Terrible News

Originally Posted by celestialrags

I am sorry for you and solarity, as well as any one and every one else who has lost kittens or litters. I have never been so scared for my pregnant cat as
I am right now! I am terrified some thing bad is going to happen, not that there are any signs of trouble or any thing like that, but it seems to be loose a litter month on TCS forums

If I was to loose my kittens I would be so sad, but if some thing was to happen to my queen as well I would be so devastated! I hope every one else with pregnant cats and new kittens have easy smooth deliveries and upbringings. Luck to all.

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I think it is not so much just TCS, as kittens in general. Whenever someone wants to let their cat have "just one litter", or have a litter "for my kids", it makes me a little sick to my stomach. They have no idea of what can go wrong with a litter, and how devastating it can be to them, and their kids if they have any. My kids remember each foster kitten we lost.

But there is no need to be terrified for your girl...just do your best to give her good care, and hopefully your babies will be fine.

IloveSiamese...closure is something that happens in your mind and in your heart. It doesn't happen anywhere else. You were with those babies, and lovingly cared for them. Whether you saw Hitomi after he was PTS does not define if you will find closure. I'm sure it would have helped if you could be there when they did it, but maybe they felt you were too upset to ask if you wanted to be there. It was a pretty awful day for you. It is so different if you know and plan to put an animal down, and everything is moving slowly. That day was such a rush...

Just picture Yuki and Hitomi as they looked when they slept, curled together. That is how they are up in heaven, now. Happy and warm, just sleeping and playing together. There bodies were just empty shells...the kitties themselves are gone over the Rainbow Bridge to wait.

Just keep sharing your feelings here at TCS. You and Solarity Bengals are both definitely dealing with major grief. All your friends are here to do our best to help!

I think it is not so much just TCS, as kittens in general. Whenever someone wants to let their cat have "just one litter", or have a litter "for my kids", it makes me a little sick to my stomach. They have no idea of what can go wrong with a litter, and how devastating it can be to them, and their kids if they have any. My kids remember each foster kitten we lost.

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I know, I feel the same way.

The thing is, I really don't want to come off as preachy...but man...when someone is still in the decision-making part of the situation and there is no pregnancy yet...I just want to scream "Please do not do that to your cat, there are too many unwanted kittens and too many risks"

Not only to the kittens and our human feelings, but to the mother cat too. It is a risk to her health too. I think most people just assume that animals 'naturally' have no problems having babies, maybe because the reproduce so easily (??) That is far from the truth.

Bottom line if you have a cat who is pregnant, you just do what you can to keep the mother cat healthy and hope for the best.

Some of it is just out of our control.

Originally Posted by momof3rugratz

I wonder why you did not get to say goodbye. Was that your choose.

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I was pretty surprised and taken back at the fact that I would be losing Hitomi too, so in the heat of the moment I decided not to be with Hitomi when then put her to sleep. I Had to go to class 15 minutes later and I didn't think I could keep from throwing up if I watched.
I didn't see them after because the vet told me they were in pretty rough shape.
I just felt like people were looking at me like I did this to the kittens and that I was a bad owner. I just wanted to get out of there and get some fresh air. Reflecting on that hasty decision, I wish I had said goodbye to them, but I can still do that in my own way.
I was making it through the day, but then I turned on the tv and the commercial with the cute white fluffy kittns on it (toliet paper) came on and I broke down. I wonder when this will get better.

But there is no need to be terrified for your girl...just do your best to give her good care, and hopefully your babies will be fine.




Don't get me wrong, she has been fine before and is doing well, she is an excellent mother. I'm sure they will be fine. It's just every time a cat has kittens there is a chance of some thing going wrong. I am prepared for her birth and if some thing goes wrong and I have to supplement, I know the things that can happen and have emergancy vets numbers and the my vet knows she is pregnant, it's just if some thing does happen and loose any of them it will be hard. There has been so much bad news it's making me more nervious since she is getting so close now. I'm just a nervious gramma.

Originally Posted by IloveSiamese

I was pretty surprised and taken back at the fact that I would be losing Hitomi too, so in the heat of the moment I decided not to be with Hitomi when then put her to sleep. I Had to go to class 15 minutes later and I didn't think I could keep from throwing up if I watched.
I didn't see them after because the vet told me they were in pretty rough shape.
I just felt like people were looking at me like I did this to the kittens and that I was a bad owner. I just wanted to get out of there and get some fresh air. Reflecting on that hasty decision, I wish I had said goodbye to them, but I can still do that in my own way.
I was making it through the day, but then I turned on the tv and the commercial with the cute white fluffy kittns on it (toliet paper) came on and I broke down. I wonder when this will get better.

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It is ok I think you did good and what you felt your heart had to do.

Don't get me wrong, she has been fine before and is doing well, she is an excellent mother. I'm sure they will be fine. It's just every time a cat has kittens there is a chance of some thing going wrong. I am prepared for her birth and if some thing goes wrong and I have to supplement, I know the things that can happen and have emergancy vets numbers and the my vet knows she is pregnant, it's just if some thing does happen and loose any of them it will be hard. There has been so much bad news it's making me more nervious since she is getting so close now. I'm just a nervious gramma.

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Totally understandable. And if something does go wrong, it will be really hard, no doubt. I guess all you can do is try to relax, know that it is out of your hands, take things as they come and do the best you can, you know?

Originally Posted by poohandwendy

Totally understandable. And if something does go wrong, it will be really hard, no doubt. I guess all you can do is try to relax, know that it is out of your hands, take things as they come and do the best you can, you know?

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I know. It's just i'm a worry wart when it comes to my babies. I shouldn't worry I know she is a great mom and does a great job delivering, I never have had to help her either. it's just that you can't rely on that, it doesn't mean some thing can't happen. I'm so anxious for these babies to be born I have been waiting so long, I just want them to hurry up and come safely, lol!

Originally Posted by celestialrags

I know. It's just i'm a worry wart when it comes to my babies. I shouldn't worry I know she is a great mom and does a great job delivering, I never have had to help her either. it's just that you can't rely on that, it doesn't mean some thing can't happen. I'm so anxious for these babies to be born I have been waiting so long, I just want them to hurry up and come safely, lol!

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I don't think any of us can say we haven't been a worry wart at some point I think I am a pro at it.

Originally Posted by celestialrags

I know. It's just i'm a worry wart when it comes to my babies. I shouldn't worry I know she is a great mom and does a great job delivering, I never have had to help her either. it's just that you can't rely on that, it doesn't mean some thing can't happen. I'm so anxious for these babies to be born I have been waiting so long, I just want them to hurry up and come safely, lol!

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I understand. Hang in there!

Don't feel you did something bad for them. You gave them the ultimate gift, which is sacrificing your needs for theirs. Nature would have taken them a lot sooner, and all you did was fight until you realized you could no nothing else for them. What woudl have been wrong was letting them suffer for your own needs, and you did not do that. You did the right thing.

Just a word about natural selection, and all the kittens you hear of dying lately...

It is kitten season and a lot of kittens are being born (and I agree, I wish more people spay their animals and become fosters if they really want the experience) but that being said....

When kittens are born, they are not fully developed. Their eyes are not, their ears are not, their systems are not (kittens cannot generate heat right away...the mother has to keep their body temperature at a high level by her own body). They are EXTREMELY vulnerable.

That is also the reason why nature has given cats the ability to, and why cats usually do, have larger litters. Because their chance of surviving is somewhat slim.

The same reason humans tend to only have 1 baby, occasionally 2, 3 or more is much more rare. Because human babies are fully developed and have a much better chance of survival. Nature does what nature does to make sure the species survives.

In the wild, without our intervention, many, many more of the kittens you see born would die.

These situations are not uncommon, they are the norm for cats. The ones that we share our homes with and love have a bit of an edge. As sad as it is, it's the lifeforce, and we can't feel guilty for that.

So I don't think Yen knows what happened to her kittens. She has followed me around all day like she thinks I have them and I'm hiding them. She's been making this funny meow like she's calling for them. I feel really bad for her. I've just been petting her and telling her how much I love her.She does not seem comforted by this unfortunately.

Originally Posted by IloveSiamese

So I don't think Yen knows what happened to her kittens. She has followed me around all day like she thinks I have them and I'm hiding them. She's been making this funny meow like she's calling for them. I feel really bad for her. I've just been petting her and telling her how much I love her.She does not seem comforted by this unfortunately.

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Ice had one small kitten and labor stopped, she knows she had it and is looking for it, she is even trying to drag her older kitten from last litter to the nest to nurse, I think it's harder on momma cats then we think it is. Give her lots of love for us.

Poor little Yen ... please spend some extra-special Mommy time with her, give her a couple of gentle chin-scritches from me and remember to treat yourself kindly too.

Hugs,

~gf~

I have been giving her all of my free time and at night she sleeps with me and follows me everywhere making this funny half purr meow sound in her throat, like she's wondering something. I feel bad for her.

I'm not sure what to do besides what I already am to help her understand or to comfort her. She seems to think I have them hidden or something, probably becasue I had them so often in the last few days of their lives.

I'm seriously considering fostering a queen, perhaps that will help me with dealing with this. I just feel like something is missing. I'm just glad my babies aren't hurting anymore.

Originally Posted by IloveSiamese

I have been giving her all of my free time and at night she sleeps with me and follows me everywhere making this funny half purr meow sound in her throat, like she's wondering something. I feel bad for her.

I'm not sure what to do besides what I already am to help her understand or to comfort her. She seems to think I have them hidden or something, probably becasue I had them so often in the last few days of their lives.

I'm seriously considering fostering a queen, perhaps that will help me with dealing with this. I just feel like something is missing. I'm just glad my babies aren't hurting anymore.

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I think that sounds like a good idea, but I would suggest using a disinfectant where the kitties were first, just to make sure. I think it would be great because it is SOOOO needed this time of year, and if you have time, it will help you heal.

I'm just wondering how Yen would react to another queen and her kittens since she lost hers. I know in her last home, the owner was a foster to cats and dogs. I'm just concerned about that!

Originally Posted by IloveSiamese

I'm just wondering how Yen would react to another queen and her kittens since she lost hers. I know in her last home, the owner was a foster to cats and dogs. I'm just concerned about that!

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You are smart to be cocernded about this, that's the difference between good pet owners and well... not so good ones. Not Thinking about the out come of bringing another cat into the home with out considering how it will turn out and then getting rid of it when it doesn't work out. Follow your heart and insticts you will know whats right when the time comes.
If you decide to foster you know what to do, keep them seperate and not allow them to meet and have free roam when you bring the new one home. Careful slow introductions, and also you could confine the pregnant foster in the bathroom, (after disinfecting) like you had with yen. Good luck with what ever you decide.

I am so sorry to hear about your babies! I have been so busy this weekend that I haven't been able to log on.

I was so panicked when Ethel gave birth because I had read so much about what could go wrong that I was terrified! Fortunately, everything is going well so far but you realize that even at 2 weeks these babies are still so fragile!

I think the most important thing to remember is that death is a part of life. We meant to have Ethel spade but she became pregnant first. I was not willing to terminate her pregnancy and yeah, we decided that it would be an educational experience for all of us. We even talked about what could happen with the babies and how we would feel if they didn't make it. For my kids this has been such an amazing lesson in how fragile life is because at the same time, a friend of mine (her son plays sports with my son) is 33 years old and dying of cancer. She was diagnosed 6 months ago and literally has days. Because his baseball team is so much of a family, we are all going through this together. At 10 years old, he is seeing first hand how fragile life is and the whole kitten experience has balanced it out.

I can assure you though that although I would love to foster in the future, I will be making sure that this Queen doesn't even come in contact with another boy!

Think of those kitties at piece and frolicking together in heaven!

Its been a week since the kittens passed. This has been one of the longest weeks in my entire life!!! I feel a little bit better now. Yen has been so affectionate lately and that has really helped. I hope to have kittens again someday, but probably not anytime soon. Yen needs some time to heal too. I can tell she was distressed about that and she going to get altered in about 2 weeks the vet said. I'm happy this is going to be taken care of. Maybe not this summer but the summer following, we'll foster a queen. I'm counting down the days.

Originally Posted by IloveSiamese

Its been a week since the kittens passed. This has been one of the longest weeks in my entire life!!! I feel a little bit better now. Yen has been so affectionate lately and that has really helped. I hope to have kittens again someday, but probably not anytime soon. Yen needs some time to heal too. I can tell she was distressed about that and she going to get altered in about 2 weeks the vet said. I'm happy this is going to be taken care of. Maybe not this summer but the summer following, we'll foster a queen. I'm counting down the days.

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I am glad to hear you both are doing good.