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We have
a new
baby in
our
Nursery!
Angelina
Curly
was born
on an
eventful
Thursday
– April
20th
2006!
We had
expected
kittens
from the
19th
and,
sure
enough,
at
5.30am
on the
20th,
Buboo (Mianja
Rhapsody
Inblue)
woke me
at
5.30am
to say
that
things
were
starting.
I stayed
with her
in the
bedroom
and
awaited
developments.
I had
told
Brian,
confidently,
“We’ll
have
babies
by
lunchtime!”
Famous
last
words!!!!!
So many times during that long day I thought she was going to start having contractions, but nothing happened. Buboo was not distressed or unhappy, she was quite content to sit on the bed beside me, wash herself and relax. She had a slight discharge and from time to time examined the kitten box, but nothing more than that. By 4.30pm I had had enough and phoned the Vet who advised us to bring her over. Off we went to Maidstone with Buboo in the basket. She was given Oxytocin but other than a couple of small contractions nothing happened. The Vet felt there was one kitten, a good size, but not sufficient to get everything started. So, we had to have a caesarean………….
By 6
o’clock
we knew
Buboo
was fine
and
coming
round
from the
anaesthetic,
but the
kitten
was
having
problems.
The
placenta
had
started
to
disintegrate,
the
kitten
was
affected,
the
heartbeat
was slow
and
although
there
was
another
Vet
working
on her
and they
had an
incubator,
we were
advised
not to
build up
our
hopes
for
survival.
We were
so upset
by this,
we did
not even
ask the
colour
or
anything,
we just
prayed
the
kitten
would
live.
The Vet
told us
to go
home and
ring
back at
7.30pm.
Time
seemed
to stand
still,
but at
last we
learned
the
wonderful
news
that the
kitten
had
stabilized
and was
now out
of the
incubator
and they
were
putting
it with
Buboo
who was
not
particularly
impressed!
We went
back to
Maidstone
to
collect
them
with the
prospect
of hand
feeding.
The most
reassuring
thing
was that
the
kitten
was so
bonny,
weighed
122
grams,
was a
dominant
tortie
(a
favourite
colour),
female
and
curly!!!
I gave
her a
feed at
9pm and
another
at
midnight.
Buboo
was
happy to
let her
snuggle
up and
washed
her, but
the
kitten
did not
suckle.
I set
the
alarm
for 3am
and went
to bed
exhausted!
When the
alarm
sounded,
I
switched
on the
light,
and
there,
in the
kitten
box, the
baby was
firmly
latched
onto a
nipple
and
suckling
happily
while
Mum
purred!
I set
the
alarm
again
for
4.30am
and,
once
again,
all was
well.
By
Friday
morning
we knew
things
were
going to
be OK –
but it
was a
very
traumatic
time
while it
lasted!
For a
very
special
kitten,
we
wanted a
special
name…..
I had
several
jotted
down,
but none
seemed
particularly
appropriate.
Then, I
decided
to
continue
a
Beaumaris
theme of
“angels”,
we had
Cherubina,
Angelica,
Seraphina……..
Yes! Our
new
kitten
would be
Angelina
and, to
reflect
her
Selkirk
heritage
it would
be
Angelina
Curly!
Here she
is at
three
weeks,
weighing
451
grams!
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