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These six tiny kittens just opened their eyes. They're 8 days old and taking in a whole new world. It's a family of Tonkinese kittens or Tonks for short. Tonks were bred in the 1960s, blending the best traits of both Burmese and Siamese cats. They have the Burmese sense of play and like their Siamese cousins, can be quite chatty. Though Tonkinese kittens are born a creamy white with dark eyes, over time their coats will darken and their eyes will turn icy blue. Just like their two mothers. Queenie and Princess gave birth to their litters just 1 day apart. And they all came together to form one big extended family.
Queenie is actually Princess's mother. So the family tree gets pretty complicated. Ready? Princess's kittens are Queenie's grand kittens. Queenie's kittens on the other hand are Princess's half brothers and sisters. And the kittens are aunts and uncles and nephews and nieces to one another. But Princess and Queenie are happy to feed and care for all their kittens. No matter whose is whose. This little guy, Cookie, is as sweet as they come. He's extremely focused on the task at hand.
Getting all the breakfast he can. And maybe even an extra helping if no one stops him. His brother, Muffin, isn't faring quite so well. He's finding communal living a bit too cozy. Muffin's had it with crowding. And makes a daring move to find some breathing space. But with two pairs of eyes watching, it's not easy for the little explorer to break away. Especially with eager first-time mom, Princess, on duty. But brothers, Muffin and Cookie, know there's an upside to the extra security.
Twice as much love. Another story is unfolding over in the city of New York. Home to some of the world's most stylish and sophisticated cats. Ikea, true to her name, is a fan of sleek design. And lives in a one-bedroom apartment furnished with flair. These days, Ikea has more than style on her mind. She's got a litter of nine-day-old kittens who sport the unique curled ears of their breed, the American Curl. These kittens were actually born with straight ears, but during their first week of life, their ears slowly curled back like rose petals.
This trait comes from a genetic mutation that appeared in the '80s and is now a breed standard. Because it's such a new breed, there are only a few thousand American Curls worldwide. Ikea's four kittens have just opened their eyes. Little Jonas can't seem to get comfortable. Kittens sleep up to 20 hours per day, but not if they can't find a good spot. Jonas tries everything and everywhere, but can't settle down. All this wiggling is keeping his sister, Fabrina, awake, too, and she tries to squirm away from him.
Now that she's up, little sister Fabrina realizes life's too exciting. There's a whole world outside her bed, and she wants in. She never stops moving, not even for a New York minute. Ikea would like all her kittens to tuck in for the night. They need their beauty rest. If New York is the city that never sleeps, Sabrina and Jonas will fit right in. In the heart of suburbia, a new mom named Sierra is busy with her 6-day old brood of Maine kittens. Maine Coons are one of the oldest and largest breeds of domestic cats.
It's said the Maine came to the United States over 200 years ago by way of ships from France. Maybe their seafaring roots are the reason they love water. After their arrival, they continued to evolve on their own in the forests of Maine. Their thick coats and oversized paws help them survive snowy winters. At more than 25 lb, adult Maine Coons are giants among cats. But the kittens are only about 6 oz each. If these little guys want to be imposing figures like mom, they have to eat at least a quarter of their body weight per day. This orange fellow is Dante. And he's taking a little longer to get the hang of well, everything. To Dante, finding a feeding spot is like finding a needle in a dark, furry haystack.
No food over there. Or there. Dante doesn't know what's up and what's down. Orange cats are four times more likely to be male cats. And a sleepy Dante is four times more likely to be adorable. Unlike Dante, dark and lovely Lulu doesn't mess around. She finds her feeding spot right away. Lulu doesn't know she's a small fry. Or maybe she doesn't care. If Lulu wants, say, a kiss from Mom, Lulu goes and gets it. After Dante worked so hard to get his spot at the table, the table decides dinner's over. A giant breed doesn't just mean big eaters. Coming up, Jonas is in way over his head. And Muffin and Cookie get an airlift home.
These busy fur balls were born only four days ago. A breed so warm and trusting they melt into a person's arms or lap like a ragdoll. These five warm kittens belong to proud mom Ruffian. Their eyes are still closed and they can't hear yet. So, their noses guide them to priority number one, dinner. But, this little scrapper named Snowball wonders about the world beyond the dinner table. She's ready to explore. Or at least to try. That'll be a lot easier when she can actually walk, which won't happen for another week.
Cozy in their nest, there's something the kittens don't know yet. They have a housemate. It's Mari, the family's German Shepherd, who's dying to know what's in the basket. For now, Ruffian's keeping a close eye on her kittens. And bold Snowball will have to wait to venture out into Mari's world. [snorts] There's another new mom keeping lookout from her favorite spot. It's Emily, a 3-year-old Burmese. Burmese cats originally roamed the palaces and temples of ancient Burma. The breed has since migrated to the suburbs. And now they're the ones being worshipped.
Nimble and full of energy, Burmese cats are natural athletes. Emily won all these awards in feline agility competitions, which are like track and field sports for cats. But she's put her career on hold to raise triplets. Though they're just 3 days old, Emily might have an award winner in the making. He can't even walk yet, but little Midnight is quite the climber. The runt of the litter is Pepper. She's just half the size of her siblings. So her weight is monitored closely. The cold scale doesn't sit well with Pepper. Or Mom.
Thankfully, she's on hand to straighten things out. After her ordeal on the scale, there's no place the 2-oz kitten would rather be. Far away in what feels like another dimension, there lives a very different kind of cute. They are not interplanetary travelers. They are Sphynxes. This feline is in fact alien, at least in the United States. They were first bred in Canada in 1966 from a cat with a natural mutation.
Now, Sphynxes are sought by cat lovers who appreciate their unique brand of beauty. They're named for their resemblance to the Egyptian Sphynx, as seen in Bella, a new mother of six. The leader of the six-pack is little pink Gremlin. He gets the best spot and eats the most. His brother Prune tries to keep up with Gremlin in the eating department, but it's not going so well. At 7 days old, their pupils are still developing. Since their vision is a bit blurry, they rely on their noses to guide them. Ah, finally. Dinner always tastes better when you've worked up an appetite.
Back at the Burmese house, the runt of the litter, Pepper, gets a helping hand. Kitten formula doesn't taste as good as mom's milk, but Emily encourages her tiniest baby to drink up. Hopefully, the extra snack will help her pack on the pounds. When you weigh just 2 oz, everything is exhausting. Only one thing left to do. Find a warm, cozy spot to get some extra love from mom. Coming up, Snowball goes on her first big adventure These five rambunctious kittens are domestic shorthairs, the most popular cats in the world.
Domestic shorthair is a fancy way of saying mixed breed. It seems fair to give them a proper name since they make up 95% of the American house cat population. Their story began 10 weeks ago in this Brooklyn, New York brownstone. These house cats don't know it, but they're lucky to have a home at all. This is their mom, Butters, who just 14 days ago was a pregnant stray roaming the back alleys of Brooklyn. Lucky for her, she was found and adopted and now lives with a menagerie of rescued animals. From rodents to reptiles, this home has them all.
It's hard enough being a new mom, but adjusting to all these housemates at the same time is nerve-racking. So, Butters claims this corner as her own. Noodles is the firstborn of the litter and the first to open his eyes. He's already a go-getter and no obstacle, no matter how big and furry, can keep him away from a good meal. His pushing and shoving wakes the others. And now all the kittens are focused on lunchtime. But street savvy Butters knows there's a bigger world out there with all sorts of trouble to watch out for.
It's hard for this tough cat to turn off her survival instincts. Butters won't let her kittens out of her sight or out of their corner anytime soon. Not far away in quiet suburbia, a different kind of story is unfolding. This mom, Josh Queen, is as exotic as they come. She's a Savannah, a cross between a domestic house cat and a wild African serval. In some cities, Savannahs are not permitted because they're so closely related to wild cats, a trait that makes them excellent natural born hunters.
But right now all these newborns are hunting for is their mom. Meet Tiger, Cougar, and Cheetah, tiny triplets with some pretty lofty big cat names. The hunt will be easier when their eyes open in a few days. For now, they rely on a good nose and a mighty roar. Tiger, the only boy, is the biggest, but that doesn't mean he's the toughest. Of course, a cold, hard scale is pretty daunting when you weigh just 5 oz. Cougar and Cheetah are smaller, but definitely not quieter. Tiger's two sisters seem to have a lot to say. When it's time to eat, Tiger, on the left, tries to push his way into a prime spot.
But his fierce sisters aren't budging without a fight. Maybe it's easier for Tiger just to be a mama's boy. With full bellies, the kittens nod off. While mom finds a perch to survey her kingdom. As night falls, all is well in this suburban jungle. Descended from another corner of the world, northern Russia, is the Siberian. Salomeya and man of the house Maxim proudly wear their long white coats, which once protected the breed from harsh mountain winters. But in this house, Salomeya is warm and cozy with her brand new family. An average Siberian litter is four kittens. So, Salomeya's got her paws full with six. But there's more to the story in this litter. In case anyone was wondering, Siberians are supposed to look like their parents.
And Maxim was supposed to be their dad. But these little guys look an awful lot like the handsome cat next door. Oops. Siberian tomcats are known to help raise their offspring, an unusual trait in the feline world. Hopefully, Maxim will warm up to these little surprises. Because with six kittens, Salomeya could use the help. This is Mittens. And she just can't seem to get comfortable. And her fussing stirs the rest of the pile. Salomeya's got a plan to calm her noisy box of crying kittens. Time for a new nest somewhere more cozy and private. Kittens instinctively relax when their moms carry them.
It's called scruffing. Mittens finally has the space she's been looking for, but she's not getting out of this family trip. At first, the change of scenery doesn't settle down Mittens. But she finally cools it before mom decides to relocate again. They may only be puppies now, but one day they'll grow up to become one of the most loyal, powerful guard dogs in the world. These are Bullmastiffs, a cross between faithful and lovable bulldogs and English Mastiffs, one of the largest breeds in the world.
Carrying the traits of both ancestors, Bullmastiffs are the perfect family guard dogs. Two-year-old Delta proudly watches over this house and the family that lives here. These days, Delta's guarding more than just a home. She's busy watching over her four brand new puppies. Daisy, the only girl, is the smallest of the four. A full-grown Bullmastiff weighs around 115 lb. At not even 2 lb, Daisy has lots of growing to do. You might think it would be easy for a girl to get a seat at such a large table. But the boys aren't concerned with chivalry.
Well, if this table's full, maybe there's food somewhere else. She'll need to find some way to get her share if she's going to grow up to be a strong, loyal guardian. A few miles away, the story of some much smaller puppies begins. Mackenzie, a Jack Russell terrier, has just given birth to three little girls. Jack Russells were first bred in the early 19th century by an English fox hunter named you guessed it Jack Russell. These spry and energetic terriers were perfect companions on the hunt.
Small enough for a foxhole and fast enough for the chase. Mackenzie's tiny terriers are named Apple, Of the three sisters, Apple and Buttons have similar black and brown coloring. While Coco is a bit more Coco. But that's not the only thing that separates Coco from the others. She's also the most vocal about getting noticed. Luckily, Mom Mackenzie knows a thing or two about how to command attention. Mackenzie is a model and a muse for her owner, a professional photographer. Although Mackenzie loves the spotlight, right now her focus is on the pups. And she can't help but notice that while Apple and Buttons snooze on the sidelines,
Coke oh seems to love being front and center. Looks like mom may have a future star on her paws. A few towns over lives another new mom named Boston. Portuguese water dogs are also known in their native land as the Portuguese fishing dog. Strong swimmers with waterproof coats, they once made great helpers for fishermen. Herding fish into nets and carrying messages from ship to shore. But these days they're popular family pets. One even charmed his way into the White House. Though they've come a long way from the shores of Portugal, they maintain their
strong work ethic, which will come in handy for new mom Boston. Raising a newborn is hard work for any mom. But raising 10? Well, that's just exhausting. Right now she's busy making sure all 10 pups get fed. Little Domino with the white gloves is a bit lost. And his eyes are a week away from opening. So, he has to trust his nose to lead him back to mom. Who has time to eat when there's the whole wide world to explore? Maybe exploring will be much more fun when he can see the whole wide world. As Domino and the others cozy up for a warm nap, little Ace finds himself out in the cold.
[screaming] And that's when Ace discovers one of the perks of having nine siblings. A warm brother or sister is never too far away. Back at the Bullmastiff house, the three big brothers are monopolizing mom. Daisy discovers that a little bit of focus and the slightest amount of coordination go a long way. And the smallest bullmastiff takes the first few big steps. Coming up, these canines discover their canines. This is the story of three little pugs, two boys and a girl. The biggest pup, Freddy, led the way into the world. Then came his sister, Susie. And finally, there was Ivan, the littlest of the three.
Most puppies rely on their noses before they can see or hear. But a newborn pug's flat snout leaves them barely able to smell at all, But if these three follow in the footsteps of their mom and dad, they could become champion athletes. Dad Louie and Mom Ivy are seasoned veterans in the world of competitive agility. But parenthood is a whole new challenge. And right now, Mom's working on bath time. Licking not only gets the pups clean, it's also a way for a mother to bond with her babies. But someone's not cooperating.
Little Ivan wants to skip his bath. Ivan learns that you can run, but you can't hide from mom. It's been a long day. And Ivy's earned herself some well-deserved peace and quiet. The pups are already starting to take after mom. But they better get their rest cuz they've got a long way to go. A few miles away is another new mom, Addy, a 2-year-old Rottweiler. Rottweilers are protective by nature, so Addy doesn't take her eyes off her pups for very long. She's lucky they can only scoot around on their for now. Because when they start walking, it'll be tough to keep up with these two. And this one.
Plus these three. Not to mention the other five. Altogether, Addie's got 11 pups. No wonder she looks tired. Right now, he only weighs a little over a pound. An adult Rottweiler averages about 100 lb. So, Bear's got lots of growing to do. But getting the right nutrition could be tough for the smallest of 11, since there's only room at the table for 10. So far, it's Bear who is left without a spot. With 10 bigger siblings, he'll need to find some way to get his share. You might say many Australian shepherds are the marathon runners of the dog world. As working dogs, they've been herding sheep and cattle for centuries.
Rosie's a family pet, not a worker, but herding is in her blood. She loves to run around outside. But for the past week, she's been spending most of her time inside. She's got a tiny new troop of wiggly puppies, who at 1 week old haven't opened their eyes yet. The litter is perfectly balanced with three girls and three boys. Half are red tris, meaning tri-colored like their mom. The other half are red merles, who take after their dad. This is Rosie's first litter.
She tries to make the bed cozy for everyone. And she's having a hard time getting comfortable. No one ever said being a new mom was easy. When Rosie goes for a drink, the pups can smell that she's gone. And this little mama's girl, JoJo, isn't happy about it. Neither is her brother, Finn, who opens his eyes for the very first time to look for her. Rosie returns to make sure the first face he sees is hers. But Finn's eyes don't stay open for very long. It's hard work being a puppy. Meanwhile, Rosie's ready to play. She tries to get the pups in on the fun.
But, they're not quite ready. In time, the six puppies will learn to play with mom. But, for now, just dreaming about it is enough. Back at the crowded Rottweiler house, Addie's 11 pups are finally asleep. All except Bear, the runt of the litter. Who's on a mission to get some one-on-one time with mom. But, it's hard to find her since he can't see or hear yet. And at 6 days old, he becomes the first to take actual steps. Mom couldn't be prouder of her smallest pup. Runts tend to be weaker, but little Bear compensates with determination. In a cozy cabin deep in the woods, lives a Havanese lapdog named Lulu.
Who enjoys a life of leisure and lounging. But, lately, there's a little less leisure. She's now a first-time mom to five adorable puppies. Three look just like her. One is brown and white. And one is all white, rare for a Havanese. With their long, lush locks, the elegant Havanese were once bred to be lap dogs for Cuban aristocrats. They've since traveled far and wide, but they're always at home on a good lap. Lulu's white pup, Misty, may be a natural-born princess. While her brothers and sisters work to get milk, Misty opts to get herself rocked to sleep.
But mom knows that all her little ones need to eat. And has everyone slide down so Misty can get a prime seat. Eating is hard work when you're just weigh 6 oz. So, the pups settle in for a nap. But Lulu's on high alert for any unwelcome guests. That bird seems to be outside, but a new mom can never be too careful. While mom's back is turned, restless little Leo decides to wander. But Lulu has her eyes on everything and guides him back where he belongs. Leo will have plenty of time to go his own way once he can see, hear, and walk. In the meantime, as long as he's under mom's watch, he'll never fall very far.
A few miles away lives another new mom. Two-year-old Peanut is a Rhodesian Ridgeback, a breed known for their hunting and running skills. But Peanut's not running anywhere these days. She's got three brand new puppies to keep track of. One, two, three. Yep, they're all there. Ridgebacks are born with their trademark, a ridge of hair running down their back in the opposite direction from the rest of their coat. Peanut's two girls, Gemma and Clover, have matching coats. Their brother, Rufus, sports a handsome tan. The sisters have been inseparable from the moment they entered the world. But Rufus is having some trouble fitting in.
Jemma and Clover sleep face-to-face in case of a bad dream. Which makes Rufus a bit of a third wheel. When lunchtime rolls around, Rufus can't get a good seat at the table. And his sisters aren't concerned about making room. Peanut knows just how to solve this problem. Either everyone eats together or no one eats at all. Rufus is fine with this arrangement. His sisters? Not so much. Meanwhile, a few towns away, a story of twin brothers begins. Oscar and Tony are chow chows. Or just chows for short.
They come from a long line of show dogs. Their mom, Maya, has been racking up ribbons and trophies for nearly 3 years. They may be twins, but 2 lb 4 oz, Oscar is nearly twice Tony's size. Not to worry, there's plenty of time to catch up. Chows are among the world's first domesticated breeds. They hail from ancient China, where the lion-like dogs were prized for their hunting skills. Today, they're beloved pets, known for their unique bluish tongues. Maya's litter of two pups is unusual, as most chow litters have six to eight.
You might think she's got it easy, but her big boy Oscar doesn't give her a moment's peace. No matter how far he strays, Oscar makes sure to be heard. Poor Maya doesn't know what to do to quiet him down.
