India started sliding downhill late last night and as we raced to the vet, I thought how odd that he wasn’t pitching a fit. Bentley’s brother, India is full of piss and vinegar and squeals at anything and everything and so his quiet mood added to my concern.

A new vet when we arrived approached me and told me the somber news that Bentley had produced two piles of bile last night that were quite ordorous. They decided to run a snap test and it came back positive: feline distemper.

Both Kittens, India and Bentley are now in a place free of pain and running happily toward a man who will add them to his growing family.

I just ran our hot water heater out of hot water so I have about an hour left before I continute scrubbing the new enclosure trying to eradicate this contagion. Bedding will be thrown out, litter pans cleaned and stacked in a corner and new ones put into play. Food bowls will be scrubbed and I will be holding my breath that none of the other kitties succumb to this horrible virus.

For those of you who haven’t been up close and personal with this disease, count yourself very lucky. I had it invade my home six years ago it took 8 victims before it was done and I shut down to kittens for two years. I still have the one kitten room door closed where the virus was thought to have spread. It spreads by direct contact with the contaminated animals especially in litter pans and food bowls. The incubation period is two to ten days so it may be that the kittens were somehow exposed at the vet’s office?

It saturates the white blood cells depleting them quickly, high fevers result, bile starts to be brought up and the diarrhea starts. It is impervious to all household disenfectantss except to bleach.

So I sit here in tears for the two who should have never hit this earth, and I pray that God will spare taking anymore. But time will tell….