New to fostering kittens

[Erica]

i54.photobucket.com Hello everyone! I am new here, I have read many past posts and everyone seems great. Recently, a litter of 6 newborn kittens (about 2 days old) ended up in my care. They are all doing great and are about 2 weeks old now. It is a lot of work caring for them 24/7 but very rewarding! I enjoy it som much I volunteered with 3 animal shelters to foster abandoned kittens!! 2 days after volunteering I got 3 more. Today, I got 5 more, but the mom was found- she had been accidentally locked in a garage for a day and a half, and the kittens were reunited with mom sucessfully!! For the most part, I have things figured out with them, it's really not that hard, but I have a few questions.......... I know they are too young for any type of flea drops/sprays/baths, but is there anything I can do to keep the fleas under control other than regular bathing and grooming? Also, I want to name them, but I can't possibly keep all of them (I have 2 cats of my own) but I'm afraid by naming them, I will get even more attatched and have an even harder time letting them go.....any suggestions? Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also- I would love to share pictures with all of you but am having a hard time figuring it out.

[Laura's Babies]

See this on how to post pictures and if you still have any problem, just let us know and someone will come along to help you.. Do you have them stored online? They have to be stored online first at Imagestation.com or Photobucket.com or other online storage places.. (They are free)

http://67.15.70.205/talk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7406

Congratulations on your fostering, that is a wonderful thing to do and as you have already found out, VERY rewarding! I am not good at fostering, I fall deeply in love and cry for days when I have to send them on. My first instinct would be to name them all too but you need to wait until the more experienced come along to advise you on that.

[catmandu]

We too are so PROUD of YOU.
My Dear Mother used to pick off the Fleas and break them between her Thumb Nails.
I still do that on the Odd Flea that the Found Cats have.
Good Luck with those Little Ones and we are sending Prayers for them all.

[Lizzie]

For naming them, you could try what the shelter I visit often does, and that's use a theme. They once had to name 70 cats that were found in a house that was left to them in a will and used a book of Disney names. I think you will feel better if you name them, but not spend much thought on each name as you would if you kept them. The ones you keep can be re-named as you come to really know them.

For 20 years, I've used 20 Mule-Team Borax to control fleas in my home and it works. It's cheap, you can get it from the supermarket on the laundry soap shelves (it's a powder fabric softener) and it doesn't smell chemical in any way. Each time I take my cats to the vet, especially during the summer, the vet combs for fleas and will barely believe me when I was that borax is the only thing I use. Do not put it on the kittens, or cats, it's only for use on objects and shouldn't be used on surfaces where the kittens will walk or roll. It's fine with cats to sprinkle it all over the carpet, but with kittens I'd just run it along the edge of the carpet by the wall and under any rugs. Also, sprinkle it under the cushions of your sofas and armchairs. As you probably know, fleas spend the majority of their time off the cat and in soft furniture where they can breed like mad. The borax dries out the flea and, more importantly the eggs and larvae. Some of my cats have always been indoor/outdoor and I've brought in some strays that were loaded with fleas. Of course, I use Revolution to hit the worst of the infestation on new cats for a few months, then rely on the borax.

Also, as another poster suggested, comb the fleas off the kitten. I've used a comb on very sick or very young kittens and then knocked the comb on the edge of a container of rubbing alcohol. Or you can comb and then crush the flea with your thumbnail against the comb. This will make you feel good and it's good for the socialization of your kittens.

By the way, congratulations on the good work you are doing. I'd love to do that too, since I'm an insomniac at times, but I work full time+ and so can't do the two-hourly feedings round the clock.