First photos :)

Ulla's little spotted ocicat angels :)

Ocicat kittens have arrived!

We have been visited by a stork, and new spotted babies have arrived! 5 beautiful little elfs ( they have funny ears :D) with remarkable spotts are just having a drink at the milky bar.

I do not like to disturb mum and babies the first couple of days, and photos do not look good when made in IR light, so will wait a bit before posting photos. Stay tuned :)

Everything happens for a reason

Sometimes things look black, and sometimes it is not because they are black but because we expect the worst and do not try hard enough to look at what is really happening.

We hear all kind of stories, and from bits and pieces of information we form scenarios in our heads, instead of going to the bottom of problem and communicating and exposing our heart, risking to be hurt but risking also to gain.

Sometimes things that bring us most headaches and most sorrows are the flowers that will bring the nicest fruits.

I am happy today, a friend whom I have considered long lost has put amazing amount of effort to establish contacts again...and I am so grateful.

The real friend is not the one who taps you on the back but one who cares about you so much that even after he thinks you have hurt him immensely will care for you that much to try to talk about it, and will gather strength to call and courage to speak the truth.

Is there someone you have considered cut out from your life for a reason, and you miss him still? Do not hesitate, lift up the phone, and give him a call. Good chances are the person on the other side of the line will feel just the same.

Kittens expected soon

We are waiting for babies to arrive, I could not help but glancing at old photos and video and wondering what will the new babies be like.

So while Ulla is letting us wait, I can share an old video of Roses.


They melt my heart every time I see them :)

A bit shocking but interesting

I found a surprise in my inbox today, a friend shared a youtube clip from babies eating one day old chickens.

It is kittens eating their natural food....a Discovery Chanel in somebodies apartment.

Warning: for those with weaker stomach I recommend watching with one finger on the break button, and not right after or before the meal.



I did not find it disgusting as I am aware of the benefits it has on kittens and cats health. It was yuckie on the beginning then you get used to it.

But I do understand that some people may find it grouse.

Just a thought...Do you think kitties would say the same when they see overbaked, fat covered, stone hard pieces of kibble in their bowl?

Harskiocicat on Twitter

What kind of a super-cat Harski would be if he did not have a profile on Twitter too?

Next time he goes to a cinema and digs his head in my popcorn to hide from flying cars, be the second one to know :D

Kamala is moving out tomorrow

Kamala is most likely moving to her new home tomorrow. I will never get used to it.
I hold her in my arms as I type, she is purring and breathing slowly, so relaxed, like a little bird in my hands.

It was like yesterday that she was born, and we fought to get her out...she used to do it her way from the very beginning.

I remember my mum was so moved by her beauty....and we all still are...as she has been growing it is her temper that keeps us falling in love with her....I hope the new owners will feel it too.

Goodbye Kami and please Nena, keep us informed...and pamper the little Grace like we did, and even more. She is so special, and she has chosen you...it make her departure bearable.

Sleep tight Pete

I have had a sad news tonight, a very special ociboy has moved to the other side of the rainbow bridge.

I know spotted angels are happy to have him as he was such a special little soul. I can imagine him bringing joy and entertaining everyone while watching over his favorite boys he has left at home with the corner of his eye.



Good bye Pete, and good night, I am sure you are making Horton and Max smile and we will all meet again one day.

LIttle wonder

Kamala has chosen a new family for herself, it was so nice to see a little reserved Rose approaches total strangers like she has been waiting for them her whole life.

It is hard to let her go, but she has chosen and we have seen the same magic that happened with Fuzzy and Ilmari and their parents. And I know they have all chosen well.

Now, once again I have a knot in stomach as I need to prepare all for her departure. I think I will never get used to it.

In MemoriamT.M. 29.6.2993-2009.

They say that time heals all the wounds... but even 6 years later Eol is still holding his breath and I am standing like a child in disbelief while tears are sliding down my cheeks.
I am still looking for you, in the breeze on the sea*s surface, I am listening to hear your whisper in the wind that touches the sails. Dolphins that cross my path bring the glimpse of you, and sometimes I have the feeling you are there, standing behind my shoulder...if I could only turn back and see you.

Part of me is stil standing with my cell phone in hands, grasping for air...

I miss you and I am trying to let go...to give you a chance so you can find peace...but I am not afraid for the day when my time to cross the rainbow bridge will come as above all I will be looking forward to hug you.

It has been 6 years...like 6 eons of time and like 6 heartbeats.
Thank you for watching over me, we will surely meet again.

Peek a boo :)

Sleeping angel

Sophia Rose taking an afternoon nap

Beauty and the beast

A little taste of the show we went to last weekend.

Ocicats and children play well together:)


We have one kitten still looking for the "right" home. :)

Nap time

Sophia Rose is resting in Meke's embrace after a busy day:)



She is still looking for the right home.

Harski on yoga class

This Wednesday Harski joined me on my regular yoga class. He was meditating on the window scene while we were exercising.
I am grateful to the group and instructor for accepting him so well.



It seems that yoga is in the genes...

The nest is almost empty- only Sophia Rose is still looking for the right ones

There have been many changes in our Rose garden, Fuzzy and Ilmari have moved out to their new parents 10 days ago, it took me that long to be able to write it down as a fact.

Things are more quiet now, Ulla is more and more the Empress of the house, and less mother, and Harski is almost back in center of the attention.



Sophia Rose knows how to put herself in spotlight..she is the clown, the gremlin the lovely little lady and the most cuddly spot I have ever seen, all packed in one.
She is very special to us, maybe that is why we still did not decide on the right home for her..so she is still looking for her new "parents".

The Nightingale and the Roses

It is slowly time for Roses to move out to their new homes and start their new lives.
Ilmari and Fuzzy are the first ones leaving, they are moving out on monday. I am really happy with the parents they have chosen for themselves, we are not losing two Roses, but extending our family for two more membes. I know they will have dream lives, and Ilmari will be protected as the most gentle of all the Roses in a way he deserves to be. They are really loved.

I would let their new parents have them, even if we had a room to keep them, they are a perfect match, their hearts are as warm and their temper as gentle, just as my Roses'.

Why is it so hard to think of saying goodbye then?

It is not just me, Roses are feeling that it is almost the time too.

Fuzzy is my shadow, and Ilmari wants to be carried on the hands all the time, he cries to be lifted or tries to climb by my trousers. He makes biscuits with his paws and digs his head deep in my hands, presses his little nose on me, like he wants to be a baby a bit longer and make a mental print of my touch and my scent for the future use.

On the way home from hospital today I have stopped to buy chickens, today I will make the huge amounts of food for the last time...I will miss dragging home huge amounts of meat, grinding, even scooping the toilets million times a day...I will miss their little paws waking me up in the middle of the night as they want to be cuddled, or they cannot find Ulla and there is an emergency need for milky bar, or their food bowl is empty and they crave a midnight snack...

The house will be all empty without the little Zen master and the Sweetheart boy ( he actually has a heart shape print on his head, thank you Lena for noticing )

Why is it so hard to let go...when we know it is for the best?

I feel like a little Nightingale from the Oscar Wilde's fairy tale...just in this case Roses will end up pampered...and that is what makes me smile through my tears.

O.Wilde's The Nightingale and the Rose http://www.literaturecollection.com/a/wilde/330/ ( it has been long into my adult life since I have gathered the strenght to actually read it, I have always concidered it too sad and heartbraking )

Ilmari, the sweet boy

I am in love with this sweet boy with golden heart from the very beginning, I did not even try to hide it.
He is the only one whose future I have been worried about, as he is so gentle and sweet, I honestly doubt he will ever be capable of taking a good care of himself.
I am so happy with the parents he has chosen for himself, as I know now that he will even not have to...he will be protected and his every wish will be read like it has been in our home.

Girls are...a totally diferent story, they know what they want, and they have a way of showing it :)

Ilmari is...a sweet mum's boy, he is incredibely big for his age, but in his big heart he is still a little boy...as you can see from the photo. ( he is 3 moths old!)


While girls are busy playing he prefers to stay close to Ulla and milky bar.

The ocicat look

We were away for a while, but we will try to make it up now.

Babies are growing, Sophia Rose's leg has healed just nicely and she is the gremlin she used to be.
Ulla is still excellent mum, very patient with girls, and above all a boy who is still, even if he is almost her size, regular visitor on the milky bar.

I was so busy with babies past months, it was a little miracle to see them being born and grow...I almost did not have time to admire my sweet beautiful girl. And she is stunning...

My sweet injured ocibaby girl

Do I look like a girl who can stay still for 2 weeks?

Back from vet

We came back from the vet office half an hour ago.

I am so glad that Sophia Rose is home with us, she is a little brat with big mouth and huuuuge amount of luck.
Her spine in not injured, she has fractures without complications and she has to stay still for 2 weeks and rest.
Is there a bigger punishment for the ocibrat? Or the surounding staff?

We will do all we can to make it easy for her, she already has a little purse in which she will be carried around during the day, and a big transporter box has been transformed into her private quarters.

She really is something, she did not get anything to eat for the whole day, as we expected she will have to go to surgery, it really looked bad...she was hungry to the point of scraming for food. I got her a/d in vet's office, she just tried to covered it and decided to wait until we get home to have a snack.

I am grateful to my friends for helping out, a big hug to the sweetheart who got us the heating pad, it came so handy today. And another hug to the great friend who was a driver, a crying shoulder and a support today, I will never forget that.
I was in such a bad shape, I could not drive...and I did not want to risk returning home alone as I did not know what to expect....

A big thank you, of course goes to clinic in Ljubljana, Tristokomatih, we would just be lost without you!

Sophia Rose has had an accident

Sophia Rose has had an accident today, she felt while coming down from the cat run.
She has injured her back part and behind leg. It does look pretty bad, but vet is convincing us it can look bad and end up just fine.
Kittens have started to climb everywhere and I assumed that if they are able to climb up, they will be able to come down safely.
How wrong I was:(

I confess I panicked when I saw her limping, I was all tears and my brain shut down.

We are taking her to the vet clinic in Slovenia, and we hope for the best.
At home decision has been made, even if the worst scenatio happens, she will stay at home as loving pet.
We have lost a kitten, 5 years ago, due to the elbow fracture, a vet decided to put Max asleep. At the time we did not know better, and we trusted our local vet.
He was even so rude to say I am making a too big drama out of it, as it is only a cat.

We have learned the lesson, unfortunatelly the hard way, and this time we will do all in our powers for Sophia to get the best posible treatment.

I gave her Rescue remedy, Arnica 30 c, a drop of Metacam to take the pain away, and now we wait for the orthopedic surgeon to start working at 4 pm to take her to clinic. She is sleeping now, and does not seem to be in pain at the moment.

Other kittens are fine, they are at this time closed in my brother's bedroom where there is no place they can climb.
I am a bit paranoid now, even a ceiling tall cat tree we have on the coridor which they have been climbing for over a month now, looks like a treat to me.

I know accidents happen and I will have to let them go again to live their lives, I am just to afraid to do so at the moment.

Kittens aiming sky high

Kittens have discovered curtains. They are amasing, it takes them just a couple of seconds to climb all the way up to the ceiling!
They are really keen on adrenaline sports, this one raises heart beat to some members of our family fast and predictable.

Yet, we are persistent in taking them gently off curtains and keeping them busy with something else, and for now it works!

Just so tired...:)

Yoga cats

Kamala and Ulla doing sun salutation :D

To microchip or not to microchip

As our babies are growing, and are almost ready to leave for new homes, we still have some decisions to make.
And we want to be able to make the best choices, even the smallest detail is not left for random choice.

A scientist in me does not take anything for granted, I researched vaccines and imunological response before we decided on vaccinations, I did my homework on homeopathy and early neutering, and now I wanted to check out the microchips before chiping the babies.

Some of the things I have read made me worried, like following article http://www.antichips.com/cancer/
I do not have enough data to form my opinion on this point, but will be sure to do a bit more of reading before making a decision.

Instructionsto new kitten owners, or What I wish we were told before Harski arrived- Appartment preparation

I get many questions from our kitten's new owners, as well as from the people on the waiting list, about the preparations they need to do before kitten arrives.

I am glad that they care so much, and I also understand that preparing your home and shopping for your kitten before it arrives is a very special time.
I can still remember clearly how excited we were before Harski came, I think we did not go to a city without visiting pet shop.
Of course we overdid it at the time, for Ulla we bought just a couple of toys, as there was still a bunch of things still unpacked left over Harski's baby days.
Yet there were things we had to learn while going, and we had it ready for Ulla, but Harski learned by his and our mistakes.

House preparation

The first thing that comes to my mind is...if you have ceramic cooking sruface, or any kind of cooking surface that stays hot for extended period of time after you are done with cooking, you need to find a way to cover it.
Harski got burnt once, I still remember the smell of burnt hairs on his paws, and it is not a nice memory.
You can cover it with extralarge pot cover, or place a large pot over it when you are done with cooking, just do not leave it hot and unprotected, especially for the first days.

Plants...our cats have this plant obsession thing. Maybe all cats do, but anyway, do not risk having a cat toxic plant in the house. There is a good chance your kitten will have a snack, and then you will both have a hard time.
So be sure you donate all the plants that are not cat friendly, and double check the ones you keep.
If you think you can keep them on high surfaces, where kitten will not touch them, I am sorry to inform you, it is ocicat kitten you are getting, not a ragdoll, so there is such place as " it will not be reached ".
And remember to get some cat friendly grass too. You can use oat seeds too!
In case you opt for picking it outside, be sure to wash it before serving, you can bring all sorts of parasites to your precious kitty with it!

Cat scratching post...we were dumb and tried with small scratching board. One destroyed chair later, we finally realised we needed a cat tree. You cannot avoid it,and do not go for a cheap one, as in the end you will hav to get a sturdy, well built, high quality one that will last for years, so why buy twice.
Your ocicat kitty will grow into a large, athletic, active cat. My suggestion is, get a tree that is fixated in the ceiling so it will not trip over, or be sure it has a large base and is not above your shouolder height if you go for a self standing one. It might not be a bad idea to fix it in the wall too.

When it comes to chosing a tee, take one that gives your kitty a chance to climb all the way up to the ceiling, but also gives platforms for safe descent.
If you can chose, platforms need to be soft and made in such a way that you can remove them and have the material washed in the washing machine.
You are buying a cat tree that will last for many many years, so being able to wash it from time to time is a good thing.

Do not go for one with cones less of 12 cm in diameter, and position it in such a way to give the kitty the view on the whole room, and maybe out of the window too.
A great cat tree placed in a dislocated aerea in the house will not be used enough, and also you will not have the chance to enjoy seeing yourcat playing.

We positioned our cat trees in such a way to allow cats to run, develop speed and then climb.
Should I say there is nothing nicer and more relaxing than watching your spotted kitten running and playing? It is like an Animal planet in your own living room.

And a bonus...no furiture damage whatsoever. Give to an ocicat its own furniture and it will not touch yours!
Sisal cones are great too, and cats love them too.

Heat pads....our kittens love to sleep on warm. If you have acces to ebay there are wonderful heating pads from UK, they heat up on 37 degrees andhave aditional plug in for car too. They are economical and safe.
They are very useful in case of any kind of accident, so you can keep your kitty warm on the way to vet and back, but lets hope you just use it for trips and home pampering time.

Cat toilet...go for as big as you can get. Be sure base is deep enough. We do not cover it, as seeing a cat "on a duty" tells you a lot of its health. Also, raw fed kitties do not have stinky pooh.
If you have more than one cat, you will need more than one toilet.

Cat litter choice. We opt for wooden pellets mixed with clumping sand. Clumping sand on the bottom, pellets on the top. They all mix together and are easy to scoop.

Cat litter scoop. Forget about the pet shop ones. Get yourself a nice scoop for taking fried potatoes out of the pan, a metal and strong one.

Cables, as in computer, tv etc cables...sometime might be chewed upon. If you want to be extra safe, especially for the first days, protect them in plastic tubes.
Nothing else will work, we got the off! spray, Harski licked it right after we sprayed it, and we almost passed away from the smell.
If you do not protect them with tubes, be prepared for patience and saying no! many times, it will work fine too.
Kitten arrives in the new home at the teeth changing time, and their gums are itching, so it is natural that they will look for something to chew...keep their little mouth occupied with chicken wings or necks, and your cables should be fine.

Ilmari

I think it is pretty obvious by now, that I am in love with the boy:D. He is becoming more and more special as he grows up.

He has a strange habit of sleeping with his paws hanging, just like Harski used to do it when he was a kitten.
This one is my favourite, it was taken on saturday.

Isn't he adorable?


And look at the paws size...he will be a big boy:)

Sunny day

Spring has arrived, bringing sunny time and free access to the balcony for kittens.
Today they did what they do best. Fuzzy and Ilmari were sunbathing together in their basket, while Kamala and Sophia Rose were being restless in front of the window.

Some photos, just to share the atmosphere :)



Take that camera out of my face



Oh, you with camera again



In the meanwhile, the sweetest ones of all were modestly sleeping in their pink basket on the balcony :)

Ah-choo

First Fuzzy started sneezing, then her eyes and nose were running. As little Hansel and Gretchen could not be separated, Ilmari caught it too. He was cleaning Fuzzy's nose and wiping her running eyes, not leaving her side for a moment. Tonight she is feeling better, but she is taking care of him and not leaving their heated basket, instead of running around with Kamala and Sophia Rose.

I am not worried, as it is normal in the time of the imunity drop. I treat them with homeopathy, make steam bath so their noses can unclog, take care that they eat and are hydrated and let them rest.
They should be well soon.

I am touched by their loyalty for eachother. In this world where people think more of having then being, two spotted babies have lectured me a on love and devotion.

Ocicats do not leave behind the one they love. They do not get tired, need space, or feel like they are missing something if they stay and nurse the one who is sick.
Can we say the same for humans?

Ilmari

Sometimes we call him mini Harski. Can you see why? :)

Fuzzy has chosen her parents

We have had a kitten visit yesterday.
It did not feel like a kitten visit, it felt like a couple of old friends came by and Fuzzy just belonged with them.
Fuzzy will have a very nice home, she will not be alone after moving to her new family, her dad will stay at home with her for a while, and later on even might take her to work with him. Her mum will join the club of chicken grinders, and if Fuzzy ever gets sick, she will be treated with homeopathy, as we used to do it.
We will stay in contact, and we can com to visit her anytime we want.

I thought that letting kittens go will be very hard. And in a way it will, when I saw the first look Fuzzy and her mum exchanged, I had tears in my eyes.

But seeing the joy in the eyes of the new owners, and listening them talk about the things they will do to make Fuzzy's life nicer, made me feel warm inside.
In one instant it all made sence, troubles we had to find a proper match for Ulla, fear over Ulla's health after her pyo, complications with Watusi, satisfying Ulla's cravings during pregnancy ( one word- quail...as much as she can eat ), endless hours of delivery, the struggle for Fuzzy at the beginning, sleepless nights, fight to make her eat, cuddling with her and others under the blanket, every little thing we did and do for them out of love...it all makes sence when you see how appreciated she is for what she is growing to be. A treasured, pampered family member with wonderful life.

Before yesterday I was starting to suspect if my standards for new kitten owners were too high, and if our selecting procedure is too strict. But now I am relieved as I know that there are other people out there who will care for our babies like we do.
And I am relieved, as I will always feel responsible for wellbeing of every baby that has started its life in our home.

The only thing I feel sad about is Ilmari, as I know he will have a hard time when Fuzzy leaves.
Wehn he saw that Fuzzy has chosen her new mum, he tried hard to seduce them too, settled to sleep next to Fuzzy in her mum's lap, and did all he could to show them how much he loved Fuzzy. It was bitter sweet to watch his atempts, funny on one side, as he went as far as to sit on her head, but a bit bitter, as it reminded me on scene from orphanage when a brother tries to convince new parents not to separate him from sister.

I always worry about each kitten, but somehow I know that each girl is capable of finding her place under the sun. Even the gentle and modest Fuzzy, as she has the wisdom of a zen master.

But looking at Ilmari I see Harski as a kitten, resembelance is stunning, from looks to temper. He is growing into a feline version of A.I. with endless, unconditional love for his owners, and deceiving wild looks.

Once Harski jumped of the pier as Samo was leaving in a boat and he could not stand to be left behind. He did it without, he saw boat leaving and he knew he had to be with his human...so he jumped, risking to fall into the water.
I see a spark of it in Ilmari too. And I will do all I can to help him find a family who appreciates him.

Fuzzy has chosen her parents

If I ignore it, will it go away?

Kamala not really amused by the appearance of my father's last fishing trofey.



They did eat it in the end...grilled and all bones removed, of course. Are we raising them naturally, or what? :D

To grind or not to grind, that is a question

Yup, it was food preparing day today.

Kittens have apetites of starved termites, and freezer is getting empty with light speed.

" I am hungry!"


I have tried to cheat a bit, not only in hope to stay away from washing meat grinder for a while, but also in hope to introduce diferent tastes of commercial foods, and make new parent's lives easier.

We stock up on diferent brands of canned food and decided to give it a try.
So over past two weeks, babies were served Royal Canine kitten mousse ( they loved it, but they cost 2 euros each, and we need at least 3 for a meal ),
R.C. Kitten ( they came, they sniffed, they went away. Sophia Rose covered it up and looked through me. Then they demanded something to eat.)

Hills kitten variety of tastes ( not an eyebrow was lifted when it was served. Sophia Rose accidentally came across the plate later during the day, made a gesture of covering it up, and gave me The Look. Ouch. It was the one and only time kittens stole food from the table, Kamala managed to get hold of a piece of pancake. With Nutella. They must have been desperate. )

Sheba supreme, 80 grams, chicken ( it was close to victory, Ilmari came and licked )
Happy cat and Shiny cat, chicken and chicken with shrimps( they were so enthusiastic about it: Look, the jelly is cool, it almost bounces!)

DM brand kitten food ( I do not know why, but my cats love this brand. I am not happy with quality, of food and the air around them after they had it...if you know what I mean )

Almonature ( only drumsticks in broth passed the test, but it is not complete food! just a treat )

The only one who was gaining from this experiment was Harski. Weight.

Two brands got green light.
Bozita jelly- chicken and rabbit ( Ilmari was throwing up on it in the begining, and it made their pooh lose. They did eat 10 bricks in 7 days, but they left it untouched last two days. I might try it again after a while, because I have 20 bricks left, in case raw is not handy. There is nothing more frustrating then opening cans of food that nobody would eat) and Porta 21, pure chicken taste ( my favourite from above, and on www.zooplus.com price is ok too, but the feeding costs are significantly higher than with raw. We consider it best option from above listed )

We did not try Whiskas, even if those new tastes in jelly look jummie. Our vet thinks it was one of the triggers for Harski's illness in November. It has cost us too much tears, sleepless nights, worried and a little fortune in vet expences to gamble with it again.

If any of the comercial brands was offered at the same time as homemade meal, they will go for raw without thinking.

"feed me!"

They will also prefer yolk, goat milk and cottage cheese ( except Sophia Rose, she cannot stand diary ) and of course grilled fish compared to commercial food.

So I decided not to experiment again for a while.

It turns out that raw food is more economical, less time consuming ( I feed and I know that they will eat, do not have to open several cans, watch them like a hawk and feed the ones who are not so happy with it separately from hand ), better for their health ( in short terms :no vomiting, no cramps, so diarrheas like while trying canned, in long term..check links on the right to read more ) and what is most important it is soothing to my nerves, as I am sure that they will eat their meal and enjoy it.

There is one little thing to add; we feed raw for so long that I have completely forgoten how cat toilets can stink. I did not take 6th sence to guess if babies were about to, or have just poohed. It was in the air.

And giving it a second thought, I am happy to go and grind those chickens :)

Ocicats and chocolate

Does anyone know if cats are allowed to eat chocolate?
I have just found out tonight that Kamala loves white chocolate. It does the same thing for her, as kibble pieces to Harski. And probably, the judgement will be the same, it is a no-no food.

Please feed me chocolate :D ( Fuzzy )

Four Roses, four diferent tempers

Each one of the Roses has its own temper, it was obvious from their first days.
Fuzzy ( I should start calling her Marja, as she might, as a very dear breeder friend remarked, start feeling intimidated by her name ) is a brave researcher from the day one.
Ilmari is, and has been, a mum's boy. When games get rough, he seeks Ulla's or mine protection. And he still, loves nothing more than a place at the milky bar.
He reminds me of Harski, sometimes looking at him feels like looking back in time.
Kamala is completely unaware of her size or the fact that she is a cat. Sophia Rose is a real red head.

It is interesting how their habits vary in everyday activities.

When first solid meals were served, Kamala used to lie in the plate and growl on everyone who tried to approach, until she finished eating. She was equaly loud to complain when I used to clean her belly. Even today, nobody dares to mess up with her food.
Fuzzy is, from day one, slow on food. She was the skinny one, until we realised that she needs to be fed separately.
She has time, she does not like the crowd around the plate, she is a slow food type of girl.
Sophia Rose was meant to be a food critic, with her delicate nose who made her cover up Ulla's food at the time her eyes were not yet opened.
Ilmari is...Italian soul, he will eat anything, anytime, even if a glass is broken in the kitchen, he will not stop eating, but might eventually look up.

Toilet is a diferent topic.
We have had two accidents lately, but the problem was solved when an aditional toilet was added in the bathroom.
It turned out that girls did not let Ilmari to use their toilet. They used to play king of the castle, until poor guy could not hold it any longer. Now he has his own toilet, and everyone is happy. We did not instal newspapers holder yet, but I will suggest it to his future family.
It is fascinating to observe Kamala preparing sand for her everyday routine. She would be a valuable tool in finding oil, as every time she starts digging I have to check if she has managed to dig all the way to China.

Little things that count

I have a knot in my throat when I think of kittens leaving.
It is not separating from them that worries me, it is a responsibility of finding a proper home for them, where they will be treasured and treated gently and with care, like they were while staying with us.

But there are families that melt my worries with every email they write.

A very nice couple has been watching one of the girls growing up, from before she has opened her eyes.
If all goes well, my little purring, sweet researcher will be moving to a wonderful home, and her new parents already love her so much that they will take free time from work to help he adjust to new enviroment.



It is important for us that kitten is slowly introduced to being alone, as ocicats do not like being left alone for extended periods of time, and kittens have never been alone before, there were always siblings and other cats, and at least one human maid on stand by.

I just feel the need to say it again...thank you for loving our baby so much even before you have met her.

Harski BIS, BOB 2, in show on Sunday,8th March

After a long break we hit the road again and went to a cat show. As a friend of mine was going, and my parents were happy to babysit for a day and a half, so I thought why not.

And I am glad we went.

Yes, Harski did great at the show,( I was so proud when a judge asked me what do I use for coat shine, and I thought to myself- raw food, omega 3 and love, as I did not even had time to bathe him :)) but what is more important, he had such a good time. He was happy to be alone with me again for a while, we slept over at a friend, and Harski was waking me up at night, just to show me how he can still make biscuits with all four paws while wiggling his tail in the process. He even slept under the blanket.

He liked the show hall too,as always he was sitting on the top of the cage, and we made some new friends.

I forgot how much he shines when he is in the center of the attention. (

If I had any doubts about keeping a baby from this litter and adding another member to our family, this weekend has put an end to it.
My cats are attention seekers, and all I have is 2 hands and my day lasts 24 hours.

But even if the weekend was great I really missed babies. I think they missed me too, as Fuzzy came running and purring like a little engine.

I cannot remember when last time it felt so good to be home.

6th of March -4 years that Harski is with us!

Today is the anniversary of Harski's arrival. I will never forget the cute little face that looked at me at airport.
He won me head over feet on the first sight....and he still does it, every day again and again.

I always used to think, it is human to get used to beauty, but every time I look at Harski I am left breathless, over and over again, at how Nature could create something so beautiful and special.
He has brought so much sunshine in my life.

Thank you Merja and Marjo for making this huge gesture of trust and sending the little boy to the other part of the Europe.

This is one of the first photos...I am surprised every time I see how small he was:)

Precious time

What does an ocibaby do when there are no hands to scratch the spotted belly?

It is easy, find yourself a place, somewhere soft and warm, and Engage...purring is on :)

Kamala wrapped in my sweater, while I do the computer work...or try to, as nobody can resist this lovely face.

8 weeks :)

Babies are 8 weeks old now. They have been vaccinated on wednesday, and I am glad to say, all went well.
The only side effect we have noticed is increase in apetite. Real oci babies.

Now our home is opened to the visits of prospective kittens families.

As you can see from the photo, all our correspondence is carefully monitored...and it is kittens, not me who will have the last word in picking their new owners.

Kamala (in her ugly duckling coat )

Ocicats and children

Ocicats and children play well together, I think they have equal amount of energy and smiliar view to the world.

This is one of my favourite photos, taken 2 days ago, my little niece and Sophia Rose.

Share a warm thought for special babies and their fight

Not so long time ago, I was up whole nights, fighting for the little Roses and their mum.
I am so grateful to all of you who were with us at that time, and will never forget what a little word of support, or a little ray of prayer could do when you are tired, sleepless, on the edge of endurance, yet you cannot give up as you know that the little lives depend on you.

A very dear friend of mine is fighting the same battle for her little sheeps at the moment.
Please feel free to visit her website, take a look under kittens, and send her and the babies a positive thought.
http://www.pointilistic.com/en/ here is the link.

Stay strong little ones, feel safe in the love that surounds you, and fight...every little breath you take is one whole mile closer to the wonderful playground that is called life.

Four Roses

Queens of the castle

Roses - on interior decoration

Roses on the top of the scratching tower, Fuzzy ( Marja), Sophia Rose and Kamala. They are still mini cats in size, but behave like real cats...they have grown a lot in past week...and they are just perfect. They mastered using toilet, they are eating like big cats (wonder where all that food goes!), they storm up and down cat tree, they do not touch curtains or furniture. Best is they purr like little engines and love being cuddled.
There are just two things they hate, sound of water being flushed in toilet and sound of vacuum cleaner... Next week they will get their vaccinations, and then socialisation program will continue, they will be introduced to children, and later on to a dog.
It also means prospective parents coming to visit, we are so looking forward to it!

Illmari is not on video, he is, as always, too busy with his place on the milky bar...I think he is gently trying to tell us, he is not looking for new parents, as he has already chosen to stay with us...

Prince charming

What's up?

A bunch of Roses; Marja, Sophia Rose and Kamala....each reacting diferently to the camera. Kamala was determined to catch camera cord, Sophia was interested, and I woke Marja (Fuzzy) up just for the photo and she was wondering what is the fuss about.
Ilmari, is becoming a man, he was at the milky bar.

Ilmari- Hakuna Matata

Ilmari inherited temper from his dad. He is a hedonist, like all men are. Good food, access to milky bar and a nap on a heat pad...Life is really simple, when you are Harski ocicat kitten :)

Sisters

Harski ocicat Roses resting :)

A big day for the babies

Today has been a big day for the babies,they have made such a huge progress.
First Kamala and Fuzzy managed to figure out hot to use the toilet. The ritual itself is something that needs to be worked on, as still the wooden pellets and sand are consumed first, than used in proper way.
Maybe they are checking if it tastes right.
Sophia Rose, my little food critic, stayed real to her beliefs. She covers my food as it was litter, so she even pooed on the absorbent pad that is under the plates...This baby really has a way to show her opinion.

But even she joined others for evening meal. I am forever grateful to Barbara from Auxarcs cattery for sharing her grined veal heart- yoghurt recipe. The little bug seems to prefer American couisine to Mediterranean. Honestly I do not mind as long as they eat.
Today is the first day that babies got two solid meals. And on saturday, my mum was bottle feeding while I was stewarding at the cat show. Time flies, and babies are no longer taking the baby steps, they put on flying boots.

Adults are eating their grined chicken as evening meal, just as always...and they are usually not to keen on it. Tonight when babies approached, meal suddendly started to look more appealing. As a result for the first time in centuries, 15 minutes after serving, all plates are clean. Just as it should be.:)

I will post photos tomorrow, Murphy's law says that when babies are cutest and nicest photos are taken, batteries need to be recharged.

I am glad babies are growing, but they are not really babies any more. They are miniature cats now. If I think that only in 10 weeks they will be moving to new homes my heart sinks. Past 5 weeks just marched by.
But I know they will have lovely families, and I will be watching them grow and hear their stories from their new parents, and in a way it will be like having them near.

Please do not ask for kitten from us, if you are not ready to stay in contact.
Our babies are just too precious for us....we can part from them when we know they are going to lovely homes, to be cherished and spoilt and bring joy and smiles...

They are part of our lives even before they were born, we are there to help them come to this world, I cut the cords for every kitten and suctioned liquid out of their noses with my mouth to make them breathe. We stayed up with them for the first ten days without more than couple of hours sleep broken in intervals of half hours, we massaged their bellies when they had cramps and bottle fed them, checked their weights every day, tought them to eat, use the toilet, play,handled them and kissed them so much that they come running to the kissing sounds, socialised them...we need to stay part of their lives, and even a little email every now and then will soothe the emptiness they will leave when they move out.

A big day for babies...first meal :)

Today babies finally decided to eat their first meal. Well, not all of them. I believe Sophia Rose has a future as a food critic. She was a little over 10 days old, eyes half closed, when she tried to cover Ulla's plate.
If you think being ignored by your cat hurts, try getting negative critics on your cooking from a 11 days old kitten. Raises the meaning of humiliation to a completely new level.

I tried pretty much all to make them eat. In the end I even offered some freeze dried chicken I had left from my trip to USA...nothing.

We had a visit from our friend, she is a mice supplier who works as a scientist in her free time. So for Ulla, her favourite meal, baby mice for dinner.

I could not believe my eyes when Fuzzy came and started licking. Then chewing. Other joined her soon, except Sophia Rose.
Being a girl with sophisticated taste, she opted for litter sand.
I changed it for wooden pellets same second, but the little gourmet seems to have had enough to cause some belly issues.

I just hope it is a phase, and she will start chewing on the food soon, and covering inside the litter box.

Ilmari, the king of the house

Ilmari is our man of the house. He is behaving like a real lion king, he is dignified and like to take his daily naps while girls are exploring around.

Girls playing


I have to admit I suspect he has Italian roots, as he is very clingy to his mum....



Babies moved out of my bedroom today, Ulla decided it is time she introduces them to the rest of the house and they settled in a basket in living room.
For the first time they were exploring the house, walking around with shaky legs and puffed, wirey tails pointing straight into the celieing.

I am this hungry

Marja decided it is time for a meal. As milk bar was not on the reach of the hand...she put her little teeth in the next available thing.
Fortunately for Sophia Rose I was passing by...:D

Only the looks are wild

When your teeth are growing...the best thing to chew on is chocolate :D

Where do you draw the line?

I was contacted by a lady the other day whose cat was having allergy issues. She felt that a change of her diet might do her good, and she turned to me for recipe and advice.

I offered even more, to put her in contact with our vet in Vienna whose practice was based on holistic medicine. He has a way of preparing idividual Bach remedies mixture suitable for the needs of every pet.
I confess being sceptic at the time, coming from conventional medical backgroud, but he did wonders for Harski.
Problems is, Vienna is 8 hours drive one way...

I will not share with you what the lady from the beginning of my post decided to do...but the conversation itself made me wonder..How far are we ready to go for our pets?

Harski had skin problems, he was byting and overgrooming the coat on his chest for a while. Even if it was not life treatening condition, we did all we could to help him. It took us several trips to Vienna, change of food (ordering cans from Germany) than when it did not help, switching completely to raw...We even stopped arguing completely in front of him, as we noticed he is sensitive to our disagreements, it was putting him in a state of stress he did not react well to. ( yes, we are Mediterraneans, and we are loud by definition )

The point is, there is no line for us.

We took him as a member of our family - We treat him as a member of the family.

We have learned to respect his little moods and odd ways ( yes, he gets caught by a gremlin once a day and we all play seek and hide around the house with him ) as well as he respects ours ( I love to sleep longer on weekends, he quietly sits and wait without trying to wake me up ). We know him so well that we can recognise if he has not been himself and we can seek help on time...we will write emails, make phone calls, spend hours reading, turn the Earth upside down if we have to but we will get help if he needs it.

He turned our schedule a bit upside down, changed the things we do in free time or we adjusted them so he can fit in. Our appartment has also changed a bit, couple of shelves more, a cat tree...if carefully chosen those things can fit in any style of decoration.
And we are happy, as what he has to give is so much more than what we have had to give away.

I look at the Roses in the whelping box, they have the cutest most innocent faces I have seen for a long time...and I hope for their sake that their new families will not be drawing the line either.

Family portrait

Babies are 3 weeks and 2 days old today, there is a lot of movement in the whelping box, their eyes do not seem so disturbed by the light any more, and it was a great sunny day today...what coule be nicer than making a family portrait.

It took us about an hour to make all the babies look in the same direction. This photo is the living proof ocicats have a healthy sence of humour.

The title should be: " Do you mean like this, mum?"



Of course they did it all the posible ways, but the one I wanted. I gave up in the end, but we had fun and some great looking photos came out as result.
Will try again tomorrow.

Before I go to check their weights and then collapse to bed, I feel the need to thank to someone who was with us from the very first steps we did in breeding, and especially through Ulla's delivery and babies first steps.
Her name is Serina Filler, but I love to call her our Fairy Godmother, and you can visit her blog here

Roses are 3 weeks old!

Babies are 3 weeks old today. They are all over 400 grams, and they are becoming real cats.

Looking innocent


Today was their social activities day. First Meke got carried away by his maternal instincts ( Meke is our neutered seychellois boy )and invaded the wehlping box, trying to prove to Ulla he knows better what babies need.

Meke decorated with Roses

Babies seem to be very fond of him, especially Sophia Rose, whom he bonded with at the same moment.


There was a lot of movement in the whelping box today from kittens too. They were having a free climbing, running and attack from ambush practice.
So after checking their weight I have unfolded a blanket on the bed and let them stretch their legs a bit. They were a bit confused at the beginning, but soon the whole bed became a playground.
I just loved the little dolphin like sounds they were making.

Of course adults were keeping an eye on them. Especially Harski who had them a bit confused for the squeaky mice.
Well, we cannot blame him as he has a fixation on them ever since he was a kitten when we use to buy them in big quantities in Austria.
As many squeaky mice moved to the cat toy's heaven under his paws, I kept an eye on him just in case he doesn't get carried away.

But everything went well, he is a soft boy in his heart, just trying to keep a macho appearance:)

How do you spell " cute "?

I am not sure, but this is what I have found in dictionary under that term :D

Try to concentrate on just one spot :D

Four Roses

Ulla comes from a line of Roses. Her mum was Tequila Rose, her grandma Fizz in the Rose, her grand-grandma Black Rose. As in Recknagel there is a tradition of naming kittens after acters mostly, Ulla's name is IsabellaROSEllini...so she is a rose too.



I still did not decide on baby names, as I feel I have to get to know the little ones a bit better, and I wanted to respect Marjo's tradition in picking names. Not an easy tasks to follow. I am looking for celebrity Rose names in hope to follow the line traiditon too.

How big we are :)

It took me almost 40 minutes to drain these from Webshots ( we do not really appreciate simple things, like fast internet connection until we lose them ) but I think it was worth it.

Let me present you..our little gentleman.





And milky bar , of course!

Babies are starting to play !

Little dumplings and cats wannabes as babies are known in our family at the moment are starting to resemble real cats.
They are starting to play, yet a bit unsure on their feet, but ready to attack Ulla's paw, climb on eachother, chew on Ulla's whiskers or actually chew on anything at the moment as their teeth are coming out. Their mouth look like a batman sign at the moment, if you concetrate on the yellow part. :D

We are having some internet connection problems, and I apologise for not writing every day. I am connected through the dial up at the moment...yes, the thing actually still exists....and not only in museums.

But I have had my hands full for some days and would probably not have much time to write anyway. I apologise to all who wait for their emails to be replied, I promise to sort it out his week as soon as I can.

Ulla developed mastitis, it happened so fast, in afternoon she was fine and in the evening, she already had a bump of madarine size around her lowest right breast. It spreaded all the way to inguinal aerea and did not look nice. I am grateful for the advice from girls on the NBA again, and to my dear friend who is breast feeding at the moment.
I did not dare to risk with homeopathy, as it was late at night and I could not get remedy for at least 24 hourse, and it really was all purple and hard as a rock, I waived a white flag and gave her antibiotics, penicilin with clavulonix acid.

I was up with most of that night massaging and changing cabbage leaves and compresses. Kittens helped their mum too, once the milk has started to pour they loved it. Especially the little purple girl, who was staying behind before but gained over 20 grams that day!

I was not sure if I was doing the right thing with letting babies suckle on it, but I let them follow their natural instincts as the milk looked normal in colour and thickness.

I am glad to say, 2 days later, babies are still gaining a lot and there is not sign of mastitis.
Ulla was such a brave girl, she let me do all I had and looked at me with trust, like I know it all. I wish, for her and babies sake, I did. But I am learning, thanks to the nice people who watch over her as guardian angels.

I feel a bit sorry for Ulla, she is really not having an easy time with babies at the moment. As their teeth are growing they are sometimes chewing on her breasts too with their gumms where premolars will come. Ouch.

Ulla is best ocicat kitten in OCIS in 2008!

Ulla has is best ocicat kitten in OCIS for 2008. Congratulations to Marjo and Merja Makkinen and Recknagel cattery.

I cannot thank you enough for trusting me with this little Gremlin.

Harski was not shown so much this year, he still likes to travel but shows do not fit into his idea of a nice weekend. He still likes sitting on the top of the cage and being admired.
But even so he is 4th neutered cat in OCIS this year. But I think he would prefer to be asked about how many mountains he hiked or how many trees he climbed.:)

I will never be able to return the kindness I received from two generous ladies in Finland 4 years ago.
It took them almost 3 weeks to make a decision, and I am forever grateful that they had trust in me.

Thank you Merja and Marjo for adding such a wonderful spark to my life.

Babies are two weeks old !

Today babies are two weeks old.

They are growing fast now, just a few days ago they were so tiny in my palm, and today I cannot fit them any more, they are leaking on all sides :)

Today one baby girl was introduced to the boys and accepted. Just by looking at her eyes one can tell she will be the pure quicksilver :)

Sleepy time

It was a long day for babies. They opened their eyes and met their mum for the first time. They took first shaking steps to explore the limits of their world.
There is nothing nicer than resting in mum's safe paws and dreaming about the adventures that are waiting for them in future.



The journey of the life has just begun for them. Who knows what is waiting for them ahead.
I just hope they will bring joy to somebody's life like they did to mine. And that they will receive nothing but kindness and love in return.