Saturday November 1st 2003 After a long drive, over one
and a half hour, and a new tunnel, I arrived around 11.30 in
Terneuzen. I got a warm welcome from Cora, the owner of Farao. I
already knew her from a show, so it felt okay. After a nice cup of
tea we took Arwen outside. Farao was waiting for her in the
outdoor cage (with wooden gardenshed). Usually Farao stays indoors
with his friend Millie, only when he's got female visitors he
stays outside. Arwen is the third lady to visit him, Lotje (seal
point, cattery Sie Faa Taa) and Mini (seal point, and Arwen's
mother) went before her. I expected Arwen to be very fierce
towards Farao, knowing her behaviour at shows, but she was very
calm. He wasn't allowed near her, but she wasn't aggressive, and
Arwen did like his odour, she smelled everything full of
interest.
Friday November 7th 2003 Sunday November 2nd Farao served Arwen twice at least (seen by Cora). On Monday Cora had to work during the day, but when she came home, Farao was very tired and Arwen acted like a lady in heat. She offered herself to Farao constantly, but he didn't want to. I collected Arwen on Tuesday evening and until yesterday morning she was still in heat, letting all the neighbours know it too!
Monday November 17th 2003 Arwen could be 2 weeks pregnant by now, there still isn't a lot to see. But those that know her do, my mother noticed Arwen looked fuller, and she really does. She used to be a very slim en slender cat, now she looks a bit fuller on the flanks. Still slender, but I see the difference. She sleeps a lot and sometimes the 5-minute craze creeps up. Then she's racing through the house like a mad girl, growling and all. But then again, she does that every day.
Friday November 21st 2003 When I caress Arwen on her belly I can really feel her nipples, they aren't swollen yet or brighter pink, but that will come. Tonight she's coming to Berkel again, I do intend to take her less, to avoid too much stress. She's still her loving self, including 5-minute craze.
Sunday November 23rd 2003 Arwen and
I are back at our place again, and I am sure: Arwen is pregnant.
Her nipples are swollen and a lot more pink. Furthermore, I
weighed her, since I already thought she looked fuller, and I was
right, she weighs a 100 grams more than the day she visited the
vet for shots and tests in the beginning of October. She weighs
2.6 kilograms now, of course she still is a small and light queen,
but she has weighed 2.5 kilograms for over 6 months. Her mother
Mini (who just became a new mother of 3 kittens by Farao) is also
on the small side, hence the name Mini. I do hope Arwen will keep
some of the fullness after her pregnancy and perhaps gets a bit
bigger, but if not that's fine as well.
Saturday November 29th 2003 Today I weighed Arwen again on my mothers digital balance (for humans) and she weighs 2.8 kilograms now. That's another 200 grams more than a week ago. She looks even fuller now. I did some feeling around Arwen's belly, but she doesn't like it that much. She tends to walk away. I took another try, she was sleeping, and I do think I felt something, little lumps, perhaps the kittens? Arwen's food habit had changed a little as well, before she hardly ever wanted wet food, but now she actually asks for it. I give it to her, anything for my pregnant girl, she can eat what she likes to, wet food or dry. She's almost four weeks pregnant now, still five more weeks to go!
Wednesday December 3rd 2003 Seen from above Arwen is very obviously pregnant, even for people that don't know her. Her belly is now wider than her hips. Arwen's crazy 5 minutes become a bit less, although she still gets enough exercise. A friend gave me a little white fluffy ball and that's become her favourite toy. It isn't very white anymore either. Unfortunately Arwen had become a bit of a night-owl, she sleeps during the day and is more awake at night. She also eats at night, when I'm sleeping. And rather big amounts too. This weekend I'll be taking her to Berkel for the last time (Sinterklaas, Dutch family holiday) and I'm going to weigh her again of course. After this weekend she'll stay with me in Rotterdam permanently.
Sunday December 7th 2003 Sinterklaas is over, we're back home again. Fortunately for Arwen my brother left Murron at home (she was in heat again) and then Arwen is a lot more friendly when she's at my mothers. Arwen and Basha and Osiris do like eachother, but when Murron is there as well, Arwen is very grumpy. This time not at all! She really liked all the presents, especially the paper. She had a good time, luckily she didn't jump on my mothers cupboard, perhaps jumping is more difficult now with her belly. Arwen gained more weight, yesterday she weighed 3 kilograms exactly, another 200 grams more than last week. When Arwen sits down, her hips stick out to make room for her belly, and when she walks her belly sways from left to right. My mother thinks she might carry 5 or 6 kittens, because of her size and she will only get bigger, still four weeks left to go. Time will tell if she's right.......
Thursday 11th December 2003 Except for the fact that Arwen
grows on there is not much news to tell. She sleeps a lot, usually
near me (when I'm at home). She eats a lot as well, I switched to
kittenfood a while back, for the extra nutrients, because
everything inside her is growing. If she rolls on the floor for
attention she really is pear shaped. But she can still reach
everything when washing, so she's not too big yet. She is less
playful though, she leaves the Christmastree alone, even though it
is full with decorations (plastic, not glass, just in
case).
Monday 15th December 2003 Actually there still is not much to say about Arwen, her belly is big, she eats a lot, sleeps a lot. Sometimes it's like she's not pregnant at all, then she runs through the house, jumps in het climbing pole and onto the bookcase....it doesn't seem to matter to her at all. She did change her sleeping spot. When she usually sleeps near my stomach under the covers she's moved further down. She wants to sleep in the hollow of my knees. And to get there I have to give her the room to pass, or she'll start digging. Maybe it's warmer down there, I don't know. I do hope Arwen won't bring the kittens there when they are born.....
Saturday 20th December 2003 My
Christmas holidays have begun, finally. Because I was so curious I
borrowed my mothers scales, they're digital and it's the one I
already weighed Arwen on the previous times. She now weighs 3,4
kilograms, which is 400 grams more than two weeks ago. Her belly
is round, sometimes it's just like her belly is so large that
Arwen seems rather small. Still she doesn't seem handicapped by
it. Arwen found another little furry ball and she loves it. I have
to throw it away all the time, so she can chase it (and usually
bring back). Sometimes not so fun, she likes to do it when I'm
trying to sleep as well. Then you feel a wet thing next to you or
a big miauw in your ear.....
Thursday 25th December 2003 Last night, Christmas Eve, I felt a kitten for the first time. I was watching TV with Arwen on my lap and I had a hand on her side. I could clearly feel a kitten moving, apparently the little one was wide awake, because it made very clear that it was there. For Arwen this wasn't a new experience, she didn't even blink an eye, so to speak. After her daily meal of wet food yesterday, I pampered her with a whole bunch of cat snacks, she just couldn't het enough. During the night she can eat a mixture of dry food (Hill's kitten and Royal Canin Babycat) and this morning she had eaten it all! It was quite an amount of food, so even if the Pregnancy Calendar says she could have an overcrowded abdomen, which might make her lose her appetite, she's eating like a tiger.
