18+ Warning: Sad Story | Fading Kitten Syndrome

About 3 weeks ago I rescued two kittens. Maybe about 3 weeks old. They were in an abandoned garage and we tried to catch the mom but couldn’t. Crew took everything down the next day so we had to get them.

Over the last three weeks they’ve been doing great. Until Monday evening when he suddenly became super lethargic and was looking weak because he was refusing to eat. He felt cold. I wrapped him up in a towel and heating pad to warm him up. After a bit of that, he finally started eating. The next morning he was hungry as usual and ate well. A few hours later he looked very cold and frail and refused to eat. We tried to warm him up but it wasn’t looking good so we took him to emergency vet. They immediately saw him and checked vitals. His blood glucose was high, especially for a sick kitten. His temp was 91°. They heated him up and gave him so hot liquids and he looked better.

They agreed that it looked like fading kitten syndrome. It’s unlikely he makes it. Since he isn’t physically sick there’s really nothing they can do. They did offer to put him down. We decided against it and will keep him warm and hydrated and hope for the best. I know it’s very unlikely. I’ve never cried this hard before. I know that even if you do the best and give him perfect care, he still might not make it. It’s not my fault. Doesn’t make it any easier.