I haven’t done an update on the current set of foster kittens we’ve got because one of them has been very ill. Knickers started out healthy but did not grow and gain weight the way Kiki and Kitnip have. He struggled with being underweight, bouts of diarrhea, and possibly other underlying issues; the vets are not sure.
There’s a general category called “failure to thrive” that I personally think he fell under. Knickers was the runt of the litter and for whatever reason he just didn’t have it in him to grow and thrive. This is him in happier days:
One of the things you’re warned in the foster parent training is that not all kittens make it to adulthood. You know that, but still you think you’ll be able to save the ones you have. We did everything we could to try to save Knickers, but sadly, he left us today. We feel terrible that he never got his shot at a full, happy life as a cat, but at least here in our home he had as much love, care, and attention as he deserved. The little time Knickers had was as good as we could make it. We take some comfort in that.