The kittens at three months

 I couldn't be without them! They grow up so fast... out of the phase of peak cuteness, now looking more like cats than newborn kittens. And yes, this was (plus-minus) the age their mother Wenusia was when she walked into my life. And now, I think nothing of having six cats. 

Every morning, the same routine. Opening my bedroom door to see who's in and who's out. Having left the kitchen window slightly ajar, so that Wenusia can open it easily enough with her paw, the kittens can go outside – but as yet, cannot leap up to the windowsill. Today was typical. I enter the kitchen, and only one kitten, Scrapper, is in the house; everyone else is outside. I fill up their food bowls and call out to them. One by one, they come charging home; first Céleste, then Czestuś, and then Arkcio and Pacio.

Gosh! It was three months ago, in mid-June, when Wenusia gave birth to new life. And now here they are, all five doing fine, no mishaps, no health problems – long may it continue this way.

The first-born, Scrapper, left, has an aggressive temperament. (Scrapper's responsible for 80% of all the scratches on my arms and legs and will not be told what to do; if there's a fight between two or more kittens, Scrapper is always involved). With wild eyes, a black nose and black chin, this is the alpha.

Céleste, left, looks like a supermodel in a fur coat. Her fine hair is long and silky smooth. Céleste really should have her own brand of perfume, so that she can walk within a fragrant cloud. She is class, she is refinement; hard to imagine that she and Scrapper are twins, biologically speaking; one shrieks 'alley' while the other embodies feline refinement. Having said that, Céleste is an accomplished mouse-catcher.

Arkturus (Arkcio), left, is standoffish. He is most likely to sleep alone in the round cat-bed. Arkcio is mature in behaviour, wyważony, neither a leader nor a follower, inclined to make his own way. Not one for biting or scratching, but neither one for petting or purring. 

Czestuś, left, likes to sleep, eat and be petted. Mummy's boy. He takes it easy, but wants to be in on the fun. Here he is fast asleep at the the top of the cat tower, head over the parapet so as not to miss out on any action (should it occur). Czestuś is not particularly competitive; he knows that there's always plenty of food around, so he tends to let the others eat first. The only one in the litter with a regular, long, straight tail – for which the others make him suffer by pouncing on it as if it were a long, ginger mouse. The other four have short kinked tails resembling crank-handles.

Pacyfik (Pacio), left, is another one for the easy life, almost identical to Arkturus, but with less white on the underside. During their first weeks they weighed exactly the same to the gram. Pacio is easy going, not showing any signs of aggression (hence his name). I'd say that along with Czestuś, he's the friendliest of the five. Czestuś and Pacio are very affectionate; these two will approach me for cuddles and start purring almost as soon as they are stroked. Scrapper is likely to want a fight when approached; Céleste and Arkcio tend to be indifferent when it comes to being petted. 

Five kittens, same mother, different fathers, caused by heteropaternal superfecundation. This happens where a female cat mates with two or more different males during a single heat cycle, leading to a single litter of kittens with different fathers. Since cats are induced ovulators, multiple matings are needed to trigger ovulation. If these matings occur with different males within a short period during the same oestrus cycle, multiple eggs can be fertilised by different males, resulting in kittens with varied traits such as coat colour and character from the same litter.  

The five form a unit, there's a tight bond between them and their mother. They play, they play-fight, they groom each other, they usually go out together and return together. For now, I do not intend to give any away, they are welcome to stay as long as they want. Below: mum grooms daughter. Céleste's long hair requires regular attention as it attracts seeds and other bits of vegetation. Wenusia is the perfect mother. When I put food out for them, she will wait until all her kittens have eaten before tucking in herself. When they're all outside, Wenusia's head darts this way and that, keeping an eye on the kittens.

On to the thorny question of sterilising Wenusia: she's still feeding, into the 14th week! Until she stops, I won't call the vet. Below: Céleste and Czestuś still at the nipple, this evening. How big the two kittens are already! You should hear the purring, especially when four or five of them are feeding at the same time. A houseful of happy felines. I give thanks.

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This time 14years ago:
Fixie composition in blue and red

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First apple

This time 18 years ago:
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