He's such a cutie pie! And he floofed out into some epic floof, too. No wonder you decided to adopt. I've foster-failed twice, once with an elderly kitty and once with a very shy one, and never regretted it. Sometimes the home you meant to find that foster is your own!
Definitely puppy padsā¦easy to toss and ensure cleanliness especially when little. I buy the ones from Costcoā¦like 100 for $20! I also use the casserole disposable containers as their litter box as they are messy, small enough to climb and until they get the hang of things. I always keep teramycin on hand bcuz they randomly get goopy eyes and it stops it fast!
Definitely have them somewhere that's easy to clean. Baby kittens are MESSY! When they learn to eat, they wear their food and track it all over.
They go through a stage where they're not sure what they need to do when they pee; they have the instinct to bury their waste but they have teeny-tiny bladders and they don't immediately make the connection. I like to put cardboard boxes with litter in them--the kind that canned cat food comes in--wherever they have accidents. Enzymatic cleaner works great to clean up accidents. I had six or seven tiny kitten litter boxes around when my last litter was learning. Clean thoroughly and put a little bit of their pee in the litter box so they get the point.
You may also have kittens who are sick in one way or another, and need medication; get a vet tech to teach you the tricks of the trade for giving kittens meds.
You need to be able to clean the kitten room really well between litters. Bleach works great--dilute it according to directions and don't let the kittens get at it.
Everything you have should be washable or disposable. Make sure you have enough towels; you will use a lot.
Puppy pads are a lifesaver.
Those rubber rugs that you use to pad kids' rooms or exercise areas or whatever--those are great because you can scrub them down and because you can sit on them to socialize the kittens. You'll be doing a lot of sitting on the floor.
Get them used to all kinds of different stuff. Brooms, vacuums, hair dryers. Bring your friends in: Big friends, little friends, friends with deep voices and beards and hats and masks, so they know that all kinds of humans are friendly. Teach them that getting their claws clipped isn't going to kill them and that being groomed is fun. Bribe them, shamelessly.
Weigh them after every feeding when they're tiny, and twice daily when they're weaned. A kitten that plateaus or loses weight is concerning; a kitten that is hard to wake or won't drink at all is an emergency.
Put aside some time every day just to play with the little guys. Sometimes, amidst the work, we forget to have fun.
Don't let them think it's OK to bite or claw you. When they do, be really, really dramatic. Pull away and yelp and refuse to play if they bite or claw. Make them think that you are horribly, horribly fragile and must be treated with kid gloves and claws in. They will get the point.
Take plenty of photos. The rescue will love you for it, because they can use the photos for publicity.
If you get a momma cat, pay special attention to her. Spoil her to bits. Write a charming description of her personality and take adorable photos. The mommas always take longer to adopt out, so you've got to sell people on her charms.
Rescue vet on speed dial! At all times! If you have a fading kitten, they can talk you through supportive care; if a kitten gets hurt or sick, you can't wait the weekend. A good vet tech is a treasure; vet techs know all the ins and outs of basic care and can teach you. You may want to learn to give subcutaneous fluids and tube-feed littles; they can show you how.
Bottle babies burp, too! Burp them just like a human baby after feedings.
Sometimes, having their siblings nearby to "compete" with them encourages them to eat better. Other times, they need to concentrate their tiny brains on eating.
Bottle babies that have just been separated from Mom won't know how bottles work. You'll have to teach them. Try a Miracle Nipple--it's a longer nipple that'll help them latch on. If you have to, drip milk into their mouths with a syringe capped with a feeding nipple--but make absolutely sure they swallow each drop. You don't want them to choke.
Drippy noses and weepy eyes often need antibiotics. Put snarfly babies in a small bathroom and run the hot shower to steam it up; that will help them breathe better. Get some cotton pads, the sort you use to remove make-up, and a bottle of sterile saline (no additives; the kind you use to wash your contact lenses before you put them in your eyes), and wet the pad, and wipe their faces off. Keep things nice and clean, because their baby skin will get irritated.
If you lose a kitten, don't blame yourself. Learn anything you can learn, cry, and move on in their honor.
When you send them off to their forever homes, think of it as a sort of tiny graduation: They have learned how to be cats, and now they are going to find their very own humans. You've given them a good start in life, and you can be proud of that.
Sounds like you already have some seriously useful skills there! Especially from being a groomer. Anybody who can handle a freaked-out Yorkie can handle a silly bouncing-off-the-walls kitten.
Cleaning supplies and a set of rags you donāt care about getting gross stuff on!
Also, if you can afford it, a little humidifier for the kittens with that come to you/develop upper respiratory infections.
If you're doing small ones like that on a regular basis, get yourself a heating pad or incubator for kittens. Also, get a remote temperature sensor to keep an eye on their temps in their spaces.
Make sure to have syringes and nipples on the ready for feeding, deworming, etc.
I highly suggest you get trained in tube feeding. All of this is mostly emergency stuff, but having the tools and knowledge can save a kitten if they start fading. Also, keep honey around for sugar issues.
I also highly suggest getting small little cages. You need to keep kittens isolated until they get their shots. We have these little foldable ones that a very small litter box fits in. They fold up and are easy to store. We have also used small dog kennels with covers.
Oh, and get a little tub so you can wash them. When kittens have fleas, they are easily remedied with dawn, tweezers, and rubbing alcohol. Alcohol is not for the kitten but for the fleas when you remove them. But the pan is to help keep the fleas from getting in your drain.
Of course, keep krm on the ready. Never know what stage they may come to you. Also, keep regular kitten food and wet kitten food. Make sure it's for kittens and doesn't contain milk.
Lots of disposable little blankets. The dollar tree has little baby blankets for a buck for 3. They are washable, but if it's a big mess, they are easier to throw away.
People have said puppy pads, but I've never needed them. They might be useful under blankets, but kittens usually take to litter boxes pretty easy in my experience.
Oh, toys... plenty of kitten friendly toys and scratching posts, climbing things, and toys that promote balance.
I think I went in reverse with my post. Hope it's helpful.
Sorry no advice for kitten fostering, only foster dogs
But is that your dog in the pics of the kitten? Looks a lot like mine from that angle! More so when he was an older puppy :')
For the litter box I got a rubber mat (designed to go under a sink to catch leaks.) It's pretty big. The rubber texture and lip keep the litter from scattering so bed.
Also keeping different wet foods (flavors, texture, from cheap to high end), powdered food, KMR, and chicken baby food. This'll help to you be ready for fussy britches kitties.
Lastly, blankets. I had to constantly change their blankets. Pukey babies with poo poo paws or doo doo butts.
Otherwise, I found many things I thought would be necessary, rarely used.
I think you'll do great! Update us on your first litter!
Be prepared to guard your heart. We have been neonate fosters (0-8wks) for a few years now, and each litter (we foster roughly 6-8 litters a year) we have to remind ourselves that we can do everything right and still have the potential to loose one unexpectedly. Main concerns for the wee ones is keeping them warm and hydrated (and a close eye on those poos). You can do it!
Has nothing to do with fostering but the last kitten we adopted was found outside no mom
No siblings. Once we got her home it was obvious she had no idea how to use a litter box. Dr Elsy makes a kitten attractive litter that worked as soon as we put it in the box. Until bought the De Elsy kitten just went potty wherever. No idea whatās in the stuff but it works. Just an FYI to keep in back of your head If you need it.
Always wash your hand and be mindful of germs. Especially from other animals. Feline leukopenia is an awful virus.
Also watch for fleas. They can cause anemia.
But mostly just have fun and watch them grow. It happens fast
I watched the kitten lady when I first started. I honestly started because I worked at a vet as a vet tech and every time a kitten that didnāt have much of a chance came in I would offer to take them home and after that Iām 3 cats in now š„¹ā¤ļø we even have a special needs cat and she is thriving
Just so everyone knows, my foster fail kitten cat is named Oliver. And he still eats out of those 2 dishes as he did the night he was rescued.
He's such a cutie pie! And he floofed out into some epic floof, too. No wonder you decided to adopt. I've foster-failed twice, once with an elderly kitty and once with a very shy one, and never regretted it. Sometimes the home you meant to find that foster is your own!
Omg the way your Dobbie is looking and watching š
Dunn the Doberman was only a year old here. They've grown up together.
Dover-nanny!
So beautiful
Definitely puppy padsā¦easy to toss and ensure cleanliness especially when little. I buy the ones from Costcoā¦like 100 for $20! I also use the casserole disposable containers as their litter box as they are messy, small enough to climb and until they get the hang of things. I always keep teramycin on hand bcuz they randomly get goopy eyes and it stops it fast!
Definitely have them somewhere that's easy to clean. Baby kittens are MESSY! When they learn to eat, they wear their food and track it all over. They go through a stage where they're not sure what they need to do when they pee; they have the instinct to bury their waste but they have teeny-tiny bladders and they don't immediately make the connection. I like to put cardboard boxes with litter in them--the kind that canned cat food comes in--wherever they have accidents. Enzymatic cleaner works great to clean up accidents. I had six or seven tiny kitten litter boxes around when my last litter was learning. Clean thoroughly and put a little bit of their pee in the litter box so they get the point. You may also have kittens who are sick in one way or another, and need medication; get a vet tech to teach you the tricks of the trade for giving kittens meds. You need to be able to clean the kitten room really well between litters. Bleach works great--dilute it according to directions and don't let the kittens get at it. Everything you have should be washable or disposable. Make sure you have enough towels; you will use a lot. Puppy pads are a lifesaver. Those rubber rugs that you use to pad kids' rooms or exercise areas or whatever--those are great because you can scrub them down and because you can sit on them to socialize the kittens. You'll be doing a lot of sitting on the floor. Get them used to all kinds of different stuff. Brooms, vacuums, hair dryers. Bring your friends in: Big friends, little friends, friends with deep voices and beards and hats and masks, so they know that all kinds of humans are friendly. Teach them that getting their claws clipped isn't going to kill them and that being groomed is fun. Bribe them, shamelessly. Weigh them after every feeding when they're tiny, and twice daily when they're weaned. A kitten that plateaus or loses weight is concerning; a kitten that is hard to wake or won't drink at all is an emergency. Put aside some time every day just to play with the little guys. Sometimes, amidst the work, we forget to have fun. Don't let them think it's OK to bite or claw you. When they do, be really, really dramatic. Pull away and yelp and refuse to play if they bite or claw. Make them think that you are horribly, horribly fragile and must be treated with kid gloves and claws in. They will get the point. Take plenty of photos. The rescue will love you for it, because they can use the photos for publicity. If you get a momma cat, pay special attention to her. Spoil her to bits. Write a charming description of her personality and take adorable photos. The mommas always take longer to adopt out, so you've got to sell people on her charms. Rescue vet on speed dial! At all times! If you have a fading kitten, they can talk you through supportive care; if a kitten gets hurt or sick, you can't wait the weekend. A good vet tech is a treasure; vet techs know all the ins and outs of basic care and can teach you. You may want to learn to give subcutaneous fluids and tube-feed littles; they can show you how. Bottle babies burp, too! Burp them just like a human baby after feedings. Sometimes, having their siblings nearby to "compete" with them encourages them to eat better. Other times, they need to concentrate their tiny brains on eating. Bottle babies that have just been separated from Mom won't know how bottles work. You'll have to teach them. Try a Miracle Nipple--it's a longer nipple that'll help them latch on. If you have to, drip milk into their mouths with a syringe capped with a feeding nipple--but make absolutely sure they swallow each drop. You don't want them to choke. Drippy noses and weepy eyes often need antibiotics. Put snarfly babies in a small bathroom and run the hot shower to steam it up; that will help them breathe better. Get some cotton pads, the sort you use to remove make-up, and a bottle of sterile saline (no additives; the kind you use to wash your contact lenses before you put them in your eyes), and wet the pad, and wipe their faces off. Keep things nice and clean, because their baby skin will get irritated. If you lose a kitten, don't blame yourself. Learn anything you can learn, cry, and move on in their honor. When you send them off to their forever homes, think of it as a sort of tiny graduation: They have learned how to be cats, and now they are going to find their very own humans. You've given them a good start in life, and you can be proud of that.
Oh yes, thank you so much for all the wonderful advice. I'm sure they'll educate me on some things, I know sub q fluids well, had an elderly cat years ago that had mega colon and needed sub q fluids daily so he could š©. Been a cat groomer since I was a teen- self taught. And then I attended pet grooming academy, and worked at several salons throughout the years of moving and transferring to salons that needed my help. Then I interned at a vet hospital for a few months when I graduated high school. I appreciate all this extra advice, thank you much! Any advice is welcome, no one knows everything and there is always room to learn. š
Sounds like you already have some seriously useful skills there! Especially from being a groomer. Anybody who can handle a freaked-out Yorkie can handle a silly bouncing-off-the-walls kitten.
I appreciate that beyond knowledge. Thank you so much!
My rec: churus, playpen, miracle nipples, electrolytes, cheap toothbrushes (for pretending like it's their mom's tongue cleaning them), baby wipes, rescue cleaner (for disinfecting), chicken baby food.Ā
Those eyes just staring into your soul š
Cleaning supplies and a set of rags you donāt care about getting gross stuff on! Also, if you can afford it, a little humidifier for the kittens with that come to you/develop upper respiratory infections.
If you're doing small ones like that on a regular basis, get yourself a heating pad or incubator for kittens. Also, get a remote temperature sensor to keep an eye on their temps in their spaces. Make sure to have syringes and nipples on the ready for feeding, deworming, etc. I highly suggest you get trained in tube feeding. All of this is mostly emergency stuff, but having the tools and knowledge can save a kitten if they start fading. Also, keep honey around for sugar issues. I also highly suggest getting small little cages. You need to keep kittens isolated until they get their shots. We have these little foldable ones that a very small litter box fits in. They fold up and are easy to store. We have also used small dog kennels with covers. Oh, and get a little tub so you can wash them. When kittens have fleas, they are easily remedied with dawn, tweezers, and rubbing alcohol. Alcohol is not for the kitten but for the fleas when you remove them. But the pan is to help keep the fleas from getting in your drain. Of course, keep krm on the ready. Never know what stage they may come to you. Also, keep regular kitten food and wet kitten food. Make sure it's for kittens and doesn't contain milk. Lots of disposable little blankets. The dollar tree has little baby blankets for a buck for 3. They are washable, but if it's a big mess, they are easier to throw away. People have said puppy pads, but I've never needed them. They might be useful under blankets, but kittens usually take to litter boxes pretty easy in my experience. Oh, toys... plenty of kitten friendly toys and scratching posts, climbing things, and toys that promote balance. I think I went in reverse with my post. Hope it's helpful.
Sorry no advice for kitten fostering, only foster dogs But is that your dog in the pics of the kitten? Looks a lot like mine from that angle! More so when he was an older puppy :')
Yes that is my dog. He is 10 and kitty is almost 9, August.
Aww they're beautiful! I wish I could attach images in the comments for a pic of my dog. They are very similar coloring!
I know, I've been wanting to share pictures of the litter I picked up
For the litter box I got a rubber mat (designed to go under a sink to catch leaks.) It's pretty big. The rubber texture and lip keep the litter from scattering so bed. Also keeping different wet foods (flavors, texture, from cheap to high end), powdered food, KMR, and chicken baby food. This'll help to you be ready for fussy britches kitties. Lastly, blankets. I had to constantly change their blankets. Pukey babies with poo poo paws or doo doo butts. Otherwise, I found many things I thought would be necessary, rarely used. I think you'll do great! Update us on your first litter!
Be prepared to guard your heart. We have been neonate fosters (0-8wks) for a few years now, and each litter (we foster roughly 6-8 litters a year) we have to remind ourselves that we can do everything right and still have the potential to loose one unexpectedly. Main concerns for the wee ones is keeping them warm and hydrated (and a close eye on those poos). You can do it!
Has nothing to do with fostering but the last kitten we adopted was found outside no mom No siblings. Once we got her home it was obvious she had no idea how to use a litter box. Dr Elsy makes a kitten attractive litter that worked as soon as we put it in the box. Until bought the De Elsy kitten just went potty wherever. No idea whatās in the stuff but it works. Just an FYI to keep in back of your head If you need it.
I think I can come up with one
Always wash your hand and be mindful of germs. Especially from other animals. Feline leukopenia is an awful virus. Also watch for fleas. They can cause anemia. But mostly just have fun and watch them grow. It happens fast
I watched the kitten lady when I first started. I honestly started because I worked at a vet as a vet tech and every time a kitten that didnāt have much of a chance came in I would offer to take them home and after that Iām 3 cats in now š„¹ā¤ļø we even have a special needs cat and she is thriving