It seems that Monday is becoming my day to do the weekly challenge, as much as I would like to do it on Saturdays when it is first posted, but there's always activities or kids around, and I really need solace to paint.....Today, I went out to the barn to start my self portrait and my immensely pregnant cat "Studio" would not leave me alone...meowing loudly and persistantly and rubbing up against the easel preventing me from painting...I got the message, it was TIME. I took her into my studio where I have had a large cardboard box laid out for her with a blanket inside for her to have her kittens in.....I laid her down and tried to leave her alone to her laboring, but she would have none if it! Meowing and tottering after me....so in the box I go with her (it is a good sized box, and on it's side) and pet her while she labors....her appreciation was genuine, I've never heard her purr so loud...I don't think she knew quite what to do, and her first baby spent too much time in the birth canal, and with the amniotic sack over it...I watched and tried to encourage her to take care of , but the baby lay still. I removed the sack and rubbed it vigorously, but the baby still lay limp...just as I was about to give up, I heard a small squeak....Studio took over from there, and began licking her new baby! The next 4 babies were born about 20 minutes apart, and Momma only completely did her job on one of them...she was exhausted.....I'm still worried about the first one, he's not feeding like the others, but we shall see....Names to follow....Meantime, while all this was going on, I painted my self-portrait, which is a bit of a cheat, as did it from a photo and the photo is at least 5 years old, but given the circumstances of the day, I'm glad I didn't attempt a real one! Perhaps tomorrow!
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