9-09-09

Today is the ninth month,the ninth day and the ninth year. On this day, the three little feral kittens used up their nine lives as they succumbed to a virus called Fading Kitten Syndrome. On Monday they were healthy, although the muted calico female did look like she wasn't doing very well. According to our vet, Fading Kitten Syndrome comes on suddenly and there isn't anything that can be done to stop the fading. She said it was most likely a virus passed on to the kittens from the mother cat. FYI, it can also happen to puppies at about this age (5 weeks). The kitten that had shown signs of illness died during the night and I buried her. Our vet kept the two remaining kittens when I left her office today, so that I wouldn't have to bury them. What a blessing to have such a loving and compassionate vet and office assistants. It is hard when you get attached to animals even if they are feral and then lose them. I wasn't planning on keeping them, but had hoped to find good homes for them. I guess the lesson in all of this is that death is part of life and we mourn, yes even if it is a feral kitten, and keep living.