The Five Newcomers

Here they are - in order of weight. All are grey, like their father. It's too early to tell if any are longhairs like their mother, but the stumpy-tail gene is present in three of them.

Weighing in a 91 grams on the evening of Day 1 (so about 15 hours old), this character: a lovely uniform mid-grey colour on top. Stumpy tail.

The second 91-grammer is grey with white undersides that meet up in a white collar. Pink fingers and toes, and a regular tail.

Next in weight, a pair of 90-gram specimens. Grey, with tabby markings, white undersides and collar. Also has pink hands and feet. 

The second 90-grammer is an overall grey tabby, with no white coloration on the upper surfaces, and another stumpy tail:

Finally, the lightest of the litter, another overall grey tabby, with regular tail. The weight - 77 grams - gave me cause for concern, as healthy birth weight for a kitten ranges from 85-115g. However, as I write this, I have weighed this individual again today, aged 36 hours, and it's a pleasing 87 grams (putting on 10g a day is healthy weight gain at this early age).

Too early to check for sex, or to detect any character traits that might lead to a name-choice (as in the case of their uncle Scrapper who was an evident scrapper from the outset).

Céleste, like her mother before her, is an absolute star when it comes to motherhood. Fussing over the little ones, ensuring all get fair access to nipples, minimising time out of the birthing box to visit feeding bowl and litter tray, Céleste is diligent and scrupulous.

Grandma Wenusia and wujek Pacio both entered my bedroom, looked into the birthing box, and hissed. But then they both hissed at Hipek when he joined the colony as the only unrelated cat, which suggests that dislike of the Other might be a genetic trait. Scrapper and Czester both looked in and registered no reaction whatever. Arcturus hasn't even bothered to visit. The nicest reaction was from Hipek; he came, he looked into the birthing box, and stared at the new life inside for quite a while in silence.

This time two years ago:
Coffee Time

This time ten years ago:
Call it what it is: Okęcie

This time 11 years ago:
Three stations in need of repair

This time 12 years ago
Late evening, Śródmieście

This time 13 years ago:
Ranking a better life

This time 15 years ago:
Paysages de Varsovie

This time 16 years ago:
Spring walk, twilight time