The Twin Kits Update

The twins are now almost weaned. Thistle is now living on his own and still using a bottle of formula but he’s basically weaned himself off it for the most part. He was separated from both of his mothers when he decided to start play mounting them – a bit of dominance is not usually too much of a problem but he was quite insistent and both of this mothers were getting annoyed by him. Play mounting is a sign of increasing maturity and in Thistle’s case, stupidity! I lost count of the number of times he got paw swiped and kacked at by his mother when I was feeding them the other evening so he was separated there and then; much to his disgust and his mother’s relief I think.
He is a real live wire character and is growing up fast. He does not want to be handled much at the moment but that’s more his independent streak than anything else I think. Once he’s caught he sits quite happily and lets me stroke and chat to him – then he gets bored and pings off back into his cage. Trying to take his photo is nigh-on impossible and I have loads of pictures of empty space where he had been, blurred tail shots, and the occasional grey smudge as he hurtled past the camera lense.

Teazel remains with her mother and is happily snuggled up with her as I type this. It is much easier to keep females with their mothers and these two will stay together as long as possible. For now they are content with each other’s company and it is lovely to see them sharing a cage. Teazel is the more gentle and calm of the twins and has a sweet nature too. She is a little coy as opposed to her manically “pinging” brother and is a delight to hold and stroke.

If I decide to show the twins it will be interesting grooming them both – such different personalities often are manifest on the show bench and in grooming. Some chins sit still and let you groom them easily but others are little monsters, bouncing about and being stroppy (kacking) when attempting to use the needle sharp comb on their fur. Most of the work for showing takes place beforehand and it is only the finishing touch through the very tips of the fur which is needed at the show hall. Chins which refuse to sit still can be a challenge all through the preparation grooming sessions so it is worth starting when kits are young, just getting them used to being held and having their fur touched all over with the back of the comb, building up to full grooming over a period of time.
On the show bench some chins simply snooze the time away (some crash out on their sides, much to the amusement of those watching them and the horror of the owner who has spent time grooming their fur to perfection!) and some show off, never sitting still so they “ruin” their outline and still others just have that “I’m perfect and I know it” pose which makes them stand out from the crowd.
What’s the betting Thistle is a pure show off?