Sadly, the lives of newborn kittens aren’t always guaranteed.

Little Gouda was eating and pooping great up until yesterday, then began slowing down activity compared to his brother and sister. He passed away from what the vet can only guess is pneumonia. As previously mentioned, the babies had been left outside without a mama in sight in a feral colony. It’s likely that it took the last few days for the pneumonia to take it’s turn.

It’s easy to see how difficult it is to raise newborn kittens without a mama cat. Sure, it may be easier to snatch up a litter of kittens and not bother with mom. After all, mom might be feral and won’t allow you to catch her easily. However, mom doesn’t just provide food; she regulates their temperature and helps them eliminate. Not to mention, leaving behind a mom means that you’re also leaving behind an unspayed female, which can and will reproduce another litter, restarting the cycle.

Our two babies, Brie and Havarti, have reached one week old. They are thankfully growing and moving around. Photos may not do it justice, but you can visibly see a difference in their size from when they first arrived until now. Brie has grown from 78 grams to 116, and Havarti from 84 grams to 114.