Little Baby Sammy

Little Sammy was only 7weeks old. I had rescued him from the shelter with his mom and 3 siblings about a month ago, when they were scheduled to be put to sleep. They were a little sick when I first brought them home but we cleared that up after a few days of meds and everything was great until a week ago, the kittens all came down with a really bad case of calici virus. I have been caring for them all round the clock. Sammy had started to show improvement yesterday he was nibbling on dry food and devouring baby food and taking the liquid supplement the vet gave me reluctantly (the blisters on his tongue hurt him), he was not dehydrated either so I thought he was getting better. When I went to feed them and get medicine in them this last time little Sammy was just laying on the ground curled up in a little ball, when I went to pick him up I realized he had passed away. It looked like he passed away sleeping peacefully at least. It was a completely unexpected for him to have passed so suddenly as he seemed like he was improving the last time I check on them, which was only 2 hrs before that. I take comfort in knowing that in his short life he knew love, and that he didn't have to die scared at the shelter, and I gave him a chance. I'm going to miss sweet little Sammy who loved to just perch his tiny little 1lb self on my leg while I sat on the floor with them and just purr.

To make my sad day even sadder Sammy's sister Emily joined him to play at the rainbow bridge. She started wheezing so I brought her to the vet, she was given a breathing treatment with a 50/50 chance of making it because she had developed pneumonia. It seemed to be helping but she got herself worked up and it became very difficult to breath, she passed away shortly after that in my arms. I knew she was trying to hold on and she was staring directly into my eyes, so I told her it was ok to go and kissed her on the head, and she passed away moments later. I was immediately relieved before the sadness set in. I will always remember her though as the happy playing kitten she was before she got sick, the little fluff ball who bounced when she ran, and liked to attack your feet from under the bed.

Little Toby joined his brother and sister tonight. Him and his sister Pipper went to the vet today and received two nebulizer treatments. When we got home Toby went from ok to really not, he died almost suddenly in my arms. I know he is not suffering anymore and him and his siblings are playing happily together now. He was such a sweet little cuttle bug whose life ended too soon. His sister is hanging in there, I am cautiously optimistic that she will recover. I am praying hard that she does I dont know how much more my heart can take.

I thought they were getting better too, if it was just the calici I think they would have made it, but with the pneumonia on top of it, it was just too much for them. Even though they were not in my life that long I am completely heart broken.

Telling her it was ok to go was not just for her but me, she was suffering at that point and watching her suffer like that was tearing me apart.

I am extremely heartbroken to be adding Piper here. I had hope for her, but that came crashing down when she passed away suddenly tonight. She had shown improvement at the vet, but I guess it was too much for her little body to fight anymore. She went peacefully at least, she crawled into my lap while I read with her, she let out a little cry and that was it she was gone. I couldn't believe it, I am devastated that I couldn't even save one. I feel so horrible, part of me wonders if I would have brought the last 2 in with Emily when she having breathing troubles, even though the other 2 seemed fine, if they would have had a better chance and would have made it. Piper was the most playful of the kittens, she would chase her tail and would find a way to get into everything. But as soon as she was worn out she would come snuggle up with you.

This is my favorite picture of her in her nightly sleeping spot on the fuzzy blanket next to me in bed.

Thank you everyone for all of your kind words, losing all four of them was heartbreaking. I know I did everything I could for them, even though I questioned it. There is comfort in knowing they died loved instead of scared in the shelter, and one life was still saved that day, their mom is still alive and not sick at all.

Thank you so much jcat for my shooting star, it means a lot to me.

Losing them is never easy, this time has hit me the hardest because none of them made it and I never expected them to die like they did, they seemed like they were going to make it for a bit. In the 7 months I have been rescuing I have taken on 3 other litters, I lost 1 at 6 days old from the first litter but I had 3 others who I was bottle feeding still so I had them so it was easier. The second litter all had URI's at 2 weeks old and I knew it could kill them at that age so when all but one died I was upset but the last one that made it made all the pain of loosing the others seem worth something. The third litter was 2 weeks premature and only lived a few days, it was sad to lose them but i was bracing myself for it the whole time, they were just not developed enough to live and their mother had abandoned them, they had such a slim chance of survival. This last litter had just captured my heart, they were the oldest kittens I have lost, they had such vivid personalities when I got them, and knowing them like I did before they got sick made it so hard to loose them, because I was looking forward to them feeling better and seeing those shinning personalities again. They are no longer sick and suffering anymore, and I will always remember them. Knowing that every kitten I have lost has died loved even if it was only for a very short time, gives me comfort because that is more than too many kitties get to know. Its when the kittens do survive sickness and survive after having a rough start to life and they go on to be happy thriving kittens that make it all worth it, and I just have to keep remembering that.



Your post made me cry, I know I have to try to keep my chin up because there are other kitties out there who need help too.

Support from all of you here helps me so much. I have only been coming here for a month and all of you have been so kind here. Thank You!