Snowbells in labor!!!!!!

This is Slush, already up from 89g. to 102g. Go baby, go!

This is Thunder, the biggest and loudest of Snowbell's kittens. She went from 105g. to 101, but today is up to 122g.

This all white (for now) beauty is Frost, she started at only 91g and is slower to gain at only 96g today. But she is feisty and growls when she eats with all four legs defending her nipple lol So funny to watch!

This is 90g Winter who is now up to 105g. What a sweet quiet boy he is today!

Those are the 4 kittens she is dealing with, very well I might add Very proud of her! She an Duchess have done quite the personality switch on me sense the kittens were born!

Savethemoms said:

what's the difference between seal and blue?

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Seal is brown and blue is gray .

Aww, what c-yute babies! I bet they'll have blue eyes, at least the pointed ones will.

Thank You! I knew what blue was but I couldn't remember seal.lol Duh, now that you said it I did know that lol @_@

Well Snow is loosing another kitten little Frost did her best and so did I. Very heart breaking!!

What happened? It seemed like she was doing well...

I wish I knew, but knowing won't change anything, kittens are touch an go for the first couple of weeks. Vet says it's not an illness, just fading kitten. I feel so responsible to the homes I had lined up for these guys. People can be so un-understanding! I think ill do it differently next batch!

I wish I knew, but knowing won't change anything, kittens are touch an go for the first couple of weeks. Vet says it's not an illness, just fading kitten. I feel so responsible to the homes I had lined up for these guys. People can be so un-understanding! I think ill do it differently next batch!

I'm so sorry for your losses <3 It's so hard losing little ones and not being able to do anything about it. I lost two kittens of my first rescue mama of the year to fading kitten syndrome too They were just smaller than the others and didn't gain weight despite all of my bottle feeding efforts. You're doing everything you can for them, and if it wasn't for you- more would probably be gone already. <3 Stay strong!

OMGosh...the kittens were lost??? I am sooooo sorry.
 

Savethemoms said:

I wish I knew, but knowing won't change anything, kittens are touch an go for the first couple of weeks. Vet says it's not an illness, just fading kitten. I feel so responsible to the homes I had lined up for these guys. People can be so un-understanding!

I think ill do it differently next batch!

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I have been following what happened with Sleet and now Frost. Ugh that's just so difficult to deal with. What I can say for sure is your attitude is 100% right. It's a horrible feeling when, despite our best efforts we still lose kittens. But, at least you are taking comfort in knowing you did everything possible and that sometimes this just happens, especially with a Queen so young. 

You do amazing work by bringing in all the Queens that you do- don't get disheartened! 

I'm still rooting for the rest of them. Hang in there guys! 

Thank you all, we really need some prayers!! Frost did pass. But now all three of snows kittens, Thunder, Slush and Winter are acting sluggish I took all cats/kittens to the vet today and there seems to be nothing wrong. I had samples, labs, the whole work up done and nothing came up. Snow is under weight which can be expected after having so many kittens at a young age and being so little in size. Also Maiden has lost some weight today. I wonder for snow's kittens if they are too warm? Maybe that would be making them sluggish? I don't really have a way to tell the temp in that room but I keep the heat in the "comfort zone" they seem sleepy and pink! But they are all gaining the 10g. Or more a day except Maiden today. That is the killer here. The kittens are showing no signs of being ill until its too late. Maiden is the kitten my daughter chose to keep, I pray she makes it! I can't seem to get any of these kittens to take the formula or goats milk. I have tried many methods. The vets here will not teach me tube feeding they will only keep the kitten and do it themselves. I just can't afford kittens staying with the vet for 3 or more weeks. ;( I'm tempted to through up my hands and do a not touch policy. If weighing them isn't going to help and I can't get food down them....maybe I should just leave them alone for a week and see what happens? Any thoughts on that? Thank you all again for the kind words. I guess after such a smooth year in 2012, I am a bit bewildered by all of this. I certainly didn't except it! What would you do?

If they are being kept warm by mum then so long as the room is comfortabe for you that should be fine.

One of my foster litters all gradually faded and died, it was a relief when the last one went.    The rescues I've fostered for have never started to look for homes until the kittens are 6 weeks or so and have got though the neo-natal period and are eating solid food.

Oh I hope they don't all go!! That would kill me, but I understand the relief to! When you rescue you never know what you will get. Oh but these are such pretty points just like I hoped for it would be a shame. All that nonsense aside I will wait in the future to start any list of homes. Last year was my first and I had such luck and so it never crossed my mind to change it. Live an lean! I did get 2 of the darlings to take some from the eye dropper so maybe I'LL get the hang of this yet!

I guess it is time for some good news. This little cute ball of fluff is Slush, he is now 159g. Doing great!

This is Thunder she is up to 170g!

Savethemoms said:

Thank you all, we really need some prayers!! Frost did pass. But now all three of snows kittens, Thunder, Slush and Winter are acting sluggish

I took all cats/kittens to the vet today and there seems to be nothing wrong. I had samples, labs, the whole work up done and nothing came up. Snow is under weight which can be expected after having so many kittens at a young age and being so little in size. Also Maiden has lost some weight today. I wonder for snow's kittens if they are too warm? Maybe that would be making them sluggish? I don't really have a way to tell the temp in that room but I keep the heat in the "comfort zone" they seem sleepy and pink! But they are all gaining the 10g. Or more a day except Maiden today. That is the killer here. The kittens are showing no signs of being ill until its too late. 

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First (and only you know this and you clearly have enough expienrece to tell the difference) but are you sure they are being sluggish? I mean, given what has happened it wouldn't surprise me but it could also be that they are just happy, full, content kittens. Yes, kittens do squirm around but healthy kittens are pretty quiet and sleep a lot. Just something to consider: I know you are preparing for the worst so maybe you are reading too much into their behavior? As for the pinkness, could that just be because of their coloring? My last litter had three white kittens and they always looked  "pink" to me just because of their bareness with the white coats. I could be totally off base here (in my efforts to be overly optimistic) and it's fine to tell me so, I'm just thinking that if they are still gaining they may just be happy! And, I don't know that kittens can be too warm (unless of course you are using a heating pad or something). So, try not to worry too much about that. Girl, you have enough on your plate! 

Savethemoms said:

I can't seem to get any of these kittens to take the formula or goats milk. I have tried many methods. The vets here will not teach me tube feeding they will only keep the kitten and do it themselves. I just can't afford kittens staying with the vet for 3 or more weeks. ;( I'm tempted to through up my hands and do a not touch policy. If weighing them isn't going to help and I can't get food down them....maybe I should just leave them alone for a week and see what happens? Any thoughts on that? Thank you all again for the kind words. I guess after such a smooth year in 2012, I am a bit bewildered by all of this. I certainly didn't except it! What would you do?

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This is the most difficult part of fostering. I know you want to do everything that you can to help them but you can't bankrupt yourself in the process. I don't think anyone would disagree with me saying that you have gone above and beyond trying to save these kittens. Of course I think you should still keep trying to bottle feed them but, if another takes turn for the worse I would never think you were a bad person by not rushing them to the vet. You have done all the testing and everything looks normal. As you already know the sad reality is that sometimes kittens don't make it. I doubt any of Snow's litter would have survived this long had you not been there to intervene. Keep doing what you're doing with the bottle-feeding but at a certain point you also have to let nature takes it's course. And, since two have already passed, it's a possibility that some of the others may as well. Based on what has happened it seems if they start down that road they aren't going to make it no matter what you do. I still have hope and faith that they will pull through but know you can't save them all, and it's perfectly reasonable at this point to take somewhat of a "wait and see" approach. 

Remember you have children of your own who are clearly spoiled as they are used to having food on the table- make sure you can keep it that way!   And, even though you aren't doing their school curriculum right now your kids are still learning some major life lessons. They are learning about compassion and the importance of caring for those who can't care for themselves. And, they are learning about life and death and how nothing is concrete. These types of lessons can't be taught out of a book. Your children are extremely lucky to be having these experiences now when they are young. I have no doubt they will grow up to be well rounded, service minded adults who don't take the time any of us have here for granted! 

 We are all still rooting for you and for Snow's babies. Everyday that they grow takes them even farther outside of the danger zone. You are doing an amazing job so don't doubt yourself for one minute. Keep doing what you're doing and if any of them turn then let nature take it's course. Hang in there!