It's been a rough few weeks. We pulled a mama cat with three babies from the shelter and after a weeks, one kitten starting losing weight and doing very poorly. We lost him (Tiny Tabby - they weren't named yet) quickly but unfortunately were not able to get necropsy results because for the first time ever, the body got lost at the lab. His sister, Tiny Tortiebella, hung on and then started to get sick a week later. Lots of vet visits and 2-hour supplemental feedings but she didn't get better. A couple of weeks ago around 3AM, she was put to sleep at the emergency vet - it was the only humane thing to do per the vet. The necropsy came back and she had pneumonia and cerebeller hypoplasia due to panleuk in utero.
The last kitten was doing great - so much so that I finally named him and his mom (Athena and Zeus). He was playing, eating, not quite using the litterbox but he was using a puppy pad, and he was gaining weight every day. At 5 weeks old, he was small for his age but he was doing great and I was feeding him "kitten miracle grow" (AD canned food from the vet). Unfortunately Saturday evening, I noticed that he was listless and rushed him to the emergency vet. Only a few hours earlier, he had been playing, but his temperature plummeted, his gums were white and again, humane euthanasia was the only thing to do for him. I know panleuk usually wipes out the entire litter but he did great for two weeks after his last sibling passed. Every fiber of my being thought he would make it. My heart is broken.
Pasta Kitties
The other mama and litter we pulled a few weeks after the first mama and babies are doing well, except one kitten. These are the pasta kitties (mama is Penne Lisce and kittens are Ravioli, Fettuccine, Rotini, Tortellini, and Macaroni). Mama started rejecting Macaroni almost two weeks ago and he lost weight so we rushed to the vet. Other than the weight loss, he seems to be fine. He's been moved from his mom and has been receiving supplemental feedings (at first every 2 hours since he was tiny and now about every 4 hours). So thankful that I can work from home, but when I did have to go into the office, the local vet/emergency vet will do hospitalization boarding where they'll feed and care for him for 24 hours and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I had so many things going on this weekend that he went to another foster over the weekend and he's eating on his own some but still needs supplemental feedings. He's coming back to me tonight. Love this little man.
Butterbean and the Pepper Kitties
Butterbean was a bottle feeder that a local vet asked us to take. She was so tiny (2 days old maybe) and she got upper respiratory and was started on meds per the vet but it got worse. She spent a good part of one day last week our local vet and then went home but turned agonal and passed away on her way to the emergency vet. Full necrospy results aren't back yet.
The pepper kitties (Jalapeno, Serrano, Pablano, and Sweet Bell) were taken in by us when they were a little less than a week old. Someone took them to a local dog groomer/boarding facility and said if they didn't take the kittens, he would throw them in the lake. They called us, we took them. Jalapeno spent some time at the emergency vet a week ago last Saturday because he hadn't had any output in several days but was able to go home and was doing well. The kittens started getting sick and went to the vet. They were started on Clavamox but got worse. The foster mom spent countless hours suctioning their noses in between feedings, etc. Back to the vet and Doxycycline was prescribed. But they didn't get better. Saturday evening Pablano was rushed to the emergency vet but the outlook was not good, He was humanely euthanized. Sunday morning Serrano was rushed to the emergency vet and spent 24 hours in kitty intensive care in an oxygen tent, receiving nebulizing treatments, etc. She was doing a little better, but the vet called yesterday morning and she had crashed. We are still awaiting the necropsy results from the two pepper kitties. Panleuk is suspected by the vets, which may mean it's a really bad year for it this year. The pepper kittens and the kittens that I fostered and lost have nothing in common. They did not come from the same place, they've never been to the same foster home or even transported in the same car or any possible connection.
Sweet Bell and Jalapeno are currently at the emergency vet. They are still on Doxy and the vet has added Clavamox back in. They are in a vaporized cage and have been nebulized regularly. There is some improvement and fortunately, they are both eating really well now.
Sweet Bell and Jalapeno need your purrs and prayers please. It's hard to lose kittens, but especially hard for this foster mom as it's her first time losing kittens.
We've lost six kittens already this year. We typically lose about eight each year (which is low based on the number of kittens/cats we rescue each year and so many of them are in such poor health when we take them in). I really hope this year gets better.
