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poor baby:(
I just wanted to thank everyone for their sweet comments about our sweet Jesse James. Unfortunately, his time with us was very short. Only 11 days. But in that short time, he captured our hearts. He was a rescue from the county animal shelter and after 3 days home with us, and his other 2 sisters (Holly & Maggie May), he was stricken with feline distemper. Our vet, Marla Blackstone and her wonderful staff tried everything in the world to save our sweetheart, but to no avail. We miss him even today, but because of your wonderful, comforting comments, our Jesse is still alive in our hearts today. We believe that Jesse James helped send us our 2 new babies, a brother and sister, Bullet Bob and Sassy. We adopted them from Dr. Blackstone’s rescue. Again, thank you for your wonderful comments about our sweet boy! Jesse James…..
Awww, I am sorry to hear about Jesse James.
One of his sisters has the SAME name as my baby! [Maggie May] :]
i’m sorry for your loss.i wish they could of saved him
poor little jesse!!!! 🙁
Eeep! Two month ol’ kitty. 🙁 Poor little fella. I like grey kittys too.
Awwww……what a sweetie! RIP Jesse. He’ll be waiting at the rainbow bridge.
Just remember, sometimes it isn’t how long you have the kitty, it’s how well you’ve treated him. Jesse has a soft towel and a fuzzy bear… I’m sure he felt loved. Bless you for caring.
This kitten is really cute I wonder what it will look like when it gets older and it looks like it gets really good excersize good job bye now.
the kitten died. he won’t get any older!!!!!
i agree, renae. i wish he had lived to see your comment, although i never met him in person myself. i told one of my best friends that he was one of the cutest things i ever saw, and that it was a shame that he hadn’t lived past his 2 month old b-day.
Oh dear…what happened to sweet little Jesse?
It doesn’t matter how long we have them, we still love and miss them forever.
May the memories of your short ime with Jesse fill the whole left by his leaving, may they be happy and loving. Rest well, Jesse, your beloved human will see you again.
Oh, how sad! I hope he had a good life, short as it was. 🙁
What a sweetheart! Hope your time with him was enjoyable…sorry he had to leave so soon.
Oh dear, that is so sad. I lost an eight month old foster baby to FIP a few months ago, and there is just no end to the tears… Warm thoughts for Jesse and you…
Only two months?? Poor little guy. I’m sure he is in Heaven now because he is angelic. Hugs and kisses to Jesse.
Jesse is in the arms of the angels, waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge. Bless you for loving him during his short stay here…
CatRancher–thanks for caring! I’ve felt pretty cruddy the last few days—sorry I’ve been “absent”….
Dee, so sorry you have been under the weather. I hope you feel better soon.
Glad you’re back with us….lots of nasty viruses going around here in Iowa, a bit early in the season it seems..hope you are feeling Mucho better!
Thanks, CatRancher. Sorry to sound maudlin, but I think I feel worse “emotionally” than physically. I’m realizing that I’m kind of a fish out of water at my job, and people whom I thought were my friends, were not. As you all know, I’m sensitive about these things. It really stings. Plus, I’m thinking about looking for a different job, and I’m just not ready….
So sorry you lost him – he looks lovely.
a horrible, horrible shame!! So sorry for your loss.
How heartbreaking to lose such a beautiful kitten at such a very young age. Though his time here on earth was very short, we hope it was filled with love and that you have some beautiful memories of him to treasure always. Sweet Jessie. may you rest in peace in the arms of angels.
Oh so sad for your loss. He looks sweet and wise beyond his sort time here.
Oh, gosh…unbearable, UNBEARABLE to think of! Poor, dear J. James – breaking hearts instead of laws! But you’ll see him again, with that same wondering expression, wondering what took you so long (sniff).
What a sweetheart!! RIP Jesse James!! I just love those big green eyes!! XOXOXOXOXO
~ j
OK… in tears here…. So glad he was loved.
What a beautiful, angelic little boy. We can all empathize with your sorrow.
What a gorgeous boy! I’m so sorry for your loss…but that kitty knew he was LOVED!!!
Awww, poor little thing to die so young.
Oh, poor kitty!!!! What happened to him? I hope he’s chasing his tail (or taking a nice nap — naps are very important) in Kitty Heaven right now.
How sad – he was beautiful. RIP little Jesse.
It’s a shame to see such a cutie had such a short life.
interesting article….
*Your Bi-Lingual Kitty*
Adult cats, living apart from humans, have very clear communication with one another. It is spoken mostly through scent, then through facial expression, complex body language, and touch.
Vocal communication involves caterwauls for mating, chattering upon spotting prey, hissing to ward off an intruder, or shrieking when hurt or terrified. Meowing is not part of this language. Meow-ese, it would seem, is a language developed exclusively for humans.
The only meowing in the cat world is done between mom cat and her young kittens. A kitten’s tiny “mew” is a cute, endearing sound, used to solicit attention and care from mom cat.
So why do cats have two “languages?” Because meowing is unnecessary in a cat’s world. But in your world, your pet cat is dependent on you, and quickly learns that you are clearly not picking up the scent messages she leaves on your things, and you are not completely fluent in cat body language.
The disarming “meow” however gets you to do what she wants and so that develops into a second language. Some scientists would go so far as to say that cats have refined their meows specifically to manipulate people. We have to admit it works.
Cats have dozens of meow sounds that vary in pitch, length and volume. Most cat owners learn the language easily. A short, high-pitched meow is a standard “Hello!” Several of those strung together mean “You’re home! Yea!!!”
Cats use pleasant meow sounds to solicit requests for food, to go outside or to simply get attention. Your cat learns which meow is going to get the results he wants. You may find that the meows that tug at your heartstrings the most are the ones your cat is using for pleas such as, “pet me.”
Cats use unpleasant, harsher, louder meows for demands, reprimands or to express annoyance. These meows have a lower pitch and are not all that cute. Cats know not to use ugly meows to seek a favor–because you’re unlikely to comply with such rudeness.
Meow-ese seems to be generally understood by “cat people.” Dr. Nicholas Nicastro, Ph.D., who did his thesis on humans’ ability to understand meows, found that people who own cats were far better at understanding the meaning of meows than people that don’t. Dr. Nicastro recorded hundreds of meows cats used in real settings with their owners. He had people listen to the meows, then asked what they thought the cats were conveying.
Part of the experiment asked general interpretations (Does the cat sound angry or pleasant?) and part were more specific translations (Is this cat asking for food or does he want you to go away?).
Not surprising, the more experience the people had with cats, the better they were at understanding meows – those who had no cat experience scored very low. People who owned cats could correctly translate 40% of the meows. That’s pretty remarkable considering the respondents did not have the benefit of seeing the cat. Normally, when a cat meows, we get more clues to its meaning from the context in which the cat is speaking (by the door, near a dirty litter box, time of day, etc.) and from body language.
It’s kind of nice to think your kitty has gone to the effort to learn a second language to communicate with you. Sure, she did it mostly out of necessity, but also out of affection. She wouldn’t meow just for your attention if she didn’t enjoy a relationship with you.
The Meaning Behind the Meows
Your cat uses the basic meow in several variations in many situations. Even though there is a distinct “demand meow” for example, your cat may have separate variations for each of his regular demands. If you watch what your cat is doing when he meows, and listen carefully, you may learn to distinguish the demand meows, and eventually know the difference between his “let me out” demand and his “give me food” demand by sound alone.
Short meow or mew: Standard greeting. “Hello!”
Multiple meows or mews: Excited greeting. “Great to see you!”
Mid-pitch meow: Plea for something. “I’d like to eat.”
Drawn-out mrrroooow: Demand for something. “Open the door NOW.”
Low pitch MRRRooooowww: Complaint of a wrong you have done. “Hey – my bowl is still empty!”
High-pitch RRRROWW!: Anger or pain. “That’s my TAIL you just stepped on!”
See? No wonder we missed you so much! What a great article. It’s soooo true, like understanding your (human) baby’s cries… we know our furr babies cries, too. I used to have two Siamese sisters, Chee-Chee and Chee-Choy, when I was a teenager, and they just talked for talking’s sake, I think. They were such chatty-cats!
I think that you are right on with your analysis of cat language. Have you seen the Tidy Cat commercial where the cat cannot find her litter box? She searches on the computer with “not found” results and calls “information” and is not understood. Each time she gives a meow that expresses her distress perfectly. I love that commercial.
As for job troubles, I understand that completely. I just left a career that I hated and my hatred of it poisoned all my efforts to function well with my co-workers. Is there anything that you love to do that you can earn money at? Work relationships will go much more smoothly with that.
How sad it now reminds me of my kittys liter she had on june 7. the first of 3 died dering berth. *snife*
oh no, now I’m crying at work…poor sweet baby. I’m so sorry. I know you took good care of your beautiful angel Jesse…only two months old. I’ll say a little prayer for all of you. Na
*Gone too soon FUZZ
Baby in blue FUZZ*
Poor little Jesse James! Such a beautiful little grey tabby and such big round eyes. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Poor Little Jesse. 🙁 He’ll get his little wings now. An Angel Cat he will be.
O
^ ^
( – – )
>o< Sorry, I tried to make a cat with a halo. My heart was in it. It's for Little Jesse.
I’m sure he has gone to be with Bast. Sorry for your loss.
Hi,
Your kitty is soo cute.How many do you have?Is it just Jesse James?
Even though i didn’t know him I miss him so much!! :’-(
Sad story, but a sweet li’l angel.
My sympathies to Jesse’s family.
🙁
Sweet angel! Such a lovely boy with big beautiful eyes!
We love you!
*Lawless FUzz*
This is too sad. I love all the kitties in the world even without meeting them. Hope he had a good life the short time he was here on earth. Sorry for your loss 🙁
thats so sad
I bet Jesse is having a wonderful time playing kitty games with my Scooter and Ghost, who were just about his age when I lost them.
What a sweet sweet Jesse. RIP Jesse. I know how hard it is to loose a loved baby no matter how long you have had them. As I just lost a loved dog two days ago.
I am sorry to hear about your precious little purr baby. We just lost our older cat and I totally understand your pain. 🙁
Oh how sad! He was such a cute little fluff!
I am so sorry for your loss. JJ sure had a wonderful life with someone so caring for the short time he was here.
He was adorable and lovey dove.
Aww.. I am so sorry, he was adorable. It is so hard to lose a pet, even if you only had him for a short time. It’s great to know you cared for him so dearly. This makes me so sad 🙁
Too sweet for this earth, play hard at the Rainbow Bridge, little Jesse.
What happened to Jesse James he was such an adorable kitten? We have 21 cats & 3 dogs probably soon to be 4 inside. I’m tryin
I know how much they are hurting by loosing ther kitten i had to put my two cats to sleep a few months ago. They were 15 years old one had cancer and one s kidney failed him they were my babys. Bless u fer taking care of jesse.
So sad to know sweet Jesse James left too soon. A year ago I had to put my Heidi to sleep & even though I adopted two 3 year-old female cats from the shelter in Nov., I still miss dear Heidi every day. She was my dear friend for 11 years & I still haven’t gotten over losing her. It hurts less & less but I know she will fill that space in my heart every day I live. I can’t imagine losing a blessing like Jesse James after having him in your life such a short time.
My good thoughts are with you & I thank you for sharing your loss. Your sad story will only make me appreciate & love my cat babies every day I spend with them.
Lucy & Katie’s Mom
My apologies. I thought that I was replying to an individual, not posting a comment. The appropriate comment is, of course, concerning sweet little Jesse. I’m sure that he is keeping my sweet little foundling company at the Rainbow Bridge. Luckily her three siblings found wonderful homes after I fostered them.
Bless his sweet little heart. This made me teary-eyed. How unfair for him to have such a short life – but I’m glad he had a cozy home and was well-loved. This is a nice way to honor him.
What a precious little baby! Too cute to be called Jesse James. Please don’t be too sad for he’s in heaven with Jesus and the angels.
poor baby! at least you loved him for his happy but short life. he knew you loved him. what happened to this little guy?
awww Jesse James is gorgeous. love the expressive eyes and gray coloring…bless his little heart.
i was a bad putty tat! fuzz
oops! sorry only looking at his expression didn’t realize he passed. God Bless Him!
You will always have a sweet picture to remember him by. What a sweet kittie. 🙁
What a sweet looking baby!! I’m so sorry you lost him WAY too soon.
I know what it’s like. I’ve had and lost a lot of cats in my life but we never expect to lose a baby.
I lost my little Whipsey at 13 months (a guess, she was a rescue) and I’ve NEVER been so bereft at the loss of a cat.
Maybe they’re playing together on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. Whipsey can teach Jesse to play fetch and how to dismember a toy mouse!
i love your kitten!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just looove your cat!!!!!!!
I am so sorry 4 ur loss.A couple years ago my cat named voodoo ran away and i found her the next day and she had got ran over by a truck.Every time i think about any cats dying i cry.He was a beatiful and neither of u deserved him to die.
my kitty, Lola Leclaw, who was my only baby for 19 1/2 years, died on June 12th of lynphatic cancer. I held her in my arms as she died, I’m sure it must have been just as difficult with Jessie. my heart goes out to you… Barry
I juhis sitest wanted to thank with all my heart and soul the person who created this site; Its a work of art; and I feel it was made with love; I have 11 cats and one bunny and one pot belly pig and a german shepherd; I’m so blessed I’m here with all of you;my new family;Please keep in touch; Love to hear from you all; I love animals; God LOve you all Sincerely Fred
The kittens in this website are so cute! I wish I could have them. My family has 4 cats named Missy, Mia, Sassy, and Sweet Pea. We also have 2 dogs named Cody and Buddy. I went to visit my cousins in Danbury and saw a 4-6 week old black kitten. I almost died because she was so cute! I wanted to take her home but she was still suckling, so I have to wait until she gets a little older.
I just love animals. I’m in my last year of high school and am graduating early. I am hoping to get a scholarship or a grant soon because I am eligible from a financial aid thing called Edifi. I want to go to a university and major in veterinary medicine to become either a veterinarian or vet assistant. 🙂
Oh he so cute but that poor thing
i want him so bad or is it a girl
cats are my favorite animal
aww poor baby… I had one just show up at my home… I felt sorry… as seeing I have 3 cats of my own… I feed him and bathed him( he didn’t even cry) because he was filled with fleas… but now he is gone… no-one has seen him… I couldn’t keep him… I would have if I could…but my other cats didn’t like it…
Sorry for you loss… we all miss them no matter how old they are.
It was just a baby 🙁 Atleast he knew what it felt like to be loved!
I don’t know what I’m going to do when that day comes… I’ve had my 2 girls since they were four weeks old.. They’re now 5… When I sleep, they sleep, etc… I don’t know what I’d do if they leave me… And that’s the God’s truth… 🙁 Sorry for your loss………….
I just wanted to thank everyone for their sweet comments our our sweet Jesse James. Unfortunately, his time with us was very short. Only 11 days. But in that short time, he captured our hearts. He was a rescue from the county animal shelter and after 3 days home with us, and his other 2 sisters (Holly & Maggie May), he was stricken with feline distemper. Our vet, Marla Blackstone and her wonderful staff tried everything in the world to save our sweetheart, but to no avail. We miss him even today, but because of your wonderful, comforting comments, our Jesse is still alive in our hearts today. We believe that Jesse James helped send us our 2 new babies, a brother and sister, Bullet Bob and Sassy. We adopted them from Dr. Blackstone’s rescue. Again, thank you for your wonderful comments about our sweet boy! Jesse James…..
I think…………..I’m going to cry!!!!!! :'(
Ive had in my life 26 kittens (im not joking, i have a taly chart) and 14 of them passed away. I going to need a heart donor now because as each kitten dies I feel a great chunk of my heart rip out, I’m so sorry for your loss.
I Just Lost my 8 weeks Old Kitten to Feline DIstemper , i had gotten her from a pet shop and i fell in love with her the moment i saw her , i gave her all the love she needed but i guess it couldnt cure her , i was in the Pet Hospital yesterday until 10 pm and we had to put her to sleep at 9 pm , she was in agony and hypothermic, low almost no sugar in her system , completely dehydrated although i really tried to make her better at home , i just am blaming myself maybe i could have done more , loosing her was awfull , i didnt have her for more then 5 days but she knew how to make someone love her i feel i lost a child she meant so much to me the house is empty now life seems harsh that such a beautifull and pure Kitten that is so affectionnate and lovely can Die in such a harsh way , i keep asking myself was it me maybe i didnt do enough maybe i should have done something earlier…..please help me get over this , its so painfull i am unable to do anything all i can remember is her face and how she looked at me in her last hour , i miss her so “Abby” you were the light in my day , the reason i wanted to wake up in the morning you are missed and will be forever…We Love you ( me and My BF) We tried to save you but we failled we’re sorry……i am so hurt someone help me
Dear Ramia –
I’m so sorry for your loss. It may sound like an empty comment but it isn’t. I feel very deeply for what you are going through. Please don’t blame yourself; you did not fail her. Pleasr remember that your baby was loved very much and that speaks volumns. Abby will occupy a space in your heart forever that cannot ever be taken away. In her short life, she has shown you true love. Why this all happens is something we all will know when it is time, though it doesn’t make any sense now. Please remember that you have friends here at TDK to turn to for comfort. Please check back and let Kittenmaster know how you are doing. My thoughts, prayers and positive energy are with you.
Your TDK friend,
Joan
The words fail me. I hope someone more eloquent than I can relieve your sorrow. All I can say is it was not your fault. It was too late for you to do anything, the petshop or the breeder should have vaccinated the little one. And even then she might have passed away.
At least she doesn’t suffer any more and if there is a better place after death she will be there like the other innocent and pure hearted ones. You offered her love and care in her last days and gave her an easy death. There was nothing more you could have done.
Let the sorrow take its time. The grief and pain will slowly ease. When the time is right you may meet another kitten and provide him/her a good life.
Virtual hugs to you!
i’m so sorry to hear about that. i’m sure her 5 days with you were happier than the time she had at the pet shop. you gave her love and kindness and she knew that.
Dear Ramia,
Please don’t blame yourself. It was not your fault that the poor baby was ill. When you brought her home how were you to know she was ill. No one expects something as awful as distemper and of course you didn’t know the signs. You gave the baby love which is the best you could have done under the circumstances.
Please know that we are all feeling your intense pain of loss and pray that your sense of guilt will lessen. Talk to the vet and I’m sure you will be told there was nothing you could have done that would have made a difference. Your love was the most you could give and you gave it in abundance.
Ramia, I am so sorry for your loss. I am glad your little one knew she was loved, that is such an important thing. Please know you did all you could. Sometimes everything is just not going to be enough. You sound like someone who loves very deeply and I really hope you can find a way to share that love with another kitten sometime, there are so many that need our love. Give yourself a little time to mourn and heal. I don’t care how long you had Abby, nothing makes the loss of a family member easy. I’ll be keeping you in my prayers.
Oh my dear Ramia, DO NOT blame yourself! You did everything you could.
OH Ramia!
The love you have for little Abby shines through in the words you’ve written. If that can bring tears to my eyes over the internet, I can only imagine the warm love she felt with you for her short time here. You truly did everything for her that you could. You didn’t fail her, you gave her peace and love like she would not otherwise have known.
Ramia, I’m sorry you lost your kitten in such a distressing way. Feline distemper is unstoppable once it gets a grip in such a young kitten. You did your best for her and It’s clear that for the short time she was with you, she had lots of love. It hurts like hell now, but one day not too far away you will be able to think of little Abby and smile that at the joy she brought you and your boyfriend. Take care, both of you 🙂
You’re right, it is such a waste that a precious and lovely kitten can be lost to the world, and how painful it must be to lose her so soon. But you saw her there when she had no-one else and you chose her, and you loved her, and she loved you. I’m sure you did everything you could for her, and she was lucky to have you.
Please take care of yourself while the hurt is so strong. And in time I hope it will get less and you will remember, not the pain of the ending, but the days you had together which were happier.
Sending you and your boyfriend every good wish.
I am so sorry for your loss as well. Others have said it and I will repeat that it is not your fault your kitten was sick. You obviously loved her very much and did what you could. I am sure that she knows that and knows how much she was loved. Sometimes we feel so helpless in the face of an ill pet. They cannot talk to us and tell us that something is wrong; by the time we figure it out it is often too late and we question ourselves, but we do (and you did) all we can do to help them. I hope time will heal the pain you are going through right now.
Ramia, You had the kindness in your heart to welcome the little one into your home, comfort her and love her. There was no way you could have known she had distemper. The pain will take some time to heal, but please know you did the best anybody could have done for her.
Oh sweetie, my heart breaks for you, but know that God has a special place in Heaven for Abby.
Ramia, I am sorry for your loss of your sweet kitty. You were lucky to have her for the short amount of time and were blessed with knowing how to love her and take care of her. It sounds as though she was already sick when you got her. When your heart heals and that will take time, find another kitten to come into your life. No matter how long or short the time was, you gave your kitten so much love and care and I am sure it knew it. There is a hotline number you can call at UC Davis if you feel the need to talk to someone live. You can find the number and info at http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/petloss/
Take care and know we are all here for you. A big hug to you.
I’m so sorry. You did everything you could, and when you could do nothing else, you kept her from suffering any longer. It’s the hardest thing to do! Yet it’s one of the greatest gifts you could have given her.
Please, after you’ve had time to grieve for your poor little kitten, and want to help another, consider visiting your local shelter to see if there’s a kitten who needs a home.
Peace.
Ramia,
I looked up the statistics on feline distemper. 75% of kittens under the age of 16 weeks do not survive, despite the best of care. 50% of those over 16 weeks do not make it. With a virus like this there really wasn’t much that you could have done. One thing that you need to consider is if you would not have taken Abby she would have died alone and in her cage at the pet store. I’ve seen far too many sick animals in pet stores that are left untreated, and in one case I even took a kitten to the vet for them when the store refused to treat it. But your Abby had her final days in a loving household and didn’t die alone. You did provide for her greatest need.
What you may want to think about doing now is check out the pet store and the breeder. Are they selling other sick kittens? What are they doing about correcting this situation? Does the store need to be reported? Does the Breeder? You may feel less like Abby died in vain if you can help prevent another kitten from getting sick.
God Bless and you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Oh golly Ramia….I soooo know your pain and I am so sorry!!
((vitual hugs))
We just lost a horse tragically and I too felt I had not done enough. I don’t know that anyone ever feel any differently. Our 4 legged companions are like children to all of us here on this site. Please know that you did do everthing humanly possible for your furr-baby and that she knows that and loves you for it. If you have any pics, make your baby a Catster page (click on my name in pink above to get there). There are also a lot of groups on Catster that address the loss and pain you are feeling right now. Those very groups helped and are helping me with the loss of my horse.
Best wishes and moe ((virtual hugs))
>^..^
I am sooooo sorry for the loss of your kitten! You did everything you could, please believe that. Feline distemper is a nasty disease…I almost lost a big strong ADULT cat to it many years ago. No way could a tiny kitten body withstand it!
You gave Abby much love, and she knew it. She’s at the Rainbow Bridge with my Shadow now (who’s been there for only 2 weeks) and thanking you for letting her go. Grieve all you need to, then honor Abby’s memory by getting another kitty to love.
Ramia, I am so sorry for your loss of your beloved Abby. You did nothing wrong and you need to stop blaming yourself. The little one was not meant to be here long. She came to you to be loved, if only for a little while. And you did that. I know it’s hard to understand right now, but you made Abby’s life her the best it could be. I send you and your b/f much love and comfort to get you through these trying days ahead. Remember, it was in God’s hands from the very beginning. God Bless.
**HUGS**
I’m so sorry for the loss of your sweet kitten…do not blame yourself the disease is a quick and ruthless killer. although yor time was short, she was loved, something vital to our pets, and had the best care and your affection to transition to the world beyond. I know that its a sad time for you, but it will get better. Much love coming your way.
once a kitten or puppy has distemper there is just not much you can do…so please dont blame yourself. I have most often seen this situation happen with pets bought from pet stores. Your kitty was probably already sick when you bought her.
I am so sorry for your loss and it is okay to be upset and grieve. But dont blame yourself. Speak to your vet about the best way to find a healthy kitten when you are ready to have a new baby to love.
I am so sorry for your loss.
hon, sooo sorry about your kitty. You did all you could and loved her like no one else i am sure. She is at rainbrow bridge waiting for you..
I was so sorry to learn of the beloved kitten that was only with you five days. You are not to blame, and probably spent a great deal of money on her final care. Someone neglected the proper vaccinations and care before you even got her. Some little spirits are so special they only need to taste of mortality to be ready for heaven… She is blessed that she had you for her final days. My best, Judi
Ramia, You helped that poor kitten know love. What a wonderful gift you gave Abby.
Your Abby loves you still from the Rainbow Bridge… She knows you love her as well.
I suspect we all remember with pain the first time we lose a pet. Eventually we go on and even love again. Each new one brings new joy to our lives. When you are able, please check out your local shelter and try again.
Please accept my sincerest regrets. Robert Frost observed “We love the things we love for what they are.” The depth of your love for this small creature, and the response your loss has elicited here on this special site, prove what profound contributions a pet can make in one’s life. The efforts you made for Abby say it all. My guess is, she was so special, her immediate presence at the Rainbow Bridge wa required. She will be waiting for you and loving you for your love for her.
Thanks to all of you for bieng so supportive i am reading your comments and i cant stop crying , i am currently at work and i am unable to work all i can remember is her and how she looked at me just before she died , i have never lost a dear person before and yes to me she was a wonderfull “person” she had a personnality of her own my BF and i loved her more then we have ever loved anything before we felt that she was like our child and loosing a child hurts so much i dont know how i can describe the pain , i am just wondering , if i had taken her to the hospital earlier maybe they would have tested her while she still had some strenght , when i last saw her she was incubated and not able to move just able to look at me and when my BF stayed with her inside until she was gone she looked at him and right before she took her last breath she mowed at him , i just dont want her to think i gave up on her cause i didnt and i said it to her while she was in the little box right before she died i told her i loved her and that i would have wanted her to be stronger then that and that i am not giving up on her its because i love me ….this kills i am in so much pain i cant describe it.
(((((HUGS)))))))
Oh Ramia, There is no need to describe your pain, so many of us have been there, saying goodbye to our fur babies. On this site, we understand the agony and self doubt. Abby was infected before you got her. Either she wasn’t vaccinated, or, as in some very few cases, it didn’t work. You tried to save her, and gave her the final gift any loving pet parent can give. Once the kitten was ill with this awful disease, there was nothing to be done. Abby was too compromised, too young to fight it. Please allow yourself time to mourn. When you are ready, go to a shelter, and let another cat choose you, and go on. You have the makings of a fine cat person!
Ramia,
I know exactly how you feel. Once you fall in love with a furbaby the length of time you have them doesn’t matter. There are people here who lose their babies at 17-21 years. Some like you, have a very short but, beautiful time. The pain is the same. I had a rescue who was blind in his one eye. After 10 years he developed a “sinus/allergy” condition. We did everything in the world to that baby including surgery thinking we were helping him. He had cancer all that time. He died after his last surgery. I’ve been devastated for over a year thinking I could never love another baby as I loved him. I cared for the ones I still had, but he was my “heart cat”.
Then I found this place, these incredible people and suddenly my house is full with a 1 yr old who nearly lost a leg from Tn and a tiny 7 month old terror that my vet foisted on us and a 9 yr old beauty from Colorado who looks like a long-haired version of my lost baby. She will join us next weekend. Once again we are laughing at their antics, playing with toys, shoving them over in bed. And we are recovering from a year of frozen emotion.
Now is your time to grieve. Honor Abby and yourself. Then understand that your love is still in your heart to give and there will be a baby who needs it. Then know that we are all working to the best of our abilities, the vets, their staff, and we as parents. You can’t give anything more and you can’t have power over life and death. Mother Nature takes the sick and weak ones back. Know that we are here for you. We are many and we are strong and caring and can help you bear a lot of your burden.
Some kitties are never lucky enough to even know the kind of love that you gave your Abby. She was very lucky to have you even if it was for a short period of time. I have had to do the same thing but only with a german shepherd dog that I had for 4 years. Whenever the vet told me I would need to put him to “sleep” it was one of the hardest things I had to do. After 10 years I still have his picture out. I think it is a natural thing to question if we did enough for our babies even if we had no control over the situation and deep down we know that everything we could do was done. Time has a way of making things easier to deal with your loss but you don’t have to forget the time you had with her. Your loss is felt with all of us who have gone through the same thing. My deepest sympathy for you.
It was NOT your fault—as others have said, it was the pet shop’s fault for not having her vaccinated. Please turn this into a positive and have that shop shut down. You will love again in time, but go to a reputable shelter that vaccinates and save a life. Prayers & hugs.
Ramia, please call the UC Davis Pet Support Hotline tonight. Here is the information: Hotline number: (800) 565-1526
Hours: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday (Pacific Standard Time / PST)
Summer Hours: 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm Tuesday through Thursday (PST)
I remember how much I grieved when I lost a pet. It took me completely by surprise. It helps to be able to talk to someone who understands how painful this is.
Abby will be waiting for you in perfect health at the Rainbow Bridge where our furry family members go when they pass on. She was needed there and may have gone to make a way for another furry child to come into your life. God Bless!
I just came back and found your second message, which made me cry as much as the first one did. I feel so sorry for you. You sound like such a lovely person, and Abby knew that too. Don’t be afraid that she thought you gave up on her – she simply loved you and was happy that you and your boyfriend were there with her, I’m sure. You didn’t desert her. You gave her everything you had to give, and you made her little life as good as it could possibly be. You have nothing to reproach yourself for.
I hope there’s someone there to give you a hug, ‘cos it sounds like you need one.
I’ve lost two cats. I know it hurts. I’ve never forgotten them, but I promise you the pain will ease, eventually. And I have a third cat, Daisy, who couldn’t be nicer. I love her to bits.
Be gentle with yourself. Give yourself the time and space you need to say your goodbyes to Abby. You will come through this.
I too know the pain you are going through right now.
When we had to put our 11 yr old Hootie down due to
advanced cancer we were so upset and had a hole in
our hearts that you could drive a semi through. My
hubby made a powerpoint presentation of Hootie’s life
with us complete with every pic we ever took of Hootie,
he said, “Ok, let’s go to the Humane Society and have
some little critter pick us out.” So we did and now are
owned by a ginger cat named Sammy.
Hootie is still in our hearts but we can still have room
enough for our Sammy.
God Bless you.
Dear Ramia,
What a wonderful ending to such a short life. You gave her all the love so her passing wasn’t frightening it was filled with a kind caring person sharing her love with her.
I am conctantly on this site to read the wonderfull words you are all kindly posting and i appreciate it so much, i just wish she was still here alive hugging me like she used to and following me around sleeping next to me at night when i had to go to work she would start miawing and that would break my heart i feel like i let her down and she left me all alone in my sadness and sorrow , i miss her presence near me her comforting breathing sound that let me feel she is happy and alive …..i regret not taking her body but i had nowhere to burry her i got her incinerated by group cause it was the cheapest option i didnt have money on me i maxed out my credit card i wish i had enough money to at least try to treat her or at least give her a proprer funeral/burrial i love her so much and i always will my life feels empty without her she left a big empty whole in my heart she took it with her and i just wish a miracle would have happend i kept hoping she will suddenly be better but no it wasnt the case ..i am sorry for maybe boring you with all this but i have so much pain inside and hurt that i need to let it out i cannot describe how much she meant to be she was my baby girl my kitty kat my Abby……and always will be she is missed and always will be forever no one can ever take her place in my heart she is the desrest if i can say baby or child to my heart…..i know she is up there watching over me and i hope she knows how i miss her and love her and hope for her to recover but in vain.
Dear Ramia –
You are not boring any one here. We need to keep hearing from you so we can help you deal with how you are feeling, as most of us know the pain all too well.
Sweet Baby Abby knows you love and miss her and when you look deep inside your heart, this you know. My sincerest condolences to you.
Your TDK friend,
Joan
If you get an older kitten from a shelter that has had its shots you should be OK. Please know we are here for you, you are NOT boring us! I am here at work with tears running down my face, feeling your pain. NO, it never goes away, but another kitten somewhere deserves to have someone like you love him/her also, I can feel you have so much love to give. “Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.” God bless and I know our babies at the Bridge have welcomed your Abby and are taking care of her for you until one day you can be reunited.
Oh Ramia, I wish I was there to help you through your pain. I understand your loss and sorrow over losing your child, friend and companion. As I had mentioned earlier and someone also mentioned…call the UC Davis Pet Loss help line. I think if you talk with someone about it they can help ease your pain. UC Davis is well know for it’s veternarian school. The know first hand about taking care of animals. As Kitten Whisper said:
please call the UC Davis Pet Support Hotline tonight. Here is the information: Hotline number: (800) 565-1526
Hours: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday (Pacific Standard Time / PST)
Summer Hours: 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm Tuesday through Thursday (PST)
Please call them tonight. In the meantime, I hope you can find some solace in knowing that your fur baby came into your life and that you did the best you could. I know when I lost my Whiskers to chronic kidney disease, I too thought about what I could have done differently or better for her. I found solace in the fact that she had a good life with me and that she taught me unconditional love. It seems your Abby has taught you the same unconditional love in a very short time. You were definitely blessed. Hugs to you and your Bf.
Ramia, please, please stop second guessing yourself. You had a new baby with no idea of the distemper. Of course with hind sight you now know Abby had a disease, but you did not know before. Just remember you did your best and nothing different than any one of us would have done under the same circumstances.
I feel so sad for you and your boyfriend and I really do understand your pain and grief. I can remember when my husband and I sat on our front porch sobbing over the loss of our first and beloved dog Pookie. It hurts so horribly you think you will never feel whole again, but with time I promise you will.
Take the time with your boyfriend to console and cry together. The hard sobbing may last for days or weeks, but eventually they will ease and your life will start anew. Your heart will mend with a tiny little scar made by a baby named Abby. When you start to mend, and feel like you can open up your heart again, go to a shelter and let another little baby pick you to be its “mommy”.
Ramia, you clearly have a whole lotta love to give and Abby was blessed by that fact. Please, when you feel strong enough, go visit your local shelter and adopt another fur-baby.. So many out there need someone like you!!
((More hugs!!))
for the next year i cant adopt because the vet advised me that the Virus stays alive in the house and everything that Abby touched for 1 years at leats and that means that another cat can actually get sick so until we move out of this House we cant get a New one , but for now we are hurt and we need time to heal from Loosing Abby ..the love of our life…..to us no other Cat can be her but maybe one day when we are ready to let go we will have a new Cat in the meantime i will Have Abby’s Name and Face tatooed on my Body to keep her close.
Ramia –
Please know that I feel very deeply for you and your bf. All of the other commenters have said the same things I am feeling – you gave her love and cared for her and her little life was destined to be short. In time you will understand the lessons that she came to you to teach you. She was in your life for a reason, and as your grief eases, you will find peace learned from having done the absolute best that was possible for ANYONE to do.
And do consider getting another kitten some day – you may not love the new one exactly the same way, but you will love it, nonetheless. Mothers rarely love all of their children exactly the same, and that is part of the joy of having kids. Same with pets.
Stay with us – we are alll here to help each other.
Here is some information that may be helpful to you in understanding distemper and how to get rid of it:
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_feline_distemper.html
The feline distemper virus amounts to a single strand of DNA surrounded by a protein coating. It is extremely stable in the environment, which leads to its characterization as “ubiquitous.†It can last a year indoors at room temperature. It survives freezing as well as treatment with such common disinfectants as alcohol and iodine. Fortunately a 10 minute bleach (diluted 1 part bleach in 32 parts water) exposure will kill it. Virtually every cat will be exposed to this virus.
Kitten Whisperer, i notices in the link after reading it that if i had hospitalised her she might have survived? do u know if she had good chances ? the Vet told me no due to the fact that she is so small and weak and fragile is that true so did i do the right thing ?
Ramia, I can answer for Kitten Whisperer, and NO, even if she had been hospitalized immediately after you bought her, she was too young to survive this disease. She had a seriously compromised immune system, from the virus. She was probably exposed to it in utero. There was nothing you could have done, more than you did do. Perhaps you could try and find out about her littermates, mother, where she came from. There must be some other very sick cats there. When I got my cat Cinders from a pet store, the store didn’t sell kittens, they just accepted litters, displayed them in a front window, and for a small donationhj to the ASPCA, you got a kitten. In that situation, I couldn’t have gotten information. If the pet store sold her to you, they have to have info to some extent.
I agree with Mom to Tiga and the gang. No one could have saved Abby. Please stop beating yourself up over this. I don’t mean that you should stop grieving but a person can become overwhelmed by guilt and at some point it could be unhealthy for you. No one here (and there are many, many experienced cat owners on this website) blames you in any way for Abby’s death. Please forgive yourself for not being able to control circumstances that were beyond any human’s control. I hope that makes sense!
Please keep posting. You are a welcome member to TDK whether you currently have a cat or not.
Ramia,
***HUGS***
I am sorry for you loss….maybe the Vet can suggest some pet that would be sutiable for your home….
I know how you feel,I had a beautiful grey cat that I raised from birth and hand feed every 2 hours ;he lived healthy untill he was 4 yrs. old then got infested with fleas,that we did not know about untill he stoped eating and drinking water and was barely breathing. we rushed him to the vet but it was to late he died in his daddy’s arms as I could not go with him because of my being confined to a wheelchair and we had no ramp to put the chair in the car.the chair is one of those big hoveround eletric chairs.
The cats name was Destiny,because I almost lost him when he was just born because he stoped breathing ,and I worked on him and told him it was his destiny to live and be my little son.As he grew up he learned to talk real words from my placing my lips on his and repeating the word or words i wanted him to learn.the only thing was that as he spoke no sound came out you could just see the words formed on his lips,just like a deaf mute would talk.His vocabulary was :I love you mommy,Please,Thank you,More please,and I want down(he said that when I was holding him and he wanted down). Everyone that saw him do this just could not believe their eyes .I also blamed myself for the longest time and thought if only I had taught him to say help me fleas hurt, or just help me,maybe he could have warned me to get him help earlier.but the vet that knew him said it was amazing he could say the things he did say,and that he only learned them because he loved me so much.Since then I’ve got 4 boy cats,and 3 girl cats,and 4 new babies.We just had a little feral 8 week old grey boy kitten come into my shelter,and my ferral little tuxedo girls have come down with what would be equivelent to a cold or the flu in humans,and are sneezing and having a hard time breathing, but we’ve got them on clavamox and already they are breathing better and eating and drinking water again.so I’ m
hoping they will make it.We also have to wear gloves and hospital gowns when we care for them so we don’t infect our new born and our new little grey kitten that we just got,we are also keeping them separate in another part of the house.So i need your prayers for the girls to get well.
PS;if you want to see my cats just click on my name,I don’t have any page for the new boy on the block but he has a name,it’s little hombre.
Hi there mother of Jesse
I can say i really feel you rpain. A few months back, our darling tortie of 8 yrs was diagnosed with cancer of the nose. While she was not in too much pain, the nose was being eaten away slowly. Still hale and hearty and doing her tricks, we were told there was not much hope with chemo. Eventually when the eating away of the nose got worse we had to have her put down about 3 weeks back. We are shattered. Her sister, a tuxedo is in total depression and this hurts us even more. All i can say is it will take time.
Strength to you and thank for giving him love and care.
Good Morning to All of you , yesterday i printed out all the messages you wrote to comfort me anf i had my My Bf Read them , he was surprised at how many supportive and sweet people there are out there. Thank you so much for bieng there for me. We started looking into getting a new cat at one point just because there are so many out there that dont have homes.you are all Great i am feeling a little better but i had alot of self doubt last night and i spent my evening talking and thinking about Abby and if things could have been different . I was just wondering where did you hear about the Rainbow Bridge is it real , does anyone here really beleives that i will see her again one day?! I sure hope its true.
I can’t speak about other faith based traditions, but there was something I heard from a Christian perspective that was attributed to Billy Graham that brought me great comfort. He said that God provides for our eternal happiness in the next life. And if for us to be eternally happy means that we need to see our animals again it WILL happen. I believe for me to be happy that I will see Newton, Nina, Colie, Charco, Sabrina, and my little ones still with me now, therefore I believe I will see them again!
So take hope! I have no reason not to believe that you won’t be reunited with your beloved baby. And the next time you see her she will be happy and playful and whole.
Any one here today i feel a little lonely 🙁
Please post to the current day’s kitten—we usually don’t go back to prior days. We want to keep in contact with you and let you know we are here for you!
Hi… I am reading all these well after the fact. May I suggest that you log on to thedailykitten.com and click on the current kitten of the day. There are MANY comments of all kinds going every day.
My heart goes out to you… I posted a comment to you but not on this particular string. I believe I posted it yesterday on that kitten’s page.
As far as seeing them at The Bridge: being raised Catholic we were taught that since animals don’t have a soul the do not go to heaven. Then I saw John Edward on TV about 6 years ago and read his book—–he talks to the dead and often sees the departed pets with our departed relatives. I cried with such joy to know I WILL see them when I pass–I am not afraid of death any more.
When I lose a cat I ask my Mom to please take care of him/her until I get there–Mom was the world’s greatest animal lover. It gives me such comfort and helps in my grief.
Ramia, I am very sorry that you lost your kitten!
As many others here have said, it was NOT your fault. The kitten was simply too young to survive a terrible disease such as feline distemper.
Now, it’s possible it was the *pet store’s* fault, or maybe the breeder. The mother cat should have inoculated against feline distemper. It sounds as if she probably wasn’t. Or, maybe the pet store or breeder allowed the kitten to be exposed to another cat who had distemper. Unless the kitten was a feral kitten that the pet store was giving away free, it should not have had any chances to be exposed to distemper. Someone messed up — they failed to immunize their cats like they should have — but it wasn’t you.
A friend of mine had something similar happen. She adopted a kitten that seemed healthy, but about 10 months later it developed feline leukemia and died. While my friend had her cat, it had never been exposed to the feline leukemia virus, so it must have had the virus when she got it. My friend was really grief stricken. But, it wasn’t her fault.
Dearest Abby’s Mom—- I have just check back and found all of these posts…. I am the original poster for JESSE JAMES — Jesse’s Mom. I truly understand everything you are saying. My thoughts are prayers are with you during this difficult time. Please post back and I will check to see if you are still there. It has been almost a year since we lost Jesse, but we miss him everyday, as will you.
Jesse´s Mom, I had a kitten that died short after we adopted her. She had peritonite (I don´t the name in english). We named her Aimée, it means “loved one” in french. We had to put her to sleep, to stop her suffering. What conforted me is to know that she had a home, a name and lots of love instead of living in a shelter during her short life.
omg i am so srry he is rilli rilli cue again im srry
American Veterinary Medical Association recommends kittens receive their first distemper vaccine (live vaccine) at 6-8 weeks old and followup up with another vaccine at around 12 weeks. Our shelter does not do this and I just found out they have several distemper outbreaks a year that kill numerous kittens! We must be more vigilant about this and ask our shelters their distemper vaccine policy. Our shelter ‘put down’ a whole family of 4 months old kittens I dropped off this year at our shelter and I am furious!