loss of Shadow

We rescued a newborn kitten from our woodpile. Our neighbor heard it last Sunday and we decided to wait and see if the mother would come back but she did not. By Monday it was barely making any noise so we figured the mom had abandoned it. In the process of moving loss to get to it, the mother jumped out. We decided to leave the kitten in a box by the woodpile in the hopes the mom would come back to get it. I went out a few hours later and she had not come back. It was cold and the kitten was barely making any noise or moving. I decided to bring it in. It was very cold so I did my best to warm it up. It seemed to be doing okay the next morning but we decided to try to get the mama to come back for it again. This time it was set out in the known path of the mother and still she didn't retrieve it. We decided to take this kitten in. I got some kitten formula but Shadow never seemed overly interested in eating. He only would take a very little bit at a time. Yesterday morning when I picked him up to feed him he was not making any noise and felt cold. We got him to the vet but he felt he was probably weak when we took him in. He was so young his eyes weren't open yet and his ears were folded down. The vet said he was probably just too young to survive without his mother. Shadow died yesterday morning. We only had him for a few days but he touched all of our hearts. Has anyone else had a kitten that young seem to be doing okay but then dies?

aww...that's heartbreaking... so sorry.

Thank you

That's terrible news Caren I'm sorry for you and your kitten. I havnt had that happen to me personally I guess it's just one of those bad things that happen in life and very unfortunate. You gave that kitten love and took it in and cared for it god bless you for being such a wonderful person. The kitten felt your love for sure.

Thank you.

I've faced this situation, too, and it's heartbreaking.  We found two kittens in the bushes in front of our house when I was a child.  Like your neighbor, my brother heard noises and went to investigate.  The mother cat had been killed by dogs just days after giving birth.  It was horrible.  We tried to feed the kittens, but they were so young, and we couldn't get them to eat.  A kind woman who worked with my mom had a cat who would take care of other cats' kittens.  One of them lived for a few days and the other for a couple of weeks.  We wanted so much for them to live; we were going to bring them home when they were old enough.  

Bless you for taking care of this kitten.  I am so sorry for your loss.

There was something wrong with the kitten.   That`s why the mother abandoned it.   They can sense a birth defect or illness in their offspring and cast them aside.   There was probably nothing you could do - it is nature`s way of things.

Thank you nurseangel and zoneout. Your words are very helpful to me.

This happened to me many years ago, and I took it hard when the kitten didn't make it. It was such a loving little thing.

GVdergo - I took it hard too. We only had Shadow for a couple of days but we all loved him and were excited to watch him grow. I felt like I failed him at first but I really think he was not well when we found him. I am glad he didn't have to die alone in our woodpile.

It's so very sad to lose a precious baby that didn't even begin to live, sometimes these things happen and there is nothing we can do to intervene. I'm glad you let Shadow know that there is love and warmth in the world, to die alone and forgotten would have been a nightmare. I'll keep you both in my thoughts and prayers, my heart goes out to you. Take care.......RIP Shadow, you are loved by us all now!

That's a disheartening experience. His mother may very well have abandoned him because she knew he didn't have a chance of surviving. RIP, little Shadow. Somebody did care and will miss you.

Thank you Di and Bob and jcat. Shadow was definitely loved.

Hope you're doing ok Caren. God bless.

Catconcern - Thank you. I am doing okay.

Shadow