Why are my 2-week-old kittens dying? What can I do to save them?

This is very unfortunate, I'm sorry to hear your momma cat has lost her kittens. I would suspect that there was something affecting the mother that infected the kittens in utero. There is probably not much you can do to save the 2 remaining kittens at this point. You may want to consider taking them to the vet to be checked out and see if it is something treatable. At home just continue doing your best by supplementing their feedings if necessary, stimulating them to potty if the momma is not, and keep them warm and dry. I hope this helps. Best of luck with the remaining kittens. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there Your kittens need to be seen by a vet. It sounds like they've either contacted an illness (viral, bacterial, parasitic) or that they aren't receiving enough food. Kittens need to eat kitten milk every hour or so to keep up with their energy demands. I would get them to a vet ASAP to help them and find out what's going on.

These kittens may be suffering from fading kitten syndrome, or were born by a cat infected with FeLV. Since two kittens are already dead and the third kitten is showing signs, I suggest you take the remaining kittens to a veterinarian today, as this is an emergency. Sometimes supportive care can save them, however if they indeed suffer from one of these two diseases, there is a high mortality incidence. A veterinarian can examine and diagnose the problem and assess your kittens and hopefully treat them.

I am so sorry you came home to two dead kittens! Newborn kittens are very fragile, and it could the one who was cold simply wasn't strong enough to make it. As for the one with the intestines out, it could be a birth defect causing the intestines to be outside the body. Without seeing them in person, I can't say for certain. I can say keep the father away from the kittens until they are older. Mother cats can be very protective of their kittens, and the father should not be around until the kittens are weaned. I hope this helps, and again I'm sorry for your loss.

Diarrhea in a kitten this young is definitely very concerning, as is the stoppage of nursing. The fact that the mother is separating her young is a bad sign, as this is usually what the mother will do when she senses one of the kittens is sick, or possibly contagious to the others. You may need to start bottle feeding and/or transitioning to hard food sooner than later to preserve the kitten's health. I would not let this go on for more than a few more hours, as dehydration and hypoglycemia are real concerns in an animal this young and fragile. You may also want to look into obtaining some antidiarrheal medication from your veterinarian. Hope this helps.

I hope by now you have taken them to a veterinarian. It is possible that they have an infection given on by the mother from when they were still in the uterus. (FeLV is one such infection). They may also be suffering from fading kitten syndrome. Please take them to a vet if you have not done so. There is no way we can diagnose your kittens over the net, nor recommend treatment.

If all of the kittens are passing away and this one is no longer nursing/seems ill, it would be best to seek veterinary care immediately. It is possible there is some illness going on, a functional issue, etc and since very young kittens can easily become dehydrated/require frequent meals, a vet exam is important to treating the condition ASAP.