Sunday 19 August 2012

More sad cat news



For next week's Meowy Monday, I was going to share a little surprise. Another kitten I doubt I mentioned when Sötis had died and one that did show up in the kitten pics here.




I was going to tell you about the adorable little furball called Vitfluff, Lille Plutt (= "little runt") -- yeah, even less of a name than Snuttis and Ullegull, not even one name. How Plutten had a rocky start as an unusually tiny kitten with a neglecting mum and us worrying about if they were really healthy, but managed to survive as the only one in a litter of four. Growing slowly, but at least it seemed that we didn't have to fear anything too serious due to the difficulty to get the mum to feed her kittens nor showing any signs of innate damages.






Plutten had also started to play a bit with Ullegull, Sötis (at the beginning, before his fatal accident) and Snuttis. Sure, they were much bigger and the roughhousing was a bit too much at times, but at least the little runt didn't have to feel too lonly without siblings and a mum only occasionally appearing. Plutten did feel left out sometimes as all the other cats jumped up in our beds to sleep, cuddle, play, feed (the kittens on their mums) -- but would let us know with loud meows so we could act as personal elevators. For my sister's bed, we installed a flat scratching post as a ramp, which made it much easier for the little one to join the others. And soon someone learnt how to climb up the side of the beds too. Very cute to look at because their was so much determination and toil involved.





I was going to tell about the special little things Plutten did. All cats have a special thing or manner. E.g. Plutten liked to sit on our clogs all the time, whether we had our feet in them or not. Other cats love to play with clogs, but we've never had a "clog sitter": Sometimes I'd also call the kitty Pig because of the horrible table manner: paws and face dug into the food, growling at anyone daring to get near. Especially bad idea if you're a long-haired cat (one of the reasons for the lack of photos of Vitfluff so far is that someone simply was too dirty to publish photos off as our photo sessions often occured after a meal...) -- and even more so if you're a long-haired cat with a neglecting mum that doesn't want to help you to clean yourself. The runt was also constantly hungry and always demanded early breakfast by standing next to our beds meowing loudly until we woke up and caved in.




I was going to tell all that. But then something happened. On Friday morning, we were woken by a loud cry. I could hear who it was and soon noticed it wasn't the usual martyr cry of a kitten starving to death, but a cry of pain. When reaching my sister's bedroom, where Plutten used to sleep, I saw something so scary. I saw Plutten in some sort of fit. When the fit subsided we were so glad that it was over. Plutten was weak, but at least seemed to respond and after awhile started to purr a bit. Then came a second fit, a worse one. In the end, Plutten looked at us, struggled to breathe for a few seconds -- and died.




No idea what happened. Was it a disease, something innate, an exposure to something (don't trust dad not to use pesticides near the kittens)? Some days before something happened that we of cause now know was a first sign: we found Vitfluff, who had been outdoors enjoying the sun and been with the other cats, weak and appearing to have lost all sense of balance. Not having seen what had happened and seeing how the little one made a full recovery after being fed (nothing wrong with that voracious appetite) and resting for an hour or two, we thought it was a combination of strong sun and too little to drink. It was a real scare, but seeing no further signs of anything being wrong in the kitten that for the rest of the night ran around playing as always, we never went to the vet for a check up... Now we of cause wonder if what we saw was the result of a first episode.

The kittens have missed our little sweetie and we're glad they at least are two, not losing their only playmate. Before he died, Sötis used to sleep with his head on Vitfluff. Now they'll have each other again in cat heaven (there's nothing strange about an atheist believing in cat heaven, you know).



A tiny kitten that's left a big void.

5 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry for your loss! *Hugs.* Animals make the very best friends and family members, and it's always heartbreaking when they pass on.

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  2. I'm so sorry for your loss of Vitfluff. It must have been a horrifying experience to see him having a fit and die without being able to help him. Vitfluff was a fighter, poorly and neglected by his mother from the beginning. His short life gives us hints of the possible cause of his dead. I don't think he was poisoned. There was something wrong with him from the beginning, but he struggled on with your help. When the queen neglects one of her newborn kittens, it usually is because she instinctively realises that there is something wrong with this kitten. Cats are not ruled by ethics or feelings of love in such cases. It simply is because they instinctively want the fittest kittens to survive and by neglecting the poorly ones, the strong and healthy ones get more milk and care. It is impossible to guess what was the cause of his sudden death. There are many completely different causes of fits. The loud cry makes me think of an epileptic seizure. But why Plutten had this seizure, we just could guess. I think there is nothing a veterinarian could have done to help him to survive and have a good life even if you had taken him to an examination when you suspected that he might have a health issue. It is really sad to hear that you lost one more kitten within such a short period of time. I'm sure there is a Heaven for our felines, and for our beloved ones. They'll live forever in our thoughts and our hearts.

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  3. Oh, I am so sorry to hear that you have lost another kitten. Losing a loved pet is always hard, even when it's one that has only been with you a short time, and to have two losses so close together is more than double the heartbreak. My heart goes out to you.

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  4. What a cute little bundle of fluff and appetite on life Vitfluff was! He seemed to make it, just slower than normal. I'm so sorry for your loss. You and your Sis must be devastated by the loss of two feline babies. Vitfluff got a short but good life together with feline friends and loving humans. I'm sure he was not suffering before something just happened, maybe due to some inborn weakness, and ended his life untimely. Life seems so unfair. I'm sure your Dad is innocent. Hugs! Anna

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  5. Thank you so much for your comments! At least we have other cats to hug and kiss when we're sad. That means a lot, having cats nearby so it isn't suddenly completely empty. One cat never replaces another, of cause, but they can help ease the sense of loss and meaninglessness.

    I took some pics of Vitfluff once when eating cream. The pics are really bad, taken in very weak light late at night, and right now they just make me sad. But I'm glad to have them and know I'll look at them one day and just smile, thinking of how fun it was to watch the little pig eat with the whole face. Unfortunately, the pics are so blurry and noisy, they probably won't be the subject of a Meowy Monday post, though.

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