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- Feb 17, 2014
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Since last year I have run a mini kitten rescue spring through fall. In total I have had around 60 kittens that I have successfully placed in loving homes. I have a metal cat house I keep them in and it has worked real well.
Three weeks ago I took in three kittens. The next day I noticed they had diarrhea and seemed a little sick. We figured it was from the change of food (has happened before) but the two males got more sick. Sadly all three ended up dying (or were put down) the vet said it was distemper. The awful thing is that the three other kittens I had in the cat house were exposed to it, got it, and two were put down last week. The other one got sick but is fighting it well and we think will make it. She is around four months so her age is in her favour.
I am sick this happened and will definitely be tightening up how I run this. For one thing I will have to figure out a quarantine area. I of course plan on bleaching the cat house super well, but will that be enough? It is metal so I would think that should help. I have gotten rid of all the rugs, scratching posts, etc and will bleach the litter boxes, food dishes and whatever else.
I don't plan to take in more kittens till next spring. I just hope that will be long enough. The kittens I take in are farm cats and have no shots. Unfortunately they came with it so there was nothing I could do. I feel the most guilty about the others who got it as it was my fault they got exposed. I have never dealt with distemper before and didn't know much about it.
Any advice would be much appreciated! I don't want to stop taking in kittens, but I also want to make sure it will be a safe environment for them.
Three weeks ago I took in three kittens. The next day I noticed they had diarrhea and seemed a little sick. We figured it was from the change of food (has happened before) but the two males got more sick. Sadly all three ended up dying (or were put down) the vet said it was distemper. The awful thing is that the three other kittens I had in the cat house were exposed to it, got it, and two were put down last week. The other one got sick but is fighting it well and we think will make it. She is around four months so her age is in her favour.
I am sick this happened and will definitely be tightening up how I run this. For one thing I will have to figure out a quarantine area. I of course plan on bleaching the cat house super well, but will that be enough? It is metal so I would think that should help. I have gotten rid of all the rugs, scratching posts, etc and will bleach the litter boxes, food dishes and whatever else.
I don't plan to take in more kittens till next spring. I just hope that will be long enough. The kittens I take in are farm cats and have no shots. Unfortunately they came with it so there was nothing I could do. I feel the most guilty about the others who got it as it was my fault they got exposed. I have never dealt with distemper before and didn't know much about it.
Any advice would be much appreciated! I don't want to stop taking in kittens, but I also want to make sure it will be a safe environment for them.