My kitten died this morning...

[earth mom]

I don't usually post in the lounge, but I'm feeling so awful about what just happened. A couple of days ago I rescued 2 young kittens from the neglectful mama cat that showed up on our doorstep. Both kittens were in a spare room with food, water, litter box and warm places to sleep when I heard some meowing while reading DU but had to urgently run up to the upstairs bathroom first-too much coffee-before I could go in that room and see what the matter was. When I opened the door the kitten was slumped on the floor. I tried to revive him but he was gone. If only I had gone to him first! My child and I are just broken up about it and can't stop crying. I know there are more important things in this world like it being the anniversary of JFKs death and that people are dying in Iraq, but this really has shaken me up because I feel like I should have been able to save him.

Life is so short and so precious... :cry:

[lizziegrace]

1. If you'd gotten to him

you still may not have been able to get him help in time.

I'm sorry you lost your little guy.

:(



:hug:

[BarenakedLady]

2. Oh no

I am so very sorry.

:hug:

[jgraz]

3. I'm so sorry

:hug:

[ceile]

4. I'm so sorry!

Is the other baby okay? Maybe you should get him to the vet.
:hug:

[Perky]

5. I am so sorry

[NewWaveChick1981]

6. Awwww... I'm so sorry...

:hug: I don't know if you could have done anything....please don't beat yourself up over this. I'm glad you did what you could while you had your kitten. :hug: I'm so sorry for your loss.

[Eurobabe]

7. Oh poor thing, you and the kitten....

Maybe he had some kind of illness, had you taken him to the vet to have him examined? Little angel, RIP. If he was sick there might not have been anything you could do. Come to the pet group and post there, lots of kind souls who will give you support. :hug: -48

[gardenista]

8. I'm so sorry.

I know it might feel like you could have done something to prevent this, but it was probably a condition that the kitten had long before you took him in. You gave him a warm, cozy place with food and water, and probably made him feel secure and comfortable before he passed on. His little spirit is probably resting easier because of your kindness.

:hug: to you and your daughter.

[crim son]

10. I was going to say just what mgdecombe said.

I know it's sad, but you and your daughter did a good thing. :hug:

[closeupready]

9. Hugs to you!

:hug:

Years ago, one of my two cats died suddenly one day right in front of me. Just froze up, slumped and passed away. I also tried to do what I could, to no avail. He had a heart murmur, so it must have been related to that. Could have been something like that.

[SeattleGirl]

11. So sorry to hear this.

Don't be hard on yourself; there may not have been anything you could have done. The kitten may have had something wrong with it that was beyond your ability to help it, even if you had gone to the room first. I'm so sorry this happened. Hugs to you and your child.

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[mike_c]

12. oh, that is terrible-- I'm so sorry....

Kittens often don't make it when their mother is not attentive. At least he died warm, dry, and safe. You gave him that.

Are you sure the remaining kitten is old enough to eat solid food? Have you taken it to a vet? If not, you really should-- the vet will help you keep it alive and healthy.

[AndyA]

13. I'm sorry to hear about your kitten.

I lost a cat a few years ago, and I still think of him almost every day.

Chances are you wouldn't have been able to do anything to save the kitten, even if you had gone in there first. If you have another pet, I'd get them to the vet and have them checked to make sure there isn't something wrong.

You likely gave that kitten the only love, peace, comfort, and security it knew of this Earth. He's at Rainbow Bridge now, and he will be waiting for you when the time comes.

I know of a couple of other wonderful cats who will keep him company in the meantime...

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

14. I am so sorry .

:hug:

[Beausoir]

15. You kind soul. I am sorry.

But what a warm and loving last few days you gave him. Hang on to that.

[xchrom]

16. for your beloved kitten...

Poem For Cats

And God asked the feline spirit
Are you ready to come home?
Oh, yes, quite so, replied the precious soul
And, as a cat, you know I am most able
To decide anything for myself.

Are you coming then? asked God.
Soon, replied the whiskered angel
But I must come slowly
For my human friends are troubled
For you see, they need me, quite certainly.

But don't they understand? asked God
That you'll never leave them?
That your souls are intertwined. For all eternity?
That nothing is created or destroyed?
It just is....forever and ever and ever.

Eventually they will understand,
Replied the glorious cat
For I will whisper into their hearts
That I am always with them
I just am....forever and ever and ever.

Author Unknown

[AIJ Alom]

17. I'm sorry about your recent loss, but you did make his

life better at least for a little moment. You touched him and he'll take that on to kitty heaven. He's going to bless you and thank you. You're a big-hearted, wonderful, person.

[Sanity Claws]

18. I'm so sorry to hear of your loss

I hope the other kitty is fine. Perhaps you should take the remaining one to the vet to make sure the problem was not a contagious disease.

[Sequoia]

19. I'm sorry, but he's was probably going to die anyway

from prior neglect of the mother. Don't blame yourself, don't be too sad.

[Shine]

20. I'm sorry, that's sad.

:hug: You were kind to take in the kittens in the first place. Don't blame yourself for the one kitten's death. Perhaps it was just its time.

Yes, you're absolutely right: Life is short and precious. Enjoy every moment.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, TheGoldenRule! :hi:

[earth mom]

21. Thanks to everyone who replied so kindly to my post...

you have no idea how much it means to me because I am really beating myself up right now. Again, Thank you all! :grouphug:

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

22. The kitty was away from momma too soon.

Sad, but that is what happens. I hope the other one gets through it.

It's not you're fault, you did what you could.

[graywarrior]

23. Oh no, that's so sad.

I love you for feeling so deep about this.:loveya: :hug:

[belladonna]

24. I know it doesn't help much but thanks for at least given that kitten a chance

I've rescued lots of kittens and adult cats... sort of drove my parents crazy when I was a kid too. It's a great feeling when it turns out okay, but now and then it sucks cause you bond with them SO fast and they don't always make it. Extra hugs to you for being such a caring person :hug: :hug:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

25. RIP, Kitty.

So sorry this happened -- it's so sad to lose them -- but young kittens without mothers are fragile, and it's unlikely you could have done anything. Don't blame yourself.

[China_cat]

26. I know how hard it is.

Thanksgiving week of 1990, the 4 kittens we had rescued (along with their feral mother) the day after they were born (they were now 5 weeks old) were very sick. Diagnosed with coccidia. Every 2 hours I was up dosing them with antibiotics and kaopectate. Monday the little girl started having seizures and died in my husband's arms. Tuesday the gray tabby boy. Wednesday the tuxedo boy. The last one survived and was with us until a little over a year ago when he died of pancreatic cancer after being diabetic for 4 years.

You get to where you expect it when they are old. When they are so young, it hits you really hard.

[montanto]

27. Sad to hear, but I bet he had a problem already.

:hug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

29. I'll bet you're right...

It's probably why the mother was neglectful. The other kitten could very well be ill, too...

[FedUpWithIt All]

28. This is so fresh, we lost our two year old cat this week...

I am so unbelievably sorry. It is heartbreaking in ways i had not imagined. Our pets are truly family. The feelings of loss are profound.

The what ifs are unbearable. I have been going through this myself. If i had only known...i would have done differently. But I didn't know. I wish more than anything that i had.

I understand. :cry:

You did all you could do. You gave him your time, care and love. It is clear that he touched your family deeply in return.

I wish i could offer more than a shared experience to help your family through the grief. Love to you and your child. Our sweet animals are part of everything alive and vibrant now. :hug:

[GreenPartyVoter]

30. Hon, might not have been a thing you could do *hugs* I lost one to

a kidney infection once. Just sometimes you dunno what's wrong until it's too late. *great big hugs for you and your small fry*

[GoddessOfGuinness]

31. I'm sorry...It's not your fault.

:hug::hug::hug:

If you haven't taken the other kitten to the vet yet, you may want to do so. Mother cats are rarely neglectful of their young unless there's something seriously wrong with the babies.

[bertha katzenengel]

32. Oh, please don't blame yourself. Don't do it.

Give the other kitten and your child all the love that the sad kitten would've had. :hi:

[bluethruandthru]

33. I'm so sorry you have to go through this.

Bless you for being so good and taking the poor things in. There was most likely nothing you could have done. Take care of your self! :hug:

[hickman]

34. JMO, but I think the meowing was probably the other kitten,

knowing that something was wrong. I think the little guy was beyond hope before you heard anything. I'm not a vet so it's just an opinion.

[SoyCat]

35. You tried and that is more than way too many people are willing to do. I am

so sorry. You are a good person for caring about the little kitty; don't forget that.

[Dangerously Amused]

36. Oh honey, I'm so sorry. But don't beat yourself up. Let's think this through...

First you heard the meowing, then you used the bathroom, then you went to the kitty. Right? So the entire sequence of events probably took, I don't know, maybe five to ten minutes?

Okay, if you went to the kitty right away when you heard the meowing, there is no guarantee that you would have known why he was meowing. If it wasn't obvious, and it often isn't, you might have tried to comfort him or checked his food and water, etc., and while you were doing your best to help he would have died anyway because whatever it was that was so seriously wrong was already in motion.

Even if it would have been obvious that something serious was wrong, I'm guessing the odds are not good that you would have been able to get him to a vet in that extra five or ten minutes. And even if you could have, odds are nearly zero (IMHO) that in the few minutes remaining the vet would have had the time to do whatever testing (bloodwork, etc. takes time) or diagnosing that was necessary so as to begin whatever lifesaving treatment the little guy needed, even under optimal conditions.

Furthermore, had you tried to take him to the vet I think your own panic in quickly moving him would be likely to stress him even more, and perhaps the movement itself would have been detrimental to his condition and brought about an earlier end.

Finally... it is entirely possibly that the kitty was already gone by the time you heard the meowing. That scenario is at least as likely as the others.

So honey, please don't beat yourself up over this. There is nothing - nothing - under any possible scenario, that you could have done to prevent this.


Here's what I think is more important: You took a sick and helpless little kitten into your home. A kitten that even his mama couldn't keep. From the goodness of your heart you cared for him, and because of you he knew warmth and comfort and love in his short life. He died for reasons we don't understand, but... he didn't die alone out in the cold, abandoned by his mother, and he wasn't viciously killed by a predator, and he didn't die in a strange and sterile vet office surrounded by strangers. He died in the the warm and safe haven of the one who loved him most, in the company of his sibling.

I think, if he could, he would thank you a million times over for the kindness and generosity you showed him in his short life.


I thank you, too.

[Skip Intro]

37. don't blame yourself

I had to house sit my sis' house for a year, not the best neighborhood, kids egging houses and hanging out late at night around streetlights, just a bunch of rude people. And there was this old cat, fur missing from most of one side, like he'd been hit by a car (or fallen victim to some twisted, malicious torture). And he just roamed the street, always walking slow. I couldn't take him in because my cat can't be around other cats for medical reasons, and this stray was somewhat feral. Anyway, I'd leave food out for him nightly, which I found a local possum also enjoyed. When winter came, I made a microwave oven box into a shelter for him, with blankets on the "floor." I even put a heating pad under them, ran the cord thru the window, and he took to it very well. About half-way thru the winter (some cold nights, but I'm in SC, and below freezing is not that common) he stopped coming by. I know, and knew at the time, that his time had come. I blamed myself for a while, if I could have only done more...but I came to realize that all creatures have a time to go, and of course, we're no different. Instead of looking back and blaming myself for not doing more now, I take a little comfort in the fact that before he left, he had someone to feed him, and pet him and care for him the best I could. If not for me, he wouldn't have had that. Please don't blame yourself. As another poster said, you did more than most people would have done. And it surely wouldn't have made any difference had you gotten to that kitten five minutes earlier. I know the loss is hard, but you should realize what a wonderful person you are for rescuing those animals in the first place.

[earth mom]

38. Sorry I didn't get back to this thread sooner...I just couldn't talk about it.

With all my heart I want to Thank You all for your kind posts...I am truly humbled by and grateful for them. :grouphug:

The past couple of days have been an emotional roller coaster. I couldn't stop crying all day on Wednesday when again suddenly without warning, the second kitten who looked fine also passed away within hours of my husband getting home. That's when we both realized that the kittens must have been ill to begin with because they were just way too easy for us to catch in the first place. Our Thanksgiving Day was quite a sobering one in which we buried the kittens together in our back garden with a note saying how much we loved and would miss them along with 2 tiny pink roses that were still blooming in spite of the rainy and cold weather we've been having.

It might sound silly, but the deaths of the kittens put things in perspective for both my husband and I. Nothing and I mean NOTHING is more important than the people and yes, the pets, you love in this life. Not wealth, not material things. Nothing matters but LOVE. :cry: