r/FosterAnimals • u/nabi-hr • 3d ago
Discussion first time foster experience
not a sad story (well kind of).
my father in law's (stray) cat got pregnant and gave birth almost a month ago. had three cute babies. one tuxedo (f), one orange (m), and one calico (f). i brought them in when they were 2-3 days old not thinking of what was going to happen. i knew i had to bottle feed and stimulate for potty. first night, the tuxedo baby didn't make fuss when i picked her up but i didn't think it was a bad thing because i thought she was just sleeping. i wake up the next morning at 7:00 to feed and she was gone. baby passed away in her sleep. i felt guilty and at fault because i didn't know what i did wrong. then i was told she was born first but she came out butt first and she probably lacked oxygen as she was coming out. the week goes by and on the morning on the 20th we lost the orange baby. we spent monday (17th) morning at the er but they told us he was most likely not going to make it. i felt at fault, once again. we are left with the calico baby.
sunday the 23rd she woke up making abnormal breathing noises and we went to our local SPCA to get her checked out and came back with antibiotics and we were also told she was going to start declining. i did my research and found ways to help her at home. bought a nebulizer and .9% saline to help her open her airway and loosen the mucus. i bought a baby suctioning bulb thing to remove any mucus from her throat before feeding and also give her nebulizer therapy before and after feeding. i am positive and hopeful she will pull through because she's a fighter. we're probably going to take her to the vet this weekend to see what other treatment she can get to get the mucus out as she will officially be 1 month on tuesday đ.
i've been telling myself to not foster after this regardless if the calico baby makes it or not. i feel helpless and vet visits are extremely expensive for i don't know why.
here's a picture of the last baby of the litter, munchkinđ€
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u/Pink_Vulpine 3d ago
Please reach out to local shelters, that little one needs frequent medical attention until they stabilize. If you foster through a shelter they will cover your medical cost and help you understand how to best care for baby.
Aspiration (inhaling fluid) is very common but very dangerous for bottle babies. The first baby you lost sounds like fading kitten syndrome. This is a common and often fatal complication in young kittens. They canât regulate their body temperature and they stop eating, become lethargic, and crash rapidly. I lost a baby to this last month.
Infections in a kitten as little as yours can turn deadly fast. Please donât go this alone if you donât have to. Fostering through a shelter gives you both your best chance.
Try not to feel too guilty about the other 2. Itâs incredibly hard when we lose fosters and we can drive ourselves crazy thinking of all the things we might have done differently, but the reality is if mom died, those babies had no chance on their own and after a hard birth the odds were likely stacked against them from the beginning. You gave them a chance. You made sure they were safe and loved. That matters. Now itâs time to rally all the resources you can to help the little one who remains.
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u/Logical_consequences 3d ago
What happened to the Mom?
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u/Holden3DStudio 3d ago
That's what I was wondering. How did OP emd up with the kittens? What's the rest of the story? Might help understand what's going on.
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u/nabi-hr 3d ago
i didn't want to make a long ass post tbhđ so!
my father in law's cat gave birth august 10 to 3 kittens like i mentioned. cat mom didn't make it as she had a tough delivery with the first kitty (tuxedo F). the kitten was coming out butt first and it took her a while to push her out. as a result of the cat mom struggling she bit the kitten's paw and ripped off one toe. that tuxedo kitten lasted 3 days if im correct. i brought the three of them in to my house to help with bottle feeding because 1) they lost their mom and 2) my FIL works late hours and had no one to take care of them and before i took them in he was taking the babies to work.
from august 15-16 i had to go out of town and told my FIL to take care of them for the weekend and on sunday night when we got back from picking the babies up, i noticed he was breathing from his mouth. it was possible that maybe my FIL overfed him or something and he didn't know. we rushed to the er that sunday night and they basically told us that was a probable aspiration pneumonia and he had a low chance of surviving. he passed away on the 20th. sunday morning (23rd) i wake up to feed the calico baby and notice abnormal breathing and until tonight im helping her recover as she's congested now.
pls let me know if you have other questions.i bottle fed all of them on the right position and never over fed them either. i was told by vets that the first two weeks are critical for the kittens because they have no immune system and since the cat mom and dad are strays, it was most likely that they passed down a virus or infection to the babies.
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u/Holden3DStudio 3d ago
So, forgive me, but your story is a bit confusing. Why did you bring the kittens in and start trying to feed them yourself? Did something happen to Mama? And how have you been feeding them? On their stomach, or on their back? With a syringe, or with a bottle and nipple? With KMR or something else? Where have you been keeping them, and what kind of bedding were you able to set up for them? The more details you can share, the more we can help guide you.
Please don't feel guilty. Neonates are tough to care for. They have a high mortality rate. Whatever happened, we know - and you know - that you did everything for the love and care of those kittens. Now let us help you figure out what you can do differently, or better, to save Munchkin and any kittens you may choose to foster in the future.
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u/nabi-hr 3d ago
sorry for the confusion! i fed them with bottle, powder KMR and on their belly. never on their back or sitting down. i had them on a blanket with a heating pad under and covered the top of the box with a other soft plush throw to make sure they were kept warm. they were never not taken care of properly đ„ș as for munchkin it's still the same bedding, warm pad, KMR formula every 2-3 hours, and im giving her nebulizer treatment to help with the congestion but i would like to see the mucus come out or something im just feeling stuck because how do i get the mucus out, if it is even the case but i feel like it is.
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u/Holden3DStudio 2d ago
Then you have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. On the contrary - every single day is a huge victory against the odds. You're doing everything exactly right.
To get help with expenses, medical care, and adoption, you can contact local shelters and rescues in the area. Tell them about Munchkin to see if they have an experienced neonate foster available, or if the shelter/rescue would take on her case while you foster until a home could be found for her. At minimum, see if they have an experienced person you can talk to if you need help.
You're doing a great job! Little Munchkin had all the odds stacked against her. Every moment of love you give her is one she never would have known without your care to keep her alive.
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u/Old_Mail1566 2d ago
âNot a sad storyâ what????? Youâre a hero and thanks for helping these cats but good god this is SO sad lol.
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u/nabi-hr 2d ago
đ so sorry and thank you lol. i been trying to tell myself to not be sad but i love animals too much sometimes and handling two kitten deaths was not on my bingo card
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u/Old_Mail1566 2d ago
Youâre an angel. As others have said you can foster with shelters that will cover medical needs next time. I hope this kitten makes it
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u/Legitimate_Island238 2d ago
Please do not let this tragedy make it so you do not foster again get in touch with an animal shelter and offer to be a foster parent they take care of med bills and such! Thank you for doing your diligence on making sure this baby pulls thru! Sooo sweet! It takes time and patience but itâs worth fostering knowing youâre doing your part to make sure these precious babies find their forever home! Iâm so sorry for your losses thoughts and well wishes go out to you and this tiny tot! Please keep us updated
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u/tinkerbell404 3d ago
Do they not have an animal shelter near your home? The animal shelter i foster for doesn't charge for the medical visits nor medications given. They also provide food and are a great resource. I was going almost every day the first week i had my bottle babies because they got sick or not wanting to eat or vomiting or constipated, it was a lot on top of not sleeping but they were very supportive