Hi Folks - it's us again, Mal-Teaser and Buttons. We are writing on behalf of our mum as we are getting bigger and  more independent. We have had no ill effects from our first lot of vaccinations and once we got over the shck of going out on our own without our mum life has returned to normal. For us that means eating, sleeping and playing. As we get older  we are happier sleeping on our own rather than cuddled up together all the time, although Buttons usually likes to sneak in with one of the big cats for a cuddle! We are almost ready to leave home and mum now and face our future  independently. We are getting braver as we get older, and manage to do some quite big leaps around the room as we are playing. Sometimes we miss our jumps and end up in a heap on the floor! We are growing very fast still and now look even more cute - check out the kittens page! Our favourite toy is a ping pong ball and we leap around the house chasing them as they bounce. We do a lot of play fighting together and can often be heard squealing because we both bite too hard!!
We now join the big cats for our meals, although the human slave stands over us because the big cats like to share our food if they get the chance. They often eat anything we leave so we eat as much as possible at the first sitting! Well we had better go and get something to eat - our tummies are rumbling. See you next week - Miaow!!

Hi Folks, its Mal-Teaser & Buttons here!! We are 9 weeks old now so thought we would help mum write her blog. We are much more independent and apart from the occasional cuddle, play fight or drink at the milk bar we do not see much of our mum. She spends more of her time with the big cats now but checks on us every so often. She comes running if one of the big cats is getting too rough with us when we play and it causes us to shriek.
We have had a big adventure this week as we have been out on our first car trip. We ended up at a not very nice place called the Vets. The human slave made lots of reassuring noises but the vets had strange noises and dogs in it. We kept away from the dogs but it was very strange and scary. The vet was a nice lady and she gave us a thorough check-up and put some cold drops on our back, for worms apparently, and then she stuck a needle in us. We didnt like that and Buttons yelled loudly. After that we were put back in the carrier and taken home, we were very quiet on the way home! Once we were home and had something to eat we soon recovered and were back to playing normally.
Our favourite game is playing chase with Cara, Whisky and Bailey, we try and run around the room without touching the ground, the big cats can do it easily but we sometimes miss and land on the floor!

Our human slave is making the preparations for us to leave home as we will be old enough to leave mum and go to our forever home. She has been busy filling in forms to send off to the GCCF to register our pedigree. It is at this time she decides whether  we can be used for breeding and will notify the GCCF on the forms that are filled in. Our slave practices early neutering which means that we will already be neutered when we leave home. This is a very good way to ensure we dont breed and as young kittens we will take the operation in our stride. We wont have that done till after our second vaccinations and when we have new homes to go to.

Well we are off to play now so will talk again next week, in the words of our mum - Miaow!

Hi folks!! My kittens are getting more independent by the day and they are growing rapidly still. They are now eating well  and eating a varied range of kitten food. They like fish very much, especially pilchards in tomato sauce and eat 4 small  meals a day. I still feed them occasionally during the day but not very much  and it is mostly for comfort now or to send them to sleep. Mal-Teaser and Buttons  are now fully integrated with  the other cats and have many rough and tumbles with the big cats. I watch them carefully to make sure they dont come to any harm. I do leave them on their own more often now and spend more time with the other cats but I regularly check on my babies. Both of the kittens have had little mishaps - they get find themselves under the human slaves feet as they follow them about more than me now. Buttons jumped through the gap in the bannisters and has fallen down the stairs as she ran too fast but luckily they have come to no harm and it is quite normal as they develop and start exploring new things. They have started to climb things as well now and run up the cat climbers, thinking they can keep up with the big cats! The trouble is they dont know how to get back down when they get to the top, so just throw themselves off - I end up miaowing at the bottom as it worries me when they just launch themsleves off the top. They like playing with their big sister Cara. She has been trying to mother them herself and take them away from me but a quick cuff from me reminds her who is boss and whose babies they really are. The kittens of course dont mind who takes care of them at this stage and like all the extra attention that Cara gives them. Well I suppose I had better go and give them a feed as they are running around and I need to calm them down. Talk to you next week, Miaow!

Hi Folks, I am sure if you have checked the kitten photo page you will think my babies have grown a lot and are at the cute kitten stage. They are hard to resist when you look at them and are very endearing when they scamper about playing with each other! They are progressing   well. The kittens are now eating solid food regularly, although they only really like fish. They particularly like sardines or pilchards in tomato sauce, they are my favourite too so I often try to pinch them from my babies. Unfortunately for me though the human slave sneaks off and feeds my babies separately so I cant get at their food! I often miss out as they have eaten most of the food by the time I find them and the plate, I manage to eat the leftovers though.
I spend more time apart from the kittens as they are growing up now, they have met all the big cats and Mal-Teaser often spends time cuddled up with his bigger brothers and sisters. Cara my daughter from my last litter is trying her hand at motherhood by taking care of the babies when I am not around, she washes them and cuddles them when they are asleep. I dont mind   as it gives me a bit more free time. It is also a good sign for when she has kittens herself, hopefully later in the year.
The kittens are quite independent now, and often go off to find their own space for sleeping. They play fight a lot and I come running whenever I hear their squeals of pain as they bite each other. This type of play is important as they learn the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, which will ensure they  do not get too viscious in their play fighting as they get older. They are using the litter tray on most occasions now, although we occasionally get the odd puddle!

I am still feeding them but normally only to settle them down for a sleep, which I do when they get too boisterous! I am still eating 3-4 meals a day though to keep pace with the kittens and to start to get my figure back.  I do feel  hungry quite a lot and I regularly hang around the kitchen asking to be fed! In fact I think it might be time for a quick snack now! See you next week - Miaow!                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Hello folks, well another week has passed and it has been quite eventful as we have been busy teaching the kittens to eat solid food. Mal-Teaser has taken to it very easily and looks forward to his pilchards in tomato sauce, however Buttons is not so keen on taking food. She is happy to have the odd lap at some diluted evaporated milk and continue to feed off me. The human slave has fussed a bit but has managed to get Buttons to lick some pilchards off her finger and even take a bit from a spoon. She will get it in her own time.
I have been encouraging their independence by calling them out of the bedroom - they come running to me and I let them explore the landing. I run around keeping a close eye on them and giving them some reassuring trills and miaows.
From Friday when they were 6 weeks we let them come downstairs and have introduced them to the other Maine Coons. It is quite funny to watch the babies arch their backs and try and look bigger against a fully grown Maine Coon, especially the boys. Oscar and bailey have tried to play with the kittens but Oscar is so big he has flattened them a couple of times! We had fun on Saturday when a fly came into the room and there were Maine Coons and kittens flying everywhere chasing it! poor little buttons got trampled in the rush and when she had finished rolling head over heels she sat and shook for about 10 minutes!
Getting to know the bigger cats and taking part in family life is all part of the socialisation of the kittens and they soon get used to the rough and tumble of life with big cats and the normal noises of daily living. The important thing is they have me for reassurance and I sit and watch them grow braver and play with the other cats. However I am ready to step in if the boys get too rough with my precious babies and I rush to their side if they miaow or cry at all.
As the weeks go by now they will spend increasingly more time as part of the main household , only being separated from the other cats at bedtime when we all retire to the kitten room. I spend more time apart from my babies as I help prepare them for life without me. Initially they will cuddle up together all the time when they sleep but as they grow older they will seek to find their own space for a snooze.
Pedigree kittens stay with their mums for a lot longer than humans expect but when they do finally leave for their forever homes they are well adjusted kittens ready for life on their own.
Well they are falling asleep now after a mad half hour so I am off to feed them and settle them down for a snooze.
See you all next week, Miaow!

Hi Folks! Mal-Teaser & Buttons are growing very rapidly now and I can see the changes  in them almost daily. They have reached another milestone and that is being able to climb to the top of the playpen. This causes me great worry as I cannot control them when they can get over the top! The human slave has now moved us all into the kitten room so that the kittens are free to run about - on the floor and can come to no harm. The room is full of toys and kitten climbers so there are things to keep my babies amused.
The weaning hasnt been going so well as my babies are more interested in feeding from me. We have tried them with a range of foods but they are just not ready yet.  It is nothing to worry about at this stage as different kittens take  to food at different times. luckily as there are only two of them  I am able to keep pace with their growing demands but I am having to eat an awful lot of food to make enough milk for them. They are still gaining weight and Mal-Teaser now weighs 1lb 8ozs and Buttons 1lb 7ozs so they are growing well. The human slave checks their weight daily as reassurance that they are getting enough to eat and are developing normally. Their eyes are starting to change colour now, all kittens eyes are blue when they first open but they are now a blue-gray and will gradually change a bit more over the next few weeks till they get their final eye colour.
The kittens are spending a lot more time awake and playing, it is funny to see such tiny bundles strutting about pretending to be ready for a fight. All the playing they do is an important part of their development as in the wild they would be in training to catch and kill their own food. Luckily my babies will never have to do that but their play is still an essential stage in their growth. They practice honing their hunting skills by pouncing on each other 's tails and mine too. Their little teeth and claws are sharp and we can often hear squeals of pain as they get used to what hurts when they bite each other in play. I spend my time fussing about them, talking to them as it is a worry as a mum, my job is to protect them and keep them safe. I try my best but it is quite hard to keep up with them when they are racing about the room. They can manage to get into little tiny spaces where I cant reach them and they seem to know when they are out of reach and get into even more mischief!
The human slave has posted some new pictures of the kittens at 5 weeks on the kitten page and you can see how much they have grown. I am off now to check on them before having my supper. Talk to you next week - Miaow

Hello  Folks!  My babies are now 1 month old and have made a lot of progress.  They are able to walk properly now, in fact they almost scamper and are funny to watch as when they walk their back legs almost catch up with their front ones! Their eyes and ears are fully open and they respond to my trilling and talking to them. They also respond to the human slaves when they appear and Tiddler meows whenever she hears anyone or sees movement. The babies have now managed to climb out of the nest , so the nest has been placed in a babies playpen so they can come to no harm and I can still jump out, when I need some space. It gives the kittens more space to roam around now they have found their feet. They try to climb up the side of the playpen but are not strong enough to get very far yet!
We have reached two big milestones this week - the human slave has finally given my babies names. My little boy who has been known as MisterBig is to be called Mal-Teaser and Tiddler, the little girl is to be called Buttons.  This is to show a connection to Easter when the babies were born and the slaves love of Chocolate! She will be registering them soon with  the GCCF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy) so needs to have the names for this. By registering the kittens it confirms their pedigree, colour and their official name .
The second milestone is the human slave has finally got around to start weaning the kittens. The kittens have started to get their baby teeth and for a few days now they have been licking everything in sight and so we have started them on baby rice and evaporated milk. Both babies have licked at it and so that is the start of their move to proper food. It will probably take about a week or two until they are eating properly and have been introduced to kitten food but they will very quickly get used to it. This marks another stage in their development and I will be able to step back from some of my maternal duties such as keeping them clean and toiletting them. The human slave will introduce a litter tray, but we will have to watch the babies carefully as they can sometimes eat it when they first start to use it. We dont know why they do it but it is quite common in kittens. They will gradually eat more food as they use up their energy playing and running about.

The kittens have started to play with each other and can be seen chewing each others paws and ears and play fighting. It starts off reasonably gently and friendly but can get a lot stronger as they get older and that is how they learn the boundaries between play and fighting.

Well I am off to check on my babies, although I feel happier leaving them for short periods now. See you next week - Miaow!

Hello all - it is hard to believe that my babies are 3 weeks old now and we have moved into the second stage of their development. Because they are now able to stand and walk about exploring the kitten nest and there is a risk that they can fall out the nest we have moved our home inside a baby playpen. It means if the kittens do manage to get out the nest that they will come to no harm in the playpen and I am able to continue taking care of them without causing me any distress because they have fallen out! The playpen is at the bottom of the human slaves bed so it means I can sleep on the bed and still keep a watchful eye in case my babies need me through the night. The babies are growing well now and Misterbig weighs over 1lb. Tiddler is a bit behind at 12ounces but is catching up fast. There is one picture on the kitten page and you can clearly see Misterbig is a brown tabby as he has a well defined M on his head and tabby stripes. Tiddler is less clear, she is definitely a tortoise shell but we are not sure whether she is a tortie tabby or just a tortoiseshell. We still havent given them their pedigree names but we shall announce them on the website when we do! In terms of their development, they can now hear as their ear canals are fully open. The kittens often begin to purr at this stage, some do purr from birth but dont know they are purring until now! Their little baby teeth start to appear too so we will be looking to start weaning them soon, otherwise I will get sore!! Once they start to wean they will need to use a litter tray, instead of me keeping them clean. But for now I continue to care for all  their needs. I am still having my four meals a day to keep pace with their hungry demands but will hopefully start to tail off as they start to wean and then I can concentrate on getting my figure back! Well I had better go and check on the babies - they are starting to get up to mischief when my back is turned! Miaow!

Hello  all , my kittens are now two weeks old and developing rapidly. Their eyes are  open, although eveything will still be blurry for them. It is important they are not  exposed to too bright light  - so no camera flashes!  Their ears are starting to open up as well and they  have started to respond to the sound of my voice and the human slave when she says hello.  I am spending more time out of the nest as the kittens start to explore . I dont  stray too far though so I can keep a watchful eye and intervene if they  try to get out of the nest. In reality they wont be abe to get out  for a couple more weeks but  you can never be too careful  with children so  I keep  watching them!  The kittens are no longer crawling and although they are still  wobbly on their feet they can stand up and explore round the nest.  Unusually for kittens they dont  cuddle up to each other  very much  and I often find them at opposite ends of the nest.
I am still caring for all their needs but as they are growing rapidly now it wont be too much longer when my milk wont be enough for them. Until then I am enjoying just being with my babies and I like to cuddle them while they are feeding, even though their claws are very sharp. The human slave trims them to protect their eyes as a scratch from the claws can do quite a bit of damage.
The next task for the human slave will be to find some pedigree names for our babies before they are registered with the Cat Fancy. We are thinking of calling them something to do with Easter as they were born on Good Friday.
There will be some new pictures posted later so you can see how the babies are progressing. Talk to you soon! Miaow!

Hello folks - it is hard to believe more than a week has passed since my babies were born. I have had a restful week recovering from the birth but have spent time  getting to know my babies.  The two of them have been busy at the milk bar all week and have more than doubled their birth weight. MisterBig as we are calling the tabby boy at the moment is huge!  He and his sister Tiddler have progressed a lot in  the week since their birth. They have gone from helpless tiny  babies on the day they were born to being able to crawl about, lift their heads up and  their eyes are starting to open. I spend most of my time with them , attending to all their needs - washing them, feeding them and keeping their bottoms clean!  When I am not doing my chores I like to cuddle them close to me or sit just outside the nest watching them. I can't quite believe I have produced them!!!
To ensure I have plenty of milk I am eating 4 meals a day, even though I am resting a lot I am using a lot of calories just feeding the kittens, so I have to eat plenty!
The human slave has taken some pictures of my babies and they are on the kitten page for you to look at.  By this time next week they will be almost walking. Well that is all for now - hope you enjoy the pictures. Miaow!

Hello  all  -  I'm a bit late with this weeks blog because I have been busy having my babies!! They arrived on Good Friday. I had quite a long difficult labour - it was worse than last time but at  16.55 I had my first baby  - a brown tabby,  we think it is a boy, sometimes it is difficult to tell when they are very small.  He was a whopping 102g (3.7oz) and was a bit of a struggle to push out.  The second  arrived  at  17.10  and she is a brown tabby tortoiseshell girl and was  a tiddler! She  weighed 72g (2.5oz).  Since then  we have been busy getting to know each other.  I like to spend most of my time with my babies -  when they are not feeding I like to sit and watch them - I can't quite believe that  I had them myself!  I was quite exhausted when I had finished so  I had a light snack and we  all went to sleep.  In the morning  my babies were weighed and  Mister Big  as we affectionately call the brown tabby
had put on a massive 22g! Even Tiddler had put on 13g. They are benefitting from being in a small litter and I have lots of milk. If you check on the kittens page there are some first photos of my babies. We will confirm the colour and the sex when they are a bit older.
On saturday I had a quick trip to the vets to check that I was ok. My human slave worries too much but it is always worth a quick check to make sure that there is nothing left behind.
Well folks I am off now to feed the kittens - don't forget to check out the photos. Talk to you next week! Miaow!

Hi Folks! It has been a long week with my tummy full of babies, they are kicking a lot now  but are nearly ready to be born. Although they are due on my 65th day - which is Easter  Sunday, my babies can be born anytime from the 59th day and still be fine. My last lot of babies  were born on the 63rd day so I am hoping they are soon!  I have spent a lot of the last week on self-grooming and making sure all the essential parts of my body  are in tip top condition and ready for my babies. The milk bar has started to fill in preparation for their arrival, so it is a struggle for me to get about  - especially jumping on and off things. I have started to look round the house for a suitable place to have my babies, and have been re-introduced to the kittening box in the bottom of the wardrobe. I do like it in there as it is nice and dark and I can be kept separate from the other cats so I can look after my babies in peace.  I now spend my nights in the bedroom with my human slaves, but I am quite restless as I cant get comfortable  -  I tend to sleep stretched out to make space for the kicking kittens, it is certainly easy to see the movement in my tummy as they seem to be bouncing around!  Next time you hear from me I will hopefully have my babies! Miaow!



Lady in Waiting

Hi  all! I am now well into my 6th week and boy are things getting uncomfortable!!  My tummy  is full of kittens and it is easy to see my babies moving  through my fur. I have a lump either side and look like I am carrying saddle bags.  I spend a lot of my time  sleeping, eating and washing myself - I can just about reach my bottom!!  The fur round  my nipples is disappearing  but not too much as little tiny claws can be very sharp!  I am busy checking out dark corners round the house and make a concerted effort to get into the rooms where I am not normally allowed - they are usually nice and quiet and may make an ideal spot to give birth.  My human slave doesnt want me to give birth in the lounge with all the other cats watching like I did last time so she has  got my box ready in the wardrobe in plenty of time.  We moved there after my babies were born last time and I liked it very much - dark, warm and cosy  and away from the other cats.  The good thing about it is that I know my babies will be safe, away from the other cats, and I  can lie nearby  to keep an eye on them.

Even though  I am having to eat a lot  to feed my babies I sometimes dont feel like eating because the babies are pushing on my stomach. I like to drink a lot of water but seem to have gone off the water fountain. I prefer to sit in the sink and suck the water from the tap!  My paws and fur get a bit wet but it is worth it  for the water!

I have been quite grumpy  with the other cats, especially Cara - who keeps following me about and getting too close - I need my space!  Still a few sharp clouts and she gets the message to leave me alone.  The other cats seem to know that  I am  pregnant and are giving me a wide  berth!!

Well I must go now  - time to eat again!  Talk to you next  week -  Miaow!

Hi all you cat lovers out there. It is now  the 5th week of my pregnancy and  my tummy is expanding daily. I am having 4 meals a day to keep pace with the rapid growth of my babies, I'm alway hungry but can only eat little and often because the kittens are starting to take up all the space in my tummy, they are almost 2 inches long now but squashed close together. If you look closely you can see a little bit of movement, although you can't be sure at the moment it is a kitten! The other cats are starting to keep out of my way, I expect they know I am a bit grumpy - I need my space when I am pregnant! I have trained my human slave to make a lot of fuss of me and feed me almost every time I look at her!!
She is starting to make preparations for  the birth and has been busy restocking her kitten box, with baby milk, cotton wool, tissues and all the other essentials. A box of special kitten food arrived the other day so I know my babies will be looked after when they are ready to eat, I have my slave well trained!
 Well time to go now  - I need my beauty sleep. Talk to you next week  Miaow!

Hi  my name is Mollie and I am the chief breeding queen in the Coonsequences cattery. I have decided to keep a diary of my pregnancies so that all you cat lovers out there can keep up to date with the trials and tribulations of being a breeding queen. My daughter Cara is also  going to be a breeding girl but  even though she is  almost one year old she is showing no signs of maturing yet so I still reign supremo.

In the Coonsequences cattery I have to exert my authority to let the other cats know I am boss or the queen (so to speak!)  I can sometimes be quite moody and the other cats dont always know how to take me - I like it that way  =0))  I am sometimes particularly cross with Cara, I think she would still like to be my baby but I have moved on and am busy getting ready for my next litter.

At the beginning of February I went off for my honeymoon weekend with Brocstar Kincaid at the Purdyston Cattery and had an enjoyable weekend. Since then I have been sleeping a lot whilst my new babies have been getting established inside me.
I am now in  the 4th week of my 2nd pregnancy and starting to feel a bit uncomfortable, my sides are stetching  and  Im getting bigger all over.  I get very tired and hungry now that my kittens are about an inch long and are lined up like small balls on either side of me. By the end of this week they will be fully formed little cats. 

Well I must go now and I will write again next week with an update. Miaow!