It has felt like a very long wait but finally, Noodle's body went into full-blown heat on Sunday 1st July when she began calling loudly & incessantly for a mate.At the earliest opportunity, on Tuesday, we set off on our journey to take her to her stud male, Charlie, with whom she will stay for a few days giving plenty of time for them to have several successful matings.
When we arrived and went indoors she quite naturally showed her cross & grumpy self, faced as she was with excitable & interested cats & dogs who are strangers to her. She hissed and cussed a bit, but her still in her carrier, we went to a quiet room where she soon settled down.
After about an hour Charlie was brought in. At first, she hissed at him too, but Charlie is a "cool customer", he simply sat within eyesight of her ever the patient gentleman, just looking on.
After a while, it was time for me to set off coming back home to Prune who, bless her, had been left at home alone for the very first time. I wondered just how she would feel being without Noodle & at having me all to herself, even if it's only for a short time!
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| Gentle Charlie mating with Noodle |
Last year when Noodle went to stud with Charlie once she had accepted him, she was very happy to share space on her mat. My hope was that they would rekindle their previous acquaintance & do the same. Indeed, it didn't take long at all before they had done just that!
By Wednesday the first matings had occurred &, so over the coming days, there will be several more until such time as Charlie has lost interest & wishes to go back to his resident harem signalling I should return & collect her.
Once she is home we will begin our agonising 2-3 week wait watching her closely for those first signs of a pregnancy when there will be a change in her nipple colour from her normal light flesh tone to a brighter blushing pink.
Watch this space!