Advice from fosterers please

booktigger

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Sorry if this is in the wrong place, I couldnt decide where to post it. I picked up a stray cat on Sun to foster (there is a thread in the feral section), and she is really wanting to come out of her room now. I normally isolate fosters for 2 weeks to be on the safe side. She has seen a vet, and apart from a skin infection, got a clean bill of health - although the rescue I foster for doesnt get cats FIV/FeLV tested. I just don't know what I can do for her - I do have a large dog cage, I was debating putting it up in the front room and puting her in it for a while each day so she could see the others and maybe have a change of scenery - would that be OK? Or I could put the cage up in her room, but I know only one of hte cats would go in to investigate, as only one of the others shows any interest in that room.
 

semiferal

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Why doesn't the rescue test cats? That just doesn't make sense!

If it's financially possible for you, I would pay to get her tested. It may be cheaper to just test for FeLV, which is really all that is absolutely necessary since FIV is extremely hard to transmit. Then you can let her interact without worry.

The risk of letting her integrate, regardless, is really very minimal so you may decide to go for it anyway. I personally don't isolate adults that appear healthy.
 
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booktigger

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Finances sadly - but both the rescues I have fostered for have only tested cats that don't look healthy and they think it is a possibility. Only one of the other 4 in my house has been tested (and that was over a year ago), so not sure how much good it would do.
 
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booktigger

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Well, I am going to have to put her in the cage in the front room for an hour in a bit, she is so desperate to get out - and she has only been here a week. She knows there are other cats in the house, and Tom will keep sleeping on the cat bed near her door, which I suspect is making her worse. Am hoping that if I give her an hour in the cage in a different room every day, she will meet the others and should be fine come next weekend (although she will be in her room while I am at work every day)
 

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Has everyone had their vaccinations? I guess that is my main concern with mixing kitties in...when I got Garfield as a kitten, he and his brother had distemper. They had seen the vet, and gotten vaccinations, but still managed to infect my litter.
 
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booktigger

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The rescue I foster for doesn't vaccinate either, so only my two are vaccinated. Attempted to put her in the cage last night, and everyone else had gone up to bed, so she didn't settle. Put her in it again tonight, but sat in it with her, and she wasn't happy. Molly did come down, and came near, but got spat at. She showed a bit of interest in Tom, but as usual he pushed too far (he always does), but after spitting at him, she started wheezing a bit. she is just so desperate to get out of the cat room though, I don't know what I am going to do with her.
 
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booktigger

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Well, today is her first day out of isolation - am only letting her have a couple of hours at a time though, and she will have to be in during the day. The rescue may know of someone who would like her though, will have to see.
 
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