My cat lost her kitten, but gained another

Apr 28, 2008 - 02:48 AM PST

Yes, I said kitten, as in one. One kitten was all she was carrying...


Since my cat, Tuss, lost her mucus membrane on Wed, she was having problems delivering. From looking online and reading everything, it seemed completely normal, especially for her first litter. I even called a vet I had taken her to once before who told me she should be fine, and that sometimes it just takes a bit longer for some.

After the 4th day, I was really beginning to worry. I went to extreme measures to make sure she was comfortable, and waited for the last night...to see if she would finally have them. Morning came, and she did not.

I called my family vet and he told me that it was abnormal and he would do an emergency C-section right away, but unfortunately, he was going out of town as soon as we hung up. I started freaking out. I called every clinic and every hospital I came across. No one would see her without full payment, even though the surgery was quoted in the thousands everywhere I called. The Humane Society hung up on me...no one would help me, or my cat, even though she could die if the kittens (or in her case, kitten) was inside her for too long. She was spotting blood, and no one would do anything to help. One place wanted $800 for Xrays alone.

I was desperate and I turned to the one person who told me she would always be there for me if I really needed her, my god mother. I called her, and she said no. All I wanted was for her to co-sign on an application for this Care Credit card that would pay for the medical expenses, and I would (obviously) make the payments. She told me that she knew my cat was important to me, but it wasn't to her. This, coming from someone who has 4 cats, and loves them like they are her children. I couldn't believe she wouldn't help me in this situation, when I have never asked her for ANYTHING ever.

She called me back about 30 minutes later and said she would help. I go over to her house to fill out the application online with her info as the co-signature, and all of a sudden her boyfriend (who I had never met) comes to me and starts yelling at me. He was saying what a horrible person I was and I shouldn't be doing this to her, that I was heartless, and selfish. He said that I should let nature take it's course and if she dies, she dies. I could not believe he was saying these things to me. I was sitting there, sobbing, and being ripped into. Then, she started on me. I won't even repeat the things she said because everytime I tell someone what happened it just fills me with disbelief and heartbreak.

I went through all of that, and it was denied. Afterwards, I went to tell her and she was already asleep. I went downstairs and I told her boyfriend I didn't want to wake her up and to tell her. He starts again and kind of apologizes but says things as an excuse that really means he wasn't sorry. I said " I've known her since I was 8 years old. I don't fucking know you" and I walked out.

I came back home and I was just filled with hoplesness. I thought..."this is it, there's nothing more I can do. My cat is going to die, and I can't do anything". Then I got a call from a friend and he ended up applying for the Care Credit himself, and it was approved. He also got a phone number of a place in Tustin. I called them, and they were the nicest people I had talked to. So, we took her down there.

We got there at about 11. Before I even had the paperwork done they wanted permission to do Xrays. About 3 hours later we were escorted into a private exam room. The doctor came in about an hour or so later to talk with us.

She told us that unfortuantely, when she did the ultrasound, she was not picking up a heartbeat on the kitten. I asked her "Kittten, as in only one?" and she said yes, there was only one, and it was rather large, which is part of the reason she had a problem. The other, was that one kitten would not create enough Oxytocin to induce labor. These things combined lead to the reason why she had not given birth yet. Although the kitten was dead, she said Tuss seemed to be okay, but that she needed to have the kitten surgically removed. she immediately volunteered to call another place to see if they were able to do it tonight for lesser cost. I asked her what it would run right there. She quoted me $2,500 to $3,500. I almost fainted. My stomach churned and I felt sick. So, I said yes, go ahead and call this place.

A few minutes later she came back and said that they could do it and they quoted $1,200-$1,500. I was absolutely up for it, but then I realized, if i took her to another place my friend who had done this for me would have to go back out to the new hospital to verify his identity (which he had had to do already once and had to drive a great distance). At this point it was 3 am, and there was no way I was going to call him and ask him to do that again. I decided to keep her there and the doctor said she would try her best to keep to their quote, but she couldn't promise anything. She said it would probably $1,800 to $2,000 at the lowest. I said to go ahead and do it.

So that was it. We left and came home and I was just so torn up about this poor kitten. I was SO relieved that Tuss was going to be okay, but I kept thinking about this one, singualr kitten who didn't even have a chance. It was honestly just the saddest thing ever. Then, the idea popped into my head...I would find a kitten, the youngest I could, and have it tomorrow by the time Tuss is done with her surgery.

I got home and immediately jumped on Craigslist. The first thing I find? A male kitten who needs a home, who was the runt of the litter (just like Tuss). I save the phone number for the morning.

I think i fell asleep close to 6, woke up at 8 and i text (which is what the instructions were) this person. I told them what happened to Tuss. the pic was so cute that I thought there was no way he was still available, but then I got a text back. He was, and he was mine. It turns out the girl who was taking care of him is a vet tech, he has already had his kitten wellness check and dewormed AND she worked in Westminster. She offered to drop him off since she was in the area. I told her I had to go pick Tuss up so I wouldn't be back for awhile, she said no problem, whenever I'm ready.

So, I get a call from Tuss's Dr. She was out of surgery and doing very well. Her pressure dropped at some point during the surgery, but they were able to stabalize her. She told me she'd be ready at 10:30.

we get there to pick her up and they called me up to the desk to check out. the girl at the counter told me that the total came to $1,264 and that they were going to refund $506. I almost cried, I was SO happy. I looked at the statement which lists everything they did for her and the cost...and I get the the C-section...$674 and I was not charged. I teared up. the Dr. didn't charge me for the most expensive part.

The Dr. came in and talked with us, told us she was okay...that the kitten was dead and the head was already starting to get crushed and deformed =( She asked me if i wanted to take the kitten to bury it, or if I wanted them to cremate. I said I'd rather they just cremated it. I don't think I could have handled seeing it.

So, we got her meds and everything and left. We got back home and I called the girl about the kitten. She told me should would be by within the hour. She came by and dropped him off. He is seriously the cutest thing ever, tiny as hell, black with blue eyes (although all kittens have blue eyes at first) and 6 weeks old so he's stilla bit wobbly onhis legs. Tuss was NOT happy. She did not like him and hissed and growled but then went to sleep (thanks to her pain killers).

So, all day I have been contemplating this...if it works it works, if it doesn't then we find him another home. It didn't seem like she was warming up to him at all, and I got an idea to get some of the shirts that I had put in her nest and rub them all over him so he would smell like her.

Tuss was still growling and hissing at him and seemed like she was going after him. We seperated them. I put tuss in her crate and wrapped the kitten in the shirt and held it up to the gate. She was still kind of growling and stuff, but she was calming down a bit. So we switched them. I put him in the crate and she stood outside. Then I took the kitten out and let her go in and smell him in there.

Then we got this idea to use one of the laundry baskets as a sort of crate for the kitten. We put him under there with one of the shirts, and let Tuss out of her crate. She immediately found him. Little by little we lifted the laundry basket and she inched in. She didn't attack him! She sniffed him and touched him and nothing! No hissing, no growling..nothing!

The he got out of the laundry basket and bolted (he was a bit scared of her) and she immediately went after him, but she was just walking behind him. Then, i hear a tiny yelp and I see she's got her mouth around his neck. At first I freaked out thinking she was trying to kill him, but I realized...she was just trying to pick him up, but doing it wrong...I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was time for her pain meds again, and she kind of just sat there and he rolled up into a ball. What transpired next is probably the most amazing moment ever. She snuggled up to him and put her paw around him, like she was holding him. They snuggled there together for awhile.

It worked. She thought he was hers. He was her baby, and he had a new mom. I cried. i did. we sat there taking pics of all of this (which I will post asap) and i cried. She had lost her kitten, but now, she had found another. He was her baby then.

As amazing and wonderful this is, it poses certain issues. First of all, he is 6 weeks old. so, he doesn't need her the way she needs him. Newborns are ALWAYS with the mom, and when he wants to wander, she follows and tries to pick him up. She is not good at this. She bites too hard or in the wrong place. Also, she has to wear a sattelite dish, so he can't be put with her in her crate because she accidentally pins him with it and he yelps. She doesn't mean to, it's just in the way and she usually gets him by the neck. Another reason, even though he is weaned off of milk, he will still go for a nipple if he gets to one. Even though she does have milk and this wouldn't be a problem, that is wear her stiches are, and kittens knead when they nurse. That equals a bad situation. Especially since she is shaved there and access is more than easy.

what I had to do was get one of my extra rabbit cages, get it all set up for him and put it right in front of the crate so the gates are face to face and they can smell eachother. Tuss doesn't like this. She wants her baby and keeps taking off the sattelite even though I keep putting it back on and tightening it.

When i take her out to put it back on, she goes ape shit looking for him, even though he's in the cage (he has water and a litter box in there, as well as one of those shirts and a toy mouse). It doesn't even matter that i gave her her pain meds, she runs around like a lunatic meowing her head off. when she gets to the cage and see's that he's there, she tries to get him.

Actually, right now is the first time she has settled down a bit. He was actually climbing the cage to try to get to her as well. It really is the most amazing thing, but she needs to rest and heal, and since he is 6 weeks and not a newborn, he will not need her the way she will need him. I see the issues that will come of this, but, whatever happens, we can work through it.

she has to go back in tomorrow at 7 am to have the stitches looked at. I'm going to see if they can give her some kind of tranquilizer so this won't be an issue every night while she heals and a better satellite that won't come off so easily.

All in all.....she has her baby now. No, it doesn't take away from the loss of the one she carried inside her, but she knew she had a baby and then all of a sudden it was gone.....now she has him, little nameless one...and things will work out because everything happens for a reason.