Advice For Adoption Considerations For Foster Kitten

[adrianehere]

Hi all! You might remember me from this frantic post a couple of months ago: Foster (maybe Feral) Mama Not Cleaning Newborns (and Other Behaviors)

Thanks to your support and that of my foster facebook group, the kittens are totally thriving (though they did end up losing their mom abruptly as she had severe diarrhea and had to be treated at the shelter and then released because she was so feral, they also got Parvo, URI's and about a month of diarrhea/weight fluctuation).

Anyway, I started fostering because my partner was (is) battling severe depression and we've both wanted kittens for so long. I thought it would be a a great form of pet therapy (it has totally been working!) And a great way to help some animals. I also was previously in a marriage for a decade where my husband didn't want cats and wouldn't allow them in the house, so I've been desperate for this kitten love my entire adult life! Fostering has been very rewarding and I intend to do it more in the future, but as I said, we've also had almost every severe fostering complication possible with our first litter. Now that our house has Parvo exposure on carpets we can't foster kittens for many months and, honestly, I don't think I'm up to it again at the moment. Taking care of my partner takes a lot of energy right now.

Thing is, my partner has completely bonded with one of the kittens and I'm pretty sure we're going to have to foster fail with her. I was hoping to adopt the four out in pairs because I've read it's so much better for their development. We also have a good friend who just lost one of her two cats to sudden kidney failure. She'll be coming to our city with her other cat (whom we helped raise) and she'd love to adopt one of our fosters. My question is, if we adopt one and keep another for her, they will be 6 months old in October. Will they be too bonded to separate at that point? And would our single kitten be at risk of developing only kitten syndrome if they're separated at 6 months? Also, any advice on getting a pair of kittens adopted? And lastly, how old would you say a kitten needs to be before we can foster adult cats in our home?

Thanks for reading so much! Y'all are an inspirational community and invaluable resource for we first time fosters! Here's a family nap shot my partner took and some other gems.

 

[Etarre]

Thanks for sharing these amazing pics of your kittens. Glad that they're happy and healthy. I have only ever had 'only kittens' and they've been sweet and generally well-adjusted. I've never heard of "only kitten syndrome" but wanted to share my good experiences with only kitties.

Good luck with the decision about whether to keep your favorite foster, and getting the others adopted!

 

[ArtNJ]

I don't know what you mean by "only kitten syndrome" either. Having a playmate surely makes certain behaviors somewhat less likely because they get some of the energy out with each other, but its a subtle and variable thing. Other behaviors, like 4 am noisy romping throughout the house, become more likely with two. And if you are worried about tendencies, an only cat is somewhat more likely to be somewhat more affectionate. And somewhat more likely to be very clingy as well. But bottom line, I think you are worried too much about it. Keep the right number of kittens that makes sense to both of you and they will do fine, and adopt them out to good homes singly or together. An exception would be if you have unusually bonded kittens. I had a pair that were found together where one would cry if the other was out of sight.

As far as separating 6 month olds, that is going to depend as well. There could be some behavioral consequences, but it is hard to predict what shape they might take. I've had a cat become much more affectionate after the death of a housemate, another have no reaction at all, and certainly some people describe things they interpret as depression. If you are sure you can adopt out a 6 month old, I don't think its the biggest deal to wait.

 

[rubysmama]

My family, and now myself, have only ever had one cat at a time, and they've been fine. I'm not sure about separating 6 month old siblings, but I think they would also do ok.

I don't know anything about Parvo. Is there treatment for it? Or is the kitten going to have a shortened life. And if so, will that be too upsetting for your partner, and yourself?

Also, your friend who might adopt one of the kittens. Is she aware of the Parvo? And could her other cat catch it from the kitten?

 

[adrianehere]

Thanks so much, all! I guess my email preferences were incorrectly set up because I didn't see that y'all had responded until I came to the site to look up a different situation with temperament!

My friend decided not to adopt one, so we have already adopted a pair out and will adopt the other pair out hopefully this week. The demeanor of the two that we had planned on keeping has completely changed since being spayed (over two weeks now) and they are no longer loving, cuddly, or cutely co-dependent in the ways that my partner was so drawn to, so I've convinced her that we could be foster successes instead of foster failures if we adopt them out.

Due to the parvo the kittens had (they no longer have it and yes all adopters are aware that they did) we cannot foster unvaccinated kittens in our home anymore, but we can foster adult cats, so we'll likely start doing that. Perhaps we'll find the best possible cat match for us in the process!

I appreciate all of your support and feedback!

 

[rubysmama]

Glad you found us again. And thanks for the update. I'm a little surprised that the demeanor of the 2 kittens changed after spaying. Maybe it's just that they're getting older. Anyway, if you have homes for them that's great. And that opens up your home to fostering more cats, and maybe you'll become fosters failures yet.