zigne and ztina update

A few days later they're slightly more active, meows excitingly when you peek over the wooden crate - I've put beside the sofa in the living room so they're still in the middle of where most of the action in this house takes place - try to run on wobbly legs, squeak, purr when being cuddled, react on the environment - even if granted they still mostly sleep and eat, weighing almost 300 grams each now - generally being über-adorable as kittens tend to be. Especially British Shorthair kittens with their teddybearesque appearance.

So far I've found that Zigne, the readhead is a bit more curious and relaxed when being carried around and cuddled with. She adores kisses and snuggles and even watched television sitting in my hand the other day - needless to say, that was one of those I'm speechless-with-cuteness moments - Ztina, the colourpoint, seems to prefer the comfort of the cushioned crate still. She isn't as photogenique as Zigne. Yet. So the cuteness overload of this post will be mostly about one fabulous li'l readhead. In her skew-eyed phase. Enjoy.

Dad Pelle, being a very modern dad, does help - because yes, sadly Rutger is not the father, Pelle is. Which is very much not what I had in clever mind... ah well, life. Rutger actually got neutered today and have moved to my mother who also has Rutger's brother Rupert and their mum Greta. Where I think he'll have a much more satisfying and happy life from now on compared to the one he'd have here having to be re-introduced into the cat clan. My experience is that that's far from a smooth procedure. At my mother's he'll be spoilt, get to sleep in her bed and rekindle with brother and mum - watch over them and clean them a bit.

'Yes I am a girl, and a very clean one at that'

In answer to a question I got on how I come up with their names, after my prefix, which is Luddkolt's (from an adorable children's book I read as a child, translates into something like Fluffy chubby, perfect prefix for British shorthairs!) I give them names in alphabetical order with a first name that I enjoy, preferably quirky and if possible with a name day in the Swedish calender - though I love Scottish and British names like Hamish, Donald, Chester, Ermyntrude, Prunella, Prudence, Pudge etc - 

'It is indeed tiring being this cute'

and then a surname which is the name of a British, Scottish or Welsh castle, mansion or house of historic importance with the same initial as the first name. Preferably one we've visited. Stina and Signe, common Swedish names, are spelled with S, but with this being the Z-litter, Ztina and Zigne it is. There are no castles beginning with letter Z, so they get S-castles/mansions/historical houses instead (like their mum being Siri Sissinghurst). Hence Ztina Sezincote and Zigne Shandy - from Shandy Hall, in Yorkshire's Coxwold, where "Tristram Shandy" was written. Loved the movie, have been to pretty Coxwold - hey presto, we have perfect names! For perfect kittens.