September is usually the month when our fall kittens are born. This year, however, the kittens apparently had their own schedule and arrived during August. That made August considerably busier than expected, but it has also given us something real to share this month. One litter in particular required far more help than usual, while five tiny flies managed to turn the entire cattery into a feline hunting ground. THREE WEEKS OF TUBE-FEEDING One of our females gave birth to five truly outstanding-looking kittens. In the past, this mother always required a bit of help raising her kittens. If her kittens were not consistently so lovely, we probably would have retired her from our breeding program long ago.We knew that five kittens would be more than she could adequately nurse, and we were right. That began three weeks of tube-feeding the kittens at leastg four times every day. Tube-feeding can be lifesaving, but after three weeks it becomes a demanding and very tiring routine. At approximately three weeks of age, kittens can begin being introduced to solid food. Normally, this allows us to start reducing the supplemental feedings. This particular litter, however, apparently did not receive that information. As a group, they had very little interest in kitten pâté. They were equally unimpressed by manufactured kitten formula because, having been tube-fed, they never became accustomed to its taste. For a while, we reached something of a stalemate. They did not want the formula, they definitely did not want the pâté and tube-feeding was no longer safe once their teeth began coming in. A kitten could bite through the tube and potentially swallow part of it. All we could do was continue introducing food patiently while looking for the combination that would finally earn their approval. Beautiful kittens is the part everyone sees, but behind the scene are many long days, interrupted nights and problems that must be solved as they grow. Breeding kittens is rewarding—but it is not always quite as glamorous as it may appear.FIVE FLIES AND FAR TOO MUCH EXCITEMENT Five small flies somehow found their way into the house at the same time. To us, they were five unwanted intruders. To the cats, they were five pieces of airborne excitement and entertainment. The flies were small, quick and remarkably difficult to catch. The cats, meanwhile, were delighted. They raced from room to room, leapt at anything that moved and turned the entire house into one very enthusiastic hunting ground. There is, however, a less amusing side to a cat catching and eating a fly. Flies land and feed on garbage, decaying matter, feces and food. As they travel, they can carry disease-causing organisms and parasites both on their bodies and inside them. It does not mean that a cat catching a single fly will necessarily become ill. Nevertheless, with young kittens in the house, it is not a risk we are willing to ignore. The cats may consider flies wonderful entertainment, but we prefer to end the hunt before anyone manages to swallow the prize—which is where my electric flyswatter comes in.THE FLYSWATTER I WISH I HAD BOUGHT YEARS AGOFor several years, a friend kept advising me to buy an electronic flyswatter. Last year, I finally listened—and I wish I had listened sooner.It makes catching flies much easier and considerably cleaner. Instead of leaving an unpleasant mark on a freshly cleaned wall, the fly usually falls to the floor or remains caught on the swatter.I must also admit to experiencing an immense sense of satisfaction when I hear that unmistakable crackle and occasionally see the sparks fly. One more crispy critter has been stopped before becoming a cat’s afternoon snack.