Kittens Suddenly Dying.

[Littlekitten]

Sense yesterday 3 kittens have died thier ages ranged from 1 and half months to 3 months old. They dont act sick or anything until they sadly drop.... I have to alive kittens still and need some advice on how to keep them alive until i find them new homes. I have them in a cage away from where the kittens passed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kieka]

What do they eat? Where are they kept (indoor, outdoor, both)? How big are they? How has the weather been in your area? Have they been vaccinated?

 

[Littlekitten]

They eat solid cat food, they are kept outdoors on the pourch, they were normal sizes for thier ages, it has been pretty hot but then been kept cool. And no yhru have not been vaccinated we did not have the moeny too

 

[Kieka]

Thank you.

By solid, do you mean dry kibble or wet canned food? If kibble, dehydration could be a problem. I know my neighbor had several kittens die during a heat wave and drought. Just a combination of the heat and a lack of access to water. If you kittens eat canned wet food it is less likely since the food has such a high water content.

Unfortunately, when kittens live outdoors they are subject to health hazards that come with that. It could be that a neighbor used posion and the kittens got a posioned mouse. Since they weren't vaccinated, they could have caught one of the illness that vaccines protect against. Cats are hardwired to hide pain and illness so you may not have noticed the symptoms. It could also be a cogenital defect that affected the kittens as they grew. It could be some sort of spider or snake bite if you have either in your area. They could be passing around a kitty cold of some sort and that is killing them.

I am truly sorry for your loss. But given that the kittens we're kept outside and have not been vaccinated it is really hard to give a solid guess as to what happened. Unfortunately, cats who are outdoors only and don't get regular vet care tend to only live two to five years, there are just so many things that can kill them out there. My neighbor fed feral cats and did nothing but feed them. Over three years over a hundred kittens were born in her yard, and sadly nearly the same number died before they were a year old for a number of different causes.

Isolating the remaining kittens is a good step. Make sure they are eating and have access to water. If you can, bringing them inside may also help them by limiting their exposure to whatever it is that killed the others. If there is a rescue or shelter in your area you can contact them to see if they can help with vet care for the remaining kittens. Getting them vet checked, spayed/neutered and vaccinated could be the step to saving their lives and ensuring they live for many more years.

 

[Plumeria]

I also recommend bringing them indoors. Kittens are so vulnerable, so many things could happen to them outside.

 

[Littlekitten]

They always have water i made sure of that. They had dry kibble. They were in a really big cage (i could lay down in it) so nothing could get in and we live in the country so i dont think someone hurt them. And sadly i cant bring them indoors our roommates don't allow any animals inside

 

[Erinlinkcappy]

Did they show any signs of sickness before passing away?

 

[Kieka]

They always have water i made sure of that. They had dry kibble. They were in a really big cage (i could lay down in it) so nothing could get in and we live in the country so i dont think someone hurt them. And sadly i cant bring them indoors our roommates don't allow any animals inside

That greatly reduces what could have happened.

Heat could still be a factor if they can't get to a cooler place and temperature went up quickly. I know heat kills rabbits in cages because they can't find cool places even if it is in the shade and they have water.

A rodent getting in is still a possibility. We have mice get into out bird aviary and those holes are about a half inch squares. Mice can carry diseases or have traveled far after being posioned itself.

It does sound like you've taken steps to ensure their safety and made the best out if a bad situation. My vet once told me that there are several unknowns when it comes to kittens and cats. Sometimes they just go down hill for no apparent reason and all we can do is support them the best we can and pray.

I am sorry for the loss of the kittens and am hopeful that the rest survive. If you can, clean the large cage with bleach and let it sit in the sun for a few days. It should be safe to move the survivors back in as the combination should kill off any virus or bacteria that may be in play.

 

[Littlekitten]

They showed no signs. They would be running around playing then i a couple hours be dying...the cage they were in i could not fit my finger through the holes so i dont think an animal could get in. We are gonna scrub the big cage and put the two alive kittens in there until i can find them homes. They always played in the water to stay cooled down but sadly they have been passing early morning ans night. Thank you all for your help

 

[Erinlinkcappy]

Is their mother with them?

 

[Littlekitten]

It was a mix of two litters one litter we found them after thier mom disappeared. The other litter the mom stoped nursing them and take care of them when they were 2-3 weeks old and they were already eatting hard food. So the moms are not really around

 

[Erinlinkcappy]

Poor things - so little to be without their mums. Mums relieve stress and keep them warm. Little kittens get cold easily.

I’m not an experienced person who raises kittens though I have had kittens with their mum before ( I’m sure some people here who could give you expert advice) but I think you could make sure they have a very warm space to sleep - maybe get a hot water bottle. They need to have some milk in here and some wet kitten food. Ideally they will have been wormed. They need some cuddles because kittens like being handled.

Maybe look up ‘ fading kitten syndrome’ - apparently this is something that can happen to kittens and it’s very hard to stop.

I’m hoping someone else has some wisdom for you and the others are ok. Fingers crossed.

Good luck - it must be very hard for you.

 

[Littlekitten]

We tried to have her nurse but tge kittens had interest in nursing. Sadly that litter has fully passed now we only have the older 2 feral kittens. (2 out of 8 kittens) they are at the age where they dont need thier mom. I don't think fading kitten syndrome would kill 6 kittens