All kittens died!

[rebekah]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have any insight into why my mom cat's entire litter died?
I foster for a rescue agency and Jade gave birth to 5 seemingly healthy kittens. They all did well until about 10 days old when one evening within an hour four died. The other one lasted for another two days and also died. They were feeding well, not crying, didn't have diarrhea, seemed healthy until they stopped breathing....
One factor is that I think the father may have been a litter mate of Jades, so it could be genetic, but what?
If anyone can help solve the mystery, I'd appreciate it.
I worry that I could have prevented this somehow, but don't know how!

Thanks,
Rebekah

 

[arlyn]

No expert, but considering how closely and quickly they died, I'd try to rule out environmental factors like fumes.

 

[beckiboo]

Can you have a vet do a necropsy? I lost a foster kitten to distemper last summer, and due to the necropsy his brother (my Garfield) and their mother was saved. She was critically ill, and I believe she would have died if she hadn't been treated so quickly.

 

[nano]

How old was the mother?

 

[maverick_kitten]

do you think maybe the mother smothered them? cats sometimes do nthis if they feel threatened or overwhelmed. or if they could sense sickness in the babies.

 

[hissy]

No one can tell you why they died. Chances are it was genetic, and kittens can and do fade. Necropsy's are better left to the older cats, and with the entire litter now dead, all you can do is go on.

I would just to be safe disinfect the room they were in, throw out the bedding and run the momcat to the vet to be checked out for health issues. If you had intact male cats, they might have been responsible for the deaths. But this family was inside, and more than likely your cats weren't around them. How is Jade doing now? She has to be grieving and confused at this point.

Kittens die for many reasons, predators, genetic disorders, inbreeding, hypothermia, hunger, illness, that is why they call it Fading Kitten Syndrome.

I would also get Jade spayed rather quickly. It will help her out a lot.

 

[rebekah]

Thanks for the input eveyone.

FYI Jade is going to the vet for a check up and to be spayed on Wedensday.
She is doing realatively well now, but still seems a bit confused, poor thing.
I think she is about 1-2 yrs old. I know she has had a litter of kittens previously when she was a feral, and three lived because I rescued them and adopted them out. There are NO intact males at my home, and Jade is kept away from my three cats. She was however with Jack, her littermate (I think) and father of the kittens. ( I had been told when I took them in they were both females and I was waiting the 9 weeks to get them spayed...well, my Jasmine turned out to be a Jack!)
Thanks, again for the comments.

Rebekah