Cats seem to always follow and approach me wherever I go. I sat one day at a park in BGC while talking to my sister on the phone when all of a sudden a stray cat sat on my lap without any warning. When we had a picnic in Luneta, the strays there sat in front of me while we were all eating. When we visited our aunt in the memorial park, the cats there purr and talk to me. It's like I'm a walking talking catnip.
The fosters I rescued wouldn't have been rescued if not for Magellan following me that morning. I took them home without thinking twice. I remember my husband did not talk to me for almost a day. His words that day were "Hindi mo naman pwedeng iuwi lahat ng makikita mong kuting sa daan." (You can't take home every kitten you find on the streets.) I totally understand him. I'm not even angry at him for saying that.
Taking care of animals is not an easy feat. There are a lot of things that you need to consider. And I had so much to learn about rescuing kittens before you actually start a rescue house. (This is one of my biggest items in my bucket list.)
Before you actually pick up that kitten you see on the street, wait a few minutes. Sometimes those abandoned kittens aren't really abandoned. The mommy cat might have left them for a bit to get food. Cats leave their kittens behind once they've been fed and has fallen asleep so the momma cat can fund food for herself. So check first if there is a momma cat that might come back for them.
If there's a house nearby, ask if they have a cat that gave birth recently. The kitten might have wandered off and got lost. It is important to determine first if the kittens are indeed all alone and abandoned. These little ones need their mommy cat, if you accidentally took away the kittens from the mama cat, you might be doing more harm than good.
If you indeed determined that the little angels are without their mom amd you decided to take them home, make sure that they have a warm cozy place to stay on. Kittens can't self regulate their temperature. Make sure they stay in a warm dry place.
Once you take home your rescues, you are now responsible for them. You have to give their basic necessities - food, shelter, safety, and all around health care. If you have other catd at home, make sure to quarantine the rescues for 2 weeks. That means they should not be introduced yet to your existing housecats. Streetcats are more susceptible to virus and bacteria, and you have to observe if your rescues have no existing conditions of any sort. One of my rescues succumbed to thr complicationd of FPV which hapoens to be viral. I had to clean all the surfaces at home before I let my house cats roam around again especially near Awit's quarantine space. My 4 fosters were all healthy showing no signs of virus if any sort.
Feed them, bathe them if need be, give them vitamins, and play with them. Even if they are just fosters, they need to know that they can trust humans. They need to know the concept of love.
Most importantly, when looking for adopters, make sure to screen every one amd anyone that shows interest for the kittens. You are their last line of defense against maltreatment. Make sure that the person gwtt8ng your fosters are loving fur parentd with good intentions for them. Kittens are cute while they're young. But as they grow and their personality unfolds, sometimes the fur oarent realizes they did not wait the cat after all. So as a foster fur mom, I only accepted adopters that already has experience taking care of cats.
I also ask for updates from the adoptive fur parents every now and then just to see how well the cats are adjusting to their new homes. I am so happy to have found the perfect fur parents for my 2 other fosters. I can see that they really love the cats. It getd me teary eyed whejever I receive photos or videos of their cats because I can see how lucky they are to have ended in such loving families. My fosters may have been thrown away on their first few months on earth but in the end, the universe found balance amd gave them a family that showers them with the love they deserve.
Here are a few more things that you need to remember should you be given the cance to foster kittens:
You need to have not only a big heart but also a big space for their quarantine. They need to be kept away from thenother cats for 2 weeks but they need to have enough space to run around and just be cats.
You also need to have deep pockets. The kittens may be tiny but their appetite is huge. Once they've digested the food they ate, they'll also need a litter sand and litter box. Those aren't cheap. Olus, there's the vaccination, deworming , and vitamins as well.
Discuss the importance of spaying/neutering their pets. As much as possible, only accept fur parents that understand the importance of this.
I'm sure there are still a lot of things that I will learn as I go along. But so far, these lessons have helped me in my journey as a new foster fur momma.
That's all for noelw. Remember, if you have a cat at home, please consider sterilising your pet. There are many benefits your cat will enjoy from having spayed/neutered. Ciao!
