Darkies 11th
Originally the 11th litter was planned to be born to Bella, but since the mating was utterly impossible with a foreign male (she didn't let him get close, despite her intense and raging heat), I just had to turn things around the best of my abilities and since Didi was already closing in on her 6th birthday, I hoped to get similar type of plan working with her. My greatest thank you's to Didi's foster dad, as without him this would have never been a possibility - Didi has surpassed her original contract by 2 years at this point. ♥
Didi's second and now definitely last litter is a special one - I picked up her mate from Sweden, SE*Eclipsim Tywin Lannister ("Tywin") came to Mäntsälä for some courting. This way we get sort of like an imported cat but it's like we are skipping the first waiting period and just get the benefits. Even though the journey was long and rough, the stud was incredibly kind and polite, didn't really seem to think all that much about going on a cruise with a foreigner.
The couple met during midnight on July 14th and their first impressions was rather beautiful - they were both very interested of one another, were circling each other and sniffing each other thoroughly and were chirping to one another. It only took 3 hours for the first mating to occur, meaning that the litter due date would be 20th of September 2025.
From the combination of
FI*Darkie's Dokujibara no tsubomi, "Melodia" (RAG a 21) x SE*Eclipsim Tywin Lannister, "Tywin" (RAG d 03, homozygous for chocolate)
Parent's pedigrees (inbreeding 0,225% in 10th generation)
24.9.2025
The kittens turn one week today! The babies are growing plenty, two of the kittens are already above 200 grams. The smallest of the bunch (we've been calling him Pikkumies) has been developing on his own pace and has required more support, but he is still growing. He's over 100 grams now and very lively.
Their color is slowly becoming visible, looks like there are some tabbies and some without, but it looks like the sire of the litter, Tywin, is a high mitted bicolor (bicolor that only gives mitted offspring when combined to a colorpoint), which means that all of the kittens are mitted!! ♥♥ As a great mitted enthusiast I couldn't be happier!
18.9.2025
Yesterday evening Didi begun her labor, she started pushing at around 8pm and first kitten was born a bit before nine. And it was a long night from there.
I hadn't taken her to ultrasound or xray to see how many kittens were inside, in hindsight it would've been nice to have a bit of knowledge before she started - she had 12 fetuses attached to her uterus, TWELVE! One of these had passed away a bit before birthing and was stillborn, another fetus had aborted at around 40 days of gestation. The fetus had distinctive features - legs and overall it's build was that of a cat, some bones had formed already but it's placenta was completely pale and leather-like, it felt like it was dry. I believe the placenta had deattached for one reason or another and it had then stopped developing. For those interested I have uploaded photos of the aborted fetus purely for educational purposes, VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVICED, photo 1, photo 2.
Regardless, Didi gave birth to 10 healthy and liveful, though partly quite tiny, kittens. Welcome to this world Darkie's Eleventh ♥
- "Red", born 20:59, 92g, girl
- "Yellow", born 21:06, 105g, male
- "Pink/black", born 21:18, 79g, girl
- "Lilac", born 21:27, 89g, girl
- "Minty", born 21:41, 78g, girl
- "2x red", born 21:59, 92g, girl
- "Red/yellow", born 22:33, 73g, girl
- "2x yellow", born 23:18, 95g, girl
- "Black/red", born 00:13, 67g, male
- 10th kitten had aborted earlier in gestation
- 11th kitten was stillborn, weight with placenta around 100g, a male
- "Black/yellow", born 01:29, 69g, girl
It's going to be incredibly busy ~15 weeks. The kittens turn 14 weeks just under Christmas, but since Christmas is such a risky holiday, I think I'm going to prolong their departure...
What has happened this far
- 13.9. It's mind blowing how she is just stedily gaining more and more, currently she's at almost 7,4 kilos. Didi hasn't been the biggest fan of love and pets during her pregnancy, even feeling the movement of the kittens is not on her approved list. This is weird, as Didi is one to love loving. Regardless, she's close to us constantly.
- 9.9. She has gained 2,4 kilos since mating - Didi is now incredible 7,2 kilos. o_o
- 5.9. I realised I had marked the due date wrong - she's due on 17th of September, not 20th! I wasn't far off, but critical last days for observation purposes.
- 2.9. Weight 6882 g. Our goal was to hit 6,6 kilos and now we've gone over that as well. Can't remember if we've ever breached the goal by this much, this early, or if ever.
- 26.8. Kicks present! Kittens are alive and moving. Some 20 days still...
- 24.8. 41th day of pregnancy today! Have yet to feel movement, but any day now...
- 17.8. Visited my mother at Karjalohja, mandatory weekend trip. Didi is clearly not able to handle car-rides at this point of her pregnancy, she's not the biggest fan of carrides anyway. Feeling nauseous is not a nice thing...
- 11.8. She's already at 5660 grams - her weight curve is much more stable now than on the previous go. Her appetite has been good and no foods have caused any issues.
- 3.8. Roughly 3 weeks from mating and her teats are plump and pink. ♥ On Thursday, 31st of July she was 5184 grams, meaning a gain of 454 grams already.
- 24.7. Didi is now 5117 g. O_O
- 21.7. Didi is now at 4952 grams - feels that she just can't get enough of food. I noted that her stool has been on the looser side - could this be an indicator of succesful mating..?? During the issues with her previous pregnancy, when she got a nasty intestine inflammation, I have been extra cautious and immediately started to support her bowel with probiotics. But then again... Additional hormonal activity can also cause changes in the bowel..?
- 14.-16.7. The stud has arrived to Finland! Didi and Tywin are having their honeymoon in Mäntsälä. Didi's weight after the mating is 4730 grams.
- 13.7. Didi arrived to Mäntsälä! Unfortunately, for the first time, Didi is also spraying while in heat....