Question for those who foster

Do you let your cats interact with the fosters after proper introductions?

Here's my story: Last weekend a cat ran up to me in my yard and also into our hearts. I got in touch with the foster based rescue we got Calvin from and they asked me to foster. With my rental restrictions I cannot for long but I said I will for a month and if Casper does not get adopted by then, they will make other arrangements for him. I really hope that in a week or so we can show him at the local pet store. However, my dilemma has been with Calvin and Hobbes. I had trouble with Calvin when I adopted Hobbes and Calvin is being even more hissy this time. He is actually even hissing at Hobbes. Casper is in the spare bedroom and Hobbes was very curious (he is super laid back). They have seen Casper through glass doors before but I think could not smell. So today we left a tiny gap in the door for Casper and Hobbes to see each other - Hobbes was curious and Casper (the foster) hissed and tried to reach to hit Hobbes a few times. Calvin came up the stairs and hissed at Hobbes, not recognizing him and then hissed at Casper a lot too. He is "mommy's baby" and is jealous of everyone and everything that takes my attention, including DH. But getting another cat is the ultimate sin I can commit. Ideally I would like them to coexist in the same space since it is way less stress on me and I want Casper to socialize better.

Basically I am looking for any tips/ help I can get with regards to fostering.

Hi again . I have let foster's (after a two week quarantine and making sure they are totally healthy and parasite free for sure) interact with my resident kitties. BUT, not if the foster's are short-term. Then I just don't bother upsetting the apple cart and causing unnecessary stress. Also, I have been known to be a "foster failure". I have to wonder if Casper, Calvin and Hobbes all get along famously, if you would be the same . Walden and Wendall blended so beautifully with my other four, I couldn't believe it. So they have a forever home, with us. .

I am sure other's will come along with great advice for you as well. I would just be careful and think long and hard about the interaction because Calvin and Hobbes have had their share of health issues and take it from one who knows, stress can cause all kinds of health problems in kitties. . I would make 100% sure the Casper is very, very healthy. Casper sure is a handsome boy, saw his picture in the Fur forum.

I let my fosters interact with my own crew after they've been fixed, tested and vaccinated and after gradual introductions. That said, I never let fosters have full run of the house all the time. I generally let them of the spare/foster room only when I'm home to start and then during the day if all goes well with the introductions. This applies to the adults only. I never let my foster kittens out unsupervised. Also, I never let any fosters out of the spare room at night. That's my time with my own cats.

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. It depends on a few things.

1) The health of the foster. I have to be sure they're completely healthy as I don't want to risk the health of my own cats.

2) Their temperament. They have to be completely easygoing and non-threatening to my own cats. If my own cats get stressed, I don't allow them to interact.

Thanks everyone for the ideas. I am contemplating what to do. I know that if I can eventually get Casper to be with Calvin and Hobbes, he will get more access to me. He has been outside for a while and is definitely bored in the bedroom. He does not know how to play with toys and definitely does not play on his own. He loves to chase the laser point though.
However, I know he is not here for long and praying that he goes to a loving home soon. I am sure if there a bonding it will be hard on everyone but my house is not too large and my boys know who's there on the other side. There is just a lot of tension now with the door shut. Plus the bedroom door is not perfect and it does not open or close smoothly - and today while I was trying to get out of Casper's room, Hobbes got in and it was actually rather cool. They were both cautious but touched nose about 5 times. They mainly were looking at each other. They were definitely not happy when I took Hobbes out of the room and Hobbes went on begging for a long time. Arrrggghhh - this is so not each. Calvin will be his jealous, hissy self, though he is probably getting used to Casper's smell and not hissing at me as much.

@ Lauren - yes I am concerned about their health and till I sign up formally with the foster, I am not sure how the vet thing will work. My boys are on lysine and I put Casper on it. I have feliway running and Calvin is of course getting extra cuddles since at moments like this he becomes standoffish for a while and then come running to us for attention. Casper did have fleas - no live ones seen but flea dust but till I get his rabies vaccine taken care of, I cannot take them to a grooming place for a nice wash. He got Revolution last monday and my boys are on Revolution. I am thinking of giving him panacur since I have it at home. He is definitely fixed and tested negative for FIV - FeLV and did not seem to have got into any fights anytime soon (ie no injuries seen). One thought I have is that Casper definitely belonged to someone and he is neutered and does not have a tipped ear - and being about a year old, he probably is current on his shots. However till we get his rabies and distemper shots taken care of, I am being very cautious. Anything else I should worry about?

@ elicon - I really like the idea of Casper being in the spare room at night. I do want to be able to supervise their interactions. Maybe if it comes to full fledged interactions in a while, I may want to do that.

@ Kailie - I hear you (read you, more like it)! I know about Calvin's stress and he's stressed now with Casper in the spare room. I think Hobbes is stressed a little because he wants to be with/ play with Casper and is not allowed to and Calvin is stressed since he wants to kill Casper and Meowmy would not let him

Originally Posted by Calvin&I

@ Lauren - yes I am concerned about their health and till I sign up formally with the foster, I am not sure how the vet thing will work. My boys are on lysine and I put Casper on it. I have feliway running and Calvin is of course getting extra cuddles since at moments like this he becomes standoffish for a while and then come running to us for attention. Casper did have fleas - no live ones seen but flea dust but till I get his rabies vaccine taken care of, I cannot take them to a grooming place for a nice wash. He got Revolution last monday and my boys are on Revolution. I am thinking of giving him panacur since I have it at home. He is definitely fixed and tested negative for FIV - FeLV and did not seem to have got into any fights anytime soon (ie no injuries seen). One thought I have is that Casper definitely belonged to someone and he is neutered and does not have a tipped ear - and being about a year old, he probably is current on his shots. However till we get his rabies and distemper shots taken care of, I am being very cautious. Anything else I should worry about?

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De-worming......You could also use the Panacur since you have it on hand. But since you want Casper to interact with your two boys, then I would deworm him right away and then again in two weeks. Just don't let Calvin/Hobbes near Casper's litterbox until such time as you get a negative stool check. Chances are, yes, he was someone's cat since he is neutered and probably did get some shots as a kitten.

BUT wait, you already gave him Revolution So that was de-worming #1........the Revolution will take care of worms too and since you gave him that last Monday, then instead of the Panacur or Profender (a topical dewormer I like to use from the vet), give the Revolution again exactly two weeks from last Monday to cover the worms, fleas, etc. That is probably what I would do. Then check the stool sample two weeks after the last Revolution dosage. In between that time, you could let the boys interact, but still keep them away from Casper's litterbox. Might be hard to do as all kitties LOVE to investigate each other's boxes..... But try. Your boys are on Revolution anyway, so don't worry too much over it. I am just the kind to go overboard with things because I have had some bad luck and it makes you learn to take precautions more seriously.

OH wait, sorry, he has fleas or flea dirt? Then the Revolution will not kill the tapeworm he probably has. I guess I would go with the Panacur or Profender. Tapeworm is NOT contagious and a cat is infected with tapeworm from eating a flea/bird..... So Calvin/Hobbes cannot get tapeworm from Casper.

I agree I quarantine mine until they have been vet checked, I always get a fecal for internal parasites I made the mistake once and had to treat the whole gang for giardia. I also always test for FIV/FeLV which I am luck enough to usually get for free thanks to a wonderful local rescue who donate a certain number of test to every vet in the city every month. As long as one of the test is available my vet will use one on my rescues.
I'm pretty much the same I will let my cats meet and as long as everything goes well they are allowed to interact with my personal cats. I am lucky and all of my cats are pretty laid back and getting used to new cats coming and going, the most there will be is a bit of hissing if a new one gets in their personal bubble, and after a few days they are sleeping in piles, wrestling/ playing tag, and grooming each other. Chloe is my best one to introduce to the new ones to test their temperament because I don't think she know what being mean is. She thinks everyone is her friend and doesn't seem to understand why they hiss. So she is very non-threatening to allow my fosters to meet, if they respond well to her they do fine with the rest. The only foster currently who is locked up is my newest Molly, for 2 reasons, one she is very pregnant and two she is not taking to the litter box yet.


Lol, Chloe and Zoe are my first two rescue and my "foster failures". I was in love with Chloe the moment I met her, she has been nothing but a love from the moment I met her, even coming from a high kill shelter with her tiny little 2 week old kittens, all of them super sick and her just skin and bones. She immediately bonded with me and I with her so it was no surprise when I decided to keep her. Zoe is the one surviving kitten and she had such a big personality I fell for her too.