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Sudden death in a 3 week old fostered kitten Login/Join 
Bad Apple
of the AAP
Picture of 9mm_shooter
posted
As I write this, my daughter grieves for a 3 week old tuxedo kitten that we started caring for 9 days ago. He was due to be euthanized at the local county animal control office, but a nonprofit pet rescue group snatched him up. From there, he was placed on a list for foster caregivers, and my daughter took him. We have done quite a few other ones in the past, but this little guy was special. He was very affectionate, and easygoing with our two dogs - also adopted. We dewormed him when we found he had toxocara last week, but otherwise, he was thriving. Sigforum, meet Wesley:




This morning, he woke up, ate a great meal, played with us and our two dogs, then took a nap on his blanket. An hour later, he had some kind of sudden event, that was followed by respiratory arrest. We provided CPR and took him to the vet - a 15 min ride. He was already showing signs of serious brain damage, and they had to put him down. No prior symptoms, he just dropped dead. I'm thinking it was probably some kind of cardiomyopathy. This orphan kitten had a good 9 days with us.

I'm still reeling from it myself, but my daughter is devastated. I guess we're lucky we'd never lost an animal under our care before.

This was our deal today.
 
Posts: 7793 | Location: Central Florida | Registered: June 14, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Not really from Vienna
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Condolences on the loss of Wesley kitty. Thank you for your kindness to the little guy.
 
Posts: 26852 | Location: Jerkwater, Texas | Registered: January 30, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Eye on the
Silver Lining
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I’m so sorry. Hopefully slabsides may have some insight.


__________________________

"Trust, but verify."
 
Posts: 5284 | Registered: October 24, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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So sorry you had to go through this. Any way to track any of Wesley's siblings and see if there are others with problems? Maybe a little comfort finding out the others are ok.




Set the controls for the heart of the Sun.
 
Posts: 8310 | Location: Flown-over country | Registered: December 25, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Gone but Together Again.
Dad & Uncle
Picture of h2oys
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Very sorry to hear about your kitten.

At least he had a wonderful 9 days with a loving family. Give your daughter a hug from us.
 
Posts: 3698 | Location: St. Louis, MO | Registered: November 24, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
"The deals you miss don’t hurt you”-B.D. Raney Sr.
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It’s always hard when your kids have to learn the cycle of life.
I grew up on a farm/ranch.
We learned pretty early that sometimes, creatures come here looking for a place to die. My kids had to learn the same lesson. It’s like it’s that point that the innocence starts getting sucked out of them.
You always try, but sometimes no matter what, it’s a losing battle.

Condolences to your little girl.
 
Posts: 6289 | Location: East Texas | Registered: February 20, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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Oh man, that is rough. Good for you guys for giving him those nine great days.
 
Posts: 2280 | Location: Orlando | Registered: April 22, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Sorry to read this. The kitten had a wonderful nine days with your family.
 
Posts: 11194 | Location: Somewhere north of a hot humid hell in the summer. | Registered: January 09, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Nullus Anxietas
Picture of ensigmatic
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That's so sad Frown Kittens are such wonderful little creatures--all play and affection. My condolences to you and your daughter. RIP, little Wesley.



"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
 
Posts: 26009 | Location: S.E. Michigan | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Lord, I'm always at a loss to open these kinds of threads because of the heartache, mine, and those who share these threads. Still, with reluctance I open them because I feel that these special friends deserve to be recognized. I'll sit in silence and shed a tear, as well as a smile to share in the joy of another post like elmers kitty smoke and other new additions like Ripley's Blue.

Maybe I'm feeling my age but it seems that the older I get the softer my heart gets, especially when it comes to our pets, our special friends. I know it's ok to mourn the losses, each of their stories should be told and recognition of the love they created, the lives they touched, the joys they brought to us.

I'm deeply sorry for your loss, and thank you for sharing. I'm certain as those who also read these posts, we who have the heart will miss them too, always.


Regards, Will G.
 
Posts: 9660 | Location: 140 mi to Margaritaville, FL | Registered: January 02, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Jodel-Time
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quote:
Originally posted by just1tym:
Maybe I'm feeling my age but it seems that the older I get the softer my heart gets, especially when it comes to our pets, our special friends. I know it's ok to mourn the losses, each of their stories should be told and recognition of the love they created, the lives they touched, the joys they brought to us.



You aren't the only one, Will. I'm also pretty sure there's quite a few folks here that feel the same way.
 
Posts: 559 | Location: Middle Tennessee | Registered: May 16, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
The Constable
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Sad story, but kudos for trying to help.
 
Posts: 7074 | Location: Craig, MT | Registered: December 17, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Inject yourself!
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Dammit, I’m sorry to hear.

However, a big thank you for giving him a Safe warm place to be for a few. I’m sure he appreciated it and that it will add a few positive tally marks to your card.




Do not send me to a heaven where there are no dogs.
Step Up or Stand Aside: Support the Troops !
Expectations are premeditated disappointments.
 
Posts: 8339 | Location: West | Registered: November 26, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Little ray
of sunshine
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I am sorry.




The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
 
Posts: 53118 | Location: Texas | Registered: February 10, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I am sorry to hear of your loss. Take some comfort in the fact that you provided your kitten with a warm, safe, loving place over the past weeks.



Let me help you out. Which way did you come in?
 
Posts: 715 | Location: North of Pittsburgh, PA | Registered: January 29, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Wow
Sorry that you had to experience this
As I get older I think I am getting soft but then I realized that even at a young age I had a soft spot for animals but not people

It was good of you and your family to take the little guy in even though it was only for a few weeks. At least he was taken care of and loved even if for only a short period of time

It sounds like he had some type of seizure then went into respiratory distress. It happened to my Panzer (shep mix).
 
Posts: 1836 | Location: In NC trying to get back to VA | Registered: March 03, 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Bad Apple
of the AAP
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Thank you all for your kind words.

My daughter is just fostering these little guys. She's due to head off to college in less than a year, and we're definitely not going to be able to adopt any of them. Young kittens can live close to 20 years, and I feel I'm just not the right age for them, and they should have the chance to have a younger family. Wesley was just shaping up to be a real affectionate cat - a "catdog". Our two dogs had warmed up to him and were keeping a watchful eye on him when he'd nap.

It was just too sudden, and too soon.
 
Posts: 7793 | Location: Central Florida | Registered: June 14, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Equal Opportunity Mocker
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I'm very sorry for your loss. Kinnets are the best, and the smaller and feistier, the cuter!

I'm afraid I can't offer much in sensible interpretation of his death, given the limited info we all have. He played well AFTER eating, so he didn't aspirate anything directly associated with a feeding, and it wouldn't have been hypoglycemia with him eating well. He took a nap and then started the issues, so I suppose he could have had some reflux and aspirated it (kitties don't have much reserve lung capacity, takes very little fluid to cause issues). No way you'd have been able to control this if that was the case.

You mentioned that he'd had roundworms, so he could have had a case of larval migrans that hit a very sensitive area (vein/artery) or migrated through other tissue.

They can have heart issues that are birth defects, and if so they can have catastrophic failures secondary to those issues. These account for about 20% of all neonatal kitten deaths. Again, absolutely nothing you can do about it.

Of course there are infectious diseases that they can have, FeLV, FIV, FIP, and they can cause catastrophic failures as well.

I'm sorry, I'm just babbling and trying to think of all the things (soooo many more I can think of) that cause issues in young kitties. If it helps your feelings any, studies show up to 17% mortality on mixed breed kittens from birth to weaning. So even with the most loving care possible, unfortunately sometimes we get the crappy end of the deal... Again, my deepest condolences.


________________________________________________

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving."
-Dr. Adrian Rogers
 
Posts: 6389 | Location: Mogadishu on the Mississippi | Registered: February 26, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Prince of Cats
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Please tell your daughter thank you for giving him 9 days in a loving home. The little guy won the lottery being rescued by you guys, even if the time was short. Condolences.


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www.AppalachianConcealment.com
 
Posts: 6555 | Location: S.W. Virginia | Registered: March 18, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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