Tragedy to Triumph

claraadele

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I posted an RIP about some of this in the Rainbow Bridge forum.

Approx. 3 months ago my rescue took a pregnant bengal off of death row at a shelter. Not two weeks later, she had the sweetest set of six kittens, three boys and three girls.

Everything was going great- the kittens were fat and happy and the most darling little things. However, when they were seven weeks and beginning to wean, tragedy struck.

One of the babies started to get sick, the middle sized girl. I rushed her to our vet tech foster. She started to look better, but we didn't know the worst was yet to come. We lost the runt first. It happened in a matter of hours. She went from playful and hungry to gone in just 6 hours. It devastated us. When a second kitten started acting weird, we panicked.

It turned out the shelter had vaccinated the momma cat with a live vaccine, while she was still pregnant. The effects on the kittens were held off while they were on momma's milk...but once they started to wean, their own immune systems couldn't handle what was happening inside.

By the end of four weeks we had lost four of the six kittens (two of the boys and two of the girls, including the one who was sick first...she was the last one we lost...fought till the very end). It was a miracle we had saved two- the vet told us we would lose all six.

But soon enough the momma cat got an amazing forever home. Not long after, the surviving kittens went to home together.

Best of all- the shelter called us. They switched vaccines after hearing this to one that would not harm small kittens or kittens still in the womb.

And they also told us that they just brought in a second pregnant bengal- and the momma just 6 months old herself.

She has the sweetest temperament and is bound to give birth in a week or so. We're hoping for four kittens- two boys and two girls.
 

pushylady

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At least the shelter has learned from this and made a change so it won't happen in the future. That was good of them to call you.
Good vibes :vibes: for this new pregnant Bengal. So young, poor thing.
 

feralvr

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:vibes::vibes::vibes: I am so sorry the shelter vet or feline director did not know better. So sorry about the lost babies. It is wonderful that the momma cat has a forever home now :heart3:
 

kailie

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A happier ending for sure. I am so incredibly sorry for the losses of those precious little lives however. That is by far the hardest part of fostering. SO glad for the mama and the 2 remaining babies however!
 

angels mommy

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  This makes me so angry, that a place that works w/ animals doesn't know better!  Well, at least they know now, but I'm sad that it was at the cost of precious babies!   I am glad that two survived & hope they don't have anymore complications from it. 
 

habibi

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What a gift of time, love and compassion you give to the cats in your care.  How wonderful. Bless the two survivors. 
 
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