Fostering Cats

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As advised by thecatneuterer - I am posting here.

We are thinking of fostering cats - probably short term.

I was wondering what people had to say about it all.

We have two cats already that come and go as they please, they know ours is home though :)

i have five cats of my own and i foster for yorkshire cat rescue, its so rewarding ,

the way you have to approach it is that the fosters are with you on holiday till they go back to the center or if fostered from your house to their new homes

if you foster kittens you get the cute stage without the lifetime commitment to them

yes some of them you will fall in love with and they will pull at your heart strings but the way to think about it is each one that goes from you to anew home leaves a space for another unwanted cat or kittens to have the love and security they need

any rescue will answer any questions you have and should be available to give advice

the one i work for supplies all the food and litter, trays, food bowls and if kittens a cage for night times and when you feed them (keeps resident cats away from their meals)

i usually seem to get them at about 6 weeks and then they go back to the center at 10-11 weeks

at this time of year its mainly mom cats with their kittens as its kitten season or orphan kittens

i would say deffo go for it if after doing it once you feel its not for you then at least you have tried :)

Just to say well done for fostering - if we had a spare room and didn't have 3 CHAT cats and a CHAT puppy I'd be doing the same. Instead I'm spreading the word! Please foster!

queenof knickers i dont have a spare room and have a dog as well, i just put the cage in the front room and by the time the kits go back they are cat, dog and grandchildren proof

Reposting my original reply:

There are generally two types of fostering - long term fostering of old/ill cats where the rescue pays the vet bills but you have the cat for life. And short term fostering of mothers and kittens until the kittens are old enough to be homed.

You will find a full explanation of both here, as well as a fosterer's first-hand account:

www.celiahammond.org/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=8&MMN_position=14:14

I'm meeting the foster woman later this week.

We don't have a spare room really, so I don;t think we would be able to help nursing mums?

It depends. If you don't have other animals or toddlers, and are able to keep windows and doors closed at all times, it's still do-able. They would start off in a queen cage and then just take over the living room or bedroom.

Here is the info from our 'guide to fostering' about where to keep them:

A quiet spare room is usually required in which to keep or base your fostered mum and kittens. If you do not have other pets and yours is a calm adult home you may wish to base your mum and kittens in another room such as the living room. Your own bedroom does not make an ideal room as although a newborn litter curled up with mum may be no problem a lively six week old litter jumping on your bed through the night will be!

It is essential to keep your mum and kittens entirely indoors – they must not be allowed to go outdoors. The room will need to have a securely closing door - you may wish to add a bolt on the outside to make doubly sure, particularly if you have children who may accidentally leave the door open.

If the room has an open chimney this must be sealed to prevent mum cat and kittens from hiding in or exploring it – the task of retrieving cats from chimneys can take many hours and is best avoided, similarly any holes in floorboards or skirting boards etc must also be sealed.

You will need to think about ventilation, windows cannot be left open as we don't want mum escaping or kittens falling. Modern double glazed windows may have locks which allow the window to be opened just a crack to allow air flow. Windows that open by tilting inwards are dangerous as cats can be fatally injured in the 'V' shaped gap that is created. Sash windows can be fixed with a nail or may have security locks that only allow opening by a tiny amount (2-3cm).

Another option which is dependent upon the style of your windows is to make a wood and mesh frame to securely fix over the window opening so that you can have ventilation when you wish.

If it is not possible to make windows safe then they must be kept shut and the fostered family securely contained in a basket or kitten pen or temporarily moved to another room in order to air the room. We will advise further regarding windows at your initial home assessment.

And here is the guide in full: www.celiahammond.org/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=52%253Cbr%2520/%253E

I had to stop fostering when madam arrived - my house is quite small and cats I did foster had the run of the house.

I fostered for Cats Protection

There rules are that foster cats are not allowed out at all and that they are kept separate from your own (so no fighting or passing on of disease). But when it is like this it is hard to keep windows closed.

Easier if you have a spare room you can close the door to or you want to foster cats in a pen.

They provided food, litter trays, litter, disinfectant, bedding and of course the cats.

They also provide all medical care but as I have a car I would take them to the vet, if I hadn't another volunteer would have.