Sad News: Tuna passed away last week

It was hard on me to lose the little guy. That's why it took me a little while to post this update. But I wanted to let those following along what happened...

Tuna passed away last week from an unknown illness. We know it wasn't feline leukemia, FIV, or parvo. (FYI: Many of these illnesses can be prevented by giving your cat the standard series of shots AND THEN following up with the appropriate boosters.) 

Personally, I think Tuna had giardia and he was just too young to fight it despite the medicine and hand-feeding. I took him to the vet where he was re-hydrated and we thought he was getting better the next day, but late at night he plummeted. I rushed him to a 24-hour veterinarian hospital, but he passed away before they could start treatment. 

I only had Tuna for eight days, but he was a real delight to know. A truly special kitten who loved to hang out and snuggle with people, but especially loved any time he spent with Ellie, my dog. He was a confident guy, and very trusting. It was amazing to me that within a span of only a few hours he went from a terrified kitten under a bush, to a bathed kitten asleep in my lap.

Tuna also reminded me of the good in people. Just one day after posting this little blog and spreading the word via Facebook and Reddit, it had over 1200 hits. I received thoughtful emails from people wanting to adopt him, or just offer their encouragement in finding a good home. I want to encourage those interested in adopting Tuna to look at www.Petfinder.com for another kitten. There are more kitten/cats than homes in the DC area.

Tuna's last day was spent curled up on blankets in a box on my desk, or pressed against Ellie on my bed while the three of us napped. It was only eight days, but I'm sure going to miss the little guy. 

 A little video of Tuna in his healthier days.

UPDATE: Kitten feeling ill, so home search temporarily on hold

First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who has read about Tuna and to those who have emailed me. (Redditors, Facebook friends and friends-of-friends -- you are all wonderful! Thislittle blog has received over 1,200 hits in a just over a day!)

Unfortunately, the little guy came down with something and is pretty sick right now. I took him to the vet (Atlas Vet) today because he hadn't eaten since Saturday and was throwing up. They tested him for feline leukemia and FIV (negative on both counts - whew), so right now we're treating the symptoms and hoping he'll show improvement by tomorrow. My big fear is that he picked up distemper before I got a hold of him, but the vet said there isn't a simple test for that since he received a vaccine last week. (I guess the vaccine would show up?)

As of now, though, I'm giving him medicine, feeding him by hand with a syringe, and monitoring his hydration levels (he was re-hydrated at the vet). I think he is looking and feeling a bit stronger, but his appetite hasn't returned.

What all this means is the home search is on hold until he's feeling better. If I haven't replied to your email, it's because I'm a little swamped with his care plus my normal duties as a law student. (Blegh.) I will reply, though, I promise!

Again, thanks to everyone who has shown support, even those who can't take him in but just sent me a note. Animal lovers are the best!

Tuna feeling a little under the weather -- but is still adorable and oh so snuggly.

Ellie in the waiting room at the vet. She went to the appointment to lend moral support.

Found a Kitten!

On Monday, September 30, a maintenance worker outside my building alerted me to a kitten under a bush. I looked down to see a scared, crying, shaking little guy. It took about 45 minutes and a can of tuna to lure him into a crate, but I finally caught him. He was a dirty little guy. I called him Tuna.

Bathtime!

 I was going to just wipe him off with a wet towel, but it quickly became clear that wasn't going to cut it. So in the sink he went. He was a trooper, though, and didn't resist too much. I think he was just too worn out.

Once he was wet, you could see the fleas on him. There were even some little spots of blood on him, I think from the flea feeding frenzy. I ended up giving him a couple flea baths and eventually picking the remaining fleas off of him. He has since been treated with Frontline and I haven't seen any more fleas. (I keep a close eye on this, too. No fleas in my house!)

After his first bath I bundled him up and dried him off. He was super calm throughout this whole ordeal.

I was amazed to see him curl up on my lap and fall asleep immediately post bath. I thought he would be more scared, or at least resent me for the bath, but no. He just wanted to snuggle up and take a nap.

All Cleaned Up and Looking Dashing!

Here's the little guy after his bath and looking absolutely dashing!

A Friend of Dogs!

The kitten was never too worried about my dog (despite her initial hyperness around him) and basically decided they were going to be friends. As you can see, he finally wore her down. But, in case you're worried about breaking up a bonded pair, this is a pretty one-sided friendship. I think my dog will be thrilled to go back to being an only pet.

He also LOVES to chase the dog's tail. It's pretty much his favorite "toy."

Other Information ...

I took him to the Humane Society walk-in clinic and he got his first round of shots, and flea and worm treatments. He was an easy traveler. As you can see, I just put him in my gym bag.

This guy really likes to snuggle, and he gets upset if he can't be near you when you're home. In other words, he needs a home where he is welcome to snuggle and sleep with a person.