Post by Riemman on Dec 16, 2006 10:31:05 GMT -5
Saix squealed happily as he ran towards Zaza's hach. One of the cats that traveled with the caravan was having kittens, and Zaza had promised that one of them would be his if he wished it. He'd been stuck doing potato duty until Josselin had come by and told him that the cat had started labor, and that he had permission from Zaza to come watch. He hadn't needed to be told twice.
He stopped short as he came up to Zaza's domain. Biting his lip slightly, he smoothed his hair down a bit, trying to make it behave, or at least look like he hadn't just run as fast as he could. He brushed the dust off his clothes and smoothed the slightly rough fabric out as best he could, untying and retying the small knot that kept the fabric of his much-too-large shirt pulled taut across his small frame and exposing his stomach. He frowned at his dirty, bare feet, but shrugged, as he could do nothing about them at the moment. He didn't like shoes.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly walked forward and carefully and quietly lifted the flap to the hach and poked his head in. Zaza was kneeling in front of a large pile of blankets, on which he could make out the trembling form of the laboring cat. Zaza lifted her head and looked at him, giving him a smile and motioning for him to come in and rest beside her. Saix walked forward, his fingers worrying the cloth of his sleeve hems as he kneeled next to her.
Looking at the cat, he frowned a little as he saw her trembling and fidgeting, tossing her head in slight distress every once in a while.
"Is she okay?" he asked softly, not wanting to startle or frighten the poor cat.
"Yes, she's fine. She's doing very well and her babies will be born soon," Zaza replied with a smile.
Just as she spoke, the first little kitten crowned and was born with a gush of fluids. Saix scrunched his nose in disgust while at the same time looking awed.
"Do all babies look so bloody and wet and wrinkly when they're born?" he asked, his face screwing up even more as the cat began licking her kitten clean.
Zaza just laughed.
Over the next hour and a half another five kittens were born, and an hour after that, all six kittens were clean and dry and either sleeping or feeding.
Zaza had long since left the new mother cat and her kittens alone and gone on with her other duties, but Saix continued to watch in awe as the newborn kittens mewled and crawled around on tiny, unsteady paws. They were strange little things, with tightly shut eyes and folded back ears, all pinkish skin with stubby limbs. But when he reached out to stroke a finger along one kitten's back, it was warm and downy soft and he was in awe of the tiny life, disbelieving that this frail, delicate thing would eventually grow into an adult cat.
Saix wondered which of the kittens he would choose; he supposed he'd make his decision when they were older. One of the kittens crawled towards him, having turned itself around during it's search for milk. It mewled pitifully and Saix extended a finger to gently nudge it back in the right direction. He started when the kitten decided that his finger was food instead and started suckling on the tip. Saix giggled and grinned when the baby tried to gnaw on his finger in annoyance, as if angry that no milk was forthcoming. It let out a frustrated mewl, and tried to bat at his finger in as well as possible, but it simply wasn't working out for the small kitten.
Well, that decided for him. This kitten would be his; he liked it already. He'd wait until it was older to name it, though. After all, he didn't know what gender the kitten was and didn't want to anger the mother cat by messing with her kittens. He had a feeling, though, that the cat would be a handful, no matter what gender it was.
He stopped short as he came up to Zaza's domain. Biting his lip slightly, he smoothed his hair down a bit, trying to make it behave, or at least look like he hadn't just run as fast as he could. He brushed the dust off his clothes and smoothed the slightly rough fabric out as best he could, untying and retying the small knot that kept the fabric of his much-too-large shirt pulled taut across his small frame and exposing his stomach. He frowned at his dirty, bare feet, but shrugged, as he could do nothing about them at the moment. He didn't like shoes.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly walked forward and carefully and quietly lifted the flap to the hach and poked his head in. Zaza was kneeling in front of a large pile of blankets, on which he could make out the trembling form of the laboring cat. Zaza lifted her head and looked at him, giving him a smile and motioning for him to come in and rest beside her. Saix walked forward, his fingers worrying the cloth of his sleeve hems as he kneeled next to her.
Looking at the cat, he frowned a little as he saw her trembling and fidgeting, tossing her head in slight distress every once in a while.
"Is she okay?" he asked softly, not wanting to startle or frighten the poor cat.
"Yes, she's fine. She's doing very well and her babies will be born soon," Zaza replied with a smile.
Just as she spoke, the first little kitten crowned and was born with a gush of fluids. Saix scrunched his nose in disgust while at the same time looking awed.
"Do all babies look so bloody and wet and wrinkly when they're born?" he asked, his face screwing up even more as the cat began licking her kitten clean.
Zaza just laughed.
Over the next hour and a half another five kittens were born, and an hour after that, all six kittens were clean and dry and either sleeping or feeding.
Zaza had long since left the new mother cat and her kittens alone and gone on with her other duties, but Saix continued to watch in awe as the newborn kittens mewled and crawled around on tiny, unsteady paws. They were strange little things, with tightly shut eyes and folded back ears, all pinkish skin with stubby limbs. But when he reached out to stroke a finger along one kitten's back, it was warm and downy soft and he was in awe of the tiny life, disbelieving that this frail, delicate thing would eventually grow into an adult cat.
Saix wondered which of the kittens he would choose; he supposed he'd make his decision when they were older. One of the kittens crawled towards him, having turned itself around during it's search for milk. It mewled pitifully and Saix extended a finger to gently nudge it back in the right direction. He started when the kitten decided that his finger was food instead and started suckling on the tip. Saix giggled and grinned when the baby tried to gnaw on his finger in annoyance, as if angry that no milk was forthcoming. It let out a frustrated mewl, and tried to bat at his finger in as well as possible, but it simply wasn't working out for the small kitten.
Well, that decided for him. This kitten would be his; he liked it already. He'd wait until it was older to name it, though. After all, he didn't know what gender the kitten was and didn't want to anger the mother cat by messing with her kittens. He had a feeling, though, that the cat would be a handful, no matter what gender it was.
