My poor Sister has been very poorly.  It is a stark reminder that breeding us Devon Rex, or any breed, is not all romantic, happiness and kittens.  Sometimes it is hard work and we keep the Hoomans on their toes.  Last Friday she began acting very strange.  For a start she was was very loving with Momma and went to sit on her and purred.  Although a really lovely thing to do, it is also very odd as she is ManSlave's girlfriend.  When she goes to Momma something is wrong with her.  She didn't have a temperature but seemed chilled and snuggled into a blankie which again, isn't her. She had some yucky stuff from her 'fairy' she kept washing off and was sort of contracting with her legs like she was having a baby. 

That was it - Momma raced her to the late night vets. Head vet Gabriel saw her and scanned every inch of her bowel because she also had been sick and had blood in her poop.  He couldn't find a reason for either and her gut moves beautifully. Momma, despite being worried sick, found it fascinating.  Gabriel did see that her uterus was open by a few millimeters.  She also had fluid in her lady bits but no filling up in the horns so not a closed pyo and possibly not even an open one?  He was happy to send her home with pain medications and things to stop her being sick and stabalise her for the night.  Her appetite was so low by now.  So Momma took her home and snuggled her into ManSlave's arms for the night.  By morning, she was super poorly and very leaky.  We at least had an answer! 

Off to the vets again, but this time, Gabriel had called Momma before she left and they had decided on a plan and with help from Aunt Shirley's vets (Gracie's Breeder) they managed to sort out a solution and Momma was sent home with antibiotics and stuff to inject into Flaire's neck.  The needles were really big because the liquid was so viscous and it took quite a poke to get it in her skin.  Flaire was stoic and has taken all her medications and felt immediately better and her lady bits began to really drain all the yucky stuff out.  Very sadly for Momma, all over everything! So much cleaning!  

Flaire is much better a week on and is already yelling for a boy cat.  Ridiculous really and almost impossible, but as always, she defies nature!  The reason she got sick was a very serious infection of the womb.  It's caused by the womb filling with pus and, if left untreated, it can lead to kidney failure, toxaemia, dehydration and, in some cases, death.  It is a very serious condition and really, having a good vet that trusted Momma and helped Flaire instead of rushing in and neutering her, was really magical.  It is also crazy as she was due to mate soon anyway to make sure this didn't happen.  She had kittens in January and she wanted more straight away and yelled for boys every week, so Momma popped her on the cat pill. This could have either caused it or saved her?  It is always a difficult decision to make and I guess, so long as she is healthy and at 3.1k she is a good weight after her last litter, it seems the correct thing to try to keep her well.  Mating is never a decision taken lightly. It is not about pumping kittens out - it is, for Momma, our health and the correct boyfriends for us.  

The good news is that dear sweet Otta will be coming to live here at Maystar very soon and Flaire won't have to leave home this time which will be nice and Otta will have a friend straight away to keep him busy.  The Hoomans have been making the Piddle Palace into an OTTAMAN PALACE. It will be so strange having a boy here as we love to spend time out there watching the squirrels.  He also has one of our heated beds - sigh.  We will have to share one between five whilst he lounges in total luxury! Pfft.  He has hammocks and shelves with beds on, lots of climbing places and although his inside bit isn't huge, he has a window and and outside bit that is toasty and warm and it is all covered and sheltered too.  Cool in Summer & warm in Winter we hope as it is all well insulated. Momma brought some great cat pants for him so he can come in the kitchen in the evenings.  I can use those piddle pants too. I am sure to start again soon! We have a pair each.  Otta also will hopefully enjoy the communal garden on milder days and at least see some of our world. We don't want him being bored and he seems to be very soft and loving so he should be easier to handle than crazy J1!!!  Momma said he might like our wheel?  Well, I can tell you - if he even steps one paw on MY wheel, I will mark it doubly double!!!

From the Queen of Piddle
Q Vee =^..^=

Horrible Horrace has been at the garden all Summer.  He has managed to move copious amounts of 20mm gravel from our garden and bury it all over the garden in the pots and the majority of them are taken to our neighbours who are confused as to why they all of a sudden have lots of gravel in their lawn?  He also buries them in our lawn too.  In fact, he burried that many in our potato boxes, we had more rocks than spuds!  

We are all very excited to see him and his kids going about their business. The Fiberglass screen has been removed so we can see right into the garden and Momma put up a new bird feeding station and this has brought nature within 2ft of our shelving in the CatPod.  We already have squirrel watch places in the heated House of Fun but this new bird station is incredible.  We are taking it in turns to lay as flat as we can on the shelves and hide in the cat tunnels.  We chat away in the hope they might not fly away and we could have a little nibble. The very best place to watch their antics in in the Piddle Palace indoor outdoor section. The birds sometimes hop inside and don't even see us all sitting there.  We might have an extension skybridge all the way to the Piddle Palace so all Momma has to do is open the cat flap. That could be fun. 

So what is reason we run?  Well, one is to wear off some of the crazy energy we have and the other is to get fit so if the need arises, we can chase those dastardly squirrels up and down the garden.  Although, watching them move, run and jump - we wouldn't stand much of a chance really. Those wiley, grey, floofy critters are made for speed and we are made for pouncing.  If we keep practicing, we might just be quick enough.  We also like to run after we have had kittens to get some of our weight off.  You get a bit soft laying about all the time.  

For two whole weeks no one has peed on the wheel either. This is a record.  I think some of the reason is that I am very busy with my MiniCats and Momma has been taking Lillibet into the office in the afternoons.  We also have a secure microchip capflap and anyone that piddles is removed from the catflap! 

Off I trot then, back to my kitten bed. I will soon teach them to run about and climb curtains. 
Your loyal royal Queen Vee =^..^=
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So many things have happened here at Maystar in a few short weeks and in truth, I have been up to my armpits in kittens.  They hang from me like two limpets and I can hardly leave the nest with out one complaining bitterly and screaming, so I have to lay down again.  I just have not been able to prise my body away to update you all.

So, now I have announced to the world on facebook that I have indeed had two princess like girls from that awful mating Momma put me through.  I shall never forgive her you know.  For two months I threw up every day and they called me the Duchess of Cambridge the whole time!  Finally, about a week to go in my pregnancy, I gave up being sick and started to eat really well and which was just as well as the nausea came back during my 18hr labour!  It was then a further two hours contracting like a boa constrictor to release no.1 daughter, Baby Hawise, who had been crowning for 40 minutes and Momma intervened. Holey Guacamole!  THAT smarted for awhile.  I lay like a wet rag, Momma mopping my brow and ManSlave reviving my floppy kitten.  Then all over again, the pushing and the heaving and out popped a very tired baby Emma, Daughter No2.  I have to admit, I did really well and didn't make a peep and trusted Momma. 

Momma started to feed them for me, even though I had lots of milky, the different blood group to my Beau, Barry White, meant that my babies could die if they drink before their tummies close off.  This means they don't get all my goodies and they get substitute from a syringe.  I had to wear a dire cat suit too. Grey is just NOT my colour.  It was tight everywhere and it hampered my breathing a bit where my throat is narrow. So Momma didn't leave me for 20hrs and fed my girls every time they squeaked.

You won't believe this. 20hrs into the feeding and I go into labour again, except Momma thought I was going to be sick, so she whipped my cat suit off and I trotted down stairs on wobbly legs and did THE best pee EVER!  I also deposited a decent chocolate gold there in the pay dirt!  ManSlave said to Momma I had litter covering my butt and to catch me.  Momma did and saw I was having another baby.  I was swiftly rinsed of filthy litter and popped into bed again.   It took two hours and LOTS of pushing to get No.3 out. It wasn't a nice feeling and he kept vanishing back up the shoot and I had to start all over again.  Momma grabbed his feet next time they came out and just waited until I could push again.  Together we finally got his hips out, then more pushes and shoulders came.  Unfortunately, he wasn't alive so I didn't have anything to push against and his head got stuck for quite some time.  Momma violated me yet again and had to pop her little finger in my butt hole and push him out that way as I was getting worried and weak.  It was a real shame.  My long labours had starved him of oxygen and his placenta was not alive.  We all felt really sad and I didn't want my own two wiggly girls at first. But Momma said they could suckle now and that helped me feel better.  Momma and I buried him with the rest of the Maystar Pride in the garden.  I washed him before Momma wrapped him up and we picked flowers together - it was an intimate moment and people say cats don't care, they are wrong, we do! 

So, quite the ordeal really, but in some ways, I was so strong and recovered really fast and didn't do any of that weird panting my family does which made it nice for Momma as it is less worrying.  I am an amazing Mum it seems and very attentive and incredibly, even my busy mind is OK with being in one place.  I wash them a lot and clean the blankets with my licker.  Both girls are sparkling and my whites are DAZ white! I haven't wanted to move them and feel very happy laid on the bed with Momma. Me in my Bubbah Da Hutt and her right next to me holding my paw and sorting out the girls for me when I am tired at night time.  I don't feel sick any more and have put on heaps of weight as have my girls.  They are SO fat and full of rich milky like seal pups they roll about, eyes like aliens staring into nowhere.  I love them so much.  Who would have guessed that all that horrible mating experience and the birthing thing - I would be so totally devoted to these tiny creatures. They are my world.

Long May I reign - from your honourable Queen Vee =^..^=