Conference misery::feline

	I've "fostered" two litters of kittens for the
	Pat Brody Shelter and can't wait to do it again
	(except that it's sad that they need foster
	parents, it would be better if there were no
	'excess' cats/kittens).

	Basically the deal was that I provided a warm,
	safe place for the mom and her litter and the
	food -- and when the kittens were 8 weeks old
	they were all returned to the shelter.  They
	then spayed the mom and gave the kittens their
	first shots -- and then put everybody up for
	adoption.  This way the mom and her kittens
	were kept away from other cats, to avoid
	sharing germs and easing the stress on a 
	protective mother, and we had all the fun of
	watching kittens learn to walk, jump, attack,
	etc.  

	It wasn't as hard as I had expected to give
	them back -- maybe having thirteen of my own
	encouraged me there!

	Other arrangements may vary but that's how the
	Pat Brody Shelter worked with us.


	Jan

    Cheryl,
    
     At the Framingham Shelter we foster out some of the cats/kittens. The
    kittens pretty much always go into a foster home until they are weaned,
    and then the kittens are brought to the shelter on the two adoption days
    for people to see. We usually require that two kittens go together, so
    they will have company, and so the transition will be smoother. (Read
    less destruction to the homestead from excess energy)
    
     We have certain volunteers that take mostly feral cats into their
    homes to try to socialize them to people. We just had one of them
    adopted last week! ;-) He's a love bug, and his new person is going to
    be a vet!
    
     Then we have some people that take cats in to foster them, and end up
    with MANY cats! ;-) Hey Nancy C, does this sound like anyone you know!
    ;-)
     
     I don't really think I could foster without ending up keeping them
    myself. I'm just as much a softie as Nancy and her hubby are. He's
    actually worse than she is! I love that couple!!!! 8-)
    
     I guess fostering is pretty much the same as adopting a cat
    temporarily until a home is found. The exception is that the Shelter
    covers any vet bills that may be incurred during the foster period,
    where in the other circumstance the person would be responsible unless
    they asked for help from the FELINERs!! ;-)
    
    Hope this helps.
    
    Yonee
    
  

    Hi Cheryl!
    
    Well, I work at Framingham Humane with Yonee and I'm fostering
    five cats.  However, as you suggested, it is very hard to part
    with them.  We don't have the space at the shelter to keep all
    these cats, so we have fosters who take new rescues into their
    homes and care for them till homes are found.  We have to show
    up with our fosters on certain adoption days (Thursday nites
    and Sunday afternoons).  It becomes hard because the cats don't
    appreciate being carted back and forth, and usually they don't
    show well in an environment that is both new, busy, and jam packed with
    other cats....  some of us are worse foster parents than others....
    I don't make all the adoption days, and to be honest, I can't bear to
    part with even one of my fosters....so here I have 11 cats.....I have
    to learn to let them go if I'm to help others, but I've been assured
    by many shelter volunteers that it takes a lot of strenght to do this.
    Some folks never can......  I mean, by the time you've helped to make
    a semi-feral into a bonafide lapcat, it's pretty hard to let him/her
    go......  there's always that incredibly arrogant belief (I am guilty
    of this) that NO one but NO one could possibly love them as much as
    you..???? :-)))
    
    N

    Hey Yonee!
    
    NOTES COLLISION!!!!
    
    :-)))
    
    N

    Hey Yonee,
    
    I got a membership at Sam's last nite and got to buy my own litter
    for a change!  :-)))))  Now that I'm a bonafide member, we'll have
    to go speedracing down the aisles some nite together....  
    
    See you tomorrow nite....
    
    Lenora will be by my house at 6:00 to clip nails.....I'll see you
    then.  You can referee....  :-)
    
    N

    I had a feeling you were in here somewhere today Nan! I still admire
    you for at least TRYING to foster. I know I would end up with a herd of
    cats too! ;-) Guilty as charged!
    
    Yonee

    I know, I've barely had time to get into this file for the past four or
    five months....busy busy busy.... but we are having a short lull before
    diving into Alpha, so I've been able to catch up, somewhat, on the
    FELINERS....
    
    :-)
    
    N

    I sometimes feel that I am the unofficial foster home for my
    entire apartment complex.  I have place at least 6 cats and
    have 2 in progress right now.  Does this count?
    
    Jan

    Hi,
    
    I just wanted to mention another type of feline fostering that I've
    heard of that's a little different from providing a temporary foster
    home for the darlings. 
    
    Two shelters I know of here in Southern New Jersey have a "foster parent" 
    or "sponsor" program where someone who may be unable to keep kitties 
    (due to alergies, landlord restrictions, etc.) donates a certain 
    amount of money (about $10 to $20 a month I think) to care for a
    specific little angel of their choosing. In return, they can visit the
    foster kitty regularly and take it into a special play room for private
    attention. One of the shelters mentions these foster parents with pride
    in their monthly newsletter, along with pictures of the lucky darlings
    who've now got a chance to survive. Another one has shelter volunteers
    send cards and letters from the foster kitty to his/her parent on
    special occasions and the like.
    
    The associations here are The American Society for the Welfare of Cats,
    in Belmawr, NJ; and the Animal Welfare Association in Marlton, NJ. I
    also read an article in either the January or February "Cat Fancy"
    magazine talking about a similar arrangement, somewhere in the midwest,
    I believe.
    
    If you're an animal lover but can't keep one at your home (or have too
    many already !!!) you might want to check with your local shelters and
    see if they have arrangements like this. Even if they don't already,
    I'll bet if it was suggested they might be willing to give it a try!
    
    Terry M.

    
    I dream of the day that I have the strength to help a shelter by
    fostering cats/kittens....but I too would have such a tough time
    giving them back...that I just can't put myself through it.  That's
    why I have 9 cats or is that 10 cats!!
     
    Volunteering at the shelter has helped me grown unbelievabley and
    I feel I have the strenght to do alot of things I use to run away
    from...but after two years I still have not found the strength to
    deal with foster care!!   I personally think it is the greatest
    thing in the world.....and think it is wonderful that some folks can
    do this ( I call them kitty angels)...so my goal is someday I will 
    be an expert at foster care!!  
    
    Nancy C has part of the solution....your mind set has to be that
    you are helping this kitty temporarily but there are other kitties
    that need your help more!!   That's tough to do especially if it 
    took a very long time to gain trust in a particular cat.
    
    Someday when I'm fostering about 10 cats...I'll look back at this
    note and just smile realizing I have reached another goal!!  That
    might not be for another 5 years...but I'll get there!
    
    Sandy

    I hear you Sandy! I's end up with my very own shelter if I started
    Fostering! ;-)
    
    Framigham has an "Sponsor-a-Cage" program also. You donate the amount
    you to choose every month and choos the cage you want to sponsor.  The
    donations received go toward the medical care and food for the animals
    in the particular cage you choose. Each month you will receive a
    donation reminder and picture of the cats you are sponsoring. (The cats
    may change in the cage as adoptions happen, or if tempers warrant a
    move to another cage).
    
    I never really thought about it as fostering, but after reading that
    other note, it makes great sense! I'll never look at it the same again.
    Thanks!
    
    Yonee
    
    

    Since I can't take any additional cats into my home, my preference is
    to foster cats already living at the humane society.  I believe
    "sponsor" is more the correct term.  Each month I send a donation
    toward a cage of cats' food and litter expenses and in return, they
    send me updated pictures monthly of the cats currently living in that
    cage (it's a large floor to ceiling cage).
    
    Doing this gives me a sense of fullfillment and makes me feel as if I
    am doing my part to help.
    
    -Roberta
    

    The shelter I volunteer for has a "sponsorship" for $10 a month.....
    
    You get a picture of the cat and a brief rundown on it's "story".
    It is usually for a cat that has little to no chance of finding
    a home, due to severe abuse, injuries, health problems, etc.

    I can imagine most of us with our own shelter......we would never
    let a kitten or cat go! (8 (8

    TreeHouse Animal Foundation in Chicago also has cat sponsors.
    

    The Pat Brody Shelter for cats has both programs....
    
      Foster Care. - In our Fall edition of our newsletter, Priscilla 
      put out a plea for anyone who would consider fostering mom/kittens
      for this upcoming spring.   If your interested...just give 
      Priscilla a call and ask her to put you on the Foster list!! We
      also like to foster out cats that need special attention..such     
      as semi-feral cats that need alot of love or need somebody
      to work with them to become adoptable.
    
      Sponsor Program - For $10 a month you can sponsor a cat from
      the shelter.  In return you will occasionally receive pictures
      and updates on your cat you sponsored.  You will also see
      your name in print in our newsletter and be automatically
      added to the distribution list.  
    

    
    	O.K. all you foster parents, how do you do it?  I decided to 
    foster the abandoned kitten that I wrote about, and after 4 hours
    I've fallen in love with her! I really can't keep her and I have
    two people who are interested so I'm trying real hard to not get
    attached.  
    	I imagine people who are foster parents for human children
    must have a real hard time letting go when the time comes.
    	Thank God for special people!
    
    				Sue

    
    
    	T'ain't easy Sue!  I've only had to do it once.  A
    	friend of mine (Kim Gallant - class of '86) found a 
    	kitten on her doorstep.  Beautiful little thing.  I 
    	kept her for a couple weeks till a home was found for
    	her.  It was *so* hard giving her up, she was just a little
    	doll.  In fact, I still have a picture of her on the wall 
    	in my office.  Funny thing is, the new owners named her
    	Sasha (and she looked similar to my Sasha).
    
    	But it's great thing you're doing!  Keeping that in mind,
    	and making sure she goes to a good home will make it a
    	*little* bit easier.
    
    	Judy
    

    Tis VERY VERY hard....but to make you feel the best when you
    have to give her/him up is to ensure they are going to the
    BEST home possible.   If your very comfortable with the person
    that is going to adopt them...you can also request occasional
    updates on the kitty.    I rescued/fostered 4 adult cats last winter
    and still stay in touch with all the new owners. 
    
    Sandy 

    
    	Well, the kitten has found a very good home, with Diane Gaston,
    a co-worker of mine.  She and her husband love animals especially
    cats.  Boy, I sure did miss the kitten this weekend, even though
    my boyfriend keeps telling me I don't miss her.;)
    	The MSPCA has taken quite a bit of info on the people who
    abandoned the kittens and they may also get the names of the 
    people who adopted them to follow up on the care of them.
    	A quick question:  At what age should a cat start wearing a
    (breakaway) flea collar?  
    				Sue

    Glad the kitten has found a home.  I was going to comment on the
    foster thing but I decided I'm not the best one to do it.  I 
    still have 3 of the 4 I started fostering 1.5 years ago.  Torbie
    is still missing since she popped out of her carrier on the way to
    the vet.   Ashlar, Joey and Dolly are still with me.  
    
    I still refer to them as the fosters but I think they'll be with
    me permanently unless the absolute perfect home comes up.  I did
    have a guy who wanted to adopt Dolly and a woman who was interested
    in Ashlar but both fell through.  The guy called the morning I was
    supposed to bring Dolly over and told me not to bring her.  That's
    okay.  I was starting to feel like this wasn't the right place for
    her anyway.  Ashlar's home never came about because I got his teeth
    cleaned right before he was supposed to go which delayed his departure
    slightly.  By that time the woman who was going to take him had a 
    line on her ideal job in SF and might be moving.  The job did fall
    through but by this time another month had passed and I wasn't feeling
    too good about her stability.  
    
    It would have to be the absolute right home for them to go at this
    point.  My mom has expressed an interest in Joey but already has a
    cat and a dog and doesn't want to disrupt the household.  So, I'll
    hang onto all of them indefinitely.
    
    Jan (who gets way too attached to every cat)

    I 'fostered' a cat once.  He landed on my doorstep looking very hungry. 
    We nicknamed him Bones until we found his owner.  Fourteen years later
    when we finally realized he was one of our clan, he died.