First things first, thank you!
We so appreciate you signing up to be a foster parent! Maybe this is your first time fostering an animal at all or maybe this is just your first time fostering with Kitty of Angels. Whatever brought you to our team - thank you!
the road to adoption
We ask that our fosters keep their animals until they are adopted which is usually around 2 months of age. But getting your foster animal adopted takes some work on the part of the foster family. That work includes:
- Nutritious food. We will try our hardest to provide fosters with food, but many foster parents opt to buy their own (which we are very thankful for). If you would like to provide food, please make sure it is grain-free food. Many companies that sell cheaper cat food do have a grain-free alternative. We want to start these animals off as healthy as possible.
- Medical care. Every 3rd week, we have a wellness clinic at NKLA in West LA which is where kittens get their FVRCP vaccines, dewormer and flea treatment. Kittens need to be immunized this often because of maternal antibody interference which you can read all about here and they are immunized until they're adopted out (or until 4 months old if you're fostering a slightly older kitten). We do require our fosters to come to these events, although we understand if last-minute issues come up. The link to schedule your appointment is below. And if something serious happens and your cat/kitten needs medical attention, please see the "Uh-Oh - Something's Wrong" section below.
- Socialization. Please play and handle your kitten as much as possible. Invite some friends/family over to play. If you have other animals, slowly introduce your fosters to them. Possible adopters are always interested in knowing how their potential new family member will be with their family and other animals.
- Photography. As I'm sure everyone will agree, social media exposure is the key to a successful business. The more pictures we can post of your foster animals, the more exposure they get. Even well before they're at an adoptable age, we want to start advertising them. Some people are willing to wait until an animal is an adoptable age if they've fallen in love with a picture of that little 4-week old kitten with the adorable face. Also, we can't put any animal in Pet Finder or other adoption sites without a picture, so that's a very large audience you'd be missing out on. Pictures should be clear and well-lit. Please make sure that there is not anything in the background that would detract from the adorableness. No one wants to see a picture of a kitten in a dirty litter box, no matter how cute its face is. And sometimes it takes 20 attempts to get 1 good picture. Just be patient - you'll get some good ones if you give it some time. You can upload pictures (and bio!) here.
- Biographies. People are much more likely to want to meet a foster animal if they know something about them. And we're not talking about the Sarah McLachlan music-inducing kind of information. We don't need to dwell on the fact that they were from the street or shelter. Keep it fun and informational. What is their personality? Are they people-lovers? Have they been fostered with children or other animals? Give us some fun facts. Be creative if you want. You can upload your bio (and pictures!) here.
- Adoption events. Right now, we don't have any adoption events in the books. We have some exciting news on the horizon about future events now that COVID restrictions are easing up. We'll update this page and let fosters know when that happens. Hopefully soon!
- Spay/Neuter surgery. Once kittens hit the 2 lb mark (around 8 weeks), they are officially ready to be fixed. When you get close, we'll remind you to schedule. Because of a nationwide vet shortage and COVID protocols, surgery appointments are extremely difficult to get. In light of that, we are only able to schedule appointments on certain dates at our affiliate clinic - Heaven on Earth. That date may fall after your kitten has gone to their forever home which means the adopter will arrange getting the kitten(s) there. Once scheduled, appointments are not able to easily be rescheduled. If you cannot make your appointment, please let us know at least 48-hours in advance to avoid a $70 cancellation fee.
WELLNESS CLINIC
Every 3rd Saturday, we have a wellness clinic at NKLA (1845 Pontius Avenue in West LA) from 12pm-2pm. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is for kittens to come to this to keep on top of their vaccine schedule. Also, and this is very important, please make sure your kitten(s) are in an enclosed carrier. NKLA has dogs available for adoption, some of which may not be all that keen on cats. We don't want to jeopardize their chance of getting adopted or injure a kitten because we weren't using proper safety precautions. If you need a carrier, please let us know.
Click below to schedule your appointment.
Click below to schedule your appointment.
LET'S TALK ABOUT BONDING
Let's set the scene. You have a litter of two kittens and they snuggle and play all day together. Naturally, you assume they are bonded and need to stay together forever. Well...that isn't necessarily correct. Kittens this young are not bonded to their littermates as a "bonded pair". Bonded pairs are animals that have been together for years and will have negative effects to separating. You know - the cats that are brought into the shelter after living together for 15 years. Kittens, on the other hand, are so young and adaptable that they do not form a bonded connection at that age.
But isn't adopting out a single kitten a bad idea? Not necessarily. While it is ideal to adopt littermates together, we do not force adopters to adopt a pair simply because a lot of pet owners already have a pet and are looking for a companion for them. The kitten won't be alone - he'll have a friend already waiting in his new home! If they don't have an animal at home, we talk to them about all the issues a single kitten could potentially have in the future (including behavioral issues), encourage them to keep in contact and stay open to adopting a companion - even after they get their adopted kitten home.
Another thing to keep in mind is that as your kittens are continuing to grow, they unfortunately become less desirable to potential adopters. Trying to find an adopter for two 5-month old kittens is going to be much more difficult. Also, the longer your kittens are in your home, the more attached they are becoming to you and your home which might make it more difficult to transition to a new home.
Our goal in animal rescue is to get our foster cats and kittens into good homes. The more quickly they get into loving, adoptive homes, the more animals we're able to get off the street or out of the shelter. If all our fosters homes are full, we can't help other vulnerable animals.
We know it's difficult to say goodbye, but it's the goal. SUCCESS! We screen our applicants very well - they're getting amazing new homes! Trust us.
But isn't adopting out a single kitten a bad idea? Not necessarily. While it is ideal to adopt littermates together, we do not force adopters to adopt a pair simply because a lot of pet owners already have a pet and are looking for a companion for them. The kitten won't be alone - he'll have a friend already waiting in his new home! If they don't have an animal at home, we talk to them about all the issues a single kitten could potentially have in the future (including behavioral issues), encourage them to keep in contact and stay open to adopting a companion - even after they get their adopted kitten home.
Another thing to keep in mind is that as your kittens are continuing to grow, they unfortunately become less desirable to potential adopters. Trying to find an adopter for two 5-month old kittens is going to be much more difficult. Also, the longer your kittens are in your home, the more attached they are becoming to you and your home which might make it more difficult to transition to a new home.
Our goal in animal rescue is to get our foster cats and kittens into good homes. The more quickly they get into loving, adoptive homes, the more animals we're able to get off the street or out of the shelter. If all our fosters homes are full, we can't help other vulnerable animals.
We know it's difficult to say goodbye, but it's the goal. SUCCESS! We screen our applicants very well - they're getting amazing new homes! Trust us.
UH-OH - SOMETHING'S WRONG
Everyone who has ever fostered knows that things go wrong, especially with kittens. They're resilient most of the time, but they're just little babies with little baby immune systems and they can get sick. The most common issues you will run into are poop problems (ew) and upper respiratory issues. The first thing you should do is email our foster coordinator and explain the situation. Send pictures or videos if you're able. This will help us determine whether an in-person vet visit (our vet is in Sherman Oaks) is required or if a preliminary online vet appointment (available 24/7) will be be helpful. We may also suggest initially just monitoring the issue. Is your kitten still running around and playing? Let's just keep an eye on it and see if things resolve naturally. Your kitten's eye is running? It could just be a scratch they got from playing. They're limping? Maybe they just fell off the couch while in hyper play mode. Just let us know and we'll give you some guidance.
If you are having an emergency issue with a cat/kitten (difficulty breathing or acute pain) and feel they need emergency care, please do not take to an emergency clinic without speaking to us. You can contact our foster coordinator or call (31o) 692-4290 after hours. We will not be able to reimburse you for medical care at a vet or emergency room where we do not have an account.
If you are having an emergency issue with a cat/kitten (difficulty breathing or acute pain) and feel they need emergency care, please do not take to an emergency clinic without speaking to us. You can contact our foster coordinator or call (31o) 692-4290 after hours. We will not be able to reimburse you for medical care at a vet or emergency room where we do not have an account.
RESOURCES
We're not trying to reinvent the wheel with this foster information. There are so many great resources out there that you can look through. The Kitten Lady has an amazing Foster 101 page that answers so many questions. Best Friends has a great Kitten Foster Manual that has a wealth of information as well.
Here are some protocols we have on caring for cats/kittens with ringworm and fading kitten syndrome.
And always feel free to reach out to us with any questions. We're here to help!
Here are some protocols we have on caring for cats/kittens with ringworm and fading kitten syndrome.
And always feel free to reach out to us with any questions. We're here to help!
