OK, you asked... so, here is an example of what a day is like for us at our Cattery...
Oh, geeze, morning already... What a rough night... I am so tired, but, oh, how wonderful the new Kittens are!!!... I love having Kittens... I just wish that my girls would give birth during day... staying up all night after a long day is so exhausting. I will try to take a nap, before the Kitten Visitor comes this afternoon. I love being there for the births though... and a good thing last night, that poor little breech Kitten would have died, if I hadn't of been there... and maybe even the Mom, because he was stuck in the birth canal. Sure am glad that I know how to handle things or it would have been another night-time trip to the expensive emergency vet.
Ok... so, let's check the new Kittens, get some extra coffee, re-prioritize today's list of things to do. Ahhh, the Kittens are all nursing, but one... hmmm.... I may have to tube feed that little one to give it strength to find a nipple... I hope the new feeding tubes came in that last order, but I know that I have a new container of Kitten milk. Alright, after coffee and feeding the Kitten, I have to try to remember to make sure that I eat something, before it gets too late, because I need the energy to get a lot of cleaning done today and I need to take inventory to make a shopping and order list for Cat supplies. Plus, I have to schedule time to work on the new interior design project that I just started...
So, this is how the day progressed... Early morning Kitten and Cat care, Change to clean bedding, Do Cat laundry, Feed Kitten (maybe every two hours, if needed), Feed the Mom, Have more coffee, Feed House Cats, Head outside and check on the dogs, Turn on lights and music in the Cat House, Check the heater and the heat record from the night, Pet and check every Cat, Feed them the cooked chicken that I ground yesterday, Give them all clean, stainless bowls with fresh water, Scoop litter boxes, Sweep, Spot clean, and Decide if I should steam clean the Cat House floors today, Take away bedding and put out fresh bedding for all Cats, Do more laundry, Check the new Kittens, Have more coffee, Cook more chicken, let cool, Do all of the litter boxes in the house, Darn... It is time to empty the box bottoms of the urine soiled pine saw dust... didn't I just do that?, What time is it already... shoot, I have to get to those emails and I really should update the website and put a new cute photo or a CAT FACT on the Facebook page... maybe that funny photo that I took of Pandora last night would be good, Eeeek... the chicken is boiling over... Gotta go check on the new Kittens again, OK, the outdoor runs need sweeping and I may have to change all of the outdoor litter boxes completely today, Then tomorrow, if the Revival Animal cleaning supplies order comes, I will use the virucide cleaner and hose down the runs, then sweep the excess water away... Effie will want to play in the water from the hose for awhile, after I am done cleaning...
Wait, what time is it?, I haven't eaten yet... maybe later, Instead of eating, I will review my actual work and start the floor plan for the new design project, Oooooh, look a new Adoption Form just came in... Let's see what they say about themselves and what they are looking for... hmmm... looks good, oops... I have to email directions and instructions to the Visitor, who wants to come next week, Wow... four new photos from my Kittens Owners... I love getting photos of my Kittens once they are all grown up... and to hear how happy everyone is... makes it all worth it, OK... back to design for a bit, Then better grind the chicken, weigh it and mix with the 4 Kitty Bloom Vitamins, Store ground fresh Cat food for feeding later, Darn... I am almost out of the Nutro canned food... maybe my husband will go to the store for me, because I am just not going to have time today, Now... I had better take photos of the older Kittens for the New-Owners-to-be and get them all cropped and ready to email, Plus, I am late in checking over and approving that new ad for Bengals Illustrated... I hope the fee isn't due until next month, Time to go check the new little ones, back outside to clean the outdoor litter boxes, back inside to check emails, work on the website, and finish the design floor plan and finish schedule, Maybe just a banana for now... I sure am tired...
Wow, look at the time... Better feed the new Mom again and check the Kittens again, I have 30 minutes to take a quick shower and be ready for the new Kitten Visitor... I had better hurry... Well, that took two hours, but they were so nice... they will make really good Bengal Owners - nice, Better go check the new little ones again, and I need to Pet Pandora and Anukis, and Charli wants to play fetch... ok... Back outside to check Cats, play with, and to give treats, I hope that I have time to take a proper shower, before we go to the neighbors for dinner, and what was it that I was supposed to cook and bring?, I may need to run out to the store and I have to make time to go buy more litter... but yikes... look at the time... Well, glad that I didn't need to cook anything, it was nice to have at least a couple of hours to try to relax with friends, but I am now almost comatose from exhaustion, sure wish that I had had time to take a quick nap earlier, better go check the little ones again, Sure wish that I had had time to dust and vacuum my house, but at least I changed the sheets, I will vacuum tomorrow... and hope to have time to walk my dogs for a bit longer, it will be good for the three of us!
ok... Gotta put the Cats to bed in the Cat House, pet them all, check food, water litter boxes... need more water, but the heat is good, have to remember to repaint inside that cabinet and replace the linoleum on two of those perches, plus remind my husband to make a minor repair to the Cat House sink, Back inside and check all Cats in the house, the Cats are already in bed... hrumph, ok, Check the new Kittens one more time, Feed the new Momma again, Check the baby monitors to the Cat Houses and to the new Momma and babies... ok... one isn't working, find and change the batteries, hey... Someone stepped on the baby music button in the Cat House, better get my coat on and go back out and check it, Good thing that I checked, because a night light bulb had burned out... good thing that I had bought more last week, Everyone is finally done and ok...
Time to get some sleep, because tomorrow is going to be another big work day... oh, it is Sunday... oh well, don't want to fall behind on work... and I have to do more work on the design project, schedule time to go food shopping for us, Cat care for the neighbors, Fill out the Litter Registrations to send to TICA, mail Blue Slips to the New Owners, Take more Kitten photos, work on the website, respond to the new emails, steam clean the floors in my house... I'll get nothing done, if I don't get some sleep now - How late is it??!! Awahhhh, but look at how cute the Cats are... maybe I will play with them for just a few minutes... I hope that I have the energy to cook dinner tomorrow. Well, tomorrow is another day... But, I will get up to check on the new Kittens a couple times tonight... I'll get caught up tomorrow and have a nice day... and then, I have to be ready to take the girl that I am retiring to the Vet by 8 am on Monday, so she can be spayed and ready for her New Owner in a few weeks... then, off to the design meeting with my presentation!
Basically, a Cattery owner is like a nurse, who helps in the daytime free-clinic on days off and lunch hours (when not working at their paying job), and then moonlights as a nurse, during the night for a charity as their hobby. It is not always quite that hectic, but all of those things, plus more, must be done and some days are busier than others. We do it, because we love our Bengals and love having Kittens... someday we will wear out and have to stop Breeding, but not yet!
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