I just went downstairs to give the mother cat, Muffin, some wet food and attention. I, of course, peeked into the "nesting" box to check on the kittens. I almost had a heart attack because it was empty! Thankfully, I quickly located them in the cat bed that is right near the box. I guess this means that Momma kitty is getting more comfortable here.
The babies are sneezing a little bit today. I think they caught Mom's cold. But otherwise, they are doing great. I think one of them is starting to try and open his eyes. Today is their one week birthday!
3/30/09
3/29/09
Unexpected Challenges
When I decided to start fostering, I knew there would be some challenges that would come up and I would have to figure out how to deal with them. I expected things like dealing with a foster that got sick in some way and dealing with giving them up at the end of the foster time. I have, however, had some challenges that I did NOT expect when I signed up. Such as:
1. Thinking that with the only child in the house being 4 years old, I was done shopping at Babies R Us only to have to go back and get a bi-fold door child lock to keep a mother cat from hiding her newborns in the closet. Especially since I had just the day before filled the closet with every thing from the room that I though was NOT safe to have around kittens that young.
2. Convincing the 4 year old that the newborn kittens did not have sticks coming out of their bellies. They were embilical cords.
3. Explaining to a 4 year old what an embilical cord was.
1. Thinking that with the only child in the house being 4 years old, I was done shopping at Babies R Us only to have to go back and get a bi-fold door child lock to keep a mother cat from hiding her newborns in the closet. Especially since I had just the day before filled the closet with every thing from the room that I though was NOT safe to have around kittens that young.
2. Convincing the 4 year old that the newborn kittens did not have sticks coming out of their bellies. They were embilical cords.
3. Explaining to a 4 year old what an embilical cord was.
And on that note, I am happy to report that Kitten C lost his embilical cord today and both kittens are doing well and maintaining their weights.
3/28/09
3/27/09
Welcome to my home (and the world)
I picked up my latest foster on 3/26. The foster coordinator at the shelter asked if we would be willing to take in a pregnant mother cat and we said yes. By the time things worked out to go get the cat, she had given birth to two healthy kittens. I picked them up when the kittens were three days old.
The mother is a two year old black and white cat named Muffin. So far she is taking great care of her babies. I had a little trouble when I first got them home. I had a bed for her like they had at the shelter, but there she was in a smaller cage and at my house she has a whole room. It seems that she did not care to have her kittens out in the open like that and kept trying to move them to the closet. I actually had to go to babies r us and get a bi-fold door lock that you normally use to keep a toddler out of a closet. My roommate's husband (Roland) also helped me make Muffin a nesting box out of an old moving box so that she could safely "hide" her kittens.
As of today, the kittens are four days old. We think they are both boys, but it is hard to tell at this age. Since we are not sure about their sex, we have not named them yet. Kitten B is black and white and right now weighs in at 5 oz. Kitten C is also black and white and has a white neck with a black spot on it. Kitten C weighs in at 4.5 oz. If I can figure out how, I will post some pictures.
The mother is a two year old black and white cat named Muffin. So far she is taking great care of her babies. I had a little trouble when I first got them home. I had a bed for her like they had at the shelter, but there she was in a smaller cage and at my house she has a whole room. It seems that she did not care to have her kittens out in the open like that and kept trying to move them to the closet. I actually had to go to babies r us and get a bi-fold door lock that you normally use to keep a toddler out of a closet. My roommate's husband (Roland) also helped me make Muffin a nesting box out of an old moving box so that she could safely "hide" her kittens.
As of today, the kittens are four days old. We think they are both boys, but it is hard to tell at this age. Since we are not sure about their sex, we have not named them yet. Kitten B is black and white and right now weighs in at 5 oz. Kitten C is also black and white and has a white neck with a black spot on it. Kitten C weighs in at 4.5 oz. If I can figure out how, I will post some pictures.
My First Fosters
My first fosters were a mother and her two five week old kittens. They came from an overcrowded house. The mother was named Momma at the shelter. We (my roommates and I) renamed her Marion. She was very skittish and took a long time to warm up. She did not like being around my roommates' 4 year old daughter. If it was quiet and you took the time to let her get used to you, she was very nice and sweet. When I turned her back into the shelter, I reccommended a nice quiet adult home for her.
The reason she and her kittens were placed in foster care was because the kittens were about two weeks shy of being old enough for adoption. They also had "frog legs". This meant that their back legs stuck out to the side like a frogs do instead of going straight like they are supposed to do.
The vet at the shelter said that this happens sometimes and they just needed a little time to grow out of it. So they stayed with me for a little over a month to get a little older and so that I could be sure that their legs were improving with time and not causing them any trouble. By the time they went back to the shelter their legs were straight and they were running and jumping like crazy. My roommates' daughter, Pagie, named these kittens. There was one boy and one girl so she chose Triton and Ariel. (She is a HUGE fan of the little mermaid).
Triton and Ariel were adopted almost immediately after returning to the shelter. As of last Saturday, their mother, Marion, is still waiting for a new home since she is an adult cat and does not get along well with kids, but the shelter tells me that she is so sweet, they expect her to be adopted quickly.
The reason she and her kittens were placed in foster care was because the kittens were about two weeks shy of being old enough for adoption. They also had "frog legs". This meant that their back legs stuck out to the side like a frogs do instead of going straight like they are supposed to do.
The vet at the shelter said that this happens sometimes and they just needed a little time to grow out of it. So they stayed with me for a little over a month to get a little older and so that I could be sure that their legs were improving with time and not causing them any trouble. By the time they went back to the shelter their legs were straight and they were running and jumping like crazy. My roommates' daughter, Pagie, named these kittens. There was one boy and one girl so she chose Triton and Ariel. (She is a HUGE fan of the little mermaid).
Triton and Ariel were adopted almost immediately after returning to the shelter. As of last Saturday, their mother, Marion, is still waiting for a new home since she is an adult cat and does not get along well with kids, but the shelter tells me that she is so sweet, they expect her to be adopted quickly.
Fostering 101
I am only on my second foster "family" but already people have been asking me questions about being a foster home for animals so I thought I would answer some of the most asked questions.
Q. What made you decide to be a foster parent?
A. I love animals, but cannot afford to keep more than the one cat I have. Vet bills can be expensive. But with the organization I work with, they provide everything. All I have to provide is a place to stay, time and love.
Q. What type of animals do you foster?
A. Mostly mother cats with kittens or kittens that are too young to be adopted. I keep them until they are old enough to be fixed and adopted out.
Q. Do you enjoy it?
A. I am only on my second foster family, but so far I LOVE it. It is very rewarding. It is fun to have kittens around and I like feeling like I am giving an animal a second chance to find a good home.
Q. Is it hard to give them up when the foster time is done?
A. Yes. I will not lie. It is very hard to give them up and I miss my first foster cats alot. It is hard to balance giving them the love and caring they need, but still keep in mind that they are not "yours". But it is so worth it when you hear that they have been adopted. I think it makes it easier for me because I adopted my cat from this shelter and I know they are very careful to be sure that their animals go to the right home, not just the first one that will take them off their hands.
Any other questions? Feel free to comment and I will try to cover them at some point.
Q. What made you decide to be a foster parent?
A. I love animals, but cannot afford to keep more than the one cat I have. Vet bills can be expensive. But with the organization I work with, they provide everything. All I have to provide is a place to stay, time and love.
Q. What type of animals do you foster?
A. Mostly mother cats with kittens or kittens that are too young to be adopted. I keep them until they are old enough to be fixed and adopted out.
Q. Do you enjoy it?
A. I am only on my second foster family, but so far I LOVE it. It is very rewarding. It is fun to have kittens around and I like feeling like I am giving an animal a second chance to find a good home.
Q. Is it hard to give them up when the foster time is done?
A. Yes. I will not lie. It is very hard to give them up and I miss my first foster cats alot. It is hard to balance giving them the love and caring they need, but still keep in mind that they are not "yours". But it is so worth it when you hear that they have been adopted. I think it makes it easier for me because I adopted my cat from this shelter and I know they are very careful to be sure that their animals go to the right home, not just the first one that will take them off their hands.
Any other questions? Feel free to comment and I will try to cover them at some point.
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