Foster Home Vs Shelter For Adopting Out Weaned Kittens

[cat mom Jen]

I am fostering a litter of 5 kittens for my local shelter; received them at 11 weeks because they were terribly underweight (two were only 1 lb) at prior foster home. They are now 16 weeks old, are at good weights, and ready for adoption. As a new foster, I am terribly worried about dropping them off at shelter to await adopters in cages. Here they have a great set-up with quality food, room to play, my watchful eye, and clean stress free conditions. If I am willing to foster them longer (while they are advertised on shelter website etc) is it really better for them to go to shelter? I’m told they will be adopted quicker if they are there. Maybe so, but they will be in a far less ideal environment for the weeks it may take for adopters to take them home.
Can other foster moms weigh in on this? Now that my job is done, will they be totally fine at the shelter? Do other fosters hold onto their kittens until adopted out or is it more the norm to return them to shelter?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Lil Dude Jcatbird catsknowme do you have thoughts for the OP?
"kittens To Good Homes" - How To Find A Good Forever Home For Your Kittens

 

[Jcatbird]

I understand your hesitancy. I would say that a lot depends on the shelter. How do you feel about the environment there? Is it a good shelter? Is it a kill shelter? What happens to the kittens if they are not adopted there? Can you reclaim them if you are unhappy with their care or they don’t find homes? Are you prepared to keep any who might not get adopted either way? Does the shelter have a fast turn over for adoptions or do they tend to be there a long time? Will they have toys available? Are they ever let out for exercise? If they don’t get adopted from your care would you be turning them over to the shelter when they are older? Lots of questions , I know. I can say that adoptions go quicker with kittens than older cats. You need to decide if you like the way cats are handled at the shelter and if you can facilitate adoptions from your home. Are you having trouble letting go because of questions about the adoption process or is it just painful to let go? I don’t think any of us can judge that shelter without observing it. You need to thoroughly check them out. I can say that if the kitties ever need to go there it is easier for them to adjust when they are young. Most do okay in the cages for the time they are there. Hopefully the shelter workers take time to play with them and give them affection. It makes a difference, especially if they are there a good while. You need to find the answers to the questions I provided. Make a list of positives and negatives and see which list is longer. I have done adoptions both ways. I have also done private adoptions. I have had some adopted kitties returned. There are no guarantees when you are doing this. Much of it is a judgement call and using your instincts. It’s so hard to let go , no matter what ,but maybe you can get a better feeling about things if you tour the shelter, spend some time there observing procedures, learn the rules there and meet the people who will be working with the kittens. This might ease your mind and give you the answers you need. I hope you find a solution you are comfortable with. It’s obvious you have doubts that you need to address. Trust your instincts but don’t let your attachment to the kittens cloud your view. You have done a fantastic job with them! If you intend to continue taking in other fosters you need to answer your concerns and you have to make room for other kitties that need help. Very tough. I don’t know if any of this helps you but I hope it does. Good luck Foster Mom! We all love you for bringing these babies to good health and a better life. Please keep posting. I am sure others will have some good tips and advice for you. Let us know how things go for you all. We’ll be here if you have any further questions or needs.

 

[orange&white]

I fostered (dogs and cats) for Humane Society for a few years. Since they were the shelter's animals, it was never my call. When they said "Bring them back", I didn't have a choice. Occasionally, they'd ask if I could keep them longer than originally planned. If you actually have a choice, then a home environment is almost always better than a shelter environment unless the shelter can place them very quickly.

Last year I trapped an abandoned feral kitten I estimated at 5 weeks old. I kept him and fed him until he was over 8 weeks and over 2 pounds and then turned him in to the shelter so he could be neutered. When I followed up, they said he was adopted the same day, before they could even post his photo on the internet, and the forever home only had to wait a few days for him to be neutered.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Are you working closely enough with the shelter that you'll have some "say" in where they go, despite where they're at when the adopters arrive?
If they're listed on the shelter website, I think a foster home would appeal to a lot of people because of the individualized one-on-one attention.
Even the best shelters that do a really good job have lots to do, and this way you know their personalities a bit better.
I'm a sucker of course but if I were fostering, and were happy to continue doing so, I'd send the shelter tons of pictures and have them select some cute ones to put on the website/petfinder page so people can have multiple views and keep them at home. Videos wouldn't hurt, either.
You'll be able to tell them what cats like being held, what cats don't, which kittens are the most playful and laid back, which kittens would make a good pet for a busy house or would prefer a quieter place, etc. It takes the guesswork away from the adopter.

 

[Sarthur2]

A home environment is always best.

 

[cat mom Jen]

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and suggestions.
It is a no-kill shelter that does good work saving lives. I have adopted 3 cats from there in the past 2 years (two of which were “difficult cases”). 2 were coming from foster homes and 1 was a resident cat that was doing terribly there and would have been there for a very long time. I’m sure they do the best they can, but still I’ve seen care that I think is less than optimal. I certainly wouldn’t want these kittens to be there for any length of time.

I have recently sent them a list of questions about the specific care the kittens will get in the shelter; of particular concern is how they will be fed since they are still recovering from being so undernourished in the previous foster home. That situation in itself gives me pause, as they have medical records when the kittens were brought in (for check up and vaccines) that clearly show that the kittens were not gaining enough weight starting at 3 weeks, then 6 weeks, 10 weeks, and they did not remove them from that home until 11 weeks. As I said, two kittens were barely 1 lb, the largest under 2 lbs. I think they should have intervened with food assistance and education much much earlier.

While it’s not stated directly in the foster application, I guess they expect the kittens to be brought in residence at their request, normally 8 weeks, to get adopted out from there. This is not the case for older cats that are in foster care; they seem to stay in foster homes as long as the fosters will have them, until adoption. So in these cases, the foster can participate in meeting with prospective adopters but they don’t have final say. With the kittens, if they are in residence then I assume they are out of the picture and therefore cannot help inform prospective adopters, which bothers me. Yes, the shelter requires an application and interview with adopters before they can take an animal on an “overnight” trial run.

The kittens have been listed on the shelter website for a couple of weeks. I supplied 3 photos of each kitten and bios. However, when I recently sent in updated bios, they did not revise the profiles as I requested. Also, I’ve asked to bring the kittens to adoption events in the area, and they don’t want me to, citing immunity concerns. So I feel that not enough is being done to get them adopted prior to being caged in the shelter. I’m not bothered by letting them go (to new homes).

If kittens are not adopted out, they are moved from the cages in lobby to the free roam adult cat rooms. At this point their chances for adoption decline. However, they will keep the cats indefinitely: no kill.

I am already going to adopt the smallest and most fragile kitten. I offered to keep the others here in foster care until they are adopted, but the shelter wants them back this week, to maximize their exposure to adopters who walk in (though they still have to wait to do application, interview, meet and greet so there’s no instant gratification).

I just hate to think of them in the shelter when the best situation is going home to home. So I am reaching out to this community for moral support and to see what other kitten fosters’ experience has been in working with/for shelters.

 

[Sarthur2]

Will the shelter let you foster them longer, or bring the kittens in on days they are open, then take them back home at night or for days they are closed?

 

[cat mom Jen]

Sarthur2, that is exactly what I am considering proposing: I bring them to shelter for the days they are open and take them home in the evening. But I didn’t know if this would be seen as a ridiculous idea. Or if this would cause the kittens more stress or be more likely to carry illness back to my home.

 

[Jcatbird]

I know the adoption process can be slow or not happen. It’s really hard working within shelter rules. I hope you can find a way to foster until adoption. The information you have provided does lead to concerns. I have had to accept certain stipulations that are difficult for me as well. Our county shelter has to work within county rules. The shelter in the city nearby has completely different rules that I find easier to accept , but still not exactly what I think could be accomplished. If this shelter is not adequate in your opinion ,is there any chance you can find homes for them yourself or put them in another shelter that might be better? I understand that technically you may be bound by any agreement with them as a foster but I just thought these might be possibilities. Of the 60 + cats and kittens ( mostly kittens) I have fostered through shelters in the past year only two were returned to the shelter. Only one of those was a kitten and she was returned because the adopting couple got a divorce and the wife could not have a cat in the apartment she had to move to. Not because the kittien has trouble adjusting. The kittens were all adopted very quickly. Three of the adults that are there now are taking longer than I had hoped but i made an agreement with them ahead of time that I can retrieve them. ( all shelters here are kill shelters) If they don’t get homes pretty soon I will bring them back as permanent residents here. One of my friends who has worked as a foster for the shelter has started working there as a volunteer. She is doing this so she can continue to have contact with the kitties she fosters as well as the ones I work with. Maybe you could consider that as an option as well. We both think that it helps the kitties to have her there. She can take special food to them ( and others) and she can facilitate special care wherever she sees a need. Not all shelter workers truly understand cat care. Maybe you can really help the shelter to improve. Please let us know what happens. Again, you are doing great things for these kitties.

 

[Sarthur2]

I think it is an excellent proposal. The kittens will be in a cage at the shelter and unlikely to bring illness back. It will be less stressful for the kittens to return home at night. All you can do is ask!

 

[catsknowme]

I love the idea (and dedication) of bringing the kittens to and from the shelter! That will add the extra benefit of acclimatizing them to car rides that do NOT mean vet visits.
Have you been uploading pictures and videos of them on local FB pages such as the lost&found pets sites and also on NextDoor?

 

[cat mom Jen]

Yes, I have posted on NextDoor multiple times, no takers. Will explore other sites.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Yes, I have posted on NextDoor multiple times, no takers. Will explore other sites.

It's old fashioned but still gets takers...print up some flyers with pictures, ages, colors, sex, etc., and post them on bulletin boards in stores that attract cat people (petsmart, etc.) with a phone number or contact info.
I have never been to next door, I don't do Craiglist or anything else like that but I do notice a cute kitten on a board that says "needs home". It might broaden your audience a bit.

 

[orange&white]

1 bruce 1 's note about posters reminded me that I usually see available pet flyers on a board in the waiting room at my veterinarian's office. Occasionally they even have some kittens in the lobby available for homes (when people dump a box of kittens at their door overnight instead of taking them to a shelter...but that's a potential off-topic rant).

Main point: You might see if any vet offices will let you post a flyer.

 

[1 bruce 1]

1 bruce 1 's note about posters reminded me that I usually see available pet flyers on a board in the waiting room at my veterinarian's office. Occasionally they even have some kittens in the lobby available for homes (when people dump a box of kittens at their door overnight instead of taking them to a shelter...but that's a potential off-topic rant).

Main point: You might see if any vet offices will let you post a flyer.

One of our vets has a cat and dog foster program too, mostly cats and kittens but sometimes a nice dog sneaks in there.
Most vets are happy to do this, because this means another potential pet client for life if someone adopts a kitten and the foster parent says "yeah, I use (clinic/vet name), where you saw the poster." The kitten gets a good home, the home has a good vet option, and the vet might have another life long client. Everybody wins.

I could rant with ya, orange&white , but we'll save those rants for another day.

 

[Lil Dude]

I'm in a similar situation at the moment. I took eight kittens and a mother while raising too many cats of my own! Got myself into a mess, but I was able to help the cats out. They had contracted coccidia, giardia, and pneumonia from the shelter they were at. I lost two while they were still young, but was able to nurse the others back to help with lots of vet trips and help from TCS members. Sometimes it's better to put them in someone else's care, only if that someone else can give better care than you can. Someone is interested in fixing my fosters and giving them vaccines and such, but only if I let her foster group adopt them out. That's better than I can give them.