June 14
This week the cubs gained an average of 1.8 pounds—their weights now range from 11.65 to 12.89
pounds—and they look great. Last week Zoo Director Dr. Spelman was a little concerned because she thought their gums were paler than they should be, so this week we took blood samples to check for anemia. They were all very brave. Each one gave his sample and then received a couple of vitamin shots just as a precaution. It's actually normal for cubs to be a little anemic since their diet for the first weeks of their lives consists entirely of their mother's milk.
But cubs grow up fast. Yesterday, we managed to get the cubs, the camera, and the meat all in the same place at the same time and saw the cubs eating meat! At about 1:30 p.m., when Soyono usually comes inside after her turn in the outside yard, the keepers put chopped meat with added vitamins and minerals in one of her inside enclosures and then let her in. If she didn't have cubs she would have come inside and eaten all of her food right away. But because she is a Mom—and a terrific one!—she comes inside and waits for the cubs to eat first. And because the cubs have such small tummies, she leaves some meat after she eats in case they want some more later. The cubs will continue to nurse for several more weeks, but Soyono will gradually wean them completely.
When Soyono weans the cubs, the keepers will have to make sure that we are feeding her and her cubs enough meat. One way to do that is to weigh the cubs, as we do every week. Another way is to weigh Soyono herself every other week. We want to make sure she isn't having to decide between feeding her cubs and getting enough food for herself. This is no time for a diet! There is a special cage that has a big scale in it, and Soyono can travel to it down an enclosed runway. The cats are trained for medical and husbandry procedures such as being weighed, showing us their paw pads, and letting the vet look at their teeth. Soy's weight is right where we want it—about 195 pounds. This is about 10 pounds heavier than her ideal weight, but since she is still nursing the cubs those few extra pounds are a good thing. Just more of her to love—at least that's what the cubs' dad, Rokan, might say!
 Read the previous entry |
Read the next entry  |
