Advice for Beginners
Be prepared for anything. Have extra money set aside in case you need to take the cats or kittens to vet due to emergencies. Purchase a nice size cage where you can keep cats or kittens confined if necessary.
Most Rewarding Aspects of Fostering
Helping a kitten/cat make it through a serious illness and then see it adopted to a good home has been then best thing yet. Knowing the cat would have never made it out of the animal shelter alive if my husband and I hadn't taken the cat home and forced it to eat & drink until it started on its own.
Saddest Aspects of Fostering
So far the saddest thing is that we can't help as many as we'd like. We have a small house with our own cats & only have enough room for just a few. And there are times when so many need help and it's hard to pick and choose which one will make it home and have a chance and know others will die
Temptation to Keep Cats and/or Kittens
So far we've been tempted to keep a few, but it has been pretty easy to let them go when we know they have found a good home. I have kept two and knew I was going to keep one of them anyway, the other was returned w/a broken leg & we kept it and got it well and still have it.
How I became a foster parent to cats and/or kittens
My husband and I became a foster for the local City shelter because there were kittens that needed help or they would have been euthanized. We started helping two years ago during kitten season. We usually get kittens that need weight put on them to be adopted or that need socialization. We do not let any of these kittens or cats ever return to the shelter unless it is to meet their new owners or go to a rescue. All except three that we have taken in were adopted and the three were rescued. This year we started helping with sick cats that needed help as well. It is all rewarding.
How I learned to care for my foster cats & kittens
We have had cats for years and have learn a lot just caring for them through all their problems from diabetes to asthma and on, so it really wasn't hard to take care of kittens and sick cats. We just jumped right in and learned a few extra things as we went along. We have learned that adult cats are not the best in our household because it really upsets our older cats. They appear to handle kittens better. Along with that we have a City shelter vet and several other vets we use if we need to . We will probably continue helping as long as there is a need. Or until our own cats threaten bodily harm to us.
Lessons learned
- If we had it all to do over again we'd purchase a bigger house so that we'd be able to foster more and still enjoy our own pets and give them the proper attention. I feel like keeping them in the same room I play in most often with my computer is hard on my own cats.
- I'd also stick to kittens instead of adults since I know my cats are truly upset.
- Sadly, I think I'd have to see if I could work with a rescue instead of a City owned shelter because of all the heartbreak of cats that are euthanized all the time. There are times I would rather not even know that happened.
