Sidste nyt

December 28th 1999

Lilit has given birth to 2 fine kittens, both males. The delivery was not quite easy, but a caesarean operation was not necessary, and we are very happy that there was more than one kitten.
Both the mother and the kittens are fine, but as many cats not having kittens before Lilit seems to be a little bored. She wants company all the time - and in fact it is a very understandable desire, isn't it?

January - March 2000

The diary of Zenit and Zoogin

The Zenit and Zoogin gallery

During these months everything - almost - was about the kittens, even though we tried not to neglect Ofelia and Djingiz too much. After a week Lilit was very happy about her children, but she preferred to play with them to taking care of them. Now when they are 12-13 weeks Lilit thinks she doesn't have to take care of them at all, but she still likes playing with them.

The kittens were named Zenit and Zoogin. After 3 or 4 weeks we suspected that Zenit was a female and not a male as we had thought it was, and soon we were sure. Fortunately the new owners wanted her anyway.

We were very content with the kittens, both their personalities and their looks. Both Zenit and Zoogin were very affectionate, open and forthcoming kittens. Since our last kittens more than 10 years ago we have had new knowledge about the adolescence and behavior of kittens, and because of this we had many visitors all the time the kittens were with us, and especially when the kittens were 3 to 7 weeks old. The kittens should be handled not only by us, but by many different people. It appears that the socialisation succeeded well, and they have probably also inherited the very open (and not quite typical Russian Blue) temperament of their father. It is interesting to see how they will be when they are adult cats.

Concerning the looks Zenit takes a lot after her mother. She has the same long and slender body and the same shape of the eyes and ears, but the colour of her eyes is very promising, and Lilit's eye-colour was not at all promising when she was a kitten. Zoogin has much in common with his father. For one thing his body is a little shorter than Zenit's, and he also has the same beautiful eye-shape as his father. The colour looks muddy right now. We hope it develops like Lilit's did. Both kittens seem to get a very good texture of the coat, the colour being lighter than Lilit's, but not as light as Opiom's.

Altogether it was a very uncomplicated litter, but of course it was only two kittens. We are "used" to bigger litters. The time passed much too quickly, and we seriously think of having another litter with Lilit.

9. April 2000

It is now a fortnight since Zenit was brought to her new home, and a week ago Zoogin left us. Both felt very comfortable in their new homes after only a while.
It is rather quiet here now. We - the persons - miss the kittens, but the cats don't seem to miss them. To the contrary Ofelia and Djingiz look happy to have a little more space again. Not even Lilit seems to miss the kittens, only sometimes she should like someone to join her wild games. Unlike the kittens the two "old" ones can't meet her wishes for how often the wild games should take place.

April 24th 2000

Zenit at the show in her Easter equipment
Photo:
Anne Merete Ebbesen

April 22nd we went to a show in Ribe with Lilit. She won her second CACIB, and now we must take her abroad before she can compete in Denmark again.
Zenit was at the show as well, and she was BIS - best shorthair kitten. Impressive beginning for her, isn't it? Her owner, Anne Merete, has experienced it before. Her first Russian Blue Musen (Matrjoschka's Magnum) was BIS shorthair kitten not less than twice 13 years ago. 3 years old Laura Feline proudly showed the cup and toys Zenit won and stated: "Me and Zenit won this".

About a week ago the vet cleaned Djingiz' teeth. The anaesthetic was rather hard on him, even though it was a mild one. Russian Blues are often sensitive to anaesthetia, and Djingiz sure is.
We hope it will not be necessary to have his teeth cleaned again. We daily give him 1 or 2 of the dried food for dogs that should prevent tartar. He swallows those meant for cats without chewing them, so they will do him no good.

May 15th 2000

Zoogin in the garden
Photo: Liza Balle

We have received a long, wonderful letter - AND PHOTOS! - from Zoogin and his family.
He is very fine and has had many adventures already. He had a big party where he was baptized, and he fell in with a bumblebee in the window. He has also made a trip from his home in Southern Jutland to Copenhagen - about 400 km - and he managed both the trip and living some days away from home very well. Soon his owners are going on a holiday for a fortnight, and Zoogin is again going to Copenhagen to be taken care of, so it was very reassuring that it was a good rehearsal.
His owners think they have got the most gorgeous cat. Could you get a better letter?

May 21st 2000

Djingiz has some weird eating practices, and just now he is crazy about broccoli. Because he is constantly both hungry and on a slimming diet, we sometimes supplement his diet with vegetables to make his food fill more in his stomach.
First we found out that he - and by the way also Ofelia - likes green beans. Later on asparagus was put on his menu; fresh, green are preferred. And a short time ago he saw his chance to steel some newly boiled broccoli. He likes the stalk the best!
His Prescription TDs for dogs are suspected of giving him an allergic reaction, and we are not giving him TDs at the moment.

July 16th 2000

For a week or so Djingiz has again got a few Prescription Diet TD for dogs every day for his teeth, and until now his allergy has not shown again. We hope it goes on this way, because the TDs are good for his teeth.

Zenit has been to another show. She was the best Russian Blue, but was not nominated for best in show. Right now she seems to grow bigger than Lilit - even though none of her parents are big Russian Blues.

In the end of July Lilit is going to a show in Finland. We hope to bring an International Champion home with us, so she can again be shown in competition in Denmark.

August 3rd 2000

Lilit became International Champion in Helsinki, and we have sent her papers for a show in Denmark in September. As always Lilit was very sweet and easy to handle, both at the show and during the journey.

We saw many members of Lilit's Finnish family that we hadn't seen before. She takes most after her father's side. But also another of her mother Kapris' daughters who has a different father from Lilit was much alike Lilit, so she must have got something from the maternal side as well.

August 15th 2000

Zoogin aged 7½ month

During our holidays we have seen some young males. We visited Zoogin, and he has developed to a big, handsome cat, and he has an extremely nice temper. We were surprised that he has already now got a very nice green eye-colour; it lasted much longer before Lilit's eye were that green.
Zoogin is allowed to go outside the house, where he catches many (too many) birds. We think he enjoys life very much.

We also visited an 11 months old male to find out if we should like him to be the father of Lilit's next litter. We certainly did, he was sweet as well as beautiful and very well-proportioned - and his owners also should like him to be a father. His full name is Rathcke's Chlopiec Elf, but he is called Elvis.
We very much hope that Elvis will be the father of Lilit's next kittens.

September 8th 2000

Both Lilit and Zenit were shown in Kolding September 2nd. For the first time in Denmark we had a Russian Blue Special at this occasion, and many more Russian Blues than usual were present.

Lilit was second in her class. The judge preferred the oriental typed Russian Blues, and Lilit is NOT oriental typed. We are happy she isn't, we don't like the oriental typed Russian Blues at all.
Zenit had more luck. She had another judge, and she was BIV youngster and was also nominated for Best in Show. So far she has some very good show results.

October 7th 2000

Rathcke's Chlopiec Elf - Elvis

Elvis posing
in August

Lilit has just come home after almost a week in Elvis' home, but we don't think the meeting was successful.

Elvis was sweet and very much in love, but Lilit was not at all co-operative. After some days she was more obliging, but then she was not on heat any more.

If we will have to try again - and we think it will be necessary - Elvis will come to Lilit. Then we can hope that this arrangement is better.

Both the other cats and we missed Lilit very much.

December 31st 2000

A handful of kittens

The kittens are aged
1 week and can still lie in Dorthe's palm

On Christmas Eve 6.07 p.m. and 6.35 p.m. Lilit gave birth to two kittens. We believe they are both females, but we will not name them until we are completely sure.
The delivery was rather dramatic, but fortunately both kittens were healthy and vigorous. They weighed 102 and 105 g.

Today they have more than doubled their weight, and we think they are very advanced for their age. Both of them are beginning to open the eyes, and they are trying to stomp around with their tails up in the air. Also they are already purring a lot.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY!