Becoming a foster parent of cats can be a very rewarding experience. Caring for cats basically requires patience, a compassionate nature, a flexible lifestyle, and some experience and knowledge of cat behavior. For many people, animal care is many things.
The care coordinator will work with you to select a caring cat that meets your specific requirements. The care coordinator will meet you at the adoption center and introduce you to the cat. And If you’re a beginner cat parent, you’re going to need to know a few things to keep your cat healthy and happy. Here we will talk about the basics! Find the complete guide which helps every foster parent to learn everything that he/she need to know about caring for a kitty, from the basics of food and litter, to how to keep your cat healthy
Prepare the Cat’s Space before It comes home
Your kitten’s promotional journey starts right before you take your little ones home. When you have your home and space ready for the kittens, you can start with the right PAW! When you take the kittens home, you should have a small, enclosed space where they can start. You’ll be more than happy with an old blanket or a couple of towels.
Kittens love to climb, jump and explore. You may want to remove the curtains and remove fragile items from the shelves. Close the rooms where they can hide. Prepare a place where the litter box and the kitten are learning to use a litter box so that an area that is easy to clean is a good place to do so.
Cat Basics
Feeding
Your grooming cat should always have access to high-quality dry food. Foster cat parents can also offer canned cat food for physical wellness. Older, sick, or overweight cats may benefit from additional servings of canned food. Cats should always have access to freshwater. Treats formulated for cats are a great way to build relationships and encourage positive behavior, and can also be given in moderation.
Cleaning Up
Before you bring a new grooming cat home, it is important that you clean the care area. You should use 1 part bleach mixed with 32 parts cold water to wash hard surfaces such as walls and floors. Food bowls, hard toys, bottles,s and litter boxes should be soaked in the solution for at least 10 minutes on daily basis. All soft materials, such as towels, rugs, and blankets, should be washed at high temperatures with bleach.
Cardboard or other items that cannot be washed should be disposed of. Care cats should only have access to surfaces that can be disinfected with bleach or disposed of. The carpet cannot be properly disinfected and we strongly recommend not giving access to it to care cats.
Not Using the Litter Box
There are medical and behavioral reasons why an adult cat cannot use the litter box. Most of the reasons are easy to solve. First, Owners should determine if the kitten is spraying or if it is inappropriate disposal. If there is urine on a vertical surface, a cat will spray, and if urine is on a horizontal surface, it can cause inappropriate urination. Limit the cat to a smaller, easy-to-clean space that is separate from children and other pets. Give your kitten who is grooming more than one litter box and, if possible, place one in the area it uses instead.
Overarousal
Overarousal can present itself as a kitten that growls or even bites in response to something that excites it. It can be another animal like a kitten or a dog, or just a pet. In response to these behaviors, we must try to reduce exposure to the things that cause this reaction. You can take other pets out or limit petting to a place, community, or time that is most comfortable for you. You can use treats or wet food to slowly get the cat used to these stimuli. Always focus on positive behaviors and interactions ignore negative behaviors for the welfare of it.
Kitten Play Time
Kitten playtime is a very important part of your care kitten’s development. Interaction with other kittens encourages them to develop the right skills to play with the kittens and gives them exercise and stimulation.
You want to give toys to the kittens. Toys that they can be left alone with are toys that cannot be picked up, trapped, or harmed in any way. For example, cardboard boxes, large balls, or rolls of toilet paper. When you are at home to supervise and play with the kittens, play with feathers on a rope or toy.
Foster parents should be careful not to train kittens bad habits, such as biting their hands or feet. Kittens are born hunters, so biting and scratching are natural. Encourage them to bite, hunt and scratch their toys.
Cat -Proofing Your Home
Removes anything that may be unsafe or undesirable for it and securely lock any cabinet that the cat being groomed may enter. Cats like to climb on shelves or shelves, so you should remove anything that could be demolished to rescue it. Human foods and chemicals can be very harmful when they consume them. Therefore, provide them a place where the cat cannot reach.
- Never underestimate your beloved friend’s grooming skills. Here are some additional tips for keeping your homes safe:
- Make sure all containers are covered or locked, or keep them in a closet. (Don’t forget the trash cans in the bathroom.)
- Keep toilet lids closed to get rid of the infection
- Keep people and pet food out of reach and off countertops
- Move houseplants out of reach, many houseplants are toxic to it and like to chew on them.
- Make sure that aquariums or cages that house small animals, such as fish or hamsters, are out of reach of your care cat.
- Remove medicines, lotions, or cosmetics from accessible surfaces.
- Move and secure all electrical and telephone contact cords out of reach so they can bite or get tangled in them.
- Pick up any clothes with buttons or strings that may cause health issues to your care cat if you eat them. Random pieces of string, string, or ribbon can also be very dangerous for the caregiver when eaten.
Finishing Lines
While care for cats that play with other pets is often fine, It is recommended that you consult your vet and make an appointment to ensure that all your personal pets are healthy and up to date with all vaccinations. Cats from lbs/shelters/outdoor areas can be very susceptible to disease and can transmit or contract various diseases. Taking your care cat home and letting it roam freely right away can create unnecessary stress for it. So always be concerned about it and save it from harmful consequences.
References:
https://www.multcopets.org/cat-foster-care-handbook
https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/cat-foster-care-manual
https://www.petsafe.net/learn/a-beginners-guide-to-fostering-pets
https://www.kongcompany.com/blog/cat-fostering-101
Further Reading:
