Tragic update....Peachy Keen...

Ellen, the shelter here had distemper go through. We had one cat, a healthy adult, that we euthnazied as he was dying from distemper. He was fully vaccinated by the vet we use. I'm sorry you lost so many of your babies so soon. It's tough, but they were loved when they died, & you were there for them until the end.

How awful!!!

Please be gentle with yourself and take a lot of time to recover from this series of tragedies. You deserve some serious good fortune and more than that, and abundance of love right now. Here's a cyber hug from me.
(((((((((((((((ellentheartist)))))))))))))))

How crusingly sad to lose sweet Mickey, then Peachy Keen. And the final blow, to lose the S'mores brothers.

I have fostered feral kittens, too, and they become so sweet when they finally tame! To have to deal with their deaths just after losing Mickey and Peachy...too much!

I lost Gar's brother to distemper. Such an ugly illness. At the time I had 2 barn cats who were not up to date on vaccinations...and I dump kitty litter out in my pasture. Somehow, shortly after Odie died of distemper, both of my barn cats disappeared. I have a feeling I exposed them to distemper, by not keeping them up on vaccinations. (I thought they lasted, too.) And by fostering distemper kittens, and dumping the germs out where my kitties were exposed. (Sorry, Scout and Angel!)

So what do we do with the guilt? First, I realize that guilt and grief are often intertwined, so it is not unusual to experience them together. Second....it is one thing to let go of nebulous guilt, but when you can connect the dots and discover it was probably your action that led to disaster....that can be harder. However, all I was doing was trying to save kitties. I had no idea that saving one kitten (Gar) would cost two lives. Just as you had not idea taking Peachy to the vet would cost 3 lives.

You did not kill the S'mores. You saved them, and loved them, and tamed them, and cared for them. All your actions were rooted in your love for them, even before you met them.

I learned from my summer of distemper, as I am learning from your post. Knowledge will help all the TCS family protect many kitties in the future.

Please be gentle with yourself as you go through this dark time. Keep posting your feelings here, so your TCS friends can continue to offer you support. Feel free to PM me.

Found one of my pet budgies (parakeets) dead at bottom of his large cage this morning...hope he didn't get affected by the same virus that got my kittens....the bird vet's office said they didn't think this would happen...just another sad coincidence......the sixth little friend to go...I feel like I'm being tested.....sigh.............

Pats to your critters,
Ellen

Oh no, that is awful..Poor thing..I am sorry

Ellen,

I'm so sorry for all of your losses. I do remember how special Peachy Keen was. I hope everything starts looking up for you.

Oh, no! How terrible for you! ****prayers****

Originally Posted by ellentheartist

Found one of my pet budgies (parakeets) dead at bottom of his large cage this morning...hope he didn't get affected by the same virus that got my kittens....the bird vet's office said they didn't think this would happen...just another sad coincidence......the sixth little friend to go...I feel like I'm being tested.....sigh.............

Pats to your critters,
Ellen

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If you think that this might be a contagious condition I'd get all your pets to the vet at once, and maybe have a postmortem on the dead bird. It's grim, but it may be the only way to save your remaining pets.

Oh NO!!! Ellen! You are a champion of rescue, a champion. I have known you since you first joined here and followed all of your hurdles and storeis. There is nobody as wonderful or as loving as you with this huge brood you have. You are truly selfless. I recall Peachy dearly. I'm so stunned. I'm so sorry, my dear. You must be feeling so numb, yes. Please PM me if there's anything you need, and I will send it. Your Peachy and the others must've been needed in a hurry for them to get all called up to the Bridge like they did - maybe they needed to foster other young ones there to find there way. All their spirits will be watching over you, Ellen, you are a brave, brave, totoally giving soul. (((((Hugs)))
peace & love to you
Namaste
Elizabeth & Eric
Sammy, Saba
RIP Sasha SiSi , Freddie , KittyG.

I have just seen this thread. how terrible for you and your babies, I cannot even imagine the pain you are feeling. Lots of prayers and vibes for you and your family from me and mine.

I'm very sorry for your loss, we too had an outbreak of Distemper in our first fosters, a litter of six 4-week olds, and we lost them all.

I'm still hanging in there.... somehow...haven't lost any more friends in the last couple days...what a relief...
After finding my little bird dead, I called the avian vet's office where I've taken my birds, and asked them about the distemper affecting my birds..they said it was species related..only affecting felines....
My budgie (parakeet) Lucky Stars was a very highly strung, individual..not hand tame...I'd had him for three years or so....upon examination, he seemed alarmingly thin....I don't know if he had a disease/condition...and didn't have $300 for a necropsy...that's what an avian one cost me previously...
He'd shared that large cage with a couple female budgies for a good while....either they weren't letting him feed enough...note, I didn't see any fighting....or he had an underlying problem...
Regardless, I didn't pick up that something was going on with him...too much else falling down around my ears...not a good excuse, though.....
I'm still missing my other five friends enormously....driving in the car is hard..my mind wanders ...difficult to think of them...and also crying in the shower seems to be commonplace...
The remaining herd members, feline and avian, seem fine..the kitties did much better with their five way shots than I expected, though I can't catch some ferals...
Princess Violet Isabella Valentine, a DLH dark shaded grey and white kitty, is feeling a bit off from it, at least that's all I hope it is..she's eating, etc...just lackluster...
I'm finally off the next three days...no standing at a cash register!!!! Am going to an artists' meeting in Richmond tomorrow a.m. ...maybe my mind can switch off awhile about my lost animal children....I miss them sooooooo much...
Pats to your friends,
Ellen

I hope that your other friends are in good health after your sad losses. Perhaps Princess Valentine should see a vet before obvious symptoms appear. No sense taking chances.

Good luck

Princess Violet is feeling much better today...she was just off due to getting her booster shot, I believe....only two out of the Herd acted tired/off after getting boostered.....besides Violet, the other was The Crashman...thank goodness he's totally back to normal too...

Violet offered to me some attitude today, thus she's on the road to normalcy (for her) ...she doesn't appreciate my brushing/combing her long hair...will only allow it around her face and neck...go figure...I persist in negotiating with her on this...not to worry, she's not a mass of mats at all...just wish she'd let me comb her out!!

The birds are all acting just fine too....I'm almost scared to think things might be moving into a "non-tragedy" mode...kind of gunshy now..that something awful's just around the bend.....will try to keep the faith....

I miss Mick, Peachy, and the S'mores sooooo much......

Ellen

Originally Posted by ellentheartist

I miss Mick, Peachy, and the S'mores sooooo much......Ellen

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Here is a hug. ((((hugs))))

I lost two kittens last year to something that sounds similiar to your experience.Three kittens from the same litter got very ill very fast. Two kittens(which I kept)surrived. One had to be put to sleep after it started bleeding out on us.We lost an almost six month old kitten we had within 24 hours of it getting ill. All had benn vacinated. It turned out to be panlukeopenia.(sp)Check it out, because the virus can only be killed off surfaces with bleach.This meant no kittens in the house for at least one year.