I apologize for the length of time since my last post on the Millennium
kits.  I would also like to thank all who have written about the babies - I
am so pleased that many like reading about the kits.  In fact, I am floored
by how much e-mail I received and I promise, promise, promise I will answer
everyone.  Just as soon as I get over my e-mail allergy!
 
As the kits headed into their third week, which was last Friday-Saturday,
all developed little crew cuts.  This is the beginning of their kit coat
and the soft, delicate fur grows straight up giving them such an adorable
look.  Some look like little lions with manes running down their necks.
The fur is a silvery-gray over very dark kits.  Looks like most will be
black and some will be a very dark Siamese sable although it is still a bit
early.  All have black noses except for one little boy - the loudest of the
bunch - who has a pink nose lined with black.  He and the smallest girl
have voices on them like screech owls.  I cannot begin to adequately
describe how adorable they are.
 
Their ears have opened and all sport a delicate pink half-shell of an ear.
Further evidence that their hearing has developed is that mama now talks to
them all the time.  Lady Lark speaks to them in several voices.  One is a
high chirping that she uses when she is calming the babies.  Another is a
low, soft duh, duh, duh.  And another is a louder DUH, DUH, DUH that she
reserves to scold her brood, especially when one has "jumped ship."  This
is happening now from time to time.  Mama leaves the nest and one or more
follow her hollering and complaining.  She has to put these babies back and
make them settle down.
 
Last weekend, Lark developed engorgement of all of her mammaries.  This
is very worrisome because it can lead to a mastitis or abscess.  It was
probably caused because the kits had become very efficient nursers able to
take on a load and sleep for longer periods.  But mama was overproducing
milk.  She went on a prophylactic antibiotic and hot packs.  I was in touch
with her vet and as the engorgement worsened over the next several days, I
took her in to be seen on Thursday.  Babies went too, of course.  Like
going on safari with young children!
 
Her vet confirmed that she was certainly hypergalactic and to continue what
I was doing.  She also added a very, very small dose of analgesic once or
twice a day because she noted that she was in pain.  Poor Lark.  Now, Lady
Lark blames me for everything and can really sink her teeth in if she gets
a chance.  All the time she was being examined by her doctor, she was
trying to reach one of my hands so she could bite me and make sure I knew
how mad she was.
 
During the visit, the babies just slept and while I had a chance, I picked
up several to be admired by the staff who also thought they smelled
wonderful.  Kits have such a sweet smell.  The babies are really beautiful.
Lark continues to be engorged and I continue to keep an eye on her.
 
When the kits were almost a week old, I counted 5 hobs and 4 jills.
However, the other day when Lark was eating, I picked up the nest of kits
and did another count.  One of the hobs had turned into a jill.  I could
be wrong though - not unusual to make a mistake on how may jills & hobs
because they just don't stay in separate piles while you are checking.
They gravitate together into a pile.
 
I will do another count soon, just to make sure I know how many of each.
 
Yesterday they had their first mush experience.  From a silver spoon, of
course.  Some went after it like there was no tomorrow and a few just
couldn't get the hang of it.  They will in a few days.  Lark fussed at me
and quickly cleaned up each baby as they were returned to her.  She really
likes the mush too.
 
Now midweek and heading toward their fourth week, the kits are fat and
little roly-poly things.  Their faces are changing some - not quite so
blunt but still chubby.  Their ability to crawl has definitely improved and
a couple of them are beginning to make shaky efforts to stand.  Over the
next few weeks, they will make incredible changes as they rapidly develop.
Once I estimated that if kits continued growing as fast as the first 5-7
weeks of life, they would be as big as a horse by the time they were a year
(actually somewhere between pony and elephant because my math is not very
good).
 
To be continued.....cheers, Meg
[Posted in FML issue 2943]