2017 : a year in Duhok

[Piling]

Be careful, broken hearts : the last kitten died today. And I am sure to know why most of Pirouette's kittens die soon anfter their birth :

She is from the blood group B and when her kittens are type A they are doomed to die :

Neonatal isoerythrolysis
Any antibodies present in the blood of a queen (female cat) will also be passed into her milk and colostrum (the first milk produced) if they are feeding a litter of kittens. During the first 24 hours of life, a kitten's intestine is specially adapted to be able to absorb these antibodies so that the kittens can acquire 'passive protection' from the queen - ie, the absorbed antibodies will help protect the kitten against diseases in the early weeks of life.

This process is highly beneficial for the kitten, but it can sometimes cause problems with blood groups and blood incompatibilities. If the queen is of blood group B, she will have naturally-occurring anti-A antibodies. If she is mated to a type A tom cat, some of the resulting kittens will be type A and when they feed on the queen's milk in the first 24 hours of life they will absorb the anti-A antibodies, as well other protective antibodies. The anti-A antibodies will then destroy the kitten's red blood cells just as if there had been an incompatible blood transfusion. This is a condition known as neonatal isoerythrolysis. This can be a significant cause of death in young kittens in certain breeds (especially those with high numbers of both type A and type B cats).

This disease does not occur in type B kittens born to a type A queen, as type A cats have much lower levels of antibodies against the type B blood cells and often no antibodies at all.

I saw all these symptoms :

Sudden death, with no prior warning signs in some kittens
Most affected kittens will appear to 'fade' over a few days - they will stop suckling from the queen, become weak, often appear pale and may become jaundiced (yellow)
Affected kittens usually pass red coloured urine, due the presence of haemoglobin (released from the breakdown of red blood cells) in the urine

The one who survived last summer is probably type B.


These link explains everything and is interesting :

https://icatcare.org/advice/cat-health/ ... patibility

[Anthea]

I am so very sorry

Poor Pirouette, is she alright or is she looking for her babies

It upsets me so I know you must be extremely upset

Only the pigeon will relieved - it's chances of a long life have just grown considerably

[Piling]

It is not nice to see them dying but it is also a good way of natural control births. No need to neuter her, then.

And if one is B and survives sometimes I can find a family … or keep it.

[Anthea]

It is not nice to see them dying but it is also a good way of natural control births. No need to neuter her, then.

And if one is B and survives sometimes I can find a family … or keep it.

So sad poor little Pirouette - you will have to give her lots of love and treats

[Piling]

She called the last kitten a short moment, then she came back on my lap and sleep. She stayed on my bed most of the night and now. She seems happy to be the precious unique one again.

Bought a new scale. Strange thing : I don't lost kilos but cm in silhouette (7cm waist lost).

2 possible reasons :

– scales in Duhok are dumb.
– everyday 3 series of 15 jumps with row = muscles.

[Anthea]

She called the last kitten a short moment, then she came back on my lap and sleep. She stayed on my bed most of the night and now. She seems happy to be the precious unique one again.

Bought a new scale. Strange thing : I don't lost kilos but cm in silhouette (7cm waist lost).

2 possible reasons :

– scales in Duhok are dumb.
– everyday 3 series of 15 jumps with row = muscles.

Pirouette will recover she just needs extra love

Most animals morn at the lose of a family member or loved one

Cows cry real tears when their calves are taken away or when they are in the slaughter house waiting to die

I could never eat red meat or pig

On a cheery note - I am certain you are losing weight - just do not keep weighing yourself - best to weight until Lent is over

[Piling]

Pirouette will recover she just needs extra love

Yesterday, she did exige I start the heater in the bedroom AND I stayed with her on the bed. So I move my laptop, iPad, notebooks etc for working all the day next to her

[Anthea]

Pirouette will recover she just needs extra love

Yesterday, she did exige I start the heater in the bedroom AND I stayed with her on the bed. So I move my laptop, iPad, notebooks etc for working all the day next to her

A SLAVE to your zoo - as you so rightly said in and earlier post

Next time Pirouette has babies you will have to take them away and hand feed them yourself from the minute they are born - about every 2 hours - wonder if the school will give you time off

You could take the kittens into the school and make it a school project

We went out for a delicious Kurdish meal yesterday

But by far TOOOOOO MUCH salt - why do Kurds use so much salt

[Piling]

I love salt and I salt my own meals a lot, so I never noticed it. But I can say that Kurds add a lot of sugar in their tea and love sweeties in general.

[Anthea]

I love salt and I salt my own meals a lot, so I never noticed it. But I can say that Kurds add a lot of sugar in their tea and love sweeties in general.

Too much salt is VERY bad for you

I have seen friends put such a think layer of salt on their food that is looks like snow and the food itself is invisible beneath the salt

As for sugar, I have seen friends eat lots of sugar lumps with one tiny glass of tea

[Piling]

FREE !

The pigeon flied away !

I used to bring outside in the garden this stupid bird when it was sunny, while Pirouette was sleeping. Most of the time, he stayed in the same place, or just walked a bit, as a stupid hen. Sometimes tried to fly and crashed after 1 meter.

This morning, suddenly, he flied and raised up until the roof of my house. Then he stayed 1 h. And at the end, flied toward the big building of the school, as a NORMAL flying bird.

So my intuition was right : he was not cripple, juste RETARD.

[Anthea]

FREE !

The pigeon flied away !

I used to bring outside in the garden this stupid bird when it was sunny, while Pirouette was sleeping. Most of the time, he stayed in the same place, or just walked a bit, as a stupid hen. Sometimes tried to fly and crashed after 1 meter.

This morning, suddenly, he flied and raised up until the roof of my house. Then he stayed 1 h. And at the end, flied toward the big building of the school, as a NORMAL flying bird.

So my intuition was right : he was not cripple, juste RETARD.

WOW !!!

But I do NOT think the pigeon was a retard

I think he is a highly intelligent bird

Rather than spend winter outside in the cold and the snow - he decided to remain indoors in his OWN centrally heated room - with a constant supply of fresh water and a wide variety of food

Taking a stroll around the garden every now and again, just to help build up his strength and test the outside temp

Now that spring is in the air it has decided it is time for a wander

Perhaps you should leave his window open just in case he decides to come home for a snack

[Piling]

Perhaps you should leave his window open just in case he decides to come home for a snack

I don't want he comes back to my house or Pirouette will take him as her SNACK

[Anthea]

Perhaps you should leave his window open just in case he decides to come home for a snack

I don't want he comes back to my house or Pirouette will take him as her SNACK

[Piling]

Now holidays are finished then the weather is nice and sunny.

3 colleagues at school told me how I became thinner. So in spite of the obstination with which my scale sticks to 75 kg since 2 months I suppose that is true.