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This is Slush, already up from 89g. to 102g. Go baby, go!
Seal is brown and blue is gray .what's the difference between seal and blue?
I have been following what happened with Sleet and now Frost. Ugh that's just so difficult to deal with. What I can say for sure is your attitude is 100% right. It's a horrible feeling when, despite our best efforts we still lose kittens. But, at least you are taking comfort in knowing you did everything possible and that sometimes this just happens, especially with a Queen so young.I wish I knew, but knowing won't change anything, kittens are touch an go for the first couple of weeks. Vet says it's not an illness, just fading kitten. I feel so responsible to the homes I had lined up for these guys. People can be so un-understanding!I think ill do it differently next batch!
First (and only you know this and you clearly have enough expienrece to tell the difference) but are you sure they are being sluggish? I mean, given what has happened it wouldn't surprise me but it could also be that they are just happy, full, content kittens. Yes, kittens do squirm around but healthy kittens are pretty quiet and sleep a lot. Just something to consider: I know you are preparing for the worst so maybe you are reading too much into their behavior? As for the pinkness, could that just be because of their coloring? My last litter had three white kittens and they always looked "pink" to me just because of their bareness with the white coats. I could be totally off base here (in my efforts to be overly optimistic) and it's fine to tell me so, I'm just thinking that if they are still gaining they may just be happy! And, I don't know that kittens can be too warm (unless of course you are using a heating pad or something). So, try not to worry too much about that. Girl, you have enough on your plate!Thank you all, we really need some prayers!! Frost did pass. But now all three of snows kittens, Thunder, Slush and Winter are acting sluggishI took all cats/kittens to the vet today and there seems to be nothing wrong. I had samples, labs, the whole work up done and nothing came up. Snow is under weight which can be expected after having so many kittens at a young age and being so little in size. Also Maiden has lost some weight today. I wonder for snow's kittens if they are too warm? Maybe that would be making them sluggish? I don't really have a way to tell the temp in that room but I keep the heat in the "comfort zone" they seem sleepy and pink! But they are all gaining the 10g. Or more a day except Maiden today. That is the killer here. The kittens are showing no signs of being ill until its too late.
This is the most difficult part of fostering. I know you want to do everything that you can to help them but you can't bankrupt yourself in the process. I don't think anyone would disagree with me saying that you have gone above and beyond trying to save these kittens. Of course I think you should still keep trying to bottle feed them but, if another takes turn for the worse I would never think you were a bad person by not rushing them to the vet. You have done all the testing and everything looks normal. As you already know the sad reality is that sometimes kittens don't make it. I doubt any of Snow's litter would have survived this long had you not been there to intervene. Keep doing what you're doing with the bottle-feeding but at a certain point you also have to let nature takes it's course. And, since two have already passed, it's a possibility that some of the others may as well. Based on what has happened it seems if they start down that road they aren't going to make it no matter what you do. I still have hope and faith that they will pull through but know you can't save them all, and it's perfectly reasonable at this point to take somewhat of a "wait and see" approach.I can't seem to get any of these kittens to take the formula or goats milk. I have tried many methods. The vets here will not teach me tube feeding they will only keep the kitten and do it themselves. I just can't afford kittens staying with the vet for 3 or more weeks. ;( I'm tempted to through up my hands and do a not touch policy. If weighing them isn't going to help and I can't get food down them....maybe I should just leave them alone for a week and see what happens? Any thoughts on that? Thank you all again for the kind words. I guess after such a smooth year in 2012, I am a bit bewildered by all of this. I certainly didn't except it! What would you do?