We're Grandparents!!!

Well cat grandparents at any rate. Our model daughter hasn't yet decided to curtail her career. Yesterday I woke up with a splitting headache. As it coincided with the Scirocco once again sending wet an miserable weather our way, it was the perfect excuse to spend the day in bed. At some stage a couple of our cats, Rooney and Senna demanded entry, so we let them in and I went back to bed, while Susan busied herself downstairs in the kitchen.

After a wee while I became aware of some unusual activity. So I carefully opened my eyes... and there... right on my favourite TV chair was Rooney giving birth to a kitten. We knew she needed neutering, but couldn't afford the vet's bill. She had increased in size suspiciously, so it was bound to happen sooner or later. By the time I got my camera ready, the first one was already out: a tabby, just like her mother and grandmother (her natural grandmother that is, Susan is only her adoptive grandmother (Susan isn't tabby either (not even tubby I hasten to add))).

Here's number 2 coming through!

... and she's made it safely!

...but what's this? It's number 3!

Number 1 and 2 aren't sure yet whether they like being bored... born, sorry born!

And finally number 3 has made it too! Quite enough for a small cat like Rooney.

Here's Auntie Senna congratulating the new Mum and asking if she can be the godmother of number 3 who looks so much like her.

Finally, after much confusing woozling about, each finds a tit to suck Mummy's milk, and Mummy can finally have a rest.

And this is them 24 hours later all well.

We've sort of already thought of names. Now for my friends from across the Pond, they may not realise after whom Rooney was named. Wayne Rooney is currently the best English football (or as you would prefer to call it soccer) player. Now we didn't name her that because I am a particular fan of Manchester United, Rooney's current club, nor because he's a particularly good looking fellow (he isn't), neither would Wayne Rooney win the Brains of Britain competition (our Rooney would beat him hands down), nor was it because our Rooney is a partularily good footballer (although give her a wine bottle cork and she dispays some talent at dribbling!). The naming came about due to another marked similarity between the two, when Rooney was still a kitten (our Rooney that is). She had huge ears, just like her namesake. Whilst the footballer is still afflicted with those ears, our Rooney sort of has grown into her ears, but the name stuck.

Now staying on the football theme, we decided to give the kittens footballer's names too. The dark tabby one (in the middle of Susan's hand) we decided to call Pelé, after the greatest footballer ever to grace a pitch. The ginger one (to the right on Susan's hand) shall be named Cruyff (pronounced more or less Kroif), after Johan Cruyff, the best footballer ever to come out of the Netherlands. Finally, the youngest multi-coloured one shall be called Georgie, after George Best, the best ever footballer from Northern Ireland and a particular favourite of Susan's (don't get her going on the day she accidentally passed him on the Belfast airport that now bears his name...).

Now instead of being broke and having 5 cats to feed, we're now broke with 8 cats to feed! Not sure if that puppy has been born yet. Well anyway, any donations of cat food will be gracefully accepted and if any of you ever fancied a wee kitten... Pleeeeeeezzzeee, taking them off our hands! I believe you can even eat them!