Sunday, July 03, 2005
Life is so fragile
There are a few kittens in distress this weekend.Our medical support staff and the foster coordinator are having to stay on their toes. We have so many underage kittens out in foster homes.
But a lot can happen in the time it takes for these babies to get old enough to be adopted.Kittens stop eating, have diarrhea, vomit, get upper respiratory viruses. We do our best, but so many times these babies' immune systems are just not mature enough to fight common germs.
Most of the time we are able to keep them going long enough for medicine or time to make it right, and these kittens go on to be adopted and loved felines. Sometimes, however, our best efforts do not turn the tide and we lose a baby.
It is so tough.
I left the shelter last night with three babies doing poorly. One isn't eating, one has terrible runny poop, another seems to be in pain for no identifiable reason. Dr. A. left us with medications and instructions to help support these little ones. The staff will all do their best, I know. Even though I am off today, I phone in to be sure they are still with us.
They stayed alive overnight. One of them even looks like there was never anything wrong.
So far so good.
