Should I Foster? + Lots of questions

Should I foster a kitten?

I met this young lady while I was out at Petsmart, and she had the teeny tiniest black kitty. It was soooooo Cute!
Anywho, so she was getting help from one of the employees there who was giving her tips on how to take care of it, and it turns out that she has four of them! She found them somewhere outside, and has taken them all in with no prior knowledge, bless her heart.
They are only four weeks old, I don't think she knows where the mom is and it doesn't sound like she can keep any of them after she raises them. I wanted to take it home with me right Then and There but knew that I couldn't.
I just stood there transfixed and followed her to the cash register and held it while she paid for the formula. I was saying how I wish I could take it so badly and she asked if I wanted her phone number and I said yes.
I know that I couldn't keep any of them because when I move in with my boyfriend (eventually) he will only let me keep one animal. (He originally wanted nothing, but he sees how much I love Grimalkin so he wouldn't make me give him up.) But I want to help her out so badly, she doesn't know what she's going to do with them all and I know this is kitten season..

So my related questions are:
How long should the kitten stay with its litter mates before it can be fostered?
Is there something special in kitten food or is it basically just higher calorie/higher protein than regular cat food?
If that is true, then couldn't a high quality food (Merrick, Wellness, EVO, etc) be a healthy substitute? Because those brands will be higher protein/calories than kitten food of say Iams, right?
Would I need to have her vaccinate and test them for parasites before I took one, or would that be my responsibility?
Do you think an adult male cat would have a hard time getting along with a young kitten? Or is it that baby syndrome where he won't see it as a threat?
Is it my responsibility to adopt out the kitten/help her adopt it out?
What else do I need to know about fostering?

Thanks in advance!!

I have a 4 week old black kitten that I've had a little over a week. According to the lady who gave him to me, the mama cat had gotten out of the house and had been hit by a car.

I've considered fostering for the animal control people here in the county, but am not sure I could ever part with any of them that came into the house, especially the really little bitty ones that you bottle feed. The one I just got is being bottle fed and has started on kitten mash. I already couldn't part with him.

I will say this.......to foster the little ones, you really can't work outside of the house. I'm fortunate enough that I can take mine to work with me. But, most people couldn't do that. The mash I'm feeding him is kitten chow run through the food processor until it's a powder, and mixed with formula, water, and a little bit of yogurt. He seems to like it okay once I started the yogurt with it. He still takes a bottle for his liquid intake and I am gradually mixing less and less formula to the water. I'm sure part of his still wanting the bottle is just for snuggle time. He pretty much stays on my shoulder or around my neck during the day. He loves the attention.

It's easier and cheaper just to worm them and not even test them. As to feline leukemia and the respiratory diseases, the tests aren't really all that accurate until they are about 12 weeks old (per the vet I took mine to last Friday). I had kept the baby separate from my other cats until I could have him tested and then ended up not having him tested after all. If you foster for an organization, they should cover the costs of testing as well as food. However, if you just take one from an individual with the intentions of raising it and then finding it another home, the expenses will likely fall on you and will finding that new home.

The baby now mixes and mingles with the "big kitties," although I keep an eye on him. My female (oldest) cat is nonchalant on the whole thing. She just walks by and gives me a look as if to say "did you NOT learn anything the last time you brought one of these things into the house??" My male cat (now the middle cat) is intrigued by the baby as he's never seen one. However, he will jump on him and has been rough a few times with him, so I have to only let the baby around him if I'm right there and the baby is within arms reach. It will be several more months before I'm comfortable leaving the baby at the house alone with the big kitties. Until then, the baby will go to work with me or stay in my room during the day.

I wouldn't be taking one any time soon, it would be probably 8 weeks or later. I work in retail so I wouldn't be able to take him with me unless I left him in the back room. But I believe this lady works and/or goes to school seeing as she's around my age. I have other people at home that could feed it when I'm gone if need be.
But she's really completely alone on this, and I figure help from me is better than saying 'well, I can't spend 24/7 with them so I might as well not bother.'

So I should tell her to start feeding it a blend of dry food with formula and water? Or would canned food with formula and water be better?

I need to let her know she needs to use non-clay non-clumping right? Or is clay fine if it doesn't clump?

I had read somewhere not to use clumping because they tend to eat it. But, clumping is what I normally buy, so it's what we had when he got here, so that's what I used. I usually stand there when he goes anyway, and he hasn't acted like he was interested in it for anything other than it's intended purpose. After he gets done, I wipe his feet off and wipe him down with a warm baby wipe. He seems to enjoy it and he smells good.

If they are 4 weeks old, they may be interested in kitten mash. But, they may not be. Doesn't hurt to try. Mine didn't really care anything about it the first few times I offered it. But, I started only giving him formula in the morning and right at bedtime and just let him have water out of the bottle during the day, and that seemed to do the trick and interest him in eating the kitten mash during the day. I also added the yogurt to it. He still gets his snuggle time and morning/night bottles of formula, though. He's still in the messy eater stage, so gets another baby wipe bath after he eats.

A quick try for some answers.
Food. Kitten food is higher prot and higher fat, but also higher taurine (a proteine naturally occuring in animal products like meat and milk). So taurine is usually added to kitten food.
I believe essentially you could do with a high quality cat food instead of medium quality kitten food yes. If you have access to goat milk, it could be an excellent complement in itself.

Non clumping, may be clay litter yes.

Home cats are usually worm free. But kittens from moms who do go out, and of course all homeless, you must count they do have roundworms. Someone must deworm them. A Pyrantel preparat is probably best. can be used also when they are quite small. Another alternative is Revolution (now sold also prescribtions free), Revolution takes also fleas and ear mites.

WHO is responsible for this and that? You are both amateurs, she is no state organiation nor any association, so it is up to you both to agree.

It is often easier to have TWO cats, instead of one. So try to talk over your boyfriend into adopting one of them...

How is a grown up male to accept a kitten? I presume he is neutered? It is individual, but usually it goes well. some are a little afraid of small kittens, other are going in as their surrogat moms. Most are somewhere in between.

But. 1. He being eager in playing, he will of course have wrestling matches. If he isnt really friendly, he will win these matches...
2. He will now and then show who is the master cat. Thus sometimes he will play extra rough. To show his dominancy.
Im sure this is what just-Lil-ole-me witnessed.
It doesnt look nice, but it looks worse than it is.
Of course, if you are not sure, better to let them play only when supervised.

Ah, please give the nice lady adresse to your Forum, please! So she can ask herself too!


Tx for caring and good luck!

Originally Posted by Minka

I wouldn't be taking one any time soon, it would be probably 8 weeks or later.

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I have a feeling there is some not yet made ready thinking here.

(Or perhaps I didnt understand something?? This happens now and then! )

You want to help with fostering, nice and swell. But you are talking about taking one of them at 8 weeks, or even later.
So whatsa matter? its aint no fostering. At the very best it is help to find a new home.

The ladys difficult time is NOW. If you want to help her with more than sweet words and some advice (im not ironic - this is important too), you can either: take over them now. Or take 2 of them now (not optimal, but it would help her burden - she is new at cats, right?).
OR adopt one or two of them, say at 10 weeks.

If she knows one is already clear, it lessens her burden somewhat.
And you can hopefully use your connections to find more homes. This would be avesome.

Good luck!

once again, please tell this wonderful lady our adresse.

Please tell her also the following adresse www.kitten-rescue.com

This is mostly about helping younger, orphaned kittens, but she (and you) will surely find more than one good advice there also for 4+ weeks orphans.

It is our veteran forumist Hissy who is behind this site.

Originally Posted by just-lil-ole-me

If they are 4 weeks old, they may be interested in kitten mash. But, they may not be. Doesn't hurt to try. Mine didn't really care anything about it the first few times I offered it. But, I started only giving him formula in the morning and right at bedtime and just let him have water out of the bottle during the day, and that seemed to do the trick and interest him in eating the kitten mash during the day. I also added the yogurt to it. He still gets his snuggle time and morning/night bottles of formula, though. He's still in the messy eater stage, so gets another baby wipe bath after he eats.

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I thought 4 week olds needed to be feed several times a day? I know when you take home a kitten from a shelter 8+ weeks, they need to be feed 3-4 times a day, so I assume a younger kitten is more.

Originally Posted by StefanZ

A quick try for some answers.
Food. Kitten food is higher prot and higher fat, but also higher taurine (a proteine naturally occuring in animal products like meat and milk). So taurine is usually added to kitten food.
I believe essentially you could do with a high quality cat food instead of medium quality kitten food yes. If you have access to goat milk, it could be an excellent complement in itself.

Click to expand...

Okay, we'll go with kitten food then.

Home cats are usually worm free. But kittens from moms who do go out, and of course all homeless, you must count they do have roundworms. Someone must deworm them. A Pyrantel preparat is probably best. can be used also when they are quite small. Another alternative is Revolution (now sold also prescribtions free), Revolution takes also fleas and ear mites.

Click to expand...

Yea, the kittens are from outside, so I'll tell her to deworm them right away.

It is often easier to have TWO cats, instead of one. So try to talk over your boyfriend into adopting one of them...

Click to expand...

I can't adopt another cat, it's out of the question.

How is a grown up male to accept a kitten? I presume he is neutered? It is individual, but usually it goes well. some are a little afraid of small kittens, other are going in as their surrogate moms. Most are somewhere in between.

But. 1. He being eager in playing, he will of course have wrestling matches. If he isnt really friendly, he will win these matches...
2. He will now and then show who is the master cat. Thus sometimes he will play extra rough. To show his dominance.
Im sure this is what just-Lil-ole-me witnessed.
It doesnt look nice, but it looks worse than it is.
Of course, if you are not sure, better to let them play only when supervised.

Click to expand...

My cat isn't a very playful cat, I have a feeling he will just stare at it/be annoyed with it. I'm not to worried about him wanting to play rough. xD

Ah, please give the nice lady adresse to your Forum, please! So she can ask herself too!

Click to expand...

I can give her the URL, but I don't know if she will go. I'm going to call her today, so I can ask her if she has any questions.

Originally Posted by StefanZ

I have a feeling there is some not yet made ready thinking here.

You want to help with fostering, nice and swell. But you are talking about taking one of them at 8 weeks, or even later.
So whatsa matter? its aint no fostering. At the very best it is help to find a new home.

The ladys difficult time is NOW. If you want to help her with more than sweet words and some advice (im not ironic - this is important too), you can either: take over them now. Or take 2 of them now (not optimal, but it would help her burden - she is new at cats, right?).
OR adopt one or two of them, say at 10 weeks.

If she knows one is already clear, it lessens her burden somewhat.
And you can hopefully use your connections to find more homes. This would be avesome.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Well, first of all, I wanted to make sure that the kittens don't appear sick as I don't want to get my cat sick. (Yes, I know about separating them.) Secondly, for some reason I thought at this age the kitten needed to be feed every 4 hours. But I guess not.

Originally Posted by Minka

, for some reason I thought at this age the kitten needed to be feed every 4 hours. But I guess not.

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Why, yes, they should. I didnt recognized it was a real problem for you.

Of course, once they begin to eat by themselves, and you must leave himherthem alone, you can lay out their food for them to nibble when they want. And thus - prolong this time. Ie give them their normal food shortly before you leave. Leave out this extra food - dry food if poosible, and so you can go.

Out in the wild they dont always get food regularly either. Their mom must go out now and then, and hunt or in other ways find food. Scavenging trash bins, or begging with friendly people or something...
So I suppose, if there is no other way, you can leave them alone some longer time...

Tx for caring!
Good luck!

Originally Posted by StefanZ

Why, yes, they should. I didnt recognized it was a real problem for you.

Of course, once they begin to eat by themselves, and you must leave himherthem alone, you can lay out their food for them to nibble when they want. And thus - prolong this time. Ie give them their normal food shortly before you leave. Leave out this extra food - dry food if poosible, and so you can go.

Out in the wild they dont always get food regularly either. Their mom must go out now and then, and hunt or in other ways find food. Scavenging trash bins, or begging with friendly people or something...
So I suppose, if there is no other way, you can leave them alone some longer time...

Tx for caring!
Good luck!

Click to expand...

Well when I looked up the feeding amounts/times for kittens of this age, most places list only 3-4 times a day. Feeding every 4 hours is 6 times a day.

Originally Posted by Minka

Well when I looked up the feeding amounts/times for kittens of this age, most places list only 3-4 times a day. Feeding every 4 hours is 6 times a day.

Click to expand...

Its been my understanding that you can't over feed a kitten. They could/should be free fed. (with water available at all times 24/7)