Christmas Past

I did not make it to the Kentucky cat shows. I did a really dumb thing and took a wrong turn somewhere along the way and found myself totally lost . It was late and I couldn't get in touch with one person via my cell phone so backtracked. I was upset and in a great deal of pain from the fibromyalgia. I usually take frequent stops so I can walk around a bit to keep the stiffness at bay , but didn't feel safe on the long dark road I was on. There were no exits and no gas stations; just the long dark highway so I drove on without stopping. By the time I pulled into my drive, I knew I would need medication and lots of rest in order to go to work on Tuesday. Since I didn't get to see Judie, Trader is still with me for a while longer. I plan to take Trader to the Knoxville shows in March and hand him off to Judie then. I wonder if I will ever see him again. It was difficult transporting Breaker to Judie, so I will just have to wait and see. I don't have a female here to breed to Trader and it seems that I won't be getting one any time soon. At one time, I had three females and no male to breed to them. Now, I have three males and only Birdette, who needs some R&R before she is bred again. This situation is very discouraging but I must learn patience. At least, I have two really sweet kittens to play with and enjoy!

Sunday evening

I called Judie yesterday. We are making plans to attend a show in Kentucky in December and I needed to know where she was planning to stay. We chatted about lots of Devon things and some things not pertaining to Devons. I told Judie that the little kitten is sooo cute that he almost looks like a little girl. After our discussion, I brought him to the computer and did a search on " how to determine the sex of a young kitten". I compared the baby's rear anatomy to that of the ones in the pictures and as far as I can tell, he is definitely a boy. How I wanted a little girl to carry on in Birdette's pawprints....but it just wasn't meant to be. Trader will be joining Judie to see if she can get some kittens by him. Perhaps I will be fortunate enough to get a little Trader girl to breed back to Howie. Only time will tell.

Here is another pic of the little boy at 3 weeks of age. He is presently checking every nook and cranny in my bedroom. His little legs are much more stable than yesterday. He looks so precious trying to run and pounce. I have got to get a camcorder.

Pictures of the new kitten

It has taken me a while to get pictures of Howie's little brother. He moves so fast that I had to wait for my son, Joseph, to visit and take the pictures while I attempted to keep the little guy corralled.
Joseph took 17 pictures (most were merely a blur of white) and I am going to post several of those so you can meet the newest member of Gaia Devon Rex.

I would love to get some suggestions for a name for him. Any takers?

Howie has a brother!

Birdette blessed me with a new baby Devon on Monday, October 22, 2007. I had hoped for a larger litter but am happy with the one healthy little guy. He is mostly white with two blue mactabby spots between his ears that extend over both eyes and two very small spots on one side near his hind leg and another larger spot on the opposite side near the front leg, and a blue mactabby tail. I am going to have to think of an especially unique name for him since he is so unusual in coloring. At the present time, I am thinking about calling him The Lone Ranger but may change my mind as he develops a personality of his own.

I changed my thoughts on Howie's name more times than I like to say but fully believe that the name Howie suits him to a T. Birdette is doing well and has stopped her aggressive behaviour
towards Howie and the other cats. Actually Birdette has become very motherly towards Howie again even allowing him to visit his new little brother without incident.

I attempted to take photos of the new kitten but couldn't keep up with him. He may be small and less than a week old but he can certainly move! Every picture I took was merely a white blur. I will wait to post pictures when the little fella can be tempted by a toy to stay still long enough for me to focus the camera on him.

Howie enters the show world!

Finally, I have a kitten to show! I have waited so long and was fearful that something would keep me from showing Howie as a kitten. I have never had a young kitten to show and I have longed for the opportunity to grow up in the show halls with a kitten of my own. This past Saturday, I drove to Huntsville, Alabama, to a one day show. It was Howie's first CFA show and although he didn't final, I was/am very proud of his participation. The first couple of rings had Howie a bit confused as to what was going on, but as the day progressed he began to realize that all he had to do was be himself, which he did in flying colors. The constant pressure of being cute, did not daunt Howie in the least. He was a bit worn out after the long day and slept all the way home in his carrier. I made a few new friends while there and spoke to a member of the Birmingham Feline Fanciers about membership. All in all, I felt that it was a very productive day.
I also decided to have professional pictures taken of Howie. The photographer, St. Arnaud, is very good at getting my Devons to play in front of her camera, so I knew, I would not be disappointed with the proofs. There were several really adorable pics of Howie and some very grownup looking poses as well. I purchased a package of eight photos, a 5 x 7, and a page of all the proofs. I can't wait to get the finished product as I will definitely have some nice pictures of Howie that I can share.
Work is taking much of my time, but I am going to attempt to make entries more often. Birdette is pregnant and her litter is due any day now. I pray that the babies will be born healthy and Birdette will have no problems birthing. I love Birdette and long for a baby girl from her to carry on the bloodline. Time will tell, if I am going to get a little girl or not. I think I will. :)

The Continuing Adventures of Howie the Fearless

On Saturday, I was writing my lesson plans when I heard the loudest yowl of my life. The yowl was short lived but followed by scratching and scrambling. It seems that Howie fell asleep on the monitor of my computer and in a more than relaxed state, he slipped behind the monitor and was caught between the desk and the wall. My daughter and I moved furniture searching for the little guy (by this time, all noise had ceased) but Howie was no where in sight. I called and called his name, which usually brings him flying. Eventually, I saw a blue-gray shadow slink by against the wall. It was Howie and he was simply terrified by the experience. It took at least 45 minutes before he would allow me to touch him. Bless his little heart! He still loves to sleep on the monitor but I make certain to move him when I leave the room. Gotta love the little fella...he certainly keeps the day interesting around her!

Howie, Howie, Howie!

The inevitable finally happened. Howie took a flying leap from the top shelf of the cat tree. I was writing lesson plans and heard a LOUD thump behind me. I looked to see what had happened and there sat Howie, eyes crossed and head wobbling to and fro. For a few moments, I feared that I had truly lost him. My heart sank. He shook his head several times and attempted to walk, but only staggered a few steps. I could tell he was definitely disoriented. I scooped him up into my arms and hugged him so tight, fearful that this might be the last time he would know how much I love him. After several of the longest minutes I have ever lived, he seemed to regain full consciousness and wanted down to play. The remainder of the day, I watched him closely to see if he was okay.
He was rather subdued for several hours but then Howie the Fearless made his appearance and I knew he was going to be fine. Howie is no longer allowed to play unsupervised on the largest cat tree. There will be plenty of time for that when he gets older and can handle getting down without so much drama/trauma for me.
I am now on a mission to add a little girl about Howie's age to my cattery. Howie needs another kitten to romp and play kitten games with him, and in the future, a mate to produce more Howies for the world to love.

Howie

Gaia Deal or No Deal is growing up quickly. He scampers up the tallest cat tree with little hesitation. The only problem is that he is fearless when he decides it is time to get down. I have caught him several times; perched on the edge of the top shelf, poised to jump to the floor at least six feet below.
I was concerned that he would not learn to play since he has no litter mates but Birdette has filled the void by playing with Howie until he tires of the game she has chosen. Birdette then chooses another way to entice him to play. Bird has been a wonderful mother. I am so proud of her and her ability to allow Howie to take risks but always being nearby to save him from Harm's way if he decided to go to far with his little game.
Howie and Trader met last month and they bonded immediately. Since Howie is a small replica of his dad, it looks so sweet to see them strolling through the house together. I know Trader must be giving "fatherly" advice to his little boy. I have found them curled up together; sound asleep. I never knew male cats took part in the rearing of their young but Trader is definitely
doing his part to help out with the rearing of this most precious little kitten.

Kokopelli has a new name!

So much has happened since my last entry. For starters, my computer crashed and I didn't have access to another computer. I got a great deal on Tiger Direct.com, so bought a new pc. It is now up and running so hopefully I can keep my posts current.
I decided to give Kokopelli another name; one that would be a little more fun. Since I have a fav game show, I decided to name him after it. His registered name will be Gaia Deal or No Deal
and he will be called Howie. I love Howie Mandel; he is so humorous. Plus Deal or No Deal is more than a show where you just pick a case. I think the producers do an admirable job of personalizing each show to the contestant. The girls with the suitcases also seem to be very caring and get into the game as well. It is a great show and I am proud to give my little boy
a name immortalizing it!
I have new pics of Howie but can't locate them on the external drive that my son used to save as much of my data as possible. As soon as I locate the secret folder that has the latest pictures I will upload a few so everyone can see how Howie is changing.

kitten update

I have had a difficult time getting logged in to Gaia Devon Rex on my desktop so decided to try the laptop. It worked like a dream and now I can post pictures of the little boy who will be five weeks old tomorrow. He is absolutely adorable and knows just exactly where he shouldn't go; then heads in that direction at top speed! Birdette has introduced him to the other cats (3 Devons and 2 Cornish Rex that are strictly pets) and decided that he was not quite ready for his debut. Actually, Birdette was not ready....she did not like the fact that the other cats were sniffing the little boy so she became rather aggressive and a cat fight ensued. No one was hurt but there was a lot of screeches, hisses and cat-er-walling. I was shocked to say the least as Birdette has always been extremely friendly and affectionate to the other cats. I have lots of pictures that I will post as soon as I can gain access to them. Just realized that my PC can't be networked but I am getting a new PC (it is en route as I type), then I can do more than ever before. technology is great!

Puppy Update

Birdette has proven to be a better mother than I ever hoped. She is so laid back but does not allow that little boy to mew more than twice before she rushes to him. When he is quiet, Birdette visits with the other cats and of course, spends time with me. She has all ready regained her girlish figure and has an air of confidence that I have not seen before. She seems to radiate self-confidence in the field of motherhood. Not anything like I felt when I became a mother for the first time. Indeed, I never experienced that amount of confidence when my second baby was born either!

Bird has really surprised me. She was so spoiled that I feared she would not be an attentive mother but she proved me wrong. The same way she proved me wrong about being in shows. Even though Birdette was nearly a year old before I entered her in her first shows, she gave the impression that she was an old hand at it. I sincerely hope that she passes her attitudeand confidence along to all her offspring. What a joy it would be to not worry about an entry's first shows and how it will respond to the new environment.

The kitten is sleek and fat...very contented in its little world. I was surprised to see that its little eyes were open on yesterday and it was only 3 days old! At that rate, it will be grown in a few months but I want it to remain a playful little kitten for a while anyway. I have also decided that I will not call him Puppy since I intend to show him. He needs a more fitting name so I am searching for just the right name for the first kitten to carry the Gaia name.

Its a Boy!!!!

Birdette went into labor at 3:00 a.m. today. She delivered two kittens, both males but the first was stillborn. I was so upset...I have never lost a kitten (or puppy when breeding and exhibiting toy poodles and Afghan hounds) so this was a very painful experience for me. I tried everything I knew including CPR for an hour but to no avail. There was not even a tiny spark of life in its little body. He was laid to rest in a corner of the garden underneath a large Black Walnut tree. My heart is heavy but also joyful as the other male was born full of life. I affectionately refer to him as Puppy. I have often told Birdette that she is "Better than a puppy." because she is so loyal to me and so playful plus totally house trained! I really do love that girl...she is one in a million in my book.

Puppy is nursing and Birdette seems very content...not anxious like her mother, Catie, was when she had her one and only litter. Birdette seems content to remain in the laundry basket where she gave birth. She enjoys my company when I check on the dynamic duo and rolls over so I can rub her tummy. I am praying that all goes well and Birdette and Puppy will soon become an active part of the feline family here at Gaia.

Trip to the Vet

I had expected Birdette to birth her litter last week-end but that didn't happen. Each day, I rushed home from work at a local junior high school anticipating the arrival of babies; but each day was the same....no kittens. I was beginning to feel that something was wrong and decided to take Birdette to Dr. Milledge just to be safe. Dr. Milledge was not in and the veterinarian who saw Birdette suspicioned pyometra when she could not palpate kittens. To say I was devastated at the thought would be an understatement. All I could do was turn Birdette over to the Dr. and pray that an ultrasound would provide the information needed to make an educated decision as to Birdette's required care. I couldn't bear the thought that Birdette might have to be spayed or that I might lose her to pyometra. After all, I had all ready had a close call with Birdette's mother, Catie.

You cannot imagine the joy I experienced when the tech came to me and announced that there were two heart beats and possibly a third! An x-ray was ordered just as a precaution as was blood work. The relief that I felt was so overwhelming...there was no sign of pyometra and definite proof of not one but two babies in the making! Perhaps my luck is changing and I will finally be able to develop a breeding and show program that will be known for beautiful, typey
Devons. PLUS, I will receive the benefit of having adorable little kittens to play with and spoil.
I am indeed very happy tonight. :)

Catie's daughter Birdette

When Catie had to be spayed , I had only her daughter, Ch. Bluegenes Sugar and Spice, to carry on the gene pool. Birdette (the nick name I gave to Sugar and Spice) was not only an integral part of my breeding but my personal pet as well. There are always those few pets who just step into your heart and leave footprints...Birdette was/is that 'special' furry someone for me.

From the time Birdette was born she made her presence known.Birdette, a beautiful odd-eyed white, loved the show atmosphere. She was a year old before I entered her in a show so I was concerned that she would be nervous and shy. Birdette thought the shows were being held in her honor. She loved the attention from the spectators and and showed to perfection in the rings. She won the six blue ribbons necessary for her championship at the Birmingham Feline Fanciers' cat shows in one week-end. I entered her in two more shows before it was decided that I should breed her.

Over the next two years, Birdette was introduced to several males but no kittens were produced. Judie moved from Tennessee to Michigan and made arrangements with Denis Downey of Northshore Devon rex for me to lease a beautiful cream bi-colored male named Northshore Tradewinds (aka Trader). After several attempts at breeding, I was beginning to think that I would never again hear the patter of little Devon feet. Last week, Birdette surprised me with all the signs of being
pregnant. After consulting my calendar and counting from the last day Birdette and Trader mated, I have determined that kittens are due around the 20th of April. I pray that all goes well and that in a few short months I will be using my new pink security cage showing a Devon rex kitten. Stay tuned because I intend to show off the little fellas asap!

Tica Cat Show

Yesterday, I attended my first Tica cat show. I went as a spectator and not as an exhibitor since I did not know what to expect. The show was held at Century Plaza in what used to be Rich's department store. There were many vendors, lots of room for exhibitors, as well as spectators, and very friendly people all around. I was thrilled to learn that two vendors offered security cages for sale and I was able to see and compare the different styles available. I finally decided upon a beautiful pink security cage with black mesh and clear vinyl doors. I decided to spoil myself and got all the bells and whistles available for the cage that I bought.

I was elated as I left. I don't have a Devon to show in the regular classes but do intend to show Ch. Premiere Bluegenes Catie Curlic to her grand champion title. I am also hopeful that a new little Devon is in my future. The pink security cage was my way of keeping my dream alive!

All in all, I really enjoyed the Tica show and may register Catie with Tica in order to have a broader selection of shows to attend.

Ch. Bluegenes Catie Curlic

My lovely Catie developed closed pyometra and had to be spayed. I was devastated at the loss of future breedings but thankful for Dr. Milledge's expert care, which saved Catie's life. Since Catie will no longer be having beautiful little Devon babies, Judie encouraged me to enter her in Premiere class at the Birmingham shows the last week-end in January '07.

When younger, Catie had tolerated the show scene but never really showed her true potential. I was doubtful that she would do herself justice after a three year absence from shows. Motherhood
gave her more confidence than I had realized. Catie easily earned her 6 blue ribbons to add the title of Premiere to her name. She is truly more beautiful than ever and I intend to enter her in Huntsville, Atlanta, and Knoxville. In the meantime, I am hoping Catie's daughter( out of her only litter), Ch Bluegenes Sugar and Spice of Gaia (known as Birdette or The Princess around here!), will bless me with a litter and a future star.