Muffin and Jenkins in love aka cat breeding for novices!!!

I make no apologies for the fact that this will be the most basic, naive and novice blog about cat breeding EVER!!!! However, we have to learn somewhere and, for me, Muffin and Jenkins have been the "guinea pigs"!!

Jenkins arrived last Thursday - and he's a totally gorgeous boy! I can't get a picture that does him justice cos everytime I'm near him with the camera, he tries to nudge my hand for a cuddle so all the pictures come out close up and blurry!! He's got a fabulous personality and a wonderful nature and I think kittens from these 2 will be something special!

Anyway, I digress.....he arrived somewhat traumatised from a long trip up from London and refused to come out of his basket when we arrived. To cap it all, Muffin also stopped calling and it looked like it was all a dead loss.

By Friday Jenkins was much perkier and started to demonstrate his wonderful nature by coming to me for lots of cuddles and fuss - he and Muffin showed NO interest in each other at all....other than Muffin hissed at him if he got too close.

By the weekend, I'd decided that we had a very cute house guest for a few weeks but that Muffin and Jenkins were just not going to get it on.....plus being new to this myself, I had NO idea how to encourage them so I just went with gut instinct and decided that maybe Jenkins had to establish himself in the house and in a territory first. We gave the dining room over to him and that seemed a good ploy cos he became increasingly more confident in there - and when Muffin walked in he ran at her to scare her out.

This was the situation until Tuesday this week when Muffin starts yowling again and licking herself and generally looking flirty.....only she still wasn't showing any interest in Jenkins nor he in her! The debate in the house between Nick and I was around their sexuality ;o) Caitlin (our 9 year old) decided that "they just don't fancy each other" ;o) then yesterday (wednesday) things changed a little. The cats started hanging out a bit near each other....

Here's Jenkins and Muffin was lying down right in front of him....

Then started some nose rubbing and some bottom sniffing from Jenkins - ooo eeerrrrrrrr - maybe we're getting somewhere! We gave them some smelly fish cat food side by side, which they enjoyed, and Muffin wasn't hissing........but when I stayed with them, Jenkins kept coming to me for cuddles rather than paying attention to Muffin so, I shut the door on them both in one room.....

When I returned to the door after 10 minutes, I could hear cute little chirruping noises going on between them so I peered gingerly round the door and found Jenkins biting the back of Muffin's neck kind of "on board"!.....but I think I distracted them before they consummated the relationship....so I left them alone a bit longer. Eventually, BIG yowl from Muffin so........;o)

Today, they've been enjoying each others company all day - probably 6 or 7 times!!!!! ;o) Not that I wanted to be a voyeur but its fascinating to watch the courtship dance....until Jenkins just grabs her by the scruff of the neck that is!!! He's just doing what he needs to I guess....I caught them just before the act....I wouldn't take photos during....that would be gross!!

Well, they're now just kind of hanging out together and I'd say they're in love...

cute huh?

Here they are today....

Happily "married" Muffin and equally happy Jenkins....

I don't think I'm cut out for the pressure of encouraging fledgling cat romance on a regular basis but its been fun to help these two out!!!

So, watch this space 9 weeks from now......which incidentally is the 23rd of December which is also my birthday ;o) - I'm really hoping the birthday fairy brings me a litter of gorgeous cute healthy kittens with an equally healthy mum!

Bye for now....