August 15 is National Homeless Pets Day
Wouldn’t it be fun if you could have a constant supply of fresh kitten faces around your home without contributing to the growing pet overpopulation problem? You can, by providing a foster home (and a chance to live) to a kitten who would otherwise be put to sleep in a shelter.
Why don’t you Rent-A-Kitten (become a foster home) from your local animal shelter so you can continually enjoy those few months of adorable early kittenhood? That way you can have your catnip and sniff it, too.
Go to your local pet supply store or call area animal shelter to locate a Rent-A-Kitten center (rescue organization) near you. They’re always looking for volunteers to take their youngest charges.
And, if you feel it’s important to show your kids the “Miracle of Life”, go for it. Spay your cat tomorrow and “Rent” an expecting mother. A healthy mother cat is the June Clever of the animal world.
Mom does all the work: she’ll feed her kittens, keep them squeaky clean, teach them to use the litter box and growl when they get out of line. You provide high quality cat food and scoop (a lot.)
The shelter or rescue group should cover the veterinary expenses including vaccinating and neutering/spaying. It also means you will be able to take them to adopt-a-pets while they’re cute and easy to find homes for.
On the day he was born, Sam was left at the door of a vet clinic in a sealed cardboard. Thanks to foster care and a wonderful adopter, Sam is 14 and a happy camper.
Your job description as foster mom will look something like this:
Travel agent– Book your foster mom into a spare bathroom, bedroom or laundry room makes a great nursery. It’s better if the floors are easy to clean.
Security guard– Keep them away from your own pets until you know both mom (and company), as well as your guys, are all healthy.
Food server-A nursing mom’s energy needs will be two to three times a normal adult cat. You can free feed mom a high quality dry kitten diet and change her water daily.
Janitor-Scoop three or four times a day. It’ll only take a second or two. To feed her babies, she’ll be eating like a horse. She’ll be pooping like one too.
When the kittens are about three weeks old give them a box with low sides so they can jump inside without having to scale the side like a rock climber. When kittens start learning to use the litter box, there will be accidents. Lining the room’s floor with newspaper makes clean up much easier.
Keep the room clean. Change the linens daily (or several times a day when necessary.) See, now you have a reason to keep those 1970s orange and green sheets in the back of your closet.
Safety inspector-Make sure the kitten room is a safe place. Take all poisons out of there. Remove anything that they can break or bring down on top of themselves. There may have to some house-retraining of the males around the house; not male cats’, the humans. The toilet lid should stay closed in any room the kittens have access to. Block off little holes and crevices. You’d be surprised the places kittens can hide.
Exterminator-Check mom and the kittens for fleas. They’re not just an irritation. Those little vampires and can be real killers and they cause tapeworms. Talk to your vet about a flea treatment that will be safe for the kittens. Get the kittens wormed by a vet as soon as they’re old enough.
Chauffeur-Occasional trips to the vet will be necessary for shots, worming, spaying/neutering and emergencies.
Nurse-The two most common health problems are kitty colds and diarrhea. Unless you’re an experienced kitten keeper, call the vet when you first notice dripping from either end. Watch them closely. Make sure all the kittens are nursing and growing. If one is lagging too far behind or isn’t as active as the others, take the whole kitten caboodle to the vet.
Groupie-This is the most important aspect. In order to make sure your kittens is successful (happy and comfortable) in their forever homes, they’ll need to experience a lot of different activities when they’re very young. Love, cuddle and play with your kittens every day. When they are three weeks old, allow calm/gentle children to hold them for short periods. Kitties need to get used to being normal activities and noises like the TV, kids playing, the doorbell and kisses on the nose.
Adoption counselor-Yes, it’s hard to let them leave, but it’s easier when you realize you saved a life and made the new family very happy you’ll know it’s worth it. Beside there will always be another kitten at animal control who would love to be ‘rented’.
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