I am at a complete loss and desperately need some help.
Our cat Gretel (who we bought from the petshop) had her first lot of kittens about two and a half years ago, three kittens that were perfectly normal and healthy. However when they reached three weeks old they deteriorated rapidly and within hours had died without any previous warning. Just before they died they had gone quiet and dopey, they looked as though they were sleeping with their eyes open and didn't respond to our calls or cuddles. Then they started to spasm and within minutes were dead, it was extremely cruel. Of course it was a shock, we knew they weren't quite right but did not realise that it was life threatening.
Her next litter and following litter have been perfect and happy, no problems whatsoever. However we have kept a female from each of her next litters, Morgan (from her second litter) gave birth to three kittens and we gave no thought to the previous incident with her mother, we just thought that perhaps it was a birth defect. But like clockwork on the three week mark the kittens did EXACTLY the same thing...went non responsive and died. It was much quicker than the first lot however.It was extremely distressing as my nine year old sister had planned to keep one.
Nobody seems to have any idea what had caused this, I can find no similar problems online either. I am extremely desperate to find a solution to this, as the third female we had gave birth to three kittens as well. We were sick with worry and were told that taking the kittens to a vet would be pointless because there is nothing they can do when they are so little.
However they survived the three week mark and we were over the moon, yet as they hit the five week mark two of the kittens have since died. The went quiet, looked as though they didn't know where they are, their bellies sunk in even though they were extremely fat and round babies, then they spasmed and died. They show no signs that they are even sick until just before they die, they were playing, feeding and exploring!
I feel so helpless as there is nothing I can do, and the fact that I have no idea what causes this is driving me mad. I am so sad to keep experiencing this. Also the mother cats seem to have no idea that their kittens are sick, they seem to act no differently with them I am not sure if this is normal or not.
If anyone has any ideas or can at least point me in the direction of someone that has any ideas I would be extremely grateful. I am very confused at this point in time.
EDIT: Also I thought it might be important to mention that for some very strange reason that when they get their worse the smell like potatoes 0.o
Our cat Gretel (who we bought from the petshop) had her first lot of kittens about two and a half years ago, three kittens that were perfectly normal and healthy. However when they reached three weeks old they deteriorated rapidly and within hours had died without any previous warning. Just before they died they had gone quiet and dopey, they looked as though they were sleeping with their eyes open and didn't respond to our calls or cuddles. Then they started to spasm and within minutes were dead, it was extremely cruel. Of course it was a shock, we knew they weren't quite right but did not realise that it was life threatening.
Her next litter and following litter have been perfect and happy, no problems whatsoever. However we have kept a female from each of her next litters, Morgan (from her second litter) gave birth to three kittens and we gave no thought to the previous incident with her mother, we just thought that perhaps it was a birth defect. But like clockwork on the three week mark the kittens did EXACTLY the same thing...went non responsive and died. It was much quicker than the first lot however.It was extremely distressing as my nine year old sister had planned to keep one.
Nobody seems to have any idea what had caused this, I can find no similar problems online either. I am extremely desperate to find a solution to this, as the third female we had gave birth to three kittens as well. We were sick with worry and were told that taking the kittens to a vet would be pointless because there is nothing they can do when they are so little.
However they survived the three week mark and we were over the moon, yet as they hit the five week mark two of the kittens have since died. The went quiet, looked as though they didn't know where they are, their bellies sunk in even though they were extremely fat and round babies, then they spasmed and died. They show no signs that they are even sick until just before they die, they were playing, feeding and exploring!
I feel so helpless as there is nothing I can do, and the fact that I have no idea what causes this is driving me mad. I am so sad to keep experiencing this. Also the mother cats seem to have no idea that their kittens are sick, they seem to act no differently with them I am not sure if this is normal or not.
If anyone has any ideas or can at least point me in the direction of someone that has any ideas I would be extremely grateful. I am very confused at this point in time.
EDIT: Also I thought it might be important to mention that for some very strange reason that when they get their worse the smell like potatoes 0.o
