Kittens at last!

Life has been rather too busy to have kittens until now, but in mid August we did have a lovely litter arrive from Valentine and Velcro.  This was Velcro's first litter of course.  When we put her with Valentine she promptly tried to suckle him (and being the good-natured chap he was, he allowed this with a look of bemusement).  But not getting any milk, she decided to grow up after all, and eventually produced a really cute litter.

We have:

Aeela, an adorable tortie and white girl.  She has a big red patch that you can't see in this picture.

Alduin, a blue tabby and white boy who is a bit of a mountaineer

Ulfric Stormcloak, a blue and white boy with a white tail-tip and a laid-back purrsonality

So, I will try to be good and keep this page updated more regularly from now on :)

A special birthday for Impromptu

This week, Imp was seventeen years old.  I'm glad to say he is in good health and spirits still.  He has more or less given up grooming himself (he never was very keen on that) so I have given him a few thorough combings lately, getting rid of old fur so he has lost his ruff but looks a lot smarter and whiter!

Premier Vieuxtemps Impromptu in old age

Imp is one of the most loving cats imaginable.  He adores his fellow feline housemates, and makes a big fuss of visitors.  He only has to see Bob or me looking at him to set up a loud purr.

He was one of our 'piano litter' born in May 1995; mum was Tarrakatt Tahnee, daughter of the first stud cat imported into the UK, and dad was my own first NFC stud cat, the very wonderful Kyrrekatt Kistrand.  The kittens were all either pure white or black smoke or solid black and white.  They frequently arranged themselves at Tahnee's milk bar in the manner of piano keys - black then white then black then white - so we gave them names related to the piano in general, and Chopin in particular.  Imp's siblings' names were Vieuxtemps Nocturne, Scherzo, Mazurka, Prelude and Ivory.

Mum Tahnee, with her piano litter

Impromptu stood out as a very fine example of a Norwegian Forest Cat from a young age.  He was a good size, had beautiful expression, fantastic straight profile and firm chin, and such a gentle temperament that he made a great show cat.   At that time, Norwegian Forest Cats were relatively unknown in Britain and had not yet achieved Championship status in the UK.  But two years later, NFCs were able to gain titles for the first time.  Everyone took out their best cats to the shows, and it was with great pride and delight that we watched Impromptu win large classes - in double figures - to gain the title of  Premier Vieuxtemps Impromptu.  He had made history and become the first Forest Cat to gain a title in the UK.

Imp (left) and his dad, odd-eyed Kistrand who died a few years ago, were literally inseparable

Impromptu went on to gain two Grand certificates almost immediately, but as we had also succeeded in gaining the first Champion NFC title with another cat of ours it seemed greedy to continue so we stepped back and retired Impromptu at his prime so others could share a bit of the glory of those first titles.

Imp as a kitten

The only problems we have had as Imp has aged, are that his claws need careful clipping because they have become long and curved, and would hurt his pads if allowed to grow too long.  He has had a few teeth out and his coat isn't in as good condition as it once was, but overall the vet says he is a good weight for his age and he seems to enjoy life as much as ever.  He has an excellent appetite - his favourite food being raw minced rabbit, although he'll eat anything we give him with great gusto.   Long may he continue to reign over our hearts!

Premier Vieuxtemps Impromptu in his prime: photo by Alan Robinson

Happy Birthday, Butz!

It's scary how quickly time goes by.  Butz is twelve today! (And if my father, the person who instilled in me a love of Airedale Terriers, were alive he would be 100 years old today.)
Here's a photo of my father as a little boy:

 This would have been taken around 1917.  He's the one on the right.

Here is Butz as a puppy:

And this is him recently:

Butz is still hale and hearty, and full of beanz.  He slowed down earlier this year when he had to be put on heart pills, but they are working excellently so he still enjoys his daily walks.  This morning I'm going to take him on an extra special outing, then give him a huge doggy breakfast of raw chicken with green veggies mixed with a little tuna on the side.

Butz's best friend is our stud cat Valentine - they have been inseparable since Valentine was a small kitten:

Velcro and Valkyrie

The two youngest members of the Vieuxtemps household are growing up fast, so I thought it was time for an update and took some pictures today.  Velcro is a 'naughty but nice' character,  full of life and curiosity, always poking her furry little nose into whatever is going on.  She's good-natured with the other cats (and Butz) but has a high opinion of herself.  Looks-wise, she has inherited her mother's beautiful coat quality but she could do with being larger.  I love her overall 'look', her expression and ear furnishings.

Velcro aged one year - 4.4.2012

 Half-sister Kyrie, on the other hand, is much more laid-back with an easy-going, sweet nature.  She already weighs more than Velcro (although four months younger) and has inherited her father's lovely profile and again has a very nice coat, although it looks tinged with auburn in this not-very-good photo!

Kyrie aged nearly 8 months, 4.4.2012

Butz worries

Having dogs and cats really makes you aware of the passage of time, doesn't it.  Their lives go fast so much more speedily than ours.  The average lifespan for an Airedale is eleven and a half, and Butz will be twelve in May.  He has seemed lively and strong for so long that we congratulated ourselves that this was due to having kept him on a carefully-balanced BARF diet for nearly all his life.

The latest pic of Butz in the local country park - taken just before he fell ill

For the last year he has been slowing down a bit, which we put down to age, and then about two weeks ago he really seemed tired all the time and almost weak.  He wanted to turn back home after only a short walk, whereas before he wanted to run, trot, sniff and saunter for hours!    So I took him to the vet, expecting a diagnosis of arthritis maybe.  But no, it was his heart.  The vet said she could hear an ominous squishing sound suggestive of congestive heart failure.  She booked him in for scans and an x-ray, immediately.  These showed her diagnosis was correct - his heart was struggling to pump his blood around.   Experienced as I am with vet visits, nonetheless tears came to my eyes.  The vet, Peggy from Cherrydown, assured me that the condition was probably quite easily treated with tablets, and prescribed Vetmedin.

Wow!  What a difference.  After only one day, Butz showed a noticable improvement and was ready for longer walks.  A week later and I'd say he is at least 80% back to normal, and is even being a bit naughty again, which is wonderful to see!

Thank you dear Peggy, thank you Vetmedin.  He will be on this medication for the rest of his life, but what a relief!  And above all - thank you to Butz for being Butz!

A picture of Jet

The other day, a friend of mine said 'isn't that a photo of Jet in the March edition of 'Your Cat' Magazine?  So I had a look and, lo and behold, on page 51 there was Jet washing a kitten.  Recognisable in the background is my settee.  This must be one of a bunch of pictures taken a few years ago when a photographer visited us.  The kitten isn't actually Jet's own - it is one of Uku's, Macavity.  Jet was just being a good auntie, as she always is.

Good spotting, Fiona!  The father of Macavity, who now lives on the Isle of Man, is Quink.  Here is a photo of Dad and Son before the kittens left home.  (The actual article isn't about our cats at all!)

My how they've grown!

It's always good to receive news of kittens who have left home.  Today I was emailed some lovely pictures and stories from Claire and family, who live with Vita and Violet (born in 2009).  They left home as a small red and white girl and a fluffy pretty silver tortie girl.  Here they are as kittens, with some little cousins:

Left to right: Vieuxtemps Vita, Violet, Frederica and Vilanelle

And today, aged two-and-a-bit:

Claire writes:

"The two of them have both blossomed into two gorgeous Norwegian Forest Cats... Vita does look like her daddy quite a lot, and Violet definitely has the look of her mother. Vita like her name is a ball full of life and can be very chatty and demanding when wanting to play! Violet on the other hand is without a doubt the lazier cat who would rather watch her sister play than do it herself and from time to time likes to sneak up and pounce on Vita."

Violet, grown-up and at nearly 6kg having to watch her waistline!

"They are very sympathetic and almost have a sixth sense, as they always know when something is wrong. They are both brilliant personalities and we love them to bits! The cats are our best friends as they are always there for you and when you are down their little cute faces cheer you up."

Vita as an adult.  It is unusual, but not impossible, to get red females as well as males.

Thank you to Claire and family.  I too find Norwegian Forest Cats very 'sympathetic' - they are friendly and kind, and really do become an enormously important part of the family.