"Jack Campin - bogus address" wrote in message
...
How common is this? Our Marblecake had four kittens three weeks ago.
They are just starting to energe from their hidey-hole under the bed
and explore the bedroom. They a

Poppy, the first out, who looks very much like her mum (dark tiger
stripes with a mostly-white face and orange splotches under the stripes)

Gerald, pale ginger stripey tomcat, the fattest and slowest one

Eccles, black and white tom with big whiskers, the skinniest and most
curious

Siouxsie, grey and white with a punkish orange streak on her head.

We are being allowed to pick them up, just. But usually we are NOT
alowed to have Poppy from more than a minute before Marblecake wants
her back. The others can play with us (or with Splodge, the only
one of our other cats to take any interest) for as long as we like.
Poppy is the only one she gets possessive about. Poppy herself
doesn't seem to think much of this - she obviously wants to get out
and play as much as her wobbly little back legs will allow.

Splodge didn't much appreciate Eccles investigating his abdomen in
search of sustenance. Eccles got gently but firmly bopped by a huge
grubby paw.



In nature it is very common for a mother to show preference for one or more
of her offspring. And I'd think it would be natural as well to choose the
healthiest strongest one most like herself.

Nature has a way of favoring the strong. And sometimes cats in the wild can
and do have to choose who survives.

Jo