2 Reasons Why Kittens Dying One By One
Many of cat lovers may wonder why many kittens that have just been born die. Only days, a few days, weeks and even months apart our pet kittens die one by one. This will certainly make our hearts as owners sad.
Of our 4 kittens that are born sometimes only one is left. Successive cat deaths are caused by the susceptibility of newborn kittens and those aged 0 to 3 months to disease attacks. If we don't take good care of it, cats in that age range will be very weak and will likely die.
That's why kittens that have just been born or who are 0-3 months old must be supervised and we provide the best care. In addition, we must also know what causes might make the kitten die. Knowledge of the causes of death of kittens is very necessary to prevent kittens from getting sick and then dying.
2 Reasons Why Kittens Die One By One
Kitten death can be caused by many things such as disease, infection, parasitic attack, and others. But here Anggora will divide the causes why the kitten died in 2 parts, namely :
1. Infection
Infections that are common in kittens are infections caused by viruses. Only adult cats infected with the virus have a fairly high percentage of the risk of death. Moreover, if the infected is a kitten then the percentage risk of death can be greater than in adult cats.
This is because the kitten still has a weak immune system and a very weak body. Especially for cats who have just been born or have only been born for a few days, of course their immunity is still very, very low. If a virus infection attacks a young kitten then the chances of survival are very small.
The virus that often attacks kittens and adult cats is the panleukopenia virus. Kittens who develop panleukopenia virus within 24 hours will usually face death.
In addition to viral attacks, death in cats can be caused by parasites. One example of a parasite that often attacks kittens is worms.
Kittens with intestinal worms usually have the following characteristics :
The kitten has a big belly
The cat's stomach is distended when pressed hard it's not soft
Kittens have diarrhea very often
Kittens are very greedy
Never full even though you are often fed it
The body is small and thin but the stomach is very distended
Very often sleep
Cat's eyes have a lot of dirt
Some of the cat's eyes are covered with a white membrane
Sometimes there are worms in the butt hole
Sometimes there are worms in the poop
Fussy kitten
Handling a cat that is infected with worms, you can give the cat a special worm medicine for cats. Treatment can be done by giving the cat worm medicine as recommended or according to the rules listed on the package.
To make it easier to give deworming medicine to cats, you can use a syringe, mix it with food and others. Worms are only one of many parasites that often attack kittens. In addition to worm parasites, parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii are part of the disease-causing organisms that are harmful to kittens.
Another cause of cat death can also be caused by a bacterial infection. This infection sometimes attacks the cat's oral cavity, especially in the gums. The infection is also able to spread to other organs through the blood and damage vital organs such as the kidneys. Affected kittens will weaken and die.
2. Non-Infectious
Death in kittens can also be caused by causes such as non-infection. Non-infection can be from internal factors in the baby cat or from external factors. Here are some non-infectious things that can occur in cats and cause death :
Babies born prematurely
Baby's weight is too low
Difficulty giving birth
Vomiting and diarrhea due to giving the wrong milk product
Neonatal Isoerythrolysis
Birth defects such as too small body, short legs, cleft palate, hernia, incomplete outside of the body.
The temperature is too hot or too cold. Too much temperature makes it difficult for kittens to survive
The mother cat does not want to take care or breastfeed its kitten . Usually this happens to cats who have just gone through the birthing phase, cats who are stressed, or the mother cat is sick
The large number of children so that the nipple or mother's milk is not sufficient for all the children's needs
At the beginning of the birth period, especially in the first week, baby kittens are not yet able to control their body temperature.
Kittens cannot compete with other kittens for milk, as a result the cat suffocates and dies.
Lack of nutrition during pregnancy causes kittens to be born weak and unhealthy.
An unhealthy and dangerous environment, such as toxic, high pollution, dirty and lots of harmful bacteria and surrounded by natural predators of cats.
How To Prevent Kittens From Dying One By One ?
Most kittens die because of parasites that attack. Parasites that often attack kittens are worms. Check if your cat has the characteristics of a cat with worms as I described above, if so, treat it immediately by giving worm medicine to the cat.
Cases such as virus infections such as panleukopenia, this is rare. Virus infections usually only occur in places full of cat populations, for example cat farms, pet shops, veterinarians, etc. For domestic cats based on my experience, virus infections are rare.
However, as a precaution, there is nothing wrong with vaccinating kittens when they are old enough, so that the kitten's body is stronger against various virus attacks. Meanwhile, bacterial infections can be avoided by creating a sterile place for kittens to feed, play or sleep.
Death from non-infectious causes can be prevented by providing cats with a healthy, clean and safe environment. Provide alternative milk kittens such as growssy milk for kittens who are less competitive and don't want to be cared for by their mother.
Don't give to cat a human milk with lactose, as this will cause the cat to have diarrhea and cause the cat to suffer from digestive tract problems. Instead of getting more energetic, the kitten will actually be weaker and at risk of death.
Those are 2 reasons why kittens can die one by one. Hopefully this article is useful for all readers. And don't forget to share it with relatives, other cat lovers and share it on your social media accounts.
