Update on Foster Kitten dying - it was distemper

[prozacnation]

Well it was distemper and it was horrible and quite honestly one of the worst things I've ever experienced. Out of the 11 kittens that came to my home (from another shelter we were helping) only one survived.

Luckily I only had to witness 2 of them dying. Others were already in other homes, at the vet, etc. We had a couple of them put down because it was the humane thing to do. The mortality rate from distemper is greater then 90%. Kittens can go from healthy to dead in what seems like minutes.

After the distemper outbreak all of the fosters who had any of the sick kittens had to be on lock down for 14 days. Luckily none of the kittens outside of the original litter got sick.

Now for the next six months I can only foster kittens who have been vaccinated before they come into my home. Distemper can live in my house for 6 months - no matter how much bleach I use. Trust me I bleached everything, including the walls in the room I had kept the kittens. Who knew bleach removed paint?

Anyway, I cried like a baby for a couple of days and I was a mess. I'm okay now and I'm still fostering. I have 17 kittens and two adult cats at last count. The good days still outweigh the bad. I just hope and pray that I don't see distemper again for a long time. Please vaccinate your cats!!

[Lorien]

1. Oh man, we've had it sweeping our rescue group, too

so have the animal shelters in our area.The local Humane society lost every unvaccinated cat and kitten! There's a new strain out there that's really powerful. One of our foster moms lost 20 kittens in the past month, and she has three more that got sick yesterday (see my "Goblin" thread. The ginger kitten in one of the photos was also a victim. :-( ). She's been just heartbroken. I've been lucky so far; my five escaped it (including the Goblin).Horrible, horrible disease.

:hug:

[Eurobabe]

3. Is this vaccine for kittens or ALL cats?

I worry about adopting a kitten with this going around. My cats are never exposed to anything they are strictly indoors. Do I just take mine to the vet and ask for this if I get a kitten?

Sorry prozac, you've got a heart of gold, this must have been devastating, I can't even imagine. We walked into the SPCA last Thursday and there must have been 50 kittens in there, we wanted to take them all.

[Lorien]

5. I think the SPCA vaccinates when they spay/ neuter

(when the kitten hits two pounds). You might give them a call beforehand. I'd vaccinate your own kitties anyway just to be safe.

[livetohike]

2. That's heartbreaking prozacnation

Distemper is a horrible disease. Thanks for posting the warning for all to vaccinate their cats (and dogs).

[BrklynLiberal]

4. So very, very sorry.. That is such a ravage, and it takes the young so

quickly. Heartbreaking is the only word to describe it. We are so helpless to fight it once it hits the little ones.