phoenix's health. help/advice please?

[Catty1]

SQUEE! What cute and beautiful little calico girl! Phoenix looks very healthy; it's great she has two caring moms!

[Medusa]

You've gotten plenty of good advice so that's covered. I just wanted to say that both are beauties. Calicos are my favorite. I just love them. You might try goat's milk as moosmom suggested but always have fresh water out for them. I have two cat fountains for my Fur Posse. Btw, not all cats are lactose intolerant. I drink skim milk and when I'm done w/my cereal, I put the bowl down on the floor and they dive right in. None of them have had any problems ever from drinking milk. However, no sense in tempting fate, right? They don't need the milk; it's just a treat for my cats. Good luck!

[Phoenix]

I will always care about Phoenix.

Phoenix's mum (Princess) has never ever drank from any type of bowl or dish. My sister don't put her out water anymore as she would prefur to die from thirst than drink from a bowl/dish. Princess has always jumped in the bath and drank water straight from the taps. Anything less simply isn't good enough for her.

I often wonder if Phoenix will inherit this trait but then I do know animals can adopt strange habits. Like cats only drinking from Glasses sometimes in a certain setting. I also remember growing up having a dog and a cat and neither of them ate the right food. The dog would eat cat food and the cat would eat dog food. My mum tried everything and it never worked so she just let them be. But then they did use to sleep together and instead of chasing their own tail they would chase each others.

I love animals behaviour!

And I'm not sure if I would give Phoenix any milk as the though of it turns my stomach. My body simply can't tolerate it and the thought/look/sound and smell of it makes me feel sick. I may give it a go as I'm not the one drinking it but then as you'll already said they don't need it.

Ill buy some kitty treats instead

[kittycats_delight]

You can get lactose free milk drops or yogurt drops. My cats go nuts for the yogurt drops. I believe it is either gimpet or vitakraft that makes them but I will check it out to be sure.

[Catty1]

Whiskas makes something called Catmilk. It is safe for cats, 98& lactose reduced, has some protein and calcium.

Again, Phoenix shouldn't need it once she is grown, but it might be nice for a treat now and then.

[Phoenix]

Thank you all. I will buy some whiskas milk. They do a 6 pack so that should be okay.

Phoenix is 2 weeks old Today, I haven't seen her yet but can't wait to see her tomorrow.

Am I correct in thinking that she should start to be handled in 2 weeks? At 4 weeks old (1month)?

She doesn't get touched at all at the moment as we worry mum will reject her. I must admit though I have stroked her head the last time I saw her and she didn't hiss but I made sure I had princesses sent on me first.

[Karen]

You can touch her now, just do so when her momma cat is there, so she knows you are not a threat, and so Phoenix gets used to being touched. Try petting momma, too, if that helps, because that will help mom relax, too, hopefully.

[Phoenix]

Okay now I have witnessed the biting my sister was talking about.

Princess holds phoenix in her paws or arms and starts grooming her, then the hold gets tighter and she starts biting her head or neck (that's usually what she is grooming at the time) while her back legs are kicking at Phoenix.

Cats usually do this when you play with them. When they are on their backs and you play with their stomachs they start to attack your hand while kicking. This is what Princess just did but with Phoenix.

I'm not sure if I mentioned before but Princess has been extremely playful since she gave birth. Could it just be her playing?

My sister also said sometimes she will watch the box with her tail swishing then she pounces on Phoenix and Phoenix will usuall meow and climb out from under her. Princess doesn't attempt to attack her along with the pounce, its just a pounce.

[Karen]

Yup, that's playing. It's funny as every mammal seems to come with "I bite your head" as a game already in their skill set. If you watch any nature shows, you'll soon notice every species of baby does it!

[Phoenix]

Phoenix is growing very fast! Mum is indeed playing around! Phoenix is now 19 days and she has been walking for about 1 week now. She also started cleaning herself about a week ago too. I'm aware she is very advanced and I noticed that when I saw her on Monday (15 days old) and she was climbing up the side of her box. Yesterday I was there again and phoenix came out for a little wonder after mum literally dragged her out the box. Mum has been extremely playful and spends less time in the box. In fact if she goes in the box it is to pounce on phoenix or paw her or bite her (oh and she LOVES Phoenix's tail). Princess now hops about, runs up and down or attempts dragging the blanket from the box (with phoenix on it) like that little kitten she once was.

I know phoenix will be following soon as she is already playing. She bit me yesterday when she was playing with me. She now also bites and kicks with her back paws while using her front legs to lock your hand in so she can bite (exactly what I asked about princess doing when she lays on her back biting Phoenix). Phoenix then went on to bite her paw which made her groom her paw then bite her leg which led to her scratching her ear with her leg.

[kittycats_delight]

Phoenix is growing very fast! Mum is indeed playing around! Phoenix is now 19 days and she has been walking for about 1 week now. She also started cleaning herself about a week ago too. I'm aware she is very advanced and I noticed that when I saw her on Monday (15 days old) and she was climbing up the side of her box. Yesterday I was there again and phoenix came out for a little wonder after mum literally dragged her out the box. Mum has been extremely playful and spends less time in the box. In fact if she goes in the box it is to pounce on phoenix or paw her or bite her (oh and she LOVES Phoenix's tail). Princess now hops about, runs up and down or attempts dragging the blanket from the box (with phoenix on it) like that little kitten she once was.

I know phoenix will be following soon as she is already playing. She bit me yesterday when she was playing with me. She now also bites and kicks with her back paws while using her front legs to lock your hand in so she can bite (exactly what I asked about princess doing when she lays on her back biting Phoenix). Phoenix then went on to bite her paw which made her groom her paw then bite her leg which led to her scratching her ear with her leg.

LOL....I love this....they are so much fun when they are learning all the new things. And it's only just begun. Enjoy it as soon she will be running up the curtains and getting rough with those little razor blade claws of hers.

[phesina]

It is so nice to "watch" Phoenix grow and develop and do so well!

[maerlyn]

Well, I certainly have enjoyed reading this thread and reading all about Phoenix' adventures as she grows up! And I'm very impressed with you, trying to learn all that you can to give Phoenix the very best life possible; we need more people like you.

One word of caution: do not play with Phoenix with your hands; if she learns that your hands are playthings, you will be hurting when she gets bigger and grows her adult teeth and claws - they will hurt! Look online or in a catalog, and you can find a kind of "glove" with long "fingers" that you can use to play with Phoenix. That way, she won't be biting/clawing your hand. Also, I'd be a bit worried about Princess "bunny kicking" Phoenix - it's way to easy for a claw to go into Phoenix' eye.

Phoenix is darling! It was a definite "awww" moment when I saw her photos! Keep learning - and loving and enjoying Phoenix!

[Phoenix]

Thank you. I'm glad I know that now. And thank you so much for your kind words. It means a lot to hear that.

Phoenix sure is a beautie! She is 24days old and a little adventurer. Apparently my sister woke up the other day and her daugher had Princess and Phoenix on the sofa (the cats not allowed on the sofa) so my sister looked at her and asked what she was doing and her daughter replied ' Teaching Phoenix how to walk!' My sister wasn't very impressed.

They have two blankets in their bed and Princess won't allow my sister to wash the blanket she gave birth on so my sister left it, not wanting to disturbe things. Princess does not like the blankets anymore! So she often pulls the blankets around the house and phoenix is usually left on the floor.

It's a case of flight or fight there.

[Medusa]

Looking at her photo again makes me miss my RB Puddy, a gorgeous 5 lb. little calico. Mom has such a fluffy tail and Puddy did, too. I adore long hair calicos.