She had 3 kittens 1 was dead at birth the other two seemed ok 3 weeks later 1 died, she was nursing them and staying with them almost 95% of the time, the other made it a month and a week, was doing well running around the house and playing, my other adult cats would check it out from time to time but they never harmed it. one day i noticed it could hardly stand up, I went to the store to get some supl milk for it in case her mother wasnt feeding it, When I got home it was curled up on the coach like it was aalseep, but it was dead, I have had this occur twice now and dont know whats going on?? anyideas???
2006-11-22 06:37:46 · 5 answers · asked by Elizabeth S 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
I wonder if your mother cat was tested for FIV or leukemia before she got pregnant. The kittens could have contracted that. It can also depend on the age of the cat mother - cats under one year old frequently have still-births or kittens who do not "thrive".
It doesn't sound as if the kittens died from panleukopenia as you don't describe those symptoms..
2006-11-22 06:45:14 · answer #1 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I'm sorry you had to experience the death of these kittens.
Nature works to ensure the survival of the fittest. For your mom cat to stay with her babies, shows she wasn't an uncaring mom. That sometimes happens with young cats and their first litter.
If the babies were gaining weight, then mom must have had enough milk to feed them.
What you may have experienced with the kittens, particularly the one who died on the couch, is what is called "fading kitten symdrome". Kittens just fade away. It's nature working it's course. The kittens born to this mom may have had some internal defect that wouldn't have let them survive to adulthood. There is absolutely nothing you could have done to save them.
It happens, once in awhile, to those of us who raise orphan bottle baby kittens, and it's sad. It helps to keep in mind that the kitten was born but it wasn't complete in some way.
The mom cat can sense which kittens aren't viable and will usually push them out of the nest early on. She is saving her milk for the kittens who are viable. Again, natures way...not mom cat being cruel.
Other factors can cause the death of a kitten, like not enough milk produced by mom, or the kittens getting chilled. But I suspect this litter of three just wasn't going to make it from birth.
Mom lost her three babies. I urge you to get mom fixed so she won't have any more. That is the most loving thing your family can do for Kitty.
2006-11-22 07:00:36 · answer #2 · answered by metaphysical_kitten 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The kitten may have ben given worms or a sickness from the mother,a vet is the only way to find out.
2006-11-22 08:25:45 · answer #3 · answered by stbill 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cat are carriers of leukemia, in some it is active and in some it is not although it can activate without warning, if she was pregnant while active it is likely her kittens died because of it.
2006-11-22 07:01:54 · answer #4 · answered by cubanitoloko23 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did you ever take any of the kittens in to see a vet? It could have been something as simple as intestinal parasites.
2006-11-22 06:47:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋