FeLV+ or Disabled Cats, which focus for new space?

I'm a few months away from finishing renovating my daylight basement (living room, two bedrooms, bathroom, enclosed deck) which will have Marmoleum flooring put down. I'm havering about which kind of cats I want to foster in this space and keep veering from seriously disabled (incontinent, etc.) to FeLV+ and back again. I've cared for FeLV+ cats in the past, a long time ago, and know they have a hard time getting into a sanctuary let alone a home - but then, so do disabled cats. I can't figure out a good way to decide.

On the main floor - living room, three bedrooms, two bath, enclosed deck, etc. I have my current fosters and a couple of cats of my own. I have three hospice fosters, two disabled cats (one with progressive neuromuscular disorder and one with radial hypoplasia), a foster with CH and my 19-year-old cat, Raven. They have plenty of room and usually spend their days in my bedroom with occasional time-out at a bedroom window and having some alone time in the living room.

You know how it is, you get so used to doing meds, fluids, diapers, special litter areas, etc. etc. that you become very efficient. I know I have time to  take on more practical work.   And, I give snuggle time, contact time, etc. as high a priority as all the medical care; it's part of giving a high quality life. However, the cats downstairs will not be sharing my bed at night, and they will see me only briefly in the mornings. 

On the FeLV+ side of things, they could be young and set high enough store on each others company that my seeing them less will have little impact. Also, my own inclination is to care for sick cats more than disabled cats, even though I enjoy caring for both. On the disabled cats side of things, there will be no reason why they can't spend time upstairs or my own can't visit them.  But, disabled cats need more practical care time.

I am completely stuck and would like your comments.  Thank you.

I'm sorry if this has been posted in the wrong forum but I thought it would be best here as I'm asking for advice mainly from people who have cared for cats with these special needs.

A dear friend of mine fosters FeLV+ cats all the time, she says it is a very rewarding experience. All I could really say is try fostering FeLV+ cats and disabled cats? So so lovely that you want to be a foster mommy. I wish I could foster...I live in a tiny bungalow with people renting the basement (I only have one floor other than basement) and have my mum and brother, and two kitties currently living up here. It's a tight fit, so I wouldn't have any space for fosters. Hope to foster a lot in the future, though!

kittylover23 said:

A dear friend of mine fosters FeLV+ cats all the time, she says it is a very rewarding experience. All I could really say is try fostering FeLV+ cats and disabled cats? So so lovely that you want to be a foster mommy.

I wish I could foster...I live in a tiny bungalow with people renting the basement (I only have one floor other than basement) and have my mum and brother, and two kitties currently living up here. It's a tight fit, so I wouldn't have any space for fosters. Hope to foster a lot in the future, though!

Click to expand...

How does the fostering work for your friend? Does she keep them until they have a space at the sanctuary, or until they are adopted, or until they die?  Does the shelter provide all veterinary support, including things like monthly immune system bolstering shots? How many does she have at one time? Does she focus on kittens or adults, or always a mix? What has she found to be the greatest challenges?

Thank you.

My friend fosters about two cats at a time, sometimes three, until they are adopted. The shelter pays for any veterinary care. She focuses mainly on adults and seniors, mostly because there are less foster opportunities for older cats.

Called her up about ten minutes ago and asked her what she found to be the greatest challenge. She told me it wasn't dealing with sick kitties, it was letting them go when they find a forever home. She, just like I would, bonds with the cats and is always a bit sad to let them go.

Fostering is a wonderful thing. Bless your heart for doing it .

kittylover23 said:

My friend fosters about two cats at a time, sometimes three, until they are adopted. The shelter pays for any veterinary care. She focuses mainly on adults and seniors, mostly because there are less foster opportunities for older cats.
Called her up about ten minutes ago and asked her what she found to be the greatest challenge. She told me it wasn't dealing with sick kitties, it was letting them go when they find a forever home. She, just like I would, bonds with the cats and is always a bit sad to let them go.
Fostering is a wonderful thing. Bless your heart for doing it

.

Click to expand...

It's great that you live in an area where feline leukemia cats, especially those who are adults and senior, are adopted so readily. The sanctuary where I volunteer averages 1 adoption per year for their FeLV cats. How wonderful that people where you live are ready to take in special needs cats, and that your friend's shelter does a great job on promoting them for adoption.

A lot of the kitties do end up going to forever homes, but not really quick. I made it sound a little overly optimisitic there. She has the cats for a couple months at least, but while she does have them she and I do advertise that they are adoptable along with the shelters advertisements. We put up posters around our area, and internet ads as well. She's fostered about 9 cats (6 of them FeLV+) and currently has one FeLV+ and an FIV+ kitty in her home. I petsit for her fosters very often, so I know her through that. I've become very close with the cats as well. The longest time she's had a foster is about a year.

Much will depend on your area - in terms of what financial assistance each group provides, what cats are most in need in your area, etc.

In my experiences fostering, be prepared to have them long-term. I've had foster cats for over a year (before I gave up, failing at fostering them & kept them).

Currently I am fostering a 13 y/o gorgeous white MH kitty (spayed/front declaw) who has been with me since December. So far only one application on her in that time. I expect her to die here before she gets adopted, but I'll keep her listed & run her in various ads periodically. I also have two mother cats & their litters of kittens (in addition to my own cats - many are seniors &/or have special needs). I don't have time for a social life, I am home tending to these guys - socializing cats (and when they're a bit older the kittens) to make them more adoptable.

I've previously fostered mother cats/kittens, bottle fed kittens, litters of weaned kittens, special needs cats, and senior cats. I tend to not take in 'normal' cats to foster as they stand a greater chance at adoption, and the others are more likely to end up euthanized.

Truth be told - in this area 'special needs' or 'senior cats' are *hard* to place, very hard.

Things you need to consider:
--Can you handle it if you take in FeLV cats & they die while in your care?
--What types of special needs can you handle - diabetic? seizures? neurological issues? renal failure?
--Do you have enough time to handle more special needs cats that require frequent meds, care, etc?
--Are you willing/able to socialize feral cats/kittens?

I know you said you have experience with special needs, just make sure to consider all angles. Determine who in your area is most in need (FeLV or special needs), and go from there. One thing you can do is contact potential groups you could foster for & ask them what they have a greater need for. In this area FeLV+ cats are euthanized, the shelter will not adopt them out. I tried to socialize a feral kitten, it mostly worked - she likes me but no one else, and I ended up keeping her as the shelter was unwilling to adopt her out.

Sorry for the novel, but I hope it helps! :nod:

kittylover23 said:

A lot of the kitties do end up going to forever homes, but not really quick. I made it sound a little overly optimisitic there. She has the cats for a couple months at least, but while she does have them she and I do advertise that they are adoptable along with the shelters advertisements. We put up posters around our area, and internet ads as well. She's fostered about 9 cats (6 of them FeLV+) and currently has one FeLV+ and an FIV+ kitty in her home. I petsit for her fosters very often, so I know her through that. I've become very close with the cats as well. The longest time she's had a foster is about a year.

Click to expand...

I still think you are doing an excellent job in getting so many FeLV+ cats into their own homes. I don't think even the Best Friends Sanctuary has such a good adoption rate for cats in this particular group. It's wonderful that so many people in your area will take a cat with a shortened life span, and ones that need a few more trips to the vet than ones without a compromised immune system.

It was helpful, even this short chat with you because it got me thinking things through more clearly. I realize that as my numbers naturally decrease upstairs I can foster or adopt other disabled cats, so I am pretty well determined I will take FeLV+ cats for my downstairs space. Fostering, not adopting, because I don't have unlimited funds for vet fees and when I cover them for the shelter, they are tax deductable as a donation.  I feel sure I will have them for life, which is fine. I've done enough hospice fostering to know how to cope with loss - most of the time.