Right now it's approaching midnight on what is for me Wednesday evening.
Silence reigns in Baby's area for the moment.  In sexing the litter of
Baby's kits, I found that, unlike all my previous litters, this one is not
perfectly split down the middle (or a close approximation thereof) with
sexes.  This litter there are five girls and two boys.  The two boys are
already starting to strut their stuff.
 
Earlier today (and last night and...) one kit managed to get into the
bedding (I'm using an old sweatshirt for them, nice and warm, and soft, and
malleable with nowhere to catch or hurt themselves) This one little kit has
made a decision that he is an Explorer!  There's always one in every bunch
I guess.  One little kit who from day one has to leave the comfort of the
dining table (his mama) and go on a Great Exploration of epic proportions. -
the nestbox.
 
He'll go under the sweatshirt, and over and around, he'll occasionally find
the door to the nestbox which I've now covered and left the lid open so
they can't continue to tumble out and keep their poor mama all harassed!!
He's found that if he climbs the mighty Mountain (the sweatshirt) he can,
every so often, *just* reach the edge of the box.  Luckily he's still too
small to climb over!  Every so often (well quite often really) he'll
explore the sweatshirt itself.  It's soft, it's warm, it's dark, it's...
uh oh... after a while it suddenly hits him that something is missing.
 
While he's gone on his Great Adventure, his mama is blissfully sleeping
with all the other kits.  and now, he can't remember how in heavens name
he managed to get to where he was!  THEN he does what he does best.  He'll
squeak and squeal, holler and call, occasionally give a little 'chirp' as
something different while his mother sleeps blissfuly, more often than not
right on top of the little tyke while he's in the sweatshirt.  Needless to
say within seconds that squeaking goes from a squeak to an insistent
squall!!  Finally, he's rescued, normally by yours truly having to move
mama while the entrance hole to the sweatshirt is refound and opened and
the noisy kit brought out.  Once he's back with his mama, silence reigns.
He has a loud voice that little guy.
 
The other boy is the little one.  A tad slower to develop, the runt is
actually starting to show some fur.  He's a few days behind the rest of
them but catching up fast!  This little guy is a real scrapper.  Born a lot
smaller than the rest, and developing more slowly, this little guy really
had to fight to survive even this long.  Every time I see him, he's either
holding on tight to his mama, or peacefully sleeping underneath the others
to keep himself warm.  He's either a smart little devil, or he loves his
creature comforts, because if there's a choice position to be in, he'll be
right in there.  Smallest of the bunch or not (and finally over half the
size of the girls!!) he's definitely got himself the attitude to win.
 
Right now, the girls are harder to tell apart.  Five big blue things that
eat, poop and sleep.  They all look like they'll be sables, or dark
colours, since they were already showing colour at a few days of age.  All
except for the little guy of course, since he didn't start getting fur till
several days after the rest.  The girls are all growing fast and strong.
They're all healthy, and it's so cute when they snuggle in your hand and
suckle in their sleep :o}
 
Okay, they're squeaking again now, better check on them before I
put them to bed for the night.
 
Sam
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[Posted in FML issue 2527]