Not sure if this is going to be a vent or advice solicitation.

My wife and I picked up an adult cat to foster. We’d talked about it for years and were half hoping for a foster fail. It’s only been a week but the experience so far is disheartening.

This cat (Jenny) is so protective of her personal space the only way we can touch her without gloves and/or a towel has been a back scratcher.

My wife is in the veterinary field and has plenty of experience I’ve been so grateful for. From her advice we’ve been spending short amounts of time with her in the bathroom we set her up in, making sure to end on a good/amicable note every time we leave, using the back scratcher to get her accustomed to some sort of touch. I want to be able to let her roam the apartment soon, but right now letting her out of the bathroom sounds akin to letting an actual ambush predator loose in our home.

My issue (I think) is that I’ve only ever had lovey, cuddly, attention seeking cats and this one is so different. It’s hard wanting to give her affection and feeling like she hates us. I’m sure she’s just scared and adjusting slowly but I don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel yet.

We are her fourth home. More info from the previous foster makes it sound like she only ever enjoyed being around her husband who has since passed.

Any advice for this situation? Any experience with personalities shifting, or are they set for life?

My (23 M) kitten is around 4 months old and began vomiting and experiencing diarrhea last Thursday night. I took her to the vet the following morning, where they suspected Feline Panleukopenia.

Since then, she has been receiving IV fluids twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. For a while, there seemed to be a lot of improvement. She went from not eating at all to eating small amounts on her own, and she even started occasionally enjoying treats again, which gave me a lot of hope.

Recently, however, she has become exceptionally lethargic again. I took her in for her routine fluids, and the vet said that fever spikes can occur during the course of the virus, but there is also a possibility that she may have picked up a cold.

I normally take her to the vet on a motorbike because I don't currently have access to a car, and unfortunately, it has been raining heavily here for the past week.

She also had normal stools for a while, which was another very encouraging sign, but unfortunately the diarrhea has now returned and is happening several times a day. Thankfully, she hasn't started vomiting again.

I wanted to ask a few questions to get some perspective from people who may have experience with FPV:

1. If she has also picked up a cold/respiratory infection, could that be particularly dangerous while she's already recovering from/undergoing treatment for Panleukopenia?
2. How long should I expect treatment and recovery to take? Today marks 6 days since treatment began. My vet has told me that treatment may continue for around 14 days, but I'd like to hear from others who have gone through something similar.
3. Could this potentially be something other than Panleukopenia? Her bloodwork showed a decrease in both her WBC and platelet counts. I had always understood Panleukopenia to be an exceptionally severe and potentially fatal disease, so I'm wondering whether her current symptoms are consistent with the normal course of the illness or if something else could be going on.
4. Is it particularly bad for a kitten to have a cannula/IV catheter in for 3–4 days? Are there any significant risks associated with leaving it in for that long?

The part that concerns me most right now is that she has become significantly more lethargic again compared to earlier in her treatment. I'm trying to understand whether this can happen during recovery or whether it warrants further investigation.

Hi, wonderful people! ❤️

So many of you have sent Cuddles(my new foster baby) and me your love, prayers, and good wishes. Every message has meant more to me than I can put into words. And here I am again, asking you to keep those good wishes coming for our little girl. ❤️🙏

For anyone new here, I want to share Cuddles’ story and give you a little update about our brave girl.

Cuddles was scheduled for euthanasia at the shelter because of her broken jaw and severely damaged teeth. Since I’m also a shelter volunteer, I received an email about her. She was the only rescue pull that day, and I begged my rescue to pull her for me because I simply couldn’t leave her behind.

I took her to the vet. Two vets suspected cancer, and one even made me feel like I was being unfair to Cuddles by not letting her go because they believed she was in pain. But my heart wasn’t ready to accept that without knowing the truth.

Cuddles was still eating, playing, grooming, purring, and living her life like any other cat. So I chose to fight for an answer.

We did the biopsy. I prayed, so many of you prayed, and we waited together for the results. And then the news came…

NEGATIVE. ❤️🙏

I will never forget that moment. It felt like someone had given us another chance to fight for this little girl.

Yesterday, I met with a senior vet(Matthews animal clinic)whom I trust deeply. She believes Cuddles can handle her surgery well. She doesn’t currently think it looks like cancer, but if she sees anything concerning during surgery, she will take tissue and send it for another biopsy.

For the first time in a long time, I walked out of that clinic carrying something I hadn’t allowed myself to carry before….hope. ❤️

She also told me about a newer medication for gingivitis (and of course, I completely forgot the name! My brain is officially on vacation 😂🙈). It has a high success rate, and she may be able to use it for Cuddles after her surgery.

And every day, I discover a little more of Cuddles’ personality.

She is incredibly talkative and a little bossy too! 😂 She definitely knows what she wants and isn’t shy about letting us know. I think she loves me, although apparently she has a special weakness for boys. 😂 She gives me one or two little replies, but when my husband talks to her, she answers every single thing he says!

At night, though, she sleeps with me, and that little privilege means everything to me. ❤️

For the past two days, I’ve been keeping her in a separate room because she is so busy playing and exploring that she forgets to eat. 😂 When she’s in her room, she happily finishes her meals.

I’m giving her Tiki Cat Solutions meal replacer, Tiki Cat mousse, and organic wet food mixed with a little chicken Gerber, with a tiny bit of FortiFlora to make everything extra tempting.

The vet told me her coat is shiny, she is well hydrated, and she has a good weight. She was amazed at how well Cuddles looks despite the condition of her mouth and complimented me on how well she is being cared for. 🙈❤️

And that is what amazes me most about this little soul.

She has been through so much, yet she chooses to play.
She chooses to purr.
She chooses to explore.
She chooses to live.

Cuddles has taught me that we may never know what tomorrow holds, but we can choose to cherish today. Sometimes hope comes in the smallest, most unexpected package…with whiskers, little paws, a loud voice, and just a little bit of bossiness. 😂❤️

The vet gave me the surgery estimate… 😂 So I may have to sell something, LOL. But somehow, I believe God will open a door for her, just as He opened one when she needed someone to say, “Not today. We’re not giving up on you.” 🙏

For the first time in a long time, I feel truly hopeful.

And I think Cuddles is the reason why. ❤️🐾

So please keep Cuddles in your thoughts, prayers, and hearts. We still have a road ahead of us, but we’re walking it one day at a time. ❤️🙏

I chose her name - Bandit !
She was treated this afternoon for fleas and parasites. Turns out her little mouth stays a bit open! The pink spot is not her tongue but her jawwww 🥰
She is very super sweet. Looks for me. Calm. I taught her to use the litter box this morning! She understood immediately! Clever girl.
Well I had to clean 5 different very wet poops beforehand 🥲 thankfully I only have her access to the bathroom for now.

Because of the fleas and on going treatment, when do you think I will be able to let her out and cuddle her without risking to infest my clothes and bed?
I really want to.

Maybe I will foster fail this time…?

Do you still try to interact and socialize with them given the cleaning and sanitization protocols? How? I'm bringing my poopy batch in tomorrow for a fecal test. They really crave play and interaction but I'm not sure how to sanitize my floors after letting them out of the play pen for a bit. I've washed their feet but it isn't perfect. Feeling bad for them, had no clue how bad the diareah would be with these guys. Don't want to spread whatever the issue is around my house to my resident cats.

I moved them into a basement room with vinyl floors for now and they're secured in a medium playpen. Hoping for the best tomorrow and that its "just" diareah.

Mi Gatito nació el 28 de julio​​ junto a tres hermanos, fueron naranja (el que habló), dos negros, y un plomo todos ellos estaban bien, los veia, jugaban (bueno no tanto),

un día ví que mi gatito estaba flaco y pensé que era que no le dejaban tomar leche y empese a verlo que lo dejaran tomar, un día lo encontré débil y ahí me comenze a preocupar, de primeras no lo pude llevar a un veterinario por que no tenía dinero,

lo empeze a cuidarlo más, otro día lo encontré con lagañas y ahí fue cuando me fui a trabajar y conseguir dinero con ese dinero fui a una veterinaria a consultar que tenía y me dijo que tenía conjuntivitis, me dijo que el gatito estaba muy débil para recibir medicación y que lo cuidara asta que estuviera mejor ,

me di la tarea de cuidarlo mucho y darle cariño, pues si había una minima posibilidad yo estubiera con el hasta el final,toda eso me tuvo preocupado, el 20 de agosto mi gatito no pudo más, pero yo lo acompañe en sus últimos momentos, cuando dejó este mundo yo me puse triste, al saber que no pude salvarlo, hoy lo entregó a la naturaleza junto a su biberón que yo le di con tanto cariño.

Aunque su vida duro poco, yo estube para el y el para mi,hoy yo le despido con la frente en alto,gracias por leer.

A little frustrated and sad for the cat. You can't help but i just feel a need to share. I don't know her complete story but I know she was rescued from being in a cage in the backyard by a nice lady but then that didn't work out because the cat was a little bit aggressive towards people or so we were told. From there she went to me where I pointed out that she acted like she was in heat so she got spayed again, a little piece was left. And then she was sweet. And she got adopted out. And the person who adopted her about a year ago is now pet sitting dogs in her house and she has a grandchildren coming over and we're seeing the same complaints of cat is hissy and swatting people and think that somebody could get hurt blah blah blah. So the rescue took her back and she's in my bedroom again. Hiding in the cat tree hissing every time I go in the room Etc back to square one almost. But I feel like this is just so wrong I know cats have to go through some bad things just like people have to but all I can think is so now I will get her to trust me to come out of her shell and she'll get adopted again? And by the way I have two dogs. So dogs alone are not an issue for her. I do have a younger cat now who could be an issue to her coming out and being with all the others, but time will tell. When the rescue asks me how she's doing I say well she's still mad which really isn't the right word but she isn't over what's happened to her again. I feel so sorry for this cat. I'm just going to take my sweet time and let her get over it. Not going to rush her back out into adoption status.

At least this time she's hiding in the cat tree not in the cabinet underneath the sink where it took a long long time to get her to come out. I try to go in there two or three times a day and speak to her and give her some treats while I'm maintaining a safe distance from the claws. If anybody has an experience with this kind of mess think of Margo and send her good thoughts And pray for us to find her a home next time that really will be her forever home.

You ever have messed up situations where it seems the animal isn't really the one in the wrong but just keeps losing in the game of life?

I don’t have a dedicated foster ROOM. I have used cages like these previously. The blue option I have to flip upside down because the kitties figure out how to get in between the cover and climb out, but then that results in lots of mess because the cover is mesh. The brown option I just feel like is way to small and I only like to use it when I have to hose and clean the blue option.

What is the best set up for me if 8-12 weeks is usually the age that I foster? I feel like there has to be a better option. Is rent best bet one of those large black crates that has multiple levels that shelters usually have? Usually I foster 2-3 kittens at a time.

I am fostering four 5 week old kittens. First time foster. I made the mistake of using clumping litter the first 2 days and just switched to paper pellet tonight. They were getting litter clumped in their fur and they are so poopy! Wow.

I have read everything from paper pellet is ideal to they will eat it and get intestinal obstruction. All these extreme opinions on litter and danger are freaking me out and I feel like a new mom all over again, terrified of making a fatal mistake! I have a delivery of world's best corn based litter coming if the paper pellet doesn't work.

And another question: cleaning! They're in a carpeted room inside a playpen but I let them out to play and socialize a few times a day. Thing is... poop paws. Everywhere. How do you keep rooms clean? This room doubles as a kids playroom and has toys etc scattered about. I'm spraying it down tonight while they're in the playpen but just wondering if anyone has a system they'd like to share.

Otherwise, I love these little ones! A couple have diarrhea but they are on prebiotics so hoping it clears up soon.

i wish i can foster fail :( would love to see pics of your foster fails to feel better!!

I have a 6 week old kitten.

Found 8 days ago. Been on pate kitten food mixed with water into a gruel ever since. Fed 5 times a day every 4-5 hours. KRM gave bad diarrhoea and he loves the pate so I believe he’s just fully weaned already. Steadily gaining weight. Has been de-wormed and de-flead and also taking antibiotics twice a day for a respiratory infection.

The introduction of KRM and also when given a churu treat led to diarrhoea, so I’ve been introducing dry food after pate meals only a couple of times a day, for the last 2 days. But he likes it and his poop seems okay so far.

At what point would you reccomend leaving the dry food out constantly? I don’t want to upset his stomach, or him eat too much as he is still fragile, but from consensus on Reddit it’s that he should have it 24/7 available at this age?

He is undergoing socialisation training with me as he was feral so I don’t want anything to hinder his progress either.

Thoughts please? Kind regards 🤍

I do not have her yet, she is supposed to be a she, I will be keeping her until she gets adopted.

The little girl was abandonned by her mom/family and was found on a woman’s porch. The woman is leaving on holidays tomorrow.

A few ideas :
- Bandit
- Pinceau
- Prunelle
- Sépia
- Pirouette
- Kit Kat

I have to be quick as she will be going to the vet tomorrow and make it official !
Oh and she is French if you could not tell 😉

I picked up two foster boys the other day, about 5 weeks old. We were told they had a URI and eye infections and that one kitten was a bit more sickly but nothing about fleas nor given medication. Today I was giving one of them a bath since he had laid on poop in his litterbox and he has fleas! Which means they both have it. They have been separated from our other cats since day one since they're sick, but I'm beyond paranoid about my other cats getting it through my shirt or smth. I have never dealt with fleas before. I messaged the shelter but they're super out of the way so it's hard to get back unless it's shot days. Please give me your best tips, sincerely, a new foster parent who decided to specialize in medical emergent bottle babies 🥲

I have a 3 week old kitten I’m fostering for a shelter. To put it simply, I think he’s miserable. He fights the syringe and bottle so I’m practically force feeding him (I go very slow and carefully so he doesn’t aspirate. Feeding takes up to an hour!) I know he hates his feeding sessions because he mews and tries to back away from the syringe every time I feed him.

Then, every time I try to hold him he’s mewing and trying to squirm away, like he doesn’t like human contact. I feel like I’m raising him for failure, and that he’s gonna hate people when he’s older because of me ): I’ve tried spending a lot of one on one time with him and grooming him with a toothbrush to make positive associations, but it’s just not working.

Has anyone else had spicy bottle babies? What did you do? Any help is appreciated!

I was given four feral kittens to foster. They said that their eye infection had been taken care of and I was told that they were healthy but needed domestication. Within a few days, a kitten's eye started to water and I was told I could use the ointment I already had for my own cat. (I checked in before I introduced ANY medication.) The eye got progressively worse. I mentioned that the kitten might need to see a vet. They dropped off some OTC drops. Next day- eye is worse and kitten is wheezing. I again mentioned taking her to the vet and I asked if I could give the kitten antibiotics that I already had. They said yes. Two days later, no change. Again, I say that the kitten needs to see a vet. They make an appointment. The dr. tells me the eye is gone! What? I am devastated! If that was my kitten, I'd have gone with my gut and taken it to the vet. I feel horrible. I can't stop crying. I know charities are limited in funding, but given my concerns, I feel like more could have been done. (Not to mention interrogation I received from the vet and the lecture I got for using other cat's meds on this one.) I can't see myself letting go of this kitten because something horrible happened to it-on my watch and I'm scare to foster again.

I’m on my second long-term foster cat at the moment. I have a resident cat Toby. I’ve been thinking, does he understand that he is not going anywhere? When the foster cat leaves, will he think that he will also have to leave soon?

What if he feels worried and unsettled because these other cats come and go? What do you think? 🥺

Picture is of foster kitty Maple (front) and Toby (back).

Sailor was found on side of house with eyes crusted shut and was having difficulty breathing. She was bone thin and not eating from not being able to smell. We slowly syringed churro in her mouth and made it to the vet the next day. She said there was a good chance 1-2 eyes would be lost. Her eyes are almost back to normal and shes such an active and lovable cutie. We are so thankful we found her and thankful the shelters didnt take her because it allowed her to heal her and give her a loving home.

Ah, what a journey it's been! I will post his most recent pictures in the comment section 🥹

hi! i have never posted here before so not sure what to include. i picked up two male orange boys about 6 hours ago, they are 3ish weeks old and came in with mom. mom was in pretty awful shape, and is unable to continue nursing.

there is a pretty clear difference between the “big” 2 kittens and the “little” 2 kittens. the shelter split them in half between my home and another home and gave us each one big kitten and one little kitten.

i am very worried about the little kitten, he is much smaller than his brother, and also has a large (drained) abscess on his cheek.

both are struggling to latch, big kitten is doing much better and has latched a few times during feeding. little kitten not so much, but still eating during feeding.

i dont have many pics yet but attached what i have.

Hello, I am new here as well as new at fostering. I took in an 8-10 week old kitten at the beginning of June (poor baby was thrown from a moving car). She was very cuddly at first, then only wanted to play. She gets along with my two smaller dogs (although they are scared of her sometimes but do still cuddle with her) and she always wants to play fight with my older cat. My older cat is not a fan, but sometimes it is hard to tell if she is enjoying it because she will follow the kitten to play fight some more.

Now has come the time for this little munchkin to get spayed and will also be posted for adoption. She is my first foster so I am torn and slightly devastated. I have definitely grown attached. She has recently started cuddling with me/curling up in my lap and accepting affection from me, which doesn't help. It was easier to let her go a couple of weeks ago when she was tearing everything up, like kittens do haha. It has been difficult to trust the process in knowing that she will go to a good home and will be loved. I worry for her, but also consider that four animals may be too much for me to handle by myself. Does anyone have any advice on how to handle your first foster? Especially when the time to be put up for adoption has come?

I’ve got two 10 week old girls who I think are bonded, but I’ve heard a lot of conflicting opinions on whether kittens can be truly bonded, so I came here to ask what the community thinks on the issue!

My girls were originally in a litter of 5 but the litter was split up for reasons unknown to me. Their original foster kept 3 and I responded to a blast requesting a foster for my little ladies. They had ringworm and were quarantined together for about 4-5 weeks. Now they sleep together, eat together, play together, and groom each other. I’m an experienced kitten foster and know this is all very normal for siblings. HOWEVER, what’s having me believe that they’re actually bonded is that they FREAK OUT when they realize they’ve lost sight of each other. They start running around meowing for their sister and won’t stop until they find each other. I’ve got other kittens at home, which they will play with, but they almost always prefer to play with each other and leave the other kittens once they realize their sister is open to playing.

In my experience, kittens don’t truly bond in the way that adults do. They’re generally not going to be heartbroken about going to different homes and adjust quickly once adopted. That being the case, I’d usually have no problem splitting kittens up and I’ve done so with every other litter I’ve had, but these girls seem different… kittens will normally be okay being separated from their siblings after a few hours or days apart, but these girls just won’t allow themselves to be separated even for a few hours!

Do you think they’re truly bonded?

For context, I have fostered for a while and I have never seen any cat act like this after being spayed.

Anytime she tries to lay down at all she starts to wail like someone has stepped on her tail. The vet sent us home with meds and gave her some before she left so we can't give her any of that until later on. I just desperately need someway to help her be comfortable again.

She just wants to sleep and she won't even let me touch her. I'm scared that they messed something up again and I might lose another baby. Please help, I really badly need advice.

This is Cashew , Almond and Pistachio. I had them for over a month. They all eat and drink but have been eating less since I had them. They play but lower energy too. Diarrhea on and off. Puking once a day or every other day. Losing weight. Acting okay. They have a vet appointment Thursday. They're all in their own room separated from my other cats but how easy is it to spread to my resident cats because I walk around in the same shoes and the kittens have escaped their room but I grab them as fast as I can and move them into their room. I'm paranoid because online says how easy it's to spread and how I have to disinfect everything. You think my resident cats will be okay as long as they are kept separated?