Aibu to give the cats back

[Missingboi]

So recently I decided to Foster cats. I love them and after recently losing my own beloved boy I thought it would be a nice thing to do. I was matched with a pair of siblings and was looking forward to starting the process.

First day was rough.. Second day was fine. The cats came up to me and I was finally able to pet them BUT amongst petting them I looked down to find a hand full of flea dirt. So I inspected the cats further to find fleas and flea dirt all over them. Since being with them I've been bitten 3 times. I messaged the main lady of the cat sanctuary and she simply told me they have been treated and to brush them.

I'm freaking out as I had a flea Infestation before and we never got it sorted and had to move. I was suffering with crazy amounts of bites and still have some of the scarring today. I have a baby and I don't want my baby bitten to a pulp. We also have complete carpeting and another cat that is ours. If it spreads it will become a night mare.

I'm so sad this has happened. The cats have settled after such a rough life and finally look happy and at peace. It's my first Foster and it's gone so wrong but I can literally see the fleas crawling on them. What do I do? If i ask the lady to take the cats back I doubt ill have a good reputation or be able to Foster again and that will cut my journey short. I want to do this and I don't want to upset the cats that have come here but I need to think of my family first

I do not want to give up on these two so I will try to ring around tomorrow. Its annoying the lady isn't being much help when really it is her problem! But the first sign of trouble and I'm afraid it has to be my family before these cats. I can't have my baby suffering or my residential cat get ill

Of course you can give them back. Whenever you want to.
But you don’t sound like you really want to. Take a deep breath. You need to book an appointment at a vets, they will be able to give them something.

Then you need to treat your own cat if she’s due to be treated and also start treating your house. You CAN get on top of this really quite easily but that doesn’t mean you’re obligated to if it’s too much for you.

It just feels like a big thing at the moment as you’re worried about your cat which is allergic and I completely understand that.

What I was trying to say though is you refer to your baby and your cat.
I'm not disagreeing that it seems like they should have known about this.
However when you agree to foster cats there will always be that risk of fleas (even if indoor)
So there will be that risk to your cat.
If you are comfortable taking that risk then you shouldn't be fostering

There seem to be too many problems for you to deal with ( fleas on cats, risk to your cat ( who if treated by drops or tablet won’t get fleas living on it anyway) baby, not your house, keeping cats separate.
Send foster cats back. Don’t foster again.
Shut your cat in a room where other cats haven’t been.
Remove any other pets and houseplants. And baby. I
Set off flea bombs.
Leave house with baby.
Return a few hours later to no fleas.
Job done.

*if you are not comfortable taking that risk then you shouldn't be fostering

Oh for goodness sake, as if you have been given the go ahead to foster!!! Just get some flea treatment from the get, and ring the council to treat the clause. As of you moved!! Stop with the dramatics, you don't sound right to foster anything!

@Missingboi another thing to do is put a white towel down. Fleas will jump off the cat on to white towel. I know it sounds mad but it works (had the damn things in my car from someone’s cat)

@MissMaple82 i did move out of the house in the end. And the flea problem was never sorted! I didn't move out simply just because of the flea infestation but it went on for 6 months and even to the day of moving out we still couldn't get control of it. So based of my own personal experience no I don't think just a bit of flea spray and hoovering will do the trick

And yes I have scarring up my legs/ankles from flea bites from that long ago still. It was so bad it used to keep me up at night from scratching in my sleep. So don't tell me I'm being dramatic. Thanks.

So a rather pissed off update. After being adamant that these cats have been treated the lady spoke to me today and admitted she wasn't sure if they had been done which then turned into they haven't. She went from accusing me of being dramatic to apologising. But its too late as I have woken up in more flea bites so they have obviously spread and now its a case of doing the whole house. On top of that it's now been disclosed that they haven't been wormed which I suspected as one of the cats was eating like it has never eaten before. I've come home to flea dirt all over the room and vomit.

I'm so angry and upset. I don't understand why I have been given two cats that can't leave the room because I have a cat when I clearly stated in my form that I have another cat. I thought the whole point was to Foster me with a cat that suited my living arrangement. Locking two cats in one room has meant the room is a mess! I think I will have to give them back after all regardless if i flea treat them or not

It's not unusual for people to foster cats when they already have a cat, if they want to.
In this situation it again wouldn't be unusual to have the foster cats kept separate in a room.
I think you're focusing on the wrong things

The cats don’t keep the fleas on them, I’m afraid they’ll be all over the house, they only jump onto feed then ping back off to hide under skirting boards. Even Bravecto/Nexguard-super potent and effective only kills the fleas once they’ve bitten the cat, so your cat will be bitten. Indorex each room thoroughly, close the door, hoover after an hour and repeat.

If you're fostering then the rescue should be paying for the flea treatment

If you give the cats back you'll never get rid of them.

Bath and dry the cats and Use advantage flea treatment nothing else will work. Let the cats roam so the fleas jump on them and die.

I’ve thought about cat fostering and done a few min research on google. Through this research I was informed that the foster cats “always, always have fleas when they arrive.” So I’m kinda surprised by your surprise? But yes, what a pain.

Anyway keep them confined in one room, ask the shelter what they were treated with and when you can retreat (some products you can alternate). Check something good like Advocate or Frontline was used. Spray floor and furnishings with Indorex.

I think you’ll be worse off if you get rid of the cats. That won’t get rid of any eggs that may have been shed. The problem is already in your house you’re going to have to treat it either way.

I am surprised theough that the fleas are so visible, I wonder if they were treated with a cheap ineffective product, really try to learn what exactly has been done.

The “cat lady” sounds useless. I’m guessing she’s an informal “cat rescuer” not a properly set up rescue organisation.

I feel that keeping foster cats in a room is usual as is taking on cats that might not be in as good a health condition as your own pet. I must admit I would expect them to have had initial flea and worm treatment before being released to a Foster but my experience is that it is the trickiest cats who go to a Foster as they need additional support. You seem like you went into this totally unprepared with little understanding of your role and expectations and the rescue sound nothing like any I've experienced. Did they even do a home visit? I would hand them back, treat your home and not Foster again.

@FingersofFish no I went into it after doing an application stating I don't want cats with medical issues/behavioural issues as I knew that was pass my limit right now. I also mentioned my other cat and baby and assumed the sanctuary would take that into account and not pair me with not one but two cats that can't be around either!

Everyone else from the sanctuary has kittens/cats that have free reign of the entire house. I literally spoke to a lady today who said her kittens follow her where ever she goes. Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick but no one else seems to have this problem but me?

With a baby in the house I would never allow a cat with worms or fleas.

But this is always a risk.

@purpleme12 ot really they said every cat is treated before it comes Into a house! Had I been told there was this risk I wouldn't of tried to help foster

Shit rescue to not de-flea cats that were obviously hopping. 🤬

I foster dogs and cats. I'd suggest you do give them back. They will go to another foster.

I'd question the vetting process the rescue went through to allow you to foster in the first place. We're you honest with them?

Because your set up is not ideal as a foster (baby, cat allergic to fleas) and your mental health may not be in the right place. If fleas give you pstd then fostering cats is not a sensible option.

Poor cats 😿

I can't believe they allowed you to foster in these circumstances. You can barely get a cat from a rescue without jumping through multiple hoops. Give them to someone who can care for them properly.