30 November 2013 : dad Brownie (right) and mom Guinness (left) are waiting for something...

Guinness is soon going to give birth:

Modern techniques have allowed to "see" 4 ruddy kitttens inside this big belly
(no, no, the radio was not a coloured one, but Brownie is homozygous BB for the B locus...)

The matings took place on September 24th, so we've all been waiting for two days and two nights.
It seems that Guinness was waiting for December.

The first contractions began around 2h15, on December 1st.
The first baby uttered his first cry at 2h50, after mom's cries - a bit louder - during expulsion.
Here is the first born male, 88 grams, kept warm by Guinness:

Then, at 3h24, contractions start anew... And a new male comes out at 3h32. He weighs 86 grams.

The first born (right below) is already dry, number two (left) is still all wet:

A pause... I don't know if Guinness dozed, I admit I did!

Then, at 5h56, another baby is born, she's an 85 grams little female,
who hurries to take her place at the milk bar, pushing her brothers with her "arms":

Last, at 6h54, a last baby comes out: she's an 89 grams female.
Guinness eats the 4th placenta (as she did the 3 previous ones), and, while I change the soiled cloths,
to settle the family on a wetbed, she purrs happily with her 4 babies!

Guinness is proud to present her whole litter, now well dried and resting after a meal

After this little sleep, let's go back to the milk bar...

3 December 2013
Mom and her babies are well (between 117 and 134 grams).
Dad Brownie has come to visit his little treasures.

Here are the first individual portraits, a few hours before the kittens' 3 days

Male (1st born)	Male (2nd born)
Female (3rd born)	Female (4th born)

Sunday December 8th, the kittens are one week old.
From left to right, by birth order, here are the 4 kittens:

The eyes opened between 8 and 10 December. Focus is not yet quite there,
but the last born (left) seems to admire intensely her mom...

The 4 babies are 2 weeks old. From left to right: M1, F4, M2 et F3 (by their code name... soon their "real" names)

Monday December 16th, dramatic turn of events!
Edelweiss feels a sudden urge to care for babies. A little licking to get accepted by Guinness (down left), and that's it!

Irish Coffee (ex-F4) : already in a chasing position...	I have a dream (ex-M1) : « Do I have two moms now? »

When everyone is there, the "nest" is full.

But when Edelweiss joins Guinness, don't mention it!

Sundy December 22th: Identity pictures of the kittens for their 3 weeks:

I have a dream	Itsyldor
Imagine	Irish Coffee

December 29th : 4 weeks old! The exploring has begun...
even if, between two trips in all corners of the room, it feels safe to get back to mom Guinness or baby-sitter Edelweiss:

The males
The females	Imagine	Irish Coffee

Here is the weight curve of their first weeks:
The first born ("I have a dream") runs first, whereas the second male ("Itsyldor")
does not yet weigh more than each of the two females, "Imagine" and "Irish Coffee")

See more of their evolution on the 2013 litter page.