Kins M

Our cat had four kittens 6 days ago. Three of them are pretty big around 200g but one is only 85g.

The bigger ones have put on about 20-30g in the last couple of days but the runt hasn't put much on at all (well as accurately as you can tell on kitchen scales!). He's been half the size of the others since the beginning.

The little runt seems very feisty and healthy but unfortunately seems to get bullied out of milk by his siblings. Mum is very protective of him but the others being bigger just push him out of the way.

I was considering giving him a bottle as he's probably not getting his fair share. Is this a good idea?

Any advice would be welcome.

I have just been look at a few extracts from papers from Licolnshire and the surrounding area and I found this very odd article.

14th February 1784 - 'There is now living in the parish of Systen (Syston), near Grantham, a family remarkable for the following kindred, viz:- A grandfather 70 years of age, and near 20 stone in weight, and lately married to his fifth wife, now a grandmother of about 20 years of age; also a grand-daughter, 2 husbands, 2 wives, 2 mothers, one son and 4 daughters, 2 brothers, 3 sisters and 1 uncle, 2 aunts, a niece and two cousins; yet notwithstanding their consanguinity and affinity, this family consists of only six persons' - Ipswich Journal

I just don't quite get how this could work without some serious incest!

Any ideas?

Just to add you can access these articles here http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LIN/lfhs/Newspape...

They cover the Licolnshire area from 1780-1929.

I have central heating in every room in my house except the box room.

There's a radiator in another bedroom that runs along the same wall as I want the one in the box room

e.g ----PR-------------AR------- (PR- proposed radiator, AR - actual radiator). I have seen the sort of size I want in Wickes for about £30. I was wondering if it would be easy to install one radiator and an estimate of how much it would cost in labour?

What sort of disruption would there be i.e taking up carpets?

I know I should be getting estimates but I don't want to waste peoples time if it's something that will be out of my price range at the moment.

Thanks

Here in the UK we get some funny documentaries featuring Americans. Many are about obese people, fast food, guns etc. Just wondering what televisual treats you might get about the British? Do they conform to the stereotypes usually given to us?

Just so you know I have lovely straight white teeth but I am sat here drinking a lovely cup of Earl Grey tea!

Here is a chance to be creative today. The following is Puzzle #66 taken from Eugene Raudsepp's Brain Stretchers. Take a die and roll it six times, take one word from each of the following six lists as chosen by the roll of the die. The idea is to write a short story using these six words. 10 points to the most imaginative and creative story.

List 1 - 1. Sea, 2. Time, 3. Ghost, 4. Travel, 5. Dream, 6. Accident

List 2 - 1. Birthday, 2. Letter, 3. Love, 4. Woman, 5. Money, 6. Trip

List 3 - 1. Day, 2. Party, 3. House, 4. Face, 5. Luck, 6. Goal

List 4 - 1. Man, 2. Castle, 3. Swim, 4. Night, 5. Doctor, 6. Sick

List 5 - 1. Start, 2. Boat, 3. Beach, 4. Success, 5. Marry, 6. Police

List 6 - 1. Life, 2. Song, 3. Car, 4. Surprise, 5. Failure, 6. Fate

Good Luck ;-)

I got an e-mail with the half price membership details and wondering if it was worth taking out. I have done most of my research on free sites and have paid for a few individual searches but I feel I could do with a better package. Does anyone recommend it? Should I go for the essentials package or is it worth getting the premium membership? Will the memberships have any usage allowances or can I research everything I want to my hearts content?

Do you feel like you could conquer everest or like you could barely climb over the doorstep?

I feel like going back to bed and giving up on today. Any tips on making myself feel braver? I would probably go for a good stiff drink but I might have to drive today!

I can't believe that anyone would be stupid enough to vote for this party. As the Euro results don't come out for a couple of days I was wondering if anyone voted for Animals Count. As far as I can see they had no policies that didn't directly relate to animals.

Is anyone really stupid enough to want to set up a free animal emergency care system on par with the NHS when there are other pressing needs this country has?

It made me laugh slightly more than the Christian party anyway.

Animals Count party policies http://www.animalscount.org/policies.html

I just can't really understand this storyline. I know EastEnders is rather surreal at times but still, this is taking it too far.

Can a child of 7 really want to 'do in' her grandmother? At 7 we begin a new era in our development and begin to understand abstract concepts, but I don't think we would be capable of thinking about murdering your grandmother for money. Most 7 year olds do not really have a great understanding about money and life expenses. Does your 7 year old think about the mortgage, bills and the food, clothes, car, insurance costs? Surely they can't understand the need for money as an adult would? can an 'evil' parent really brainwash their child in such a way?

I'm currently using Tesco value cat litter which I have no issues with and neither does Catty Watty. Problem is I really can't be bothered to go to Tesco on a Saturday (especially because I have to go into town to return my day old broken kettle...grrrr...).

I was thinking that I might try something different. I was wondering if anyone used the silica based litters and were they any good?

I'm looking for something that won't require changing too often and something that is good for odour control.

Remember I am in the UNITED KINGDOM, don't yank at me!

Good old Matty Wright (not of NWHS fame) for coming up with good question on a dull friday.

Does becoming a parent automatically change your priorities?

They are two different types of love, is it just silly to think one is more important than the other?

I much prefer the oldies. I love Victorian literature where the author specifically talks to the reader, I like how they mention it's a book rather than keeping the illusion in a 'you're actually there' type of way. It's a very rainy Saturday here in Sheffield, good book day!

So..What do you prefer? What are you reading at the moment? I'm useless at choosing books, so what do you recommend?

If you could have any job you wanted regardless of your current ability and any costs needed would be covered, what would you do and why?

What is your current job and how do you think your new job could change you life?

To get you started...I'm at university at the moment and I work part time in a cafe. I would love to have my own secondhand book shop. I would have a cafe in there and the policy would be 'Read for free while you drink your tea'. Hopefully people would pick up a book while they had their drinks and would find something they wanted to buy. I would run reading groups for all ages and genres and hopefully inspire people to really get into books.

I've been wondering this for a while. In Tesco a 2ltr bottle of value still water is 14p and value sparkling is 13p.

Surely it costs more to carbonate a drink?

If biodesel hasn't been adequately processed could it be contaminated with glycerol, and could this cause a similar effect to having sugar in the tank?

I know two people who had car troubles that were diagnosed as sugar in the tank and both were running on biodiesel from the same place.

I really want to find this game again but I can't remember what it is called. It involved being on an archaeological dig, you would spend ages digging for artifacts until you found a clay "doughnut". as soon as you found the clay object you were transported back in time to discover what the object was for (weaving loom weight I believe). Once back in time and having discovered the use of this object there seemed to be no conclusive ending to the game. You just went around stealing peoples pigs and never being capable of finding a wheelbarrow to put your heavy nicked objects in.

Just wondering what this game is called? I really want to play it again. I wonder if now with my adult genius I will finally work out the point of the game. Any suggestions? Did anyone else have this game at school and did anyone reach a conclusive end to it?

I've noticed recently that my act prefers to drink old water. I had a glass next to my bed that had been there over night and she opted to drink from that rather than her bowl. She will often jump in the bath and drink water from around the edge. I give her fresh water in her bowl regularly but she much prefers drinking out of glasses that have been there a few hours.

Would it be better to leave some water out for a while and then put it in her bowl? I read somewhere that cats don't like the harsh chemicals in drinking water and that if it's left out a while these start to diminish but is it safe?

I don't want her to get ill but it's getting annoying finding her drinking out of my glass. Any suggestions?

I've noticed over the last few years how few children drink tea these days. I work in a cafe and in 18 months I have only served two cups of tea to anyone under 16. One young girl (8-10yrs) asked her mum for one and she refused but bought her a 500ml bottle of coke (think how much more sugar and caffeine is in that) I remember watching a documentary on food during the war and the surrounding years and it said most children drank water, milk and tea (nowhere near as much childhood obesity back then). I wonder when it became out of fashion to give a child a cup of tea? I have been drinking tea as long as I can remember and most of friends have as well.

So....

Do you give you children tea?

If not...why not?

and just out of interest...what age do you think it appropriate to allow a child to make their own tea? I've been using the kettle since about 7/8 (when I could reach it). I had to ask to use it and in the beginning someone stayed with me. I was never scolded and I think my parents did a great job of explaining the dangers to me.

I don't really watch Neighbours but I'm really interested in how a different actress is going to take over a central role in a programme. Does Libby go away for a bit and then return different or does she just appear as a different actress half way through an episode? Scenes wouldn't be shot in order so she might be one Libby one minute and another Libby the next!

Just wondering when these scenes will start airing in the UK and wondering if anyone else will join the Neighbours audience just for this crazy event?

I just think it's going to be the most bizarre thing ever!

I've got sweet potatoes, pork steaks, parsnips, swede, carrots, mushrooms, courgette, and the usual cupboards full of stuff.

I have no idea what to make for dinner and I would like to try something new, any suggestions?