re post #30 - saikou

>>
The % of kittens that die in the first week of life is worryingly high in a survey they took of pedigree cats the average was 25% mortality rate, which is quite shocking really. <<

yes, that is true - in dogs it is an average of 30%, so a puppy born or kitten born alive, is no warranty that they will ever open their eyes, sadly.

and this may not be ANYthing that anyone *does* --
i have heard vets theorize that some fading pups or kits have a low-grade infection that their immature immune systems are incapable of fighting, but whatever the causes (i think there are more than a single root), this is often Not! Any bad reflection on the care or the competence of the midwife!
:---( we can do as much as we can - and hope and pray!

i hope Ur heart can find some happiness in the other kits,
--- terry