Are ALL foster cases difficult?!

[Lizzie]

Tonight, for the third time in as many days, I loaded the washing machine with a queen size comforter and there are a pile of throws to go in after it. The black male foster kitten, who didn't appear to have any problems, just pooped in the corner of the sofa. After isolating the tabby that has been peeing on the sofa in the past, and finding out that he has bloody pee and so an infection, I really enjoyed setting up the sofa again with lots of cosy throws so I could cuddle and socialize the other kittens while lounging there.

As I scooped him up and went over the litter box routine with him, I noticed that he has a weepy eye - so, another problem.

The tabby in isolation is going to be picked up by a tech in the morning and taken in for urine tests, etc. In the evening, I already have an appointment to take in the little black female to check for C.H., and I'll have to squeeze in the eye problem kitten also. Problem is, I can't take time off work in the middle of the day to take these guys to the shelter vet, so I have to pay for all this myself (including the pick-up by the tech.)

Do many foster cases end up being this complicated and expensive. I thought I could do it because I'd only be paying for food, litter and a few toys. And I'm spending so much time creating isolation rooms, moving things and kittens around, and cleaning up that my own cats are getting very upset.

And now, as I look down, away from my computer, I see another pile of poop on the carpet right by my chair. :( I'd moved the C.H. baby into the larger room because she became very good about doing all litter box stuff on the newspaper in her old room and I thought she'd do the same in here. I want to scream, not at them, but just out of sheer frustration.

Do some foster kitten cases run smoothly? This may be my last as well as first since it's cost so much.

[catnapper]

Not all foster cases go like that. I had an entire summer like that last year -- which is why I'm not fostering this summer (that and Pouncer got so stressed from all the diarrhea last year that he now stresses over everything)

Have faith things do get better. Its amazing to see them finally get healthy and find loving homes of their own. My sweet Agnel (who oozed poop from her butt every time I picked her up) landed in the BEST home and I get updates all the time from them. It IS worth it and there are some smooth fosters, some with bumnpy roads. All leave indelible marks on your heart. :)

[Lizzie]

I shouldn't make me feel better that you had a rough time with fosters last year, but it does. I think first times at many things are either a charm or a disaster. I do see the fruit of my labors in this tabby already:

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i306/Zephryn_2006/IMG_0093.jpg

He gets onto my lap now and falls asleep. He's going to make someone a lovely cuddlesome pet.

[jenluckenbach]

How old are those babies? What is their background? Did they have a mom or were they bottle fed?

They may simply not know litter box training yet. You should have them caged to help with this. Too much area can mean more accidents. Most kittens are really good with box training, but I had a litter last year that I feared were going to be problem pee-ers/poopers, but they DID learn.

As for the vet expenses, you should NOT have to pay. If the group will not reimburse you for going to your own vet then I think you need to find another group to work with.

[Lizzie]

I've avoided using their shelter names because I don't like them, but I'd better from now on. So....

The kittens are ten weeks old and their mom is a feral. They were taken from her at about 8 weeks and the foster coordinator worked with them for a while, then they came to me.

The peeing on the sofa is, I believe, because Elliot has a UTI. He's at the vet today being tested and treated.

I think the pooping on the sofa was my fault, in part. I moved Felix and Ashley from their smaller bedroom to a larger one when it looked like Ashley, who may have C.H., had learned to use newspaper for her litter box functions. (No matter how low I made a box lid for her to use, or even poured litter on a plastic sheet on the floor, her instability made her prefer the carpet.) Anyway, I didn't take Felix into the bathroom to show him where the litter boxes were and he hadn't investigated that far himself, and so he used a blanket. The second poop was done by Ashley. I put down more sheets of plastic and newspaper around the room and taped a strip of carpet onto the linoleum by the door of the bathroom so she has traction there and she hasn't used the carpet since.

Ashley nearly had me in tears last night because she was trying to get up the climber and sit in the open (screened) window with her brothers. She managed to get about a third of the way up before falling on her back - fortunately her special bed was where she landed. She's having a wonderful time in the larger room, racing round and round and trying to jump on her brothers. I think she is stronger now because I've been feeding her kitten food that she can manage. The Iams kitten food that came with her was too large for her and she spent most of the time at the food bowl picking up pieces and dropping them again. As you can see from the photo, Ashley is much smaller than her brother.

[catmandu]

I have been so lucky in the fact, that none of the Found Cats have been healthy.
Except for those poor Porch Cats, that nothing could be done for.
You are to commended for giving those Babies a second chance at life.