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The hits just keep on coming-friend's kitten

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Posted 6/15/2008 4:28 PM (GMT 0)
I just can't get a break from sadness and anxiety.  My friend has been nursing a kitten back to health.  He was only about 4 weeks old when found. She bottle fed him and he was doing ok until he got an upper respiratory infection.  She went to her vet and got antibiotics and he looked like he was going to be ok.  The upper respiratory infection came back so she took him back to the vet and they changed the antibiotics.  Poor baby was vomiting and she had to give him fluids under his skin.  She did everything she possibly could to nurse that sweet kitten back to health.  Then, yesterday morning, she woke up to check on him and he had passed away in his sleep.  I am so distraught.  I love cats and get so emotionally attached to them - doesn't matter whose cats they are I still get attached.  This kitten was precious and I am just so sad that she is going through this after all she did for him.  We suspect that there was something else going on with the kitten but we won't know what now.  It is just so sad....I was so hopeful that he would make it, you know?  I told my friend that he had a couple of weeks of a good life with her that he wouldn't have had so that is comforting.  It still saddens me....
Posted 6/15/2008 6:14 PM (GMT 0)
Harlan,

I had two wonderful cats pass away not long ago. One (Percy) died of pancreatic cancer; I had fed him through a transdermal tube for the last three weeks of his life. The other was a barn kitten I adopted after his death who ended up having feline leukemia. Her last week was spent in the vet hospital on an IV, but her lungs filled up, poor thing. She was barely a year old

So I definitely understand about trying to nurse a very ill cat/kitten and not having a happy ending. I does make you feel low. Here's a creature whose life is so much shorter than ours anyway, and they brin joy and a sense of "doing something right" to us. To have it end in death is sad and even traumatic.

You said the right thing to your friend, in my opinion. Remind her that along with the loss and sadness, she can have some joy because she *did* rescue the little lost thing and gave him love, a comfortable home, and emotional and medical attention. These are wonderful, caring things that the little sweetie would not have had without her, so she offered him something good in his rough little life.

I understand your sadness too, for her and for yourself. Hang in there, and be glad that you're involved also, because it's one more - rare - opportunity to care and be unconditionally loved back in this life. That's precious gift that companion animals give to those of us lucky enough to be in their lives.

Love and hugs to you and your friend,
percycat
Posted 6/15/2008 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
harlan,

I am so sorry about the kitten.  I have watched my daughter tube feed some of her newborn puppies and seen how sad it is when one is just to weak or it is born with a defect.

You are a good friend and I am sure your friend appreciated you very much.  Always stay as nice as you are.

Hugs
Kitt

 

Posted 6/16/2008 1:12 AM (GMT 0)
I'm so sorry for the loss of the precious little kitty.
Posted 6/16/2008 1:17 AM (GMT 0)
i found 3 kittens outside and two where covered with ants and i cleaned them up one passed away the next day due to the ant bites, and the fact it was a few days old, the other two seem to trying but one was hard to feed it didn't know how to suckle, the other tried but to had problem they were about a week old one was growing the other struggled and the growing just one day went down hill and passed away over night, the other one lasted a few more days and it passed away. i wish i could have done more i bought their food at the vet , but i couldn't afford to take them to the vet at the time and where i live there is no animal control which if there was they would have put them down, i think the mom left them because they where premature, because she had a litter before and she took great care of them. and because they wouldn't suckle i guess she left them, not knowing what else to do. i have a cat i found found at 3 weeks old and i bottled fed her she is now 5 years old and thinks i am her mom, which i guess she is confused alittle, at least your friend tried i know i cried when the little ones i found passed away, i am a big cat fan i have 5 in my house or i should say their house.
Posted 6/16/2008 3:37 PM (GMT 0)

I'm a big cat fan, too.  It just saddens me when I think about a sweet little animal not making it.  My friend tried and tried and we just knew he was going to make it since he started looking better.  Some things just weren't meant to be, I guess.  She probably thought I was crazy crying over her kitten but that's just how I am.  I get emotional over anything and everything these days.  We had to put our Siamese to sleep last November.  He was my baby.  He slept with me, followed me around, and gave me unconditional love all the time.  He would sit by the door and wait for me to get home every night.  I sure miss that little boy.  He had so many health problems but I spared no cost on him.  I miss him so much.... 

 

Posted 6/16/2008 4:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hey harlan,
You are so sweet and sensitive. Some people will never understand how very compasionate we are. You are not crazy for crying for a kitten. I have boo hooed over many an animal. Even ones that weren't pets. Just don't try to change that about you. That's a wonderful quality to have. I hope you feel better about this. Maybe it's time for you to adopt a new kitten yourself? Hope you have a great day!!! (((((((((((((LOVE)))))))))))))))
Posted 6/16/2008 5:05 PM (GMT 0)

Oh lord no....we have three now!  One more and my husband might serve me divorce papers....haha.  He actually loves cats, too, but we do have three and for now, that is plenty!

There are some ducks in our neighborhood that I feed.  I buy Hen Scratch from the feed store and take to them.  I went yesterday and saw a couple of little baby ducklings.  I couldn't resist getting closer.  They were trying frantically to get away from me but one of them wasn't quick enough and I got him.  I gently held him with one hand and petted his head with the other hand.  He was so precious and adorable!  I enjoyed that moment tremendously.  Unfortunately, though, I know he won't make it.  Very few of the ducklings make it because there are so many turtles in the lake.  It's sad but I try to enjoy them when I see them and hope that some make it.

Posted 6/16/2008 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
You are soo funny. I cracked up at that!!! I used to try and catch wild rabbits in my backyard. They did the same thing. Just reminds me of that. I'm glad you had a good moment though. We all need those, and we need to savor them!!! ((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))
Posted 6/17/2008 7:13 PM (GMT 0)
Everbody look up www.rainbowbridge.com
Posted 6/17/2008 8:22 PM (GMT 0)
I know that one well as one of my sweet Doberman's is there waiting for me.  :-)
Kitt
Posted 6/18/2008 2:48 AM (GMT 0)
That's where precious Percy is too. When I put him down, I told him to give our love to a dear neighbor friend who had died of breast cancer. She adored him, and she had so few friends in her life. I'm sure he found her but is still waiting for me.
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