Perhaps you've been thinking about how you'd like to add a cat or kitten to your family but can't currently adopt one. Or perhaps you already have pets but want a rewarding way to help other animals in need. Either way, fostering is a win-win situation that you may want to consider. Here's how to become a kitten foster parent.
How Fostering Saves Lives
You may think that kittens are so darn cute that they'd never have any trouble finding homes. That can certainly be true for the lucky ones. However, during kitten season, the sheer number of mother cats, babies and orphans entering shelters and rescues is staggering. Unfortunately, there is not nearly enough room for all of them. This is where foster homes come in.
Shelters can be stressful places for any cats, but for mother cats and her kittens, it's especially nerve-wracking. Instinctually, a mother cat craves a calm, quiet, safe place to raise her litter, essentially the exact opposite of some crowded animal shelters. In addition to the strange noises and smells, these moms are correct in thinking the shelter may not be the best place to raise their young. With the many other animals coming and going, it's possible for kittens to catch illnesses such as upper respiratory infections.
Opening your home up to be a foster gives these little guys (and gals) a fighting chance at finding their forever homes.
Another bonus for being a foster parent is that you get to play with your litter of kittens on a one-on-one basis, providing critical socialization skills that will ensure they grow up liking people and, often, other pets. Referred to as their "prime socialization period," kittens are most adaptable between the ages of two weeks and seven weeks old. With gentle playtime and exposure to various sights, sounds, people and animals, foster kittens tend to grow up much less fearful than kittens that have not been properly socialized.
What You Will Need
First and foremost, it's important to realize fostering isn't a long-term commitment, but it is an intense short-term commitment. You'll need a compassionate heart, basic knowledge of proper cat care, and adequate free time to care for your kittens (including taking them to and from veterinarian appointments and adoption events as needed). You'll also need a quiet place in your home where they can safely be isolated from the rest of your household while they're getting settled. And, you must be able to legally have cats in your home. As nice as fostering feels, it's not worth getting evicted if your landlord doesn't take kindly to a litter of kittens living in your house.
If you're working with a rescue, many will provide the food and supplies you need to get started. However, if they don't, a high-quality, nutrient-dense food is a must for both the mother cat and her babies (once they're ready to start weaning). You'll also need a cozy bed, food and water bowls and a litter box with non-clumping litter. It's also a good idea to create an enclosed spot for your kitten family, such as a box with sides that are high enough to keep the kittens in while allowing mom to jump out.
Bringing Foster Kittens Home
When your kitten family arrives, make sure to keep their welcoming party low-key and quiet. The kittens may not be quite aware of what's going on but the mother cat will be stressed from all the moving around. Keep your new arrivals confined to one room in your house so they're not overwhelmed. If you give them full run of the house, the mother cat may end up relocating her brood to an area that feels safer to her but isn't what you intended.
Keep fresh drinking water and plenty of food available in a place that's easy for the mother cat to access. She will be hungry! Nursing a litter of kittens burns an enormous amount of calories, so it's best to have a premium dry food available to her at all times. Giving her canned food is also beneficial, as she can use the extra hydration and protein it provides.
To help keep things cleaner, consider lining your kitten family's box with several layers of bedding. This way you can take out the top layer to be washed while keeping things comfy and smelling like home to them. Luckily, the mother cat will begin teaching her kids how to use a litter box pretty early on. Most begin playing in and using the box at around three to four weeks of age.
Don't expect to initially interact too much with your kittens (if they're very young). Once they reach two or three weeks of age, you can start gently petting them and getting them used to human contact. Mother cat will need a few breaks from nurturing her family, so be sure to give her lots of pets and snuggles too when she manages to sneak away from her mewing brood. As the kittens get older and more agile, you'll be able to play with them more and let them safely explore other areas of your house.
Alternative Foster Opportunities
As fun as they are, sometimes fostering a family of kittens and a nursing mother can be a bit of a handful. If you're not sure if you're ready for it, try fostering an adult cat instead. Homes are needed for them year-round and by fostering an adult, you'll give him a chance to show you his true personality instead of the nervous or frightened persona he may display in a shelter. This allows you to paint a more accurate picture of what a wonderful pet this cat may make and give him a much better chance at finding the perfect fit in his future forever home.
Another option is becoming momma cat yourself. Many times rescues are in need of people willing to bottle feed orphaned kittens who no longer have access to a nursing mother. However, as this requires a much deeper level of cat expertise and intense time commitment (such as constant bottle feedings every 2-3 hours), it's best to start with a litter of kittens and their mom for your first few foster experiences.
The first step to becoming a foster parent is to contact an animal rescue or shelter in your community and let them know you're available to help out during kitten season or throughout the year.
Is It Okay to Keep a Foster Cat?
Many times the sheer adorableness of your foster kitten family can become unbearable. It may be one or two whiskered faces in particular that catch your eye, or the loving relationship between the last kitten to be adopted and his sweet momma. Or maybe the adult cat you've fostered really begins to grow on you. You start to tear up at the thought of them finding new homes and you can't imagine your household without them in it. If you've got the space and resources to adopt; then CONGRATS on your newest family members. You are officially a foster fail. Don't beat yourself up, as this is most likely one of the most fulfilling fails you'll ever have. In fact, it's one you'll enjoy for a lifetime. Everyone loves happy endings!
Article by: Leah_Pet and Angela Walter, DVM