# Just had a nasty one :(



## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Came down this morning (kittens not expected until Weds) to find Dawn had produced one kitten overnight. She started on the second at lunchtime and was still straining two hours later, with no visible sign of the kitten at all. At that point I loaded her into the cat carrier and was about to call the vet when suddenly a very large but dead kitten emerged. I think it had been dead for some time as there was some sign of pus  and also the head seemed to be squashed - probably during the birth process.

There was another live kitten right behind it but something seems not quite right about the umbilical cord. This could be paranoia on my part though - I don't normally make any attempt to cut cords at birth and was only going to do so because I wanted to move them all back into the kittening box. So we shall see.

There may or may not be another one or two to come. Dawn was huge but then the kittens are large so there might not be as many as I thought.

Liz


----------



## archiebaby (Feb 25, 2008)

ahh hope all is ok with the babies


----------



## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

Oh dear poor baby  hope mum & other babys are ok x


----------



## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Two more, one alive, one dead 

Liz


----------



## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

Oh no :sad: will keep everything crossed for her x


----------



## gizmodaisy (Jul 26, 2010)

Hope you and Dawn are okay. Good luck to you both xxx


----------



## Rraa (Apr 15, 2008)

Werll Liz, sorry to read that its been so traumatic for poor Dawn. I do hope that she and her babies are now settled and recovering from that exhausting process. Sending you hugs + good wishes and looking forward to any news you may be able to post in due course.


----------



## tellingtails (Jul 28, 2010)

Hi hope you and dawn are ok and the Kitten/Kittens pulls through, I lost four last year they were all 2 weeks premature I was devastated.

However Mum has given me Five beauties this year.

Will be keeping fingers crossed for Mum and Kittens

Click here to view my website
TellingTails - Home


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

my thoughts are with you Lizward.


----------



## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Well the three survivors seem to be OK and Dawn is fine. Thank you all.

Liz


----------



## gizmodaisy (Jul 26, 2010)

Excellent news for the three survivors and Mum xxx


----------



## Rraa (Apr 15, 2008)

That's much better news Liz - thanks for posting that update. 

Big purrs to you Liz, Dawn and her 3 darling babies. :thumbup:


----------



## tellingtails (Jul 28, 2010)

Thanks for update Liz,

I hope the 3 little ones continue to do well

Click here to view my website
TellingTails - Home


----------



## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Oh dear what an awful time you've had  Glad to hear that Dawn and the surviving kittens are doing ok though.


----------



## love_my_pets (Feb 2, 2010)

Aw thats so sad  I hope the others are doing ok and mummy cat too xx


----------



## Milly22 (Sep 15, 2008)

Hope the 3 babies and Dawn are doing okay.


----------



## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

One of the babies is dying - has lost a lot of weight since yesterday. She was weak at birth but I really was hoping she would pull through 

Liz


----------



## archiebaby (Feb 25, 2008)

so sorry


----------



## suzy93074 (Sep 3, 2008)

So sorry praying for the little one xx


----------



## sequeena (Apr 30, 2009)

I'm so sorry  I hope the little one pulls through


----------



## Ali8x (Jan 12, 2009)

So sorry, Hope the Little one makes it and the other's carry on doing well.x


----------



## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Oh dear  poor little mite. Hope the others (and other litters too) are doing ok.


----------



## gizmodaisy (Jul 26, 2010)

Hope the little on makes it! Thinking of you and Dawn! x


----------



## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

She's gone  - only two left now. This is the nasty side of breeding of course 

Liz


----------



## JayneC (Mar 18, 2009)

Im so sorry Liz,poor babies.
Hope the others are ok?
As you say the upsetting side of breeding.
Fingers crossed for the remaining 2.


----------



## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

The other two seem fine at the moment. This little one was weak at birth - she was the prettiest one in the litter too :frown:

Liz


----------



## JoWDC (Jan 11, 2009)

So sorry to hear about the traumatic birth and the loss of some of the litter.

I hope that Dawn and the other kittens are doing ok and that over the next few days/weeks the surviving kittens gain strength.


----------



## tellingtails (Jul 28, 2010)

Hi Liz,

So sorry to hear the bad news, hope the two remaining continue to do well.

You are right it is the nasty part of breeding when this happens

Will keep my fingers crossed also for you

Click here to view my website
TellingTails - Home


----------



## gizmodaisy (Jul 26, 2010)

So sorry, thinking of you. Hope the other two are okay x


----------



## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

So sorry for your losses and congratulations and relief on the others being ok. Give Dawn a gentle cuddle from us! x


----------



## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Thanks everyone. The remaining two kittens are gaining weight and seem to be fine. Dawn has had some antibiotics from the vet just as a precaution after that very dead kitten.

Liz


----------



## Rraa (Apr 15, 2008)

Liz - sorry to read of the recent loss of another kitten. As you say, sometimes breeding is so harsh. Nevertheless, you have two growing babies and Dawn continues to nurse them, which is great news. Sending you purrs of encouragement to the kittens and to Dawn.


----------



## tellingtails (Jul 28, 2010)

Glad to see the remaining two are doing well Liz, and sending positive vibes to dawn.:thumbup:


----------



## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Now this morning one of those has lost 10g overnight  The other, which was the first one to be born, is still gaining weight at more than 10g a day. 

Of course now I am beginning to think I might lose them all. Dawn has had antibiotics from the vet and she is fine. I wonder if it is possible that the infection from the very dead one killed off the other two in the same horn and also infected the others even though they were born alive.

I suppose one thing to learn from this is that daily weighing probably isn't enough with very young kittens, perhaps we should weigh them twice a day. But then, there's not really a lot that can be done at this age as far as I know. I will be so sad for Dawn if she loses them all but rather reluctant to give her one of Mitzi's to look after in case she gives whatever it is to that one - does anyone have any experience of doing that?

Liz


----------



## billyboysmammy (Sep 12, 2009)

Hiya Liz

Sorry to hear your having such a rough time of things.

Are the kittens on antibiotic drops too? If not it might be worth talking to the vet about it, or possibly taking a swab from Dawn to make sure she is on the right antibiotic.

Have you thought about topping up the kitten who is losing weight?

I have successfully fostered orphan kittens onto healthy mums (or those who's mums are too poorly to care for them), but never tried to foster a kitten onto a possibly ailing mum.

Sorry i cant help more x


----------



## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

lizward said:


> I suppose one thing to learn from this is that daily weighing probably isn't enough with very young kittens, perhaps we should weigh them twice a day. But then, there's not really a lot that can be done at this age as far as I know. I will be so sad for Dawn if she loses them all but rather reluctant to give her one of Mitzi's to look after in case she gives whatever it is to that one - does anyone have any experience of doing that?
> 
> Liz


I would start topping up (with bottle feeding) the one who is losing weight.

As for the weighing (I know it's easier for me as mine are generally orphans, so I am not disturbing anything as I have them in my hands overy 2-3 hours anyway)... but yes I would definitely say twice a day weighing at the very least for the first 3 weeks. I lost one on Sunday night... and the problems started very suddenly on the Saturday night... even before he became lethargic and lost his appetite, the scales had already told me a big problem was on the way as he had lost 20 grams in the space of a couple of hours - so because of what the scales told me, I started taking his temp every two hours too, and basically just sat back and watch it crawl from the normal to 41 in the space of a few hours. Without the "early warning" from the scales, I would have had no reason to start temping him. When I have one I am concerend about, or who is losing weight... I weigh at each feeding time. Depending on what the scales say I start temping (and top-up bottle feeding if it's a kitten with a mum).

Hmmmmmm........ I don't know if I would give one of Mitzi's to Dawn... it's oen of those "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scanarios, and we really never know in advance what's wise, we only know after the fact. Personally I would be very worried Dawn passed something on to Mitzi's otherwise healthy offspring... so I'd probably opt for the "if it's not broken don't fix it" scenario and leave Mitzi's kittens with their own mum.


----------



## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

It's too late for the little one I'm sure - have given her antibiotics and fluids but she's already making that rhythmic crying they do when they are dying  Just have to hope the remaining one makes it.

Liz


----------



## Izzie999 (Nov 27, 2008)

Hi Liz,

This is just so sad,Im sorry to hear whats happened with Dawn's babies. Hope that Dawn and her remaining baby continue to do well.

Izzie


----------



## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Oh Liz, so sorry  Poor babies. I do hope this little one pulls through and the remaining one continues to thrive. Fingers crossed for you.


----------



## Shimacat (Feb 14, 2010)

Ah, so sad. Been reading this thread and have nothing useful to add whatsoever, but it's so sad to read of kittens not making it. I hope the little poorly one pulls through.


----------



## archiebaby (Feb 25, 2008)

i cant really say anything except so sorry


----------



## silverhorse (Nov 2, 2008)

So sorry to read about your loss been away for a while. You really have been unlucky. I know how you feel I lost my litter at 6 weeks a month ago born dead. W do have to look to the future now . Hope the last one survives.


----------



## Rraa (Apr 15, 2008)

O Liz, I am so sorry... I hope the bigger baby continues to thrive though. Not a lot you can do if its an intra-uterine infection that caused it ...


----------



## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Thank you. The last one seems fine so far.

Liz


----------



## gizmodaisy (Jul 26, 2010)

Not really sure what to say, but I do hope this little on makes it! xxx


----------

