Wonderful foster cat experience

[DesolationRow]

I've just had such a lovely experience with my foster cats and made me quite emotional. Three weeks ago I started fostering a cat and her two kittens (three weeks old) all very poorly with cat flu. Mum and five kittens had been dumped at the shelter who got them vet treatment immediately, but three kittens had died within a few days. Another of the kittens died after a week with me, but the sole surviving kitten is recovering well, as is mum.

Mum cat seemed to have lost her mothering instinct, she mostly ignored her kittens and her milk had dried up, no doubt due to her being so poorly. Over the past week she's started grooming her kitten, and then playing with him and tonight she fed him! It was amazing to see this little survivor suckling from her (he did it for ten minutes, I could hear him swallowing, and then they fell asleep together in a furry pile) and mum cat looked so relaxed and happy. I didn't know that her milk could come in again and I'm just so happy for them both 🥰

There's something in my eye. Must be dust or something because both are watering.

Oh that pic of them together is wonderful! 😻😻

We're fostering four kittens at the moment, so there are seven cats in the house. It's lush.

@beguilingeyes oh my, you have your hands full! Are they orphan kittens? How do they get on with your other three? Occasionally I've been tempted to keep one of my foster cats but thought that would mean the end of fostering, which I love, as the rescue centres I've worked say no other cats. Which I've always thought a bit inflexible as some cats are absolutely fine with new ones 🤷

Do you have a spare room or any room where they could be kept separate? Foster cats/kittens are meant to be kept separate from existing pets in any case.

I would contact other rescues! That's a truly bizarre rule. I'm with Celia Hammonds and we certainly don't mind if fosterers work full time (except of course for the special fosterers who hand rear small kittens if they don't have a mother). After all, if it's a mum and kittens, the mother cat does the kitten care. All the humans need to do is provide the food and spend a bit of time playing with the kittens.

Yes that is a bizarre rule if you have a spare room or other room where they could be kept separate. It's not a good idea to allow foster cats/kittens to mix with existing cats, but there is no reason at all why you shouldn't foster with existing cats if you have a suitable separate room.

They're orphans AFAIK. Three from one litter and an odd one. They're in the spare room so haven't met our three.
We fostered a pregnant cat a few years ago which was lovely. We kept one of hers.

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@beguilingeyes how sweet - I bet they get up to some mischief! It's a couple of years since I fostered a kitten and I'd forgotten what absolute dynamos they are. Very entertaining but it's good they sleep so much too.

@thecatneuterer yes, a separate room is necessary, at least for the first few days until they're comfortable and we can see what their issues are. My two now have the run of my house and sleep on my bed, which is so nice. I think they'll be ready for rehoming (together) in a three weeks or so. After Mum Cat is neutered!