KOBE — Five kittens, offspring of a Pallas's cat at Kobe Animal Kingdom, are developing well and will be shown to visitors towards the end of July.
As per the zoo located in Chuo Ward of Kobe, six offspring were delivered on May 12, with one not surviving at birth. Azu, the mother cat, has been actively caring for the other five kittens — consisting of four male and one female.
Newborns developed their vision by the end of May, and it has been verified that their primary teeth have started to emerge. When they reach the stage for weaning, they are provided with ground chicken and horsemeat.
Pallas's cats, also known as manuls, inhabit deserts in southern Siberia through central Asia. Manul means "small wild cat" in Mongolian.
A kitten that was the heaviest at its initial weighing, with a weight of 178 grams, has reached approximately 500 grams, matching the size of its four brothers and sisters. Lately, they have been observed playing together.
(Kobe Bureau, Japanese original by Nao Kitayama)