Figure 2.

Sampling time points. In this general schedule of sampling time points, time 0 is when the kittens were born. The exact timing of the samples differed by 1–2 days from the general schedule as each set of two litters was born around 4 days apart. The kittens and queens were sampled at the same time points, although two extra swabs were taken from the queens in the 4 weeks prior to parturition