Fostering Kittens
jlh44music
I know I've seen posts here about fostering kittens. My dd is
interested in possibly doing this and I'm curious to hear of other's
experiences, things we should know (or "things I wish they'd told me
before I decided to do this!), books or websites that are helpful, etc.
Thanks!
Jann
interested in possibly doing this and I'm curious to hear of other's
experiences, things we should know (or "things I wish they'd told me
before I decided to do this!), books or websites that are helpful, etc.
Thanks!
Jann
Alice
--- Jan wrote:
all of them but we really love animals. The worst problem we ever had
was the last litter in which two kittens died at birth and the rest
got sick when they were 7 wks. It was hard on us. We kept wondering
what we did wrong but the shelter kept reassuring us that it happens.
The other litters went smoothly.
I can't think of anything I wish they'd told me before I decided to do
it. It was fun to have a bunch of kittens in the house. It was
wonderful to watch them be born and transform from "little slobby
things" (as my dd calls them) into cute little kittens with their own
personalities. A lot of people warned me that we would have a hard
time sending them back, but that was never a problem. I made sure
that the kids knew that it was only temporary and that it simply
wasn't an option to keep them (the kittens officially belong to the
shelter, they were never "ours"). If anything, I was the one who was
the saddest to see them go just because I was the one who mothered
them the most and it was hard for me to let my babies go.
A good set up is probably the most important part of the process.
Mama kitty will want to find a place that is quiet and secluded. Old
sheets and boxes help. The mamas we had were pretty self-sufficient
and often picked their own place despite my "perfect setup" somewhere
else. Many litter boxes spread around the house are useful when the
kittens get a little older and start roaming around. Kittens do have
"accidents". I wouldn't do it if you have rough children or other
animals that will threaten the kittens. (we have lots of other
animals but none that cared about the kittens) The shelter made it
clear that part of our job was to socialize the kittens so that they
wouldn't be wild, so lots of gentle handling was encouraged.
Anyway, for us, it has been a very positive experience. And the
shelter has just been thrilled that we do this for them, as if it is
some huge sacrifice. For our part, we can't believe that we are so
lucky to be able to experience the joy of kittens for 8 weeks without
any vet bills, or worries about finding homes for them! It has been a
win-win.
-alice
> I know I've seen posts here about fostering kittens. My dd is***Jan, we have fostered several litters of kittens. We have enjoyed
> interested in possibly doing this and I'm curious to hear of other's
> experiences, things we should know (or "things I wish they'd told me
> before I decided to do this!), books or websites that are helpful, etc.
all of them but we really love animals. The worst problem we ever had
was the last litter in which two kittens died at birth and the rest
got sick when they were 7 wks. It was hard on us. We kept wondering
what we did wrong but the shelter kept reassuring us that it happens.
The other litters went smoothly.
I can't think of anything I wish they'd told me before I decided to do
it. It was fun to have a bunch of kittens in the house. It was
wonderful to watch them be born and transform from "little slobby
things" (as my dd calls them) into cute little kittens with their own
personalities. A lot of people warned me that we would have a hard
time sending them back, but that was never a problem. I made sure
that the kids knew that it was only temporary and that it simply
wasn't an option to keep them (the kittens officially belong to the
shelter, they were never "ours"). If anything, I was the one who was
the saddest to see them go just because I was the one who mothered
them the most and it was hard for me to let my babies go.
A good set up is probably the most important part of the process.
Mama kitty will want to find a place that is quiet and secluded. Old
sheets and boxes help. The mamas we had were pretty self-sufficient
and often picked their own place despite my "perfect setup" somewhere
else. Many litter boxes spread around the house are useful when the
kittens get a little older and start roaming around. Kittens do have
"accidents". I wouldn't do it if you have rough children or other
animals that will threaten the kittens. (we have lots of other
animals but none that cared about the kittens) The shelter made it
clear that part of our job was to socialize the kittens so that they
wouldn't be wild, so lots of gentle handling was encouraged.
Anyway, for us, it has been a very positive experience. And the
shelter has just been thrilled that we do this for them, as if it is
some huge sacrifice. For our part, we can't believe that we are so
lucky to be able to experience the joy of kittens for 8 weeks without
any vet bills, or worries about finding homes for them! It has been a
win-win.
-alice
Joyce Fetteroll
On Jan 25, 2007, at 11:36 PM, jlh44music wrote:
as clean as adult cats ;-) While they will use the litter box they
aren't good at covering and will frequently step in it as they try
various techniques for covering and they'll track it out into the room.
They have needle sharp claws and teeth and they will launch
themselves at your legs. It's like having cactuses thrown at you
several times a day. Here's a math question: If you have five kittens
and they each throw themselves at you five times a day and the
process keeps up for three weeks, how many cactuses have you been hit
with total? ;-)
I thought it would be hard to let them go, but after all that you're
ready to be cactus and poop free ;-)
They need PLENTY of attention! We usually kept our kittens in a spare
bedroom, going in to see them several times per day for play time and
feeding (essentially every time we went in there their plates were
empty!). Or if they're really small and have no mother, we'd give
them KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement) through eye-droppers. But when
they were a few weeks old, they got too big for the room and we let
them run around the house. They'd fly around like they'd been shot
from a cannon for ten, twenty minutes and then crash in one big
kitten blob anywhere soft. :-)
Joyce and Kat
> I know I've seen posts here about fostering kittens. My dd isIf they're still with their mother, you'll find out that they aren't
> interested in possibly doing this and I'm curious to hear of other's
> experiences, things we should know (or "things I wish they'd told me
> before I decided to do this!), books or websites that are helpful,
> etc.
> Thanks!
as clean as adult cats ;-) While they will use the litter box they
aren't good at covering and will frequently step in it as they try
various techniques for covering and they'll track it out into the room.
They have needle sharp claws and teeth and they will launch
themselves at your legs. It's like having cactuses thrown at you
several times a day. Here's a math question: If you have five kittens
and they each throw themselves at you five times a day and the
process keeps up for three weeks, how many cactuses have you been hit
with total? ;-)
I thought it would be hard to let them go, but after all that you're
ready to be cactus and poop free ;-)
They need PLENTY of attention! We usually kept our kittens in a spare
bedroom, going in to see them several times per day for play time and
feeding (essentially every time we went in there their plates were
empty!). Or if they're really small and have no mother, we'd give
them KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement) through eye-droppers. But when
they were a few weeks old, they got too big for the room and we let
them run around the house. They'd fly around like they'd been shot
from a cannon for ten, twenty minutes and then crash in one big
kitten blob anywhere soft. :-)
Joyce and Kat
Allyson Carter
Jann,
We foster kittens at home, but my situation is slightly different than most foster homes, since I work at the shelter, too.
Each shelter or rescue is different, so I would talk to a few of them before deciding who you want to work with first. Find out what kinds of kittens they send into foster care - moms with litters? sick? injured? orphans you need to bottle raise (TONS of work IME)? What are their policies on adoption? How long does a cat stay at the shelter before they're adopted? What is their return rate like? (unsatisfied adopters?) What happens to those cats then?
My shelter usually only sends moms with litters or sick kittens into foster care - we have enough space in our building that we don't need to send healthy kittens out. Some smaller shelters or rescues may not have enough space though, so they might foster for that reason as well.
Another thing to find out is what kind of support they'll give you - can you call them with questions? Can you take a kitten to the vet if there's something wrong? Will they provide food, litter, toys, medicine, formula?
At home, little kittens need a smaller, confined space so you can keep track of them (and they can find their litter box!) You don't want a kitten stuck behind a fridge or something. They need lots of interaction with people (I'm sure that won't be a problem!) and their health needs to be monitored closely. It's very common for shelter kittens to come down with Upper Respiratory Infection - basically a cat cold - but it can become serious to a little one. Keep track of all sneezing, sniffles, and such - and also appeitite, diarreah, change in activity, etc.
Also, please be aware that sometimes kittens become very ill and even die in foster care. I've only had one die at my house (unexpectedly - probably distemper), but it does sometimes happen, even to the best foster homes. It's rare, but good to be aware of it... I think my dd would have a really hard time if one of our kittens died. She was not born yet when the one I mentioned previously died.
Right now, we've got three crazy 7 week old kittens in Veronica's bedroom. They climb everything, and have knocked things off shelves, brought down curtains, tipped over baskets, and stolen food off of dd's plate while she went to the bathroom! All that said, though, my dd derives such joy from fostering. It's truly a wonderful experience for all of us. It's hard to send them back to the shelter... no matter how many times you say to yourself, "they're not staying, they're not ours to keep, don't get attached," LOL of course you do. And I have it easier than most people, because I can look over the applications and make sure my babies are going to a good home!
That's why its important to get to know the organization, and believe in what they're doing. At the end, it will make the separation that much easier - you can trust that they will find wonderful forever homes.
I hope that answered some of your questions. If you have any more, let me know.
Maybe someone else will chime in here, too - I'm sure everyone's foster experiences are different.
Allyson
Mom to Veronica, 6
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
We foster kittens at home, but my situation is slightly different than most foster homes, since I work at the shelter, too.
Each shelter or rescue is different, so I would talk to a few of them before deciding who you want to work with first. Find out what kinds of kittens they send into foster care - moms with litters? sick? injured? orphans you need to bottle raise (TONS of work IME)? What are their policies on adoption? How long does a cat stay at the shelter before they're adopted? What is their return rate like? (unsatisfied adopters?) What happens to those cats then?
My shelter usually only sends moms with litters or sick kittens into foster care - we have enough space in our building that we don't need to send healthy kittens out. Some smaller shelters or rescues may not have enough space though, so they might foster for that reason as well.
Another thing to find out is what kind of support they'll give you - can you call them with questions? Can you take a kitten to the vet if there's something wrong? Will they provide food, litter, toys, medicine, formula?
At home, little kittens need a smaller, confined space so you can keep track of them (and they can find their litter box!) You don't want a kitten stuck behind a fridge or something. They need lots of interaction with people (I'm sure that won't be a problem!) and their health needs to be monitored closely. It's very common for shelter kittens to come down with Upper Respiratory Infection - basically a cat cold - but it can become serious to a little one. Keep track of all sneezing, sniffles, and such - and also appeitite, diarreah, change in activity, etc.
Also, please be aware that sometimes kittens become very ill and even die in foster care. I've only had one die at my house (unexpectedly - probably distemper), but it does sometimes happen, even to the best foster homes. It's rare, but good to be aware of it... I think my dd would have a really hard time if one of our kittens died. She was not born yet when the one I mentioned previously died.
Right now, we've got three crazy 7 week old kittens in Veronica's bedroom. They climb everything, and have knocked things off shelves, brought down curtains, tipped over baskets, and stolen food off of dd's plate while she went to the bathroom! All that said, though, my dd derives such joy from fostering. It's truly a wonderful experience for all of us. It's hard to send them back to the shelter... no matter how many times you say to yourself, "they're not staying, they're not ours to keep, don't get attached," LOL of course you do. And I have it easier than most people, because I can look over the applications and make sure my babies are going to a good home!
That's why its important to get to know the organization, and believe in what they're doing. At the end, it will make the separation that much easier - you can trust that they will find wonderful forever homes.
I hope that answered some of your questions. If you have any more, let me know.
Maybe someone else will chime in here, too - I'm sure everyone's foster experiences are different.
Allyson
Mom to Veronica, 6
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
jlh44music
"Allyson Carter" <acarter@...> wrote:
Allyson,
Thank you for your very in depth response! It was exactly the kind
of detail I was looking for.
Last year we went a few times to the home of a man who fosters
kittens (MANY of them, it's a bit out of control), working with the
local shelter and recommended by a friend. He was looking for other
people to help socialize the kittens. It was a perfect way to start
without all the responsibility and we got a taste of what it
entails. But for reasons unknown he doesn't want any more help and I
haven't pushed it. He works with a local shelter (closer to him,
it's about 25 mins from us). I was thinking of talking to our vet
(which is where we got our wonderful cat!) as they (not sure if they
still do this) have in the past had cats and kittens on "display" in
the waiting area for adoption (which is how we got ours). It's
closer and we would have the support, if in fact they even do
anything like this where they need people willing to foster.
We're still exploring - thanks again! Your info helped a lot!
Jann
Allyson,
Thank you for your very in depth response! It was exactly the kind
of detail I was looking for.
Last year we went a few times to the home of a man who fosters
kittens (MANY of them, it's a bit out of control), working with the
local shelter and recommended by a friend. He was looking for other
people to help socialize the kittens. It was a perfect way to start
without all the responsibility and we got a taste of what it
entails. But for reasons unknown he doesn't want any more help and I
haven't pushed it. He works with a local shelter (closer to him,
it's about 25 mins from us). I was thinking of talking to our vet
(which is where we got our wonderful cat!) as they (not sure if they
still do this) have in the past had cats and kittens on "display" in
the waiting area for adoption (which is how we got ours). It's
closer and we would have the support, if in fact they even do
anything like this where they need people willing to foster.
We're still exploring - thanks again! Your info helped a lot!
Jann
jlh44music
Joyce Fetteroll <fetteroll@...> wrote:
several times a day. Here's a math question: If you have five kittens
and they each throw themselves at you five times a day and the
process keeps up for three weeks, how many cactuses have you been hit
with total? ;-)>>
LOL! I've sat among many kittens before and know exactly what you're
talking about (not just on legs, also back, arms etc)!
I keep thinking I'd have a hard time letting them go (well, there are
always certain animals that you bond with more than others) but I can
see your point!
Thanks for sharing Joyce! We're not in a rush, still exploring and
want to do it only if it's a good fit and the time is right!
Jann
> They have needle sharp claws and teeth and they will launchthemselves at your legs. It's like having cactuses thrown at you
several times a day. Here's a math question: If you have five kittens
and they each throw themselves at you five times a day and the
process keeps up for three weeks, how many cactuses have you been hit
with total? ;-)>>
LOL! I've sat among many kittens before and know exactly what you're
talking about (not just on legs, also back, arms etc)!
> I thought it would be hard to let them go, but after all thatyou're ready to be cactus and poop free ;-)>
I keep thinking I'd have a hard time letting them go (well, there are
always certain animals that you bond with more than others) but I can
see your point!
Thanks for sharing Joyce! We're not in a rush, still exploring and
want to do it only if it's a good fit and the time is right!
Jann