# Tricky - What to do with dead kittens?



## xxSaffronxx

Hi All

Obviously as breeders we encounter the horrible reality of stillborn kitts and deformed ones.

I know its probably a horrible thing to talk about - but what do you do when you are faced with a dead kitten? And also, what do you do if you have a deformed kitt?

I know this is going to be quite sensitve for some so please accept my apologies - but I spoke to a few breeders and i literally cry when they tell me what needs to be done in these circumstances. And every time I even think about it I cry. Obviously I am going to encounter this at some point as a breeder and I need some advice on how to deal with it.
If I am this bad now when they are not even my kittens that I hear about - how am I going to cope with it when they are my own?

Sorry if anyone is offended with this post. My intention is purely to understand how to cope with this situation and the determine the best course of action


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## Rraa

I would be interested to know this too Saffron - it would be interesting to know what advice you had been given in the past too, in case this may be helpful or informative here. 

I might give them a viking funeral (but without the longboat) and bury their ashes in my back garden, then plant some pretty flowers in my flower bed over them. 

If the kittens were deformed (luckily not had one of these yet) or more than one dead kitten, I would not do the same mating again.


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## xxSaffronxx

Rraa said:


> I would be interested to know this too Saffron - it would be interesting to know what advice you had been given in the past too, in case this may be helpful or informative here.
> 
> I might give them a viking funeral (but without the longboat) and bury their ashes in my back garden, then plant some pretty flowers in my flower bed over them.
> 
> If the kittens were deformed (luckily not had one of these yet) or more than one dead kitten, I would not do the same mating again.


The advice that I was given was along the lines of the best way to end the life of a deformed kitten. I was utterly shocked when i first heard it but I guess its something you face as a breeder.

But nobody has told me what to do with one thats already dead. But even so, advice on what to do with a deformed kitten would also be useful


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## Biawhiska

my georgie is in the garden under our tree.


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## catlover10

I bury them in the garden. deformed ones are pts by vet then buried.


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## lizward

I have more dead kittens buried in my garden than I care to remember :-(


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## xxSaffronxx

catlover10 said:


> I bury them in the garden. deformed ones are pts by vet then buried.


PTS?? What does that mean?
Also does the vet charge you for taking them?


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## Siamese Kelly

Sorry to say this but either bury them yourself, leave at the vet and allow them to dispose of kitt. It's horrible and it doesn't get any easier-but if say it's still born or it passes in the first few days-it's easier to harden and move on than if you've fought for a number of weeks for a kittys survival and it doesn't make it
And you do because you have to for sake of your girl and other cats-and if they can-you must


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## xxSaffronxx

So if you have a deformed kitten that needs his/her life to be ended do you just take them to the vet?
I have heard that some people sort this out themselves


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## Siamese Kelly

xxSaffronxx said:


> So if you have a deformed kitten that needs his/her life to be ended do you just take them to the vet?
> I have heard that some people sort this out themselves


Sometimes yes-sometimes they die pretty much straight away,PTS means put to sleep btwSorting it out yourself so to speak may mean that if the kitty is fading and you know their is nothing down for him/her, then you make him/her as comfy as poss and pray it's as quick as poss, but with a good mum she usually will let you know when somethings not right with a kitt as she'll ignore it and/or push it to a corner or something-sometimes they do get it wrong but in my experience mums do know best and our girls have taught us that in instances such as this-trust them


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## Saikou

xxSaffronxx said:


> So if you have a deformed kitten that needs his/her life to be ended do you just take them to the vet?
> I have heard that some people sort this out themselves


I have heard some really horror stories on that front too. I heard one woman put them in the freezer because she said they just got hypothermia and died. I won't repeat what my vet said to that.

My first kitten ever born had a clef palate and he had to be PTS. Still borns there is nothing you can do with them really, I would always give them a good go trying to resuscitate them first though, unless there is something obviously wrong, never just accept they are dead, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.

My biggest fear is an inside out born alive. I have a roll of cling film in my birth kit, to keep the innards clean and moist, so I can get them to the vet. I saw a vet on TV did actually repair a kitten like that, but I am not sure all vets would be willing to give them a go. * touch wood* I have never had one, but its always at the back of my mind.

Chances are you will have the odd still born and may never see a deformed kitten, best to be prepared though.


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## Saynamore

Right, this is going to be shock, horror, to some but there you go  If you have a full litter stillborn like I have had recently, what I do is get a supply of flannels (5 for a quid at poundland) and wrap each poor kit in its own flannel and then put that in an empty marg tub and tape that up, then pop in the wheelie bin. Sorry if this sounds a bit brutal but as a breeder if I was to bury every lost kitten, I would need a massive field let alone a back garden. If we were honest I would take bets on not being on my own here. 

Older kits or cats I would leave to the vets to take care of.


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## xxSaffronxx

Saynamore said:


> Right, this is going to be shock, horror, to some but there you go  If you have a full litter stillborn like I have had recently, what I do is get a supply of flannels (5 for a quid at poundland) and wrap each poor kit in its own flannel and then put that in an empty marg tub and tape that up, then pop in the wheelie bin. Sorry if this sounds a bit brutal but as a breeder if I was to bury every lost kitten, I would need a massive field let alone a back garden. If we were honest I would take bets on not being on my own here.
> 
> Older kits or cats I would leave to the vets to take care of.


Chrissy thank you sooooooooo much for being honest. This is the sort of information that I was after and i know that some people wouldnt like it but i needed the reality of it!

What about deformed kits that are suffering hun? Do you end their life yourself? If so, what do you do?


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## Saynamore

Never had that unfortunate situation, but if I did think it would be a vet job unless the kit died just in the first day or two of its life


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## Guest

I have a really big issue with dead pets,some of you will think its a bit weird i literally have to watch,and listen over them for ages,to make sure they are dead,also i could never leave anything at the vets to be disposed of.My gardens in all the houses ive ever lived in end up like cemetarys,i once had a rabbit put down it was winter and the ground was really hard so i asked the vet to dispose of it,a few hours later,and feeling very guilty i returned to the vets to get the rabbit,they got it out the freezer and i buried it!! i have never had any deformed kitts,but lost 2 from first litter,these were buried.


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## Saynamore

My old moggie that died of old age last year, my dad buried her at his house and even made a little varnished cross to mark her spot and a lovely plant next to her place. Yet as I said before, if I was to bury every single lost kitten after years and years of breeding I would have needed a field, not just a little garden.


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## xxSaffronxx

Thanks everyone for your honesty here - i know its a tricky one to discuss! LOL


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## ChinaBlue

It is a heartbreaking subject. I had one kitten fade on me from each of our first two litters and despite our best efforts it was a losing battle. In the end we took them to the vet. However the first one was awful as the vet gave the kitten an injection saying it should be very quick (me in tears) but 3 minutes later the kit was still going so he had to give him another injection. He obviously felt awful about it.

I wrapped each kitten in a little cloth and in a small box and each one is buried in a different big planter pots in our garden with a special plant in it.


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## Biawhiska

If I lost a whole litter i'd prob take them to the vet to dispose of or beg my other half to let me have them in the garden.


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