Foster care is a program specifically designed to place those animals into temporary homes where they can receive the care that they need. When the SPCA receives an animal or animals not immediately ready to be placed for adoption, potential foster volunteers are contacted with the number of animals needing care, reasons fostering is required, age s , expected foster care time frame, etc.
If the volunteer is willing and able to foster when called, a pick-up time is scheduled. At that time, the volunteer is provided with any necessary supplies. Once in the foster home, caregivers feed and tend to the animals and provide any needed medications or treatments.
Animals placed into foster homes remain there until they are ready to return to the shelter and be placed up for adoption. Foster parents and their family members and friends do have first priority if choosing to adopt the foster animal s. Fill out a Foster Care Application!
Watch for her and make sure they are being cared for. If so, leave them with her. When to take the kittens : if they are dirty, soiled, crying, or thin, they are likely orphaned and in need of rescue. If they are in an unsafe situation, such as being exposed to harsh weather or elements, it is appropriate to rescue them. Use your best judgment. There are several supplies you will need when fostering kittens. For a list of essential supplies, visit the supplies page.
You'll want to prepare a home base for your kittens. It's important that this home base be quarantined from other animals, safe and kitten proof, and warm. Your home base should consist of:. A small, climate controlled space with a comfortable temperature and a door that closes, where they can be quarantined from other animals.
A heating pad set on low, with a soft blanket covering it completely. A soft blanket for them to lay on that is not directly on the heating pad so they have the option of moving away from the heat source.
Make sure the area is kitten proof -- you'd be amazed what trouble kittens can get into. For instance, you want to make sure there is not a trash can or toilet they can fall into, a curtain they can climb, a toxic plant they can eat, a small space they can hide or get stuck in.
If the kittens are above 2 weeks of age, a shallow litter box with a small amount of litter. If the kittens are weaned, a shallow water dish with fresh water they will not know how to lap water until they are weaning, so you should not be giving them a water dish until they are at least weeks and weaning.
When you bring home kittens, the most important thing is to first understand what kind of condition they are in. If you have a sick or injured kitten in need of immediate care, take them right away to the nearest emergency veterinarian. A kitten needs emergency care if she is:. If the kittens seem in stable condition, bring them home and follow these guidelines:.
Much of the time when you get an orphaned kitten, they will have gone too long without food. For this reason, you will want to feed them right away. Kittens weeks with no mom will need to be bottle fed using a kitten formula.
Never give cow's milk to a kitten -- this is very dangerous! Learn some helpful tips for bottle feeding orphaned kittens here. Kittens weeks are weaning and can eat slurry, a combination of formula and wet kitten food. Learn about slurry here. Kittens weeks plus can generally eat wet kitten food. Make sure the can says it is for kittens, and provide fresh water at all times as well. Kittens above 3 weeks should be immediately placed into the litter box, so that they learn right away where to use the bathroom.
If they are already peeing and pooping on their own, they should show interest in the box. If they are not yet pooping and peeing on their own which begins around 3 weeks you will need to stimulate them to go to the bathroom. Learn about stimulating kittens here. When they are learning to use the litter box, you can do this over the box so they associate the box with using the bathroom. It is recommended that you use a non-clumping litter, like Yesterday's News, when working with young kittens.
This is safer for them in case of accidental ingestion. Place them in the area where they can be warm and comfortable. Make sure they have access to the covered heating pad, but also a way to get away from it if they get too warm.
Let them sleep -- kittens sleep a lot , especially neonatal kittens. Give them plenty of time to rest. Get the kittens on a routine. Every few hours, you should be stimulating them, feeding them, and showing them their comfy spot so they can safely sleep.
As they get older, you can factor in some play time. My recommended schedule is as follows:. Kittens weeks: weaning and beginning to use bathroom on their own - feeding every hours. Kittens weeks: weaning, using litter box - feeding every hours.
Kittens weeks: weaned, using litter box - feeding every 8 hours. There are certain veterinary treatments that every single kitten should receive, as follows:. FVRCP vaccine is the standard feline distemper vaccine. This is a preventative measure against feline rhinotracheitis virus, calicivirus, and panleukopenia. There are many common misconceptions associated with fostering cats, and we are often asked the same questions and have the same discussions with many different people.
Read on to see if fostering could be for you, and to find the real information behind many common fostering myths. For any cat that you foster, you will have made an enormous difference to that cat, which will often have come from desperate circumstances.
Sometimes this can be the first time in its life that the cat you are fostering has felt safe, cared for and loved. All the cats ready for homing on our website are being fostered now in one of those ways.
Most fostering cases fall into the following scenarios, and you can choose which type you would prefer to foster from this list:. You're in control. We rely on fosterers to provide temporary homes for the animals in our care. Fostering an animal can help them recover from neglect, abuse, illness or injury - taking the first steps towards finding a new, loving forever home. When you foster an animal you'll also be freeing up space in our centres so that we can rescue more animals in desperate need.
We need more people willing to open up their homes, and their hearts, to help give dogs, cats or horses looking for a fresh start in life. Learn more about what it means to be a foster carer. Animal fostering is an important role. It helps to play a vital part in the rehabilitation of animals and helps improve their chance of finding a new home. Many animals that we take in have either suffered or are not used to the care and affection that they deserved.
Living with a foster family helps to provide them with one-to-one care, allowing them to build up their confidence and get used to a normal lifestyle. Other animals don't cope well in an animal centre environment, or need to remain in our care for a long period of time whilst legal proceedings take place.
This is where we need fosters to take them in to provide them with a real home, even if it is only on a temporary basis.
0コメント