Help me understand why they died.

Hi everyone,

I took in a pregnant stray a few weeks ago now and on the 25th of May she gave birth to four kittens. Sadly one little kitten was born sleeping but the remaining three were all fine and healthy.

Fast forward to a week ago and one of the kittens, Rollo, The first born and the biggest, developed diarrhoea.

I took all three babies to the vets who told me they just needed worming. Treatment was given as was flea treatment and that was that. They didn't have a temperature or anything wrong that the vet could see.

Three days later (diarrhoea gone), Rollo died.

He was gasping for breath, his little legs were stretched out rigidly behind him and his neck was very floppy. It looked like he had broken his neck!

I put it down to perhaps mum had sat on him and crushed him.

The vet said it was just one of those things.

Yesterday morning, I got up around 8.15 and came downstairs to feed the babies and clean out their litter tray as I do every morning.

I noticed Ralph wasn't as active as he normally is. Usually he will come running over to me and scream at me until I pick him up and cuddle him.

He always has to have first cuddle of the day. He didn't even try to walk over to me.

Twenty minutes later he died in my arms. Again, gasping for breath, rigid legs and floppy head.

I buried him in the garden while wiping away floods of tears.

This left my little Rosie. The only girl and such a pretty little thing. Rosie loved cuddles, especially if you sat her on your chest.

Last night she was charging round like a loony, eating, drinking, causing mischief.

I got up at 4am to check on her as it was her first night without her brother and I was worried she would be lonely.

She was fine.

She bounded over to me, climbed up my bare leg and plonked herself on my lap for a cuddle, silently meowing at me as she always does.

At eight o clock this morning, Rosie died in my arms. Exact same thing again. Gasping for breath, rigid legs and floppy head.

What has caused this? Why would otherwise healthy 6.5 week old kittens just suddenly die? And in such an awful way?

I spoke to the vet yesterday after Ralph died and he said again, just one of those things.

It doesn't seem right to me that healthy, active, well cared for kittens could just die for no reason and in such a manner where they seem to have broken necks?

Please, does anyone have a clue? Has this happened to anyone else?

Im so heartbroken I don't know what to do with myself.

I'm wondering if perhaps they had distemper. You need to try and find this out, because if you have other cats they can get it if they're not vaccinated. The virus can apparently tay in the environment for years. Just saw a thread on this disease, http://www.thecatsite.com/t/301372/were-facing-panleukopenia#post_3779972

looked it up and diarrhea is a sign. You should google it.

Hoping @catwoman707 can see this and reply.

Has the mother been tested for feline leukemia and similar? It sounds like perhaps they all had some congenital defect or disease passed from their mother.

So sorry you lost the litter. It's always very hard, especially when you don't know what happened and there was nothing you could do. But you gave them a chance, and they lived happily and in comfort and that's what matters. 

Many people who foster unfortunately come across things like this. Kittens can be so, so fragile, especially with mothers coming from bad conditions. It's always hard, but take comfort in knowing you opened your heart and gave them love and kindness and an amazing chance at life for what time they had. 

I am sorry about your kittens. Maybe it had something to do with the flea treatment they received--the wrong dosage or a bad reaction perhaps?