Mystery...!

[ipw533]

A tragic one, unfortunately. A few weeks ago a neighbor gave me some kittens born to a feral mother--they were approximately five weeks old at the time. We called them the "Fuzzy Butts", two males and a female. We kept them isolated on the second floor of our house but gave them free run of both bedrooms as we socialized them (that was pretty easy, as they had both humans and other kittens with which to play).

Almost two weeks ago, one of the males disappeared. As the kittens had a tendency to try to dash out of open doors and explore, we thought he had escaped and gotten lost or trapped--we'd just gone through a scary episode where one adventurous kitten spent two nights in a tree before we found and rescued him. He was gone a full week before we found him--he was dead, and there's the mystery.

He disappeared on a Monday afternoon, and his body was found the following Sunday--he had never left the second floor. Whatever killed him did so in a matter of hours--by the time we saw him he was too decomposed to find an immediate cause of death.

I suspect that he died from an injury of some sort--he hid and then died--but it's possible he could have died from a congenital defect such as a heart problem. But his siblings are healthy and happy (OK, sis has an eye infection but that's common)....

 

[siobhan]

Frankly, I am of the opinion that cats need to live inside. Sure, you can develop a wonderful place outside for them (an enclosed area that is catproofed) but there are way too many dangers for cats and especially baby kittens - which is like allowing a toddler outside unsupervised. Usually, kittens should not leave their feline mamas until age 12 weeks tho I know many rescues have no choice bu to allow the to go at 8 wks which while not opportune is better than 5 wks.

You could solve the mystery by asking a vet to conduct a necropsy (Bet $300-$500) or you may never know. Kittens need warmth and just being outside overnight and in the open may have chilled the baby and that could have made hi m ill and kittens that age can fade very fast - which is why they require constant supervision and a god vet checkup! I won't guess because it could be so many things - poor little guy! I am so sorry you could not find him in time!! That door always has to be watched. Even a feline mama will not allow you t take her babies outside until certain point. (I tried once on a sunny day when a pregnant cat we rescued had 4 adorables and they were maybe 6 wks old. She came right after me and dragged them back in. She was smarter than me but I was a child at the time so I leaned from her! )

Have you discussed this with your vet? I know we still consider 12 wk old kittens babies.

I am so glad to hear the others are well but if it was something internal - like a heart condition - and you know little or nothing about their origins, I would think they all need a good vet checkup! Good luck!

 

[ipw533]

"You could solve the mystery by asking a vet to conduct a necropsy (Bet $300-$500) or you may never know. Kittens need warmth and just being outside overnight and in the open may have chilled the baby and that could have made hi m ill and kittens that age can fade very fast - which is why they require constant supervision and a god vet checkup! I won't guess because it could be so many things - poor little guy!"

Up to a certain age, kittens are unable to generate their own body heat and are very vulnerable to hypothermia. But that's irrelevant in this case, as the kitten was old enough to generate his own body heat and never left a well-regulated upstairs portion of a house.

He died within hours of disappearing, and I suspect that he died from some sort of trauma--the relative health of his siblings leads me to rule out disease, which in any case doesn't move that fast.

A postmortem would have been problematic if not impossible. He was dead for at least a week--when we found him he was eviscerated and beginning to liquefy--maggots were busily eating what was left. It was ugly, and it took a day or two before I was able to eat after seeing that.

I'm keeping a close eye on his surviving siblings. His brother is very healthy and active--he's the reason the upstairs bedrooms are sealed. His sister seems to have an infection--I'll be starting her on an antibiotic regimen as I suspect a bacterial infection. I want to get a head start on her so that if I do have to take her to a vet she'll have a chance....

 

[mrblanche]

I'm not a detective, nor do I play one on TV. That said...

Exactly where was the kitten found? Was it a place he might have been trapped? Had he been outside recently? Are you in an area where you might have black widow or brown recluse spiders?

It certainly is a mystery, as you said.

 

[ipw533]

Spiders or otherwise. Moe (that was his name) was in a two-bedroom area in the upstairs portion of our house--this is our "isolation/socialization" area for kittens. This area is kept free of toxic hazards. His body appears to have been found by one of our other kittens in the bedroom closet and was dragged out. He never left the two adjoining bedrooms.

I'm guessing he hid in the closet for some reason and subsequently died there. It could have been an injury from a fall (the kittens were at that "climbing" stage) or it could have been a congenital defect. There was nothing in those two rooms that would have threatened only him and not the other kittens....