New Foster Mom!

Hi all,

I've recently started volunteering with a local pet rescue organization. We foster rescues out of private homes and showcase them for adoption at a local pet store. 

I already have two full-grown males of my own, and am currently fostering two 7 month old sisters (though it looks like we may have found a forever home for one of them, keep your fingers crossed! 

My "boss" is going out of town and has asked me to take in four 5-week old kittens, as well (To which my reply was YES, YES, and YES  ).

However, I have never cared for a kitten younger than about 4 months, and I would really appreciate any tips/advice from the more experienced! Please advise!  Thank you in advance!

They need as much cat-food (preferably high-quality) as they will eat, plenty of play and plenty of love.  If they get ill they can go downhill incredibly quickly, so keep a good eye on them.  Presumably they have been deflead and wormed?  Check with the rescue for their policy on worming, flea treatment, vaccinations and so on, and what to do if you think a kitten is ill.

Five-week-olds - what a fun age!!!! They're just starting to really play.

However - they won't be completely (or even partially perhaps) weaned yet (as a rule) although the weaning process may have been just started. You'd definitely need to find out what the status of that is from your boss. They're just getting their full set of baby teeth, which is why weaning hasn't really probably started yet, or at least completed fully. So you'll need to find out if you need to be bottle feeding, supplementing with hard and/or soft food, etc. Hopefully your rescue organization can help you out with info - maybe even supplies (as you'll perhaps need pet bottles, KMR or the equivalent, etc.).

The good news is that you won't need to stimulate them anymore to urinate/defecate ---so they will need a litter box. You'll need to use clay litter (non-clumping litter) as they likely are still doing dopey kitten things like taste-testing the litter And you definitely don't want them to ingest any of the clumping! 

You'll also want to keep them separate from your other guys as it's extremely unlikely that they'll be FeLV tested, and although they may appear very healthy, until you know for sure that they're not carrying anything, I wouldn't expose your other guys to it.

Check out reliable sites (plus this one obviously!) for help - a few great ones I like to refer to for info I listed below. And don't be afraid to call your vet with questions too! As mentioned above - kittens this age unfortunately can "turn" quickly - so don't be afraid to ask a reliable source if you're worried about something!

http://www.nycferalcat.org/BottleFeedingKittens-Legal.pdf

http://www.feralcat.com/raising.html

http://www.rescueguide.com/orphkits.html

http://www.2ndchance.info/orphankitten.htm

Good luck - and happy fostering! It's such a rewarding thing to do (I've got two that turned 7 weeks old today!)

First off, thank you Shunra and Kittychick for your support and advice! I felt more prepared to be a fur baby foster mom with your help. 

Update: Jynx, one of the two sisters I was fostering, did get adopted today! 

PLUS   I picked up four tiny fur-babies today from my boss. 

I do have to keep them separate, as they have not been tested/dewormed/etc. My two adults aren't happy to be excluded from the room that they are in (and the remaining sister is showing some anxiety) but I'm confident they'll be fine. 

They are not fully weaned off of formula, so I will be feeding them a mixture of KMR + wet food, sometimes dry. As well as some daily vitamins. All of which I was supplied (hooray free kitten care!)

I set up the kennel they will be living in: litterbox (non-clumping, ofc), food/water, shelf for climbing, snuggly toys/blankets. Tomorrow they can explore my home office while I'm studying for an exam Monday.   

My biggest fear is that they will "turn" so I imagine I will be closely monitoring them for the next few days, at least. My boyfriend claims it's simply my biological clock striving for motherhood. 

There are four kittens, 3 females, one male. The male is a sandy orange, one female is a fluffy tabby with white paws, one an all-black furball, and the last is grey with white feet. 

Maybe I will post pictures soon?  

Would love to see pics - post when you get a chance! (I know you'll be busy with all those guys to take care of!).

Congrats on the adoption! I hate having to send any of my fosters back to a shelter if I don't have to  (it's so hard to think of them in a cage after you've loved them and let them run around!) - although it gets harder and harder to find adopters myself since, as my husband says. "we've tapped out all our cat friends."

It sounds like you're very ready to tackle all of this - it is so much work but it's so much fun itsn't it?!?! I'm sure they'll do great and so will you!!!! Do you have the four guys until they find homes/go to the shelter or are they going back to your boss? 

One way to monitor that can help ease your mind a little - I weigh my guys daily, at the same time, at our first morning "hello." Kittens that age will gain basically every day - and it always makes me feel a little better when I'm a little worried about anything to see that they actually are gaining and growing. I always feel like foster caring teeny ones is such a high "risk/reward" thing - I worry alot more that they're healthy (particularly until they're about 6 or 7 weeks since I actually am probably an overworrier even through weaning) but it's also SUCH a high reward to know you've raised healthy, happy babies!

One thing you might splurge on if you think you'll keep fostering teeny guys, and you get a few extra bucks (which, I know, rarely happens when you foster alot) -  my kittens have all seem to love is an actual cat heating pad . It remains alot lower temperature than a human heating pad, so it's nice and safe and won't overheat the babies. I started out with one for our 19-year-old cat - and she adores it. So I got one for when I foster too - and it was a great investment! Just a little fun tidbit that was given to me and thought I'd pass along!

Keep us posted! (and had to add a pic of my current two fosters - 7 weeks old on Friday - Scoot is on the left, Cooper is on the right).

Keep us posted! (and had to add a pic of my current two fosters - 7 weeks old on Friday - Scoot is on the left, Cooper is on the right).

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Kittychick, they are gorgeous. Scoot looks abit like my Bubba.

Funny - I'm not even an "orange or buff cat person" (no one shoot me for that)...plus I truly love fluffy long-hairs. OK - I love all of 'em, but just being honest about a preference I can't help but I think these two are some of the cutest I've fostered. I keep calling Cooper my "muppet baby face" since his face just seems to stay in that super- round, big-eyed baby look. Now if I can just help them find homes before they have to go back to an unfortunately very overrun shelter....Sonadora - how did you end up finding your last foster's forever home? Like I noted before - I feel like I've "tapped out" all my cat friends! The last three we did (they started out feral - which made them particularly hard to place) we got only TWO calls (luckily both ended up adopting so they all 3 found homes) out of the approximately 150 emails I sent out and dozens of Facebook posts and plastering local vet offices with flyers. 

This is Bubba at about 8 weeks old,

This is him now at 6 months.

Mamabirdy, kittychick, your kitties are so adorable!!!! Thank you for the pictures!!! Im so tired but I've been wanting so badly to post, so I'm going to do just a real quick update from my phone before bed.

Kittychick, to answer your question, I work with a local rescue org, whose website is here: http://svpr.rescuegroups.org
We are a small group, only about 100 animals in a handful of foster homes, with some extra volunteers. Aside from the website we also showcase some fosters at a local Petco.

So long story short, i am only responsible for the care taking of my fosters, though I also help with adoptions on the weekends at Petco. My boss is one of the heads of the group and she organizes all adoptions. Maybe there is a group like this in your area? We give free food/sometimes litter to our foster parents, as well as some basic medical supplies if needed (vitamins, syringes, topical medication, flea prevention) plus any vet care is handled by the group itself. The only thing foster parents have to do is give TLC! It's a pretty sweet deal, in my opinion. And I'm way excited to be more and more involved with this rescue group.


As for the kittens...they are doing just fine, eating everything in sight and getting round bellies. I'm having way too much fun pretending I'm a mother cat. Crazy Cat Lady Status: Confirmed.

More details and pics to come soon I promise!!! Going to sleep naowww.

Alright, so here goes. 

Everyone has been doing fine, for the most part. Everyone eats, some more than others, but there is only .2 lbs difference between the largest and the smallest so I think we are ok. I feed them 3-4 times a day, and they snack on their leftovers in between feedings. I don't have to worry about overfeeding at this point, do I? 

OK, fun stuff!  I can't get a good picture of all four together, so I will post individual ones. 

This little girl I think is the runt. She's mostly caught up to her siblings in weight, now, but she doesn't like to push and shove for a place at the dinner table. We've been calling her our Little Lady for being such a dainty eater, but she's a rough-and-tumble play powerhouse! I don't have many major concerns with her, except that she's been sniffling a little bit. 
This black furball is the biggest of the four. I've been calling her Gremlin because thats what her face reminds me of. She would eat all day if I let her. 


This sweet girl is a huge cuddler. She likes to be up high, watching the rest of her siblings wrestle. I just love her expression. Her right eye was really drippy when I first got her, but it seems to be clearing up. 


The last little guy is the one that worries me the most. He eats fine (he's the messiest eater actually) and he's got a healthy weight, but the other girls (especially the needy tabby) are suckling on his penis and he's developed a little scab. Despite my efforts to deter the girls from suckling on him, it seems to have grown larger. I can only hope that as I give the tabby more maternal attention, she won't feel the need to use him for that. Anyone have tips? Suggestions? This guy used to have a drippy eye, too, that has gotten a lot better. He's also the neediest and needs to constantly be around me. 


This is a picture of the scab. Sorry it's also a picture of gross boy parts. But I'm worried! 

Try to separrate them. That does not look good. It coulf ca use him problems. You should ask the vet for advice also.

will do.

I know it may be hard, but he can't take that all the time. Some cute kittens though

kittycatlovemew said:

I know it may be hard, but he can't take that all the time.

Click to expand...

Oh, well yes. But I'm more concerned for how he's doing. I've just finished setting up a separate kennel-nest for him to sleep in when they have to be kenneled. I've been keeping my eye on it, and it appears to be a scab coming loose. As mentioned, I've noticed the tabby trying to suckle when they nap, and I've tried to deter her from it and provide her with other items to nibble on, but it's clear to me that separating him while they are unsupervised is the most sensible way to go. I just really hope it does not worsen.    I'll be sure to keep posting. 

Poor baby. All kittens do this but the males should not be part of this. Maybe just move them so the girls face his back and not sukle on the other side hope this helps a little.

Another option I've had luck with is just a little bit of "Bitter Apple" (available at most pet stores) on his "boy parts" can really discourage the others too. I always hate to do it if he's really raw as I have a feeling it might smart a tad (although I'm not a cat-but guessing from reactions I've had to it when applied). I don't think it (thr apple) really hurts badly by any means-I always equated it to all those cut treatment things moms used on us as kids that smarted for less than a second. And it might save him from having to be separated indefinitely.

Just another option!!!

And meant to say....how adorable!!!!!! The face in the tiger....and the hair on Gremlin!!!! Wow! That's the kind of thing that has gotten us to TOTAL crazy cat people status over the years (we've got 5....3 of which are past fosters I couldn't part with...my husband swears that 2 are officially already "replacements" for our 19 year old & 18 year old...as I think he'll be happy to be a few fewer at some point....and he doesn't want me to even think about keeping either of our current fosters...but c'mon...who doesn't think that when anticipating them going back to a cage at a shelter?!?!)


Absolutely adorable-you're a great cat mom!

After two nights of separation, the orange tiger seems to be healing very well. I'm hoping I can re-integrate him soon because he cries at night, even though I let him sleep with one of the more calm sisters as a buddy. Luckily classical music seems to soothe everyone to sleep quite nicely. 

Thank you, kittychick, for your suggestion of Bitter Apple. Once his boy parts heal I will probably use that to re-integrate him back in with everyone else. It seems that only the tabby suckles on him, so that might just  do the trick. 

Everyone continues to eat and gain weight, so I guess I must be doing something right! 

Kittychick I can totally relate. Ive decided to keep one of my other fosters, Tabitha. She andI have this special bond that I don't think anyone else could repeat (and I don't want to find out, either!) Let's just hope when the time comes I'll be ready to let these babies go! 

My 2 current fosters turned 8 weeks today & are technically ready to go back but im nit ready for them to Although as shelter is a little extra overcrowded right now-w/a lot of ringworm & URI so it's adding to my feelings of doubt on them going back yet). Plus I've had very few foster kittens have to go back to stay at the shelter as I work really hard to find them forever homes before they have to go back in . But sadly -think I'm out of "cat ready friends" as I'm getting no bites on these 2. So think they'll have to go back And I too am extremely bonded (how can you not be?!?!) and it's going to be HARD!!! So I'm here for you (& I'm sure lots of others are too!) when they have to go in!!

I hope they find there perfect couple or a person who needs a cat. I wish the best for the fosters to find there forever home