So this will fit several different threads but I thought I would put it here for starters.
I had/have a feral that had a litter late last fall. She had 6, 2 boys and 4 girls. Over the course of the winter and being mostly kept in my entryway they all became tame and happy. The six kittens were on track to get neutered and fixed this spring at a low cost clinic. The clinic was canceled due to the everything being shutting down. As a result the 4 girls ended up expecting and about 10 days ago 3 of them each had a litter, one is still to go. Two litters of 6 and one of five so that is 17 kittens so far. So yes that all by itself is a story.
Two of the litters were fathered by a feral tuxedo who now appears to have decided to stay. I mean I can't blame him, why not really. From a guys perspective it's heaven, free food, lots of company and lots of loose females, well, he will have to wait a while for that. Anyway, his kittens really stand out, more tuxedo's, white nose and bibs. A few with other stuff mixed in and a couple that are solid black. The third one had a different father, and I am guessing it was her brother because 2 are tabbies like the mom and the brother but the big surprise were the 3 that look like albino's.
So I have been doing some research and the albino gene is recessive. A cat has to get it from both parents before it can be expressed. So if the feral mom had an albino gene and passed it on to her kittens and they then had this litter together then some of the kittens would have gotten the double recessive gene. But are they true albinos? Well they are just starting to open their eyes so it's really to early to tell from that, although they do look pink at the moment. But now they are starting to show pointing, their ears are getting dark. But in doing the research some albinos are pointed and in fact siamees cats are considered to be a form of albino. Well, I guess time will tell except ----
The clinic has been rescheduled and in ten days the boys have appointments along with the mom and the other litter of five that she had this spring who are now about 4 months old. So eight are going in before I drown in more kittens. BUT now I am wondering, albinos are very rare with only 2 percent of cats being albinos. If these boys have the albino gene maybe they should be preserved. It looks like there are some people who specialize in albinos and they sell for a lot. I don't know, do I hold off and wait and see? Any suggestions? Do any of these guy have value in terms of breeding potential? Once done it can't be undone but I am also not in a position to have 40 cats which at this rate could happen very fast. Your thoughts would be welcome.
By the way, the mom picked the box and it looks to be a good choice. The crumpled shipping paper looks to work pretty good.
Thought I would add another picture of the mom. And also another note.
The cats from this feral mom have been really different. The first batch that was born last fall, all have green eyes. They don't show as much in this picture but in sunlight they are green. The second thing is they have longer tails than normal. Their tails are something like 2 inches longer than any others I have ever seen and they usually walk around with the top curled down, almost like a shepherds hook. Their temperament is also very different. They are mellow and all get along with almost no fighting. I noticed that when they were little. Most kittens growl and fight over food and try to keep it all for themselves. These guys just all eat together with no dramatics. The feral mom has turned out to be a very good mom, likely the best I have ever seen. With all these kittens and now the kittens kittens there has been not one loss.
I had/have a feral that had a litter late last fall. She had 6, 2 boys and 4 girls. Over the course of the winter and being mostly kept in my entryway they all became tame and happy. The six kittens were on track to get neutered and fixed this spring at a low cost clinic. The clinic was canceled due to the everything being shutting down. As a result the 4 girls ended up expecting and about 10 days ago 3 of them each had a litter, one is still to go. Two litters of 6 and one of five so that is 17 kittens so far. So yes that all by itself is a story.
Two of the litters were fathered by a feral tuxedo who now appears to have decided to stay. I mean I can't blame him, why not really. From a guys perspective it's heaven, free food, lots of company and lots of loose females, well, he will have to wait a while for that. Anyway, his kittens really stand out, more tuxedo's, white nose and bibs. A few with other stuff mixed in and a couple that are solid black. The third one had a different father, and I am guessing it was her brother because 2 are tabbies like the mom and the brother but the big surprise were the 3 that look like albino's.
So I have been doing some research and the albino gene is recessive. A cat has to get it from both parents before it can be expressed. So if the feral mom had an albino gene and passed it on to her kittens and they then had this litter together then some of the kittens would have gotten the double recessive gene. But are they true albinos? Well they are just starting to open their eyes so it's really to early to tell from that, although they do look pink at the moment. But now they are starting to show pointing, their ears are getting dark. But in doing the research some albinos are pointed and in fact siamees cats are considered to be a form of albino. Well, I guess time will tell except ----
The clinic has been rescheduled and in ten days the boys have appointments along with the mom and the other litter of five that she had this spring who are now about 4 months old. So eight are going in before I drown in more kittens. BUT now I am wondering, albinos are very rare with only 2 percent of cats being albinos. If these boys have the albino gene maybe they should be preserved. It looks like there are some people who specialize in albinos and they sell for a lot. I don't know, do I hold off and wait and see? Any suggestions? Do any of these guy have value in terms of breeding potential? Once done it can't be undone but I am also not in a position to have 40 cats which at this rate could happen very fast. Your thoughts would be welcome.
By the way, the mom picked the box and it looks to be a good choice. The crumpled shipping paper looks to work pretty good.
Thought I would add another picture of the mom. And also another note.
The cats from this feral mom have been really different. The first batch that was born last fall, all have green eyes. They don't show as much in this picture but in sunlight they are green. The second thing is they have longer tails than normal. Their tails are something like 2 inches longer than any others I have ever seen and they usually walk around with the top curled down, almost like a shepherds hook. Their temperament is also very different. They are mellow and all get along with almost no fighting. I noticed that when they were little. Most kittens growl and fight over food and try to keep it all for themselves. These guys just all eat together with no dramatics. The feral mom has turned out to be a very good mom, likely the best I have ever seen. With all these kittens and now the kittens kittens there has been not one loss.
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