Good morning. Mama has moved into a new room and picked out a few new places to rest and nurse her babies. Her two little girls are curled up beside her and nursing right now.
And then there’s Buddy.
Honestly, Buddy has turned into a little man about town. He has completely decided that he is an adventurer and an explorer. It’s so funny because the other kittens are still staying close to Mom, while he seems to be saying:
“I want to be where the people are. I want to explore.”
What happened, Buddy? When did you suddenly get so grown up? What are you doing over there? Did you find yourself a sunny spot?
Hi, Buddy. When did you get so big? You don’t even have your canine teeth yet. You really are still much too young to be wandering this far from the nest.
The funny thing is, Andrew told me last night:
“Buddy just wants to explore.”
So I checked the camera and saw this tiny little guy trying to climb the stairs. I was like:
“What? You are way too little to be doing all of that.”
It looks like we may have a little adventurer on our hands.
Your mom is calling you. Why don’t you go back and see her?
I know. Where did he go? He went so far away. Go get him. Go tell him to come back.
[Kitten crying]
Oh, okay.
Oh my gosh!
[Laughs]
Mama said:
“You better come back here, young man.”
You’re such a good mom. I agree. He is still a little too young for all of that.
[Gasps]
So cute.
The babies are getting their photos taken. They’re getting some adorable new headshots.
Mama, do you want a headshot too? Come here, Mama. Come on.
When the babies are this young, you always have to have the moms on set.
That’s true. Just relax.
Buddy has plans. He has things to do.
They start acting like this at around five weeks old.
I know, but Buddy is on a mission. He is a little man with a plan.
Mama is basically saying:
“Come back home.”
She is leaving that little girl behind.
Oh, Mama. What are you doing? Are you bringing your babies back?
Your babies want to walk around. They’re growing up.
All right, for Bose’s photo, we’re doing a wrinkle-themed concept for the wrinkle queen.
So cute.
Oh my gosh!
[Laughs]
Wow.
Oh my gosh, these are great. Some of these turned out really well.
I’m excited to see which one ends up becoming the trading card.
Who’s ready for an update on Hippo and her family?
These babies are now four and a half weeks old, and as you can see, they are showing all the developmental milestones that are typical for this age.
Hippo has her canine teeth now. Everything is looking good.
Their eyesight has developed really well. They are much more eager to explore, and they are starting to improve their eye-paw coordination. They are also beginning to wrestle and test who is stronger or more dominant.
They are becoming very interactive with one another and are starting to wrestle much more often.
They no longer need to stay close to the nest for warmth. Although, let’s be honest, Hippo is always looking for the warmest spot.
They are still nursing, but they have also started sniffing around Mama’s food and water bowls. So this will probably be the week when they begin showing interest in weaning.
As you can see, Mama is still helping stimulate them to go to the bathroom. But they are also beginning to go on their own.
We haven’t seen any litter box use yet because, honestly, they are still getting white-glove service from Mom.
So stinky.
But they will probably start figuring out the litter box this week too.
Hippo, where are you going?
She says:
“I’m off to find a sunbeam.”
This little girl is always looking for a sunny spot.
One important thing to keep in mind with hairless kittens at this age is that as they begin to play more and use their claws, we have to watch them very carefully for any signs of injury, abscesses, or infection.
Hairless kittens are much more prone to skin infections. It makes sense because they have no fur to protect their skin.
Are you playing with Mama’s tail? That’s a fun toy, isn’t it?
Look at these tiny explorers.
You really are such adventurous little babies.
