittens together in their pen

This week we noticed the kittens have grown in height and length and are looking sleeker. Their eyes are becoming more bluish/green in colour - getting closer to their adult eye colours! They are eating and drinking on their own and are a bit more vocal. At this age, kittens are no longer dependent on their mum for milk although they still might want to suckle from her sometimes.

 

Costa and Cinnamon showing us their bluey-green eyes

Costa and Cinnamon love playing together and Chai is still having great fun chasing everyone's tails! The kittens now also have access to the back part of the pen through the cat flap to play in, and Costa is showing everyone how to get through there.

Cheeky Chai yawning after all that chasing!

Cuddly Coban having a little rest

Thank you for joining us for Week 7 of Kitten Watch! Next week will be an exciting week as the kittens will be 8 weeks old and ready for rehoming! Caramel will also be ready to go to her new home after doing such an amazing job as their mum!

Caramel resting in her bed after all that hard work - well done Caramel!

 

Please note, these blog posts are not in real time, the kittens are a little bit older at the time of writing. However, we hope you enjoy following along with their weekly development from day one. You will get to see how they grow, change and blossom into lovely young cats with the support of their amazing mum, Caramel, and our dedicated team of cat care staff and volunteers here at Wales Cat Centre.

 

If you would like to donate towards the care for our cats, including those like Caramel and her kittens, you can do so on our website here. Anything you can give, big or small, can really make a difference. Thank you for being here for cats 💜

 

See you next week for Kitten Watch: Week 8! 🐾

Week 6: Fun and games

    

Kitten Watch 2024: Caramel and her sweet kittens

This week Caramel is spending slightly longer intervals away from the kittens and seems to be enjoying some more time to herself, although she is always listening out for the kittens in the pen below. She has done such a good job looking after them as they were newborn and then weaning, we are so proud of her!

Caramel resting with her lovely knitted blanket

The kittens are a lot more active and lively this week. Their co-ordination has improved and they are able to catch and chase their toys a lot better. They love chasing and play fighting over their pink mouse toy!

Look at those little claws!

Play is very important for cats, particularly kittens, as it teaches them the skills needed for life and lessons about the world around them. Play is a great way for a cat to use up some of their energy, keep fit and healthy and keep their brain alert and active. The best games encourage cats to stalk, pounce, chase and bat objects with a paw in a safe way. This simulates hunting and releases feel-good hormones called endorphins in their brains.

Caramel's kittens are having great fun chasing after each other, climbing on the cat flap ledge and play fighting. However, once they have tired themselves out, they all cuddle up together for a cwtch and a snooze.

Chai and Coban playing on the ledge

Costa and Cinnamon snuggling together

Thank you for joining us for Week 6 of Kitten Watch! We will continue to follow the kittens' progress week by week on this blog, right up until they and their mum are ready to go to their forever homes.

 

Please note, these blog posts are not in real time, the kittens are a little bit older at the time of writing. However, we hope you enjoy following along with their weekly development from day one. You will get to see how they grow, change and blossom into lovely young cats with the support of their amazing mum, Caramel, and our dedicated team of cat care staff and volunteers here at Wales Cat Centre.

 

If you would like to donate towards the care for our cats, including those like Caramel and her kittens, you can do so on our website here. Anything you can give, big or small, can really make a difference. Thank you for being here for cats 💜

 

See you next week for Kitten Watch: Week 7! 🐾

Week 5: Getting more independent

   

Kitten Watch 2024: Caramel and her sweet kittens

At Week 5, the kittens are continuing their weaning process moving towards a diet of only solid food now, and they are making excellent progress! The kittens are monitored and weighed to ensure they are receiving enough nutrition and gaining weight.

All four kittens hanging out together

Caramel is spending short periods of time each day apart from the kittens to start the weaning process. This also gives her time to rest and the kittens to start gaining more independence.

Beautiful mum Caramel enjoying some peace and quiet

On one of the days we saw her resting in the top pen for an hour and the kittens were all playing in the pen below. They have all become more active and even shy little cuddly Coban was joining in!

Cuddly Coban and sweet Cinnamon enjoying playtime

They are all more interested in the toys this week. They are also exploring the cat flap from the inside of their pen and starting to look at what is happening in the corridor. True to her nature, cheeky Chai was more interested in chasing the other kittens' tails and jumping on them than in the toys.

It wasn't me: cheeky Chai

Cinnamon and Chai noticing the world outside the pen

Here's another special video for you, showing the kittens' playtime!

Thank you for joining us for Week 5 of Kitten Watch! We will continue to follow the kittens' progress week by week on this blog, right up until they and their mum are ready to go to their forever homes.

 

Please note, these blog posts are not in real time, the kittens are a little bit older at the time of writing. However, we hope you enjoy following along with their weekly development from day one. You will get to see how they grow, change and blossom into lovely young cats with the support of their amazing mum, Caramel, and our dedicated team of cat care staff and volunteers here at Wales Cat Centre.

 

If you would like to donate towards the care for our cats, including those like Caramel and her kittens, you can do so on our website here. Anything you can give, big or small, can really make a difference. Thank you for being here for cats 💜

 

See you next week for Kitten Watch: Week 6! 🐾