foster home

[janet]

Hi all. Have any of you ever provided foster care for an animal? My vet has asked if I would be willing to foster a young mom cat and her four kittens until they are ready for homes of their own. The kits are four weeks old and are starting to explore, so they need more room than is available to them at the vets office.

I recently lost my cat to cancer and have not yet found a puppy, so it's pretty blinking quiet around here. Too quiet. I'm thinking this arrangement would benefit all concerned and I'll be able to 'try on' the mom cat to see if we'd make a good match (I am fully aware that's what my vet is hoping will happen ). Is there a down side to this that I am not seeing? Anything that I should know up front? If you've done it before, would you do it again? Thanks for any input.

[JaneG]

Sounds like a great idea! There's nothing more fun and spirit-lifting than watching little kitties! ADORABLE!!

The only downside would be when the kitties go to their new homes.

If you do this, we gotta see pics!!!

[janet]

Thanks Jane. Since I have no desire to have a kitten, I figure it won't be all that hard to part with them. Easy to say now, eh? And I can keep the mom if we hit it off, return her guilt free if we don't. The vets get their business office back, the cats get some 'home time', and I get some company. I'm guessing by the end of the day I'll have five new roommates!

[LucyGoose]

Awwww Janet, what a nice thing to do.....I'm afraid that I probably couldn't , cause I'd end up with a baby.... And I always have said, no more cats.....I love them and all, but don't want any more after Curtis....

Take pictures.....Nothing is cuter than baby kitties!

[newtohosta-no more]

I think it's a fantastic idea, but I'd be reluctant to do it only because I would fall in love with ALL those kittens and want to keep them all. That's how I ended up with all the cats I now have. Thank goodness they are all finally fixed! No more kittens for me until I say so.
If you think you would have no trouble letting those babies go when the time comes, then go for it. You will probably enjoy having them around and then possibly keeping the momma cat. And bless you for considering taking them in and caring for them. I wish more people would be as kind to our furry friends.

[janet]

No, keeping a kitten is not a temptation to me. Besides, two of them are already spoken for. I'm still searching for the right puppy and it is WAY easier to introduce a puppy to an adult cat, believe it or not. In my experience, it makes for a better bond since the cat gets to feeling protective of the pup early on, then the roles reverse as the dog grows up. And the cat gets to 'train' the pup the way she wants! It's worked well for me, so I'll stick with it. The thought of a kitten and a puppy together may seem cute, but it's way more of a hassle than I want to deal with.

[PeggyC]

I provided foster care for two Siamese cats. It worked extremely well but we ended up having them for TWO YEARS! (instead of the two months agreed upon) The only down side to this was that I had grown extremely attached to them as had my own kitty and when they left, all of us were upset ! Would I do it again? Probably not, but only because of the attachment factor.

[janet]

Thanks Peg. I've had two Siamese and just love them to pieces. Nothing like them, imo. Lily and the kittens are here now, for better or worse! The scratching factor is the only one that concerns me, and I may just have to double gate her into the mudroom with the kits when I can't watch her. My house is 'open concept', so it took her almost two hours to scout everything out to her satisfaction. Right now everyone is napping and it's making me quite sleepy! You know, like when everyone in the car is asleep and you're trying desperately to stay awake and drive. Must be sleep gas or something I always figured.

I don't really feel like I'm doing anything all that noble. My vets have gone to great lengths to be kind, understanding and humane to me and my animals over many years. If I can do anything to help them out, I will. This should be an interesting month or so. Thanks for all the encouragement.

[patsue53]

Gee...I wonder if anybody here really thought you WOULDN"T take these babies into your home.
I hope it all works out and you have a fun month with the kittens.....and I hope mom has found a permanent home.
I think it's so cute when a litter of kittens are all running around with their tails straight up in their air!

[Patrushka]

Oh, Janet, it sounds wonderful!

Many years ago, my brother rescued a young cat from the steel mill. Surprise! She was pregnant and had six kittens. DH and I adopted two of her kittens. She was the sweetest, most loving cat you could ever want.

Have fun with the kittens and enjoy your new companion.

[jmboyer]

Although I am the worst person in the world to be offering an opinion on this subject, I do know, Janet, that this is a wonderful program that enables animals to be properly socialized and better able to be adopted. You are to be commended for giving this mom and her kittens a safe and caring foster home. My one effort at fostering a rescue kitten until I could find her a permanent home failed miserably. As you all know, I fell madly in love with my sweet little Misty and made her a part of my family. What can I say? I am weak. I wish you well in your effort and thank you for your golden heart.

[LucyGoose]

Janet, Misty is beautiful!!!! That is a perfect picture!! Her fur is gorgeous!! I know, I SAY I don't want any more cats, and I will try to stick to it....I hope you don't think I am mean, but I just want to have one pet in the house in my *older* years..... and I am afraid, I like pooches better.... That's why I couldn't foster any......I would for sure give in, and I don't want to....

Again, to you Janet for fostering this family of kitties!!

[putnamgardens]

I've fostered three different dogs over the last year. I bring'm home to play with my pooch and always find a new home for them. I tell myself NOT to get attatched but it's easier said then done. I have NEVER fostered cats. I support the two cats who live upstairs of me. (Pull tabs and Sammy) and then we have two orange cats that share the house with the dog, Abby. I think attatchment is always a risk but I feel SO good when I find a good home for'm. Later, Love, Lisa

[janet]

Things are going well so far. The kittens are still quite young (three weeks, not four as I thought) so they are pretty unsteady yet. They spend a lot of time in the dog crate that is their 'nest', but were all out this morning looking around. I have, of course, named them all already.

Shadow (male, has been spoken for)- black with white paws, first born and acts like it, always the adventurer
Camo (female, has been spoken for)- brown and black stripes, second born and right behind Shadow when it comes to venturing out into the unknown (or the kitty litter or the water dish or the food bowl or...)
Chicago (male, available)- grey with, ahem, white socks, the clown of the bunch, stays close to home, but pounces often...and mostly misses right now, potential hunter extrordinaire
Litho (female, available)- grey tiger, lots of detail, the baby and quite shy, yet very trusting, hasn't shown much of her personality yet, but I'm guessing she'll be the most loving

Lily is a great mom (this is her first, and last, litter) and has settled right in. I doubt that I will keep her, however. Everyone at the vets office is looking for homes for these kittens and Lily, so I don't have to do any of that. I only asked that they screen people closely before sending them to my house to visit. They said they'd most likely arrange to have folks see the kits at the office. Fine with me! Next week we start introducing solid food. That should be a real hoot. Maybe I can figure out how to get pictures posted by then.

[PeggyB]

Kudos Janet, you're doing a great thing! I wish you the kitties and Lily loads of luck in finding great homes.