Advice for Beginners
Don't take on too many kittens at once. If you get overwhelmed then the kittens may suffer. Also, don't be too hard on yourself if you lose one. Some kittens just don't make it, no matter how much we love them or how hard we try.
Most Rewarding Aspects of Fostering
Seeing how loving and attached to people my kittens became. My mom adopted one of my babies and now every time I go home the kitten runs and curls up in my arms and showers me with kisses. Also, just knowing that those kittens are alive and making other families happy makes me proud.
Saddest Aspects of Fostering
When you lose one of the babies. The smallest kitten in the litter got sick and I just couldn't save him. The worst part about that is seeing how wonderful the others turned out to be and knowing he would have been just as wonderful. Also letting them go when they find their forever homes is hard.
Temptation to Keep Cats and/or Kittens
It is most definitely hard for me not to keep the kittens. I felt like my first litter were my children and was very protective of them. I felt like I was suffering from empty nest syndrome when they all left! If I find that perfect kitty for me in a litter I raise I will definitely be keeping him!
How I became a foster parent to cats and/or kittens
When I was 18 and in college I was rooming with my boyfriend and had just bought a fish tank and stand. So, we took a trip to Petsmart to buy some fish and at the check out there was this mom and her little daughter buying kitten formula and in a shoebox they had four 2 day old kittens, 1 black the rest white with grey spots on their heads. The mom asked if I would take one and I said no... I couldn't. In the end, I chased her across the parking lot and told her that I would take all of them! She seemed very relieved and the kittens ended up being the best cats I have ever had. I lost the runt to a UTI, which was sad.
How I learned to care for my foster cats & kittens
I looked online for advice, but all in all I treated them like they were my own babies and did everything that I would do for a kid. Although I had some experience the internet proved to be endlessly valuable! If you have a question most likely the answer is somewhere on the internet!
Lessons learned
- You can't keep all of them
- They don't all make it
- THE INTERNET IS YOUR BEST FRIEND! (as long as you use reputable sources, like an article by a vet!)
- In regards to myself, there is no way to avoid falling in love with the kittens.
