Raining Cats & Dogs

Elder daughter and her fella Jiff (really Jeff but being a Kiwi he has trouble in pronouncing his name correctly, actually he has trouble in pronouncing anything correctly) took Matron and I to see Cats on Saturday evening.

We got back just after midnight and two hours later younger daughter (who, as midwife, had fallen asleep on the couch) was woken by Gemma also on the couch. Not only was Gemma on the couch but so was pup number one! By 5 pm Sunday afternoon she had had 10 (of which one was stillborn and another delivered at the front door).

So, we have 5 boys and four girls.

Anyone in Oz want one, or two or three?

No, I'm not going in there yet!

Gemma is due to give birth next weekend; so, the other day we brought in her whelping box, got it all nice and comfortable for her and then invited her to re-acquaint herself with it.

Well, she absolutely refused to go anywhere near it, sulked and lay down, squashed between our couch and coffee table, and paid not the slightest bit of attention to our cheerful encouragement.

I have no idea where she gets this attitude from but it's not from me - I'm put in my box regularly and never dare put my foot down!

Bloggo's Bogged it Blog!

Nick "Bloggo" Blogg, younger daughter's fella, decided to go surfin' just two days before Christmas. Big mistake! Whacked by his own board (which, by the way, suffered multiple injuries as well - luckily younger daughter's Xmas present to him was a new board), Bloggo ended up in our local casualty department whose Xmas present for him was 8 stitches, antibiotics tablets and a stern talking to about absolutely no alcohol for the next week or so! Who's a pretty boy now? For those with a delicate disposition, I suggest you don't enlarge the pic!

......and this is for all you Poms

....who will miss the sun for the next few months!

Allow me to introduce ..............

Bootsand friends

'ere are you listening to me?

Gemma's pups are now 9 days old and have more than doubled their birth weight of approx 500 gms.

Day 1 pics

We had just given Gemma a bubble bath and she then received "the treatment", a clip here and a snip there to ensure that she looked her best! I can't get over how docile she is - anyone can do anything to her and she doesn't complain. It's very spooky the way she knew instinctively to rip into and eat the sack/placenta for each pup and then to bite off the pup's umbilical cord.

Who taught her?

She's a super Mum and we're very proud of her!

Whelping for Joy and the cricket's gone OK!

Gemma produced her first pup at 8.15 am this morning and her last at about 4 pm this afternoon. Of the eight puppies, two were stillborn and one, poor little thing, had a cleft palate and was euthanazed by the vet. Of the surviving five, she has three boys and two girls, all of whom are in good form as is Mum. We've 99% identified Dad who lives opposite and is a pure bred Kelpie. So, not only will the pups round up the sheep, they'll bring them back to you!