This morning, two vibrant kittens of the night before are now dead from distemper. 🙁

Distemper hit here last year at Christmas and we lost so many lovely babies. I immediately did everything in my power to eradicate the disease from the house, but it is an evil monster and it clings. It can live outside the host for over two years. We barracaded the room the kittens had been in and turned it into a human only library/study area. I bleached, scoured, soaped, threw out litter pans, toys, beddings even burned the futon mattress. I hot steamed the carpet and then just prayed all my efforts were not in vain- but apparently they were.

As it is with this monster- the kittens go from loving and active one minute to near-dead the next. Succumbing first was Ember a little black boy newly arrived- following him was Goblin a kitty with lovely black spots against a dark black fur coat. Forgive me babies for being able to rescue you from peril only to put you in harm’s way. Forgive me for not having the funds to vaccinate all arrivals and although I did have you tested- distemper isn’t something they “usually” test for. The especially test for leukemia as that is rampant in this county.

God help me, please don’t let me lose anymore babies. They deserve so much better than this disease gives them.