The Miles report

Miles and Madison (formerly known as “Mia"), went to the vet today.  It was mainly a trip for Miles, who hasn’t been peeing properly, has blood in his urine, isn’t eating well, and has a bit of rectal prolapse.  So much for such a little guy!  The vet said he was too young to have a UTI, and she didn’t want to give him antibiotics, so we came home with subq fluids.  He’s to get them every three to four hours until he starts eating normally.  He’s still vocal and active, but he eats poorly, and he’s not urinating normally.  The vet suggested Miles could have Fading Kitten Syndrome, so we’re trying to be prepared for that.  I asked if the kitten could have a urinary blockage, but the vet said that if he did it was genetic, and would not be able to be fixed surgically.  In any case, fingers crossed for Miles—if he makes it another 24 hours, I’ll feel more optimistic about his prognosis.

On a related note, I’m going to start a blog entry called “the costs of fostering kittens”.  I thought I’d keep track of all our expenses for this pair of kittens, for my own reference, and for anyone else who’s been curious about such things.  Of course, costs will vary wildly depending on how many kittens you have, and where you live, etc., but it will be a ballpark.

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Update:  Miles died around 11:30 pm on Tuesday.  I went to do the normal feeding, and his sister had wiggled her way out of her blanket and had crawled to the front of their crate.  I thought that was an ominous sign, and it was.  Funny how a three day old kitten could sense death and wanted to be apart from it, yet she’d been snuggling with her brother at 9pm when I did the previous feeding.  I’m not a vet, but my guess is something that contributed to kidney failure.  Miles produced urine normally for the first two days, and then it slowed down and was blood-tinged, and there was no urine at all today, despite numerous ccs of fluids.  I’m pretty sure his death was peaceful and pain-free, because he didn’t cry, and was “normal” (except he didn’t want to eat), right up until I last saw him around 9:30.  He was a sweet little guy, and I’m sure he was doing the little kitten “purr” everytime I held him (the newborn “purr” is more like a little ticking sound).

This is my first foster kitten death, and it’s sad, and I’m weepy, but I’ll get over it.  My main concern now is Madison—I don’t know how she’ll be affected by being an “only child”.  When she’s older, and has been tested for feline leukemia, maybe TJ, Tie, and Scampi will play with her—they’re pretty hospitable.

Would it be weird if I had Miles cremated and kept his ashes?  I guess my ashes collection could really add up over a couple of decades of fostering, but I don’t like the idea of burying him, and I don’t want him just put in the dumpster.  What do other people do in this situation?

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 01/23 at 08:49 PM

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  1. I think Sweet Pea would probably like having a kitten to keep her company on your desk.

    Posted by Flippy  on  01/24  at  02:24 AM

  2. My condolences.

    When Wilbur died, we buried him in the yard behind the shelter.  We didn’t own our own bit of earth, so that was the best we could do. I don’t think it creepy to want him with you in some way.

    Wilbur was the last puppy pushed out in a liter of 22 to a hound dog with only 18 nipples. I saw he wasn’t dead unlike his companion found the second morning after being born- two had died within the first 24 hours. I tried bottle feeding and fostering myself. However, I didn’t know about the washcloth trick to stimulate peeing/pooping. So he never eliminated, even though he had a healthy appetite until the end. I know better now, but that doesn’t help the guilt.

    Posted by Georg  on  01/24  at  05:11 AM

  3. Funny how quickly we get attached to them. I’m quite sad, too. Sad for him, you and Flippy and his small sister.

    We’ve had 3 pets die over the past 7 years. Each died at the vet’s and were cremated and disposed of by the vet. I like Flippy’s idea.

    Posted by Diana  on  01/24  at  08:19 AM

  4. we had our two oldest puppys die last year at 17 years old. it was natural. we had them cremated and still have their ashes. if we go to flordia again i think we will spread them, thats were they went on vacation with us. we have 16 cats an 2 dogs now. i say we will cremate the cats too, but my mother said at $100 each thats alot. i threaten im gonna need a huge urn. we will be cremated when we die, its what we believe in.

    Posted by the zoo  on  01/24  at  09:56 AM

  5. Everyone of the fosters we’ve lost is still with us. We combine the ashes in one urn in a little memorial spot that my hubby put together. I’ve fostered probably more than 70 or 80 kittens, with and without cat mom. We’ve ‘lost’ 5 of them in the first week after birth due to fading kitten. It breaks my heart each and every time.

    Posted by Donna  on  01/24  at  10:07 AM

  6. Poor Miles. At least he had the best care possible. I hope Madison does ok. In ‘87 when my first cat died, cremation was never mentioned and burial on our property was illegal! He died at home and was taken to the vet for disposal. Scruffy died in ‘95 when we couldn’t afford much. I felt awful trying to decide what the vet should do based on our finances rather than my heart, but “group cremation”, no ashes returned was respectful and affordable.

    Definitely not the dumpster.

    Posted by Victor Tabbycat's Mom  on  01/24  at  11:15 AM

  7. Oh, I’m so sorry. I get weepy just reading about it.

    Posted by Helly  on  01/24  at  11:32 AM

  8. I like the idea of cremation because it allows me to have my pets “with me” until I figure out where I’m eventually going to settle.  I’m sure Flippy and I won’t be in Las Vegas forever (and we’ve been considering moving for the past year but the housing market here is dead), and cremains are very portable.  Cremation is sadly pricey—I think it would cost about $75 to just have a little kitten cremated, so I’ll need to think about it (quickly).  Miles is in our refrigerator now, wrapped in a cloth, inside a plastic bag, and in the vegetable drawer.  It feels weird yet absolutely normal.

    My Mom has the cremains of our dog, and she keeps them by her bed.  She’s made it absolutely clear that when she dies, she’s to be cremated as well, and she wants the dog’s ashes put in with hers.  Maybe we’ll mix them both into a nice concrete bench—I’d better ask her about her outdoor furniture preferences wink

    Georg, don’t feel too badly about the “peeing and pooping” thing.  Newborn animals can urinate and defecate on their own if they get “full enough”, even when they’re just a day or two old.  Wilbur could have had a genetic problem that took a while to manifest itself.  That’s the reason I suspect kidney trouble with Miles—a slow poisoning that wasn’t uncomfortable, and it would have explained the lack of urine.

    Posted by Leigh-Ann  on  01/24  at  04:22 PM

  9. I am so sorry. That is so sad.  Poor little thing.  I don’t think it is weird at all to want to have your kitten’s ashes.  I wish my parents had done that with my cat from my childhood but they didn’t think about it.  It would have been nice to scatter them somewhere beautiful.

    Posted by Von Krankipantzen  on  01/24  at  07:33 PM

  10. Hi Leigh-Ann,

    We are back. If we donate $75, will you use it to cremate Miles? Our mom has already decided that we will all be cremated when the time comes so we can be together forever. Mom says peace of mind is more important than money. Email us.

    Posted by Roxie, Sammy & Andy  on  01/26  at  11:26 AM

  11. I am so very sorry to hear about wee Miles.  My heart breaks for him and his little sister.  Bless you for trying .. that is all any of us can do.

    Posted by Coll  on  01/27  at  02:47 PM

  12. I am so sorry to hear about Miles.

    At least he was in a caring home for the time that he had. I don’t think it is strange at all to want to keep his ashes as a memorial.

    Posted by prajantr  on  01/28  at  05:11 AM

  13. I have the ashes of a dog and three cats that I loved dearly.  Currently, I have eight cats.  Four of them I love dearly and four I treat well and care for because I’m a responsible person.  When the second four transition, I’ll leave them with the vet to dispose of and you still have to pay for that by the way.  The first four will get cremated and kept with me.  When it’s my turn and I’m cremated, I want all of us mixed up in a bucket and scattered together.  I like them to be near me and having their ashes in boxes in a small trunk doesn’t bother me at all.  It’s comforting as a matter of fact.  So over time as you have cats and fosters, some you will love more than others and want to have their ashes.  I can understand that.

    Posted by Miranda  on  02/02  at  03:04 PM

  14. hi!i have 35 cats but there all outside and i have 4 dogs but 1 died but i love all my animals and i used to have 3 horses but they got sold

    Posted by michelle  on  01/14  at  05:42 PM
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