Welcome Helen, we don't bite too often and "most" of us have had our shots.
Suz
Macmoosette
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    "People that hate cats will come back as mice in their next life."
    --Faith Resnick

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(")_(")

My cat Annabell,  who had her kittens on Boxing day,  is happily rearing 4
of them.  Sadly 2 tiny ones did not make it,  but the remaining 4 are doing
well.  There are 2 Oriental long hairs,  sometimes known as Javanese.  One
blue tabby,  and one lilac tabby,  the others are Balinese,  colours not yet
determined.

I was worried about Annabell's abilities as a mother,  she had one kitten in
her first litter,  she lost interest in her,  so she was fostered to another
cat.  Her second litter was bigger,  but she did not care for them,  and
dragged them about until they died.  I have sometimes had this experience in
the past,  it is caused by a hormone imbalance and occasionally happens in
her line.  As I did not have a foster mother available at the time ( one
cannot always arrange this ) I had alerted my vet,  and he had supplied the
tiny dose of hormone to use if needed.  Within a couple of hours she had
settled down,  in the bathroom instead of the usual kitten pen,  and I did
not need to call my vet out on a holiday.

Could I please have purrs for the continued progress of  the little family ?
                                                                           
                                       Marie  from  Oz

This is Bev reporting for Helen.   She has read the replies to the post
and says to thank you all and that she loved reading them.   She has
been unwell over the last few days so hasn't been able to do much about
learning to post.   Hopefully she will be OK in a few more days.  
Meanwhile she says HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Bev