We retired Layla a couple of weeks ago. After our dams wean their kittens, we get an ultrasound and vet check to make sure our girls are in tip-top.
We missed the last vet visit with Layla because she went right into heat before the kittens were weaned. Ever since moving this past summer, the females’ cycles have been out of control. They’ve been having litter after litter!
Because Layla became pregnant before her kittens were weaned, we isolated her away from Monet to try to prevent her from going into heat early after her last litter was born.
it didn’t work. She went right into heat before her kittens were a month old and both she and Monet did damage to my door and carpet trying to get to each other. If anyone has had a Siamese in heat, you can imagine how sleep deprived we were! The females bark very loudly like sea lions and it‘s incessant!
I don’t know how we made it through over a month of that torture, but as soon as the kittens were old enough to wean, we took her in for her check-up and to discuss birth control. Turns out birth control for cats is not as safe as it is for humans, but it was a moot point as the scan revealed two of Layla‘s uterine horns were damaged.
When she birthed her last litter, there were two kittens that came out simultaneously, and their cords were entangled. My husband (who’s a kungfu grandmaster with nerves of steel) reached inside her and used his fingernails to sever their cords in order to get them out safely. Mother and kittens were fine afterwards.
We don’t know if this happened because her uterus was already damaged from the last birth of a breach baby, or if this birth caused the damage. We decided to go ahead and retire her. She’s had 8 beautiful litters with Monet (and 6 with my original sire, the late, great Matisse. Monet is his son with an unrelated mother from another cattery).
Layla has a pair of Blue males that we’d like to place together if possible, and one seal. They are three months old and are great for busy people or first time owners since they aren’t helpless like kittens, don’t need a lot of supervision, and have calmed down from the wild kitten energy.
The top photo is one of the Blue points. The other is on the bottom photo with his Seal brother. These are Layla’s last ever kittens!
The older kittens are very social with humans and are great big brothers for Dixie’s latest kittens. They teach them how to climb onto the cat condo, eat solids, drink from the water bowl, use the litter box, groom them, and even let them suckle when Dixie has had enough of them. Sometimes they sneak in for some kitty milk too!
Layla’s Blue boy to the far left, just before diving in.
We are now schedulIng visits and are accepting deposits for Dixie’s New Year’s babies, who should be ready to go the first week of March.
One of the babies basking in the warm rays filtered through the window.
This one looks like it will be dark like Monet (and his dad, Matisse).
Daddy Monet, basking in the noon sunlight.
Matisse with baby Layla when we first brought her home from her cattery. They took right to each other. She was devastated when he passed away - we all were! He was the best-natured cat ever!
FYI - Monet and his dad are Seal and not Chocolate. I have found that many buyers seeking Chocolates are actually looking for a dark coated Seal.
This is a chocolate:
Their points are a very light, milk chocolate color. This beauty was the only one we’ve ever had. I regret selling him, to be honest. The new owner has never sent me an update or photo. He must be so gorgeous now.
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