After weeks of waiting for her after her weird call over Christmas, Prune finally went into heat on Wednesday/Thursday and so today, Good Friday I drove her to meet up with her beau. He wasted no time on pleasantries and was on her right away. We left them to it and soon, as we sipped a cuppa the first coitus yell was heard.
According to calculations I will know by April 19th (day 21) if she is successfully pregnant and kittens will arrive from day 63 May 31st. I think it will be June 1st or 2nd judging from her previous deliveries. This is definitely her last one and she will be happily retired after this her final litter of kittens are weaned.
I am SO proud of Prune. She has birthed some absolutely smashing kittens all of whom have been such characters and who fill their families lives with joy (and mayhem!)
Plum has been calling regularly too desperate to procreate but we have not yet got a suitable suitor for her.
Can We Please Talk About Good breeding
It’s so so important that the stud and female cat are both properly health checked… this is not just a vet visit and up to date vaccinations and regular worming but includes very specialise necessary testing too.
- First they must be free from FIV and FELV - this is tested by a blood draw done by the vet.
- AND they must have also have an annual heart screening with an accredited VCS cardiologist .
- Additionally it’s ideal now if they have also been DNA tested by Ann accredited lab as we now know one gene that is proven to be linked to the genetic feline HCM so prevalent in this (& other) breeds. There are more genes to identify but it’s a beginning and we must use all the tools available to us
There are far too many people advertising studs for hire & kittens for sale without the cat or parent cats having had all of this screening - which does admittedly require financial investment by the owner/breeder before any kitten embryo is ever begin . They then sell cheaply to unsuspecting buyers who have not been told about the breed or HCM and what is also sad is that most of these people do not even know about the need to screen for the diseases let alone to educate their buyers!
As a person who openly adores this breed I take its future very seriously and fully recognise my duty if I am to breed from my pets to ensure it is a more robust breed in the years to come.
I take equally seriously the health and well-being of my dear cats, their mates, of their kittens and of the families to which those kittens will go. I’m always happy to discuss HCM, and open a conversation about it with all potential kitten purchasers. I will explain how & why we monitor and try to safeguard against it. And I will explain the protocols to which we must adhere wherever it is discovered.
My plea to you:
Please please take time to research the Sphynx cat. It’s a wonderful, characterful breed & everyone who has one says (a) one is not enough & (b) that they will always have them from now on. They are absolutely life changing pets. But please, you must also research your breeder and the way he or she takes care of their pets & kittens.
Cheap kittens are not a ln easy or short cut way to become a Sphynx cat owner. Wht it is sadly & all too frequently is a shortcut to unhappiness & the devastation of loss. Buying cheaply encourages poor keepers to continue breeding poor quality kittens from poor quality cats. Pay for quality & buy from a registered breeder who shows you their documentation and is eager to talk to you about the breed and its health.
Thank you