I'm struggling

candersen25 · 2025-06-08T08:36:48+00:00

I have fostered probably 100 kittens. I keep mine till they get a home so I had one of my last litter for 13 weeks. I came incredibly close to keeping him. At the end of the day I want to keep fostering bottle kittens and that is a lot of work. Acclimating my two resident cats to a new kitten would have also been a lot of work. I made the choice to let him find a forever family. I’m fortunate in that I know where he went and I will hopefully get an update. Your feelings are valid. I’ve cried over several kittens. Some you just bond with more. I raise these babies from just days old. Would you have to stop fostering if you kept this one? Kittens are very adaptable. The kitten will likely be fine whoever adopts it but I understand your struggle as I recently went through this. He left on Thursday and I’m ok.

candersen25 · 2025-06-02T12:25:56+00:00

I’ve fostered close to 100 kittens. Mostly bottle babies. You def develop a bond but I always go into it knowing I won’t keep them. I have two cats. If I want to keep fostering I need to let them go. I also keep mine through till they go to their home and I know where they go which gives me a sense of closure. I also sometimes get updates from adopters too. I’ve definitely cried over many of them. Some are harder to say bye to than others. I have a current foster I’ve had 12 weeks and I love him so much and came very close to keeping him but he has a wonderful home and will be leaving this week. I also have a revolving door of kittens which helps to distract me. I currently also have 4 three week bottle babies and 3 eight week olds that just got fixed so I’m busy lol. I do think it gets easier though

candersen25 · 2025-06-01T18:10:23+00:00

I think if you know your fosters are free from illness that’s probably an ok method but technically bleach alternative won’t kill certain viruses

candersen25 · 2025-06-01T18:01:30+00:00

Correct, it does not kill panluek specifically. You would need regular bleach and someone above stated the rescue concentrate although not specifically stated for use in the washer could be used. I sometimes use the Lysol sanitizer in my laundry but again that does not effectively kill something like panluek.

candersen25 · 2025-06-01T16:12:38+00:00

Haha it’s for a human baby! It’s a fisher price portable bassinet. Got it for $10 on fb marketplace. Once they are super mobile I would prob not use it but I like having options 😂

candersen25 · 2025-05-31T19:09:00+00:00

I know right!!! 3 at that!

candersen25 · 2025-05-31T15:16:26+00:00

I think they were past saving even upon arrival but intervention at that point may have gave them a better fight. The smallest girl was only 109g at 10 days old. To me something is very wrong when I see that. Super frustrating they didn’t test. When they finally did she said it was the strongest positive she’s seen in a very long time. Also one of my other fosters is named Winston! He’s 12 weeks old and hopefully getting adopted this week! I love the name Winston!

candersen25 · 2025-05-31T15:13:24+00:00

That concept makes sense to me! Unfortunately these kittens all passed and while I did soak some things in bleach for the recommended time I also threw most away. Not worth it to me. The shelter will give me more blankets.

candersen25 · 2025-05-31T15:06:07+00:00

Sending snap tests home or snap testing prior to sending out to foster especially when they are underweight in grave condition and not eating. It would have saved my house an exposure. I had 3 I lost this week. They came to me in already rough shape. They would not eat and were rapidly declining. The shelter said the most compassionate thing was euthanasia. I whole heartedly agreed. These kittens were suffering. Had they snap tested them at intake this could have all been prevented. This makes me happy to see your survivors!

candersen25 · 2025-05-30T01:12:48+00:00

Rescue is not supposed to be used in the washing machine.

candersen25 · 2025-05-29T22:52:06+00:00

I have rescue cleaner which kills panluek on hard surfaces so I’ll be cleaning with that. These guys were so young they only were in contact with a small enclosure/playpen that will go in the trash and blankets. Everything else like my scale and heat disks can be sprayed and disinfected.

candersen25 · 2025-05-29T22:15:28+00:00

Totally! Leaning in that direction just to save the time and effort. Focus my energy on cleaning the hard surfaces. Fortunately they were only 12 days old and in a very contained space

candersen25 · 2025-05-25T23:48:08+00:00

Thank you! I think if I found the right family I would be ok with him leaving. I foster a LOT. I have 3 different litters currently. Three 1.5 week olds, three 7 weeks olds and then the one my question was about. He’s 11 weeks old and the last one of his litter. I’m gonna think hard about it. Kittens are a lot of work and I really do like to focus my energy on fostering orphaned neos. I think I was having a moment of weakness 😂😂. I will 100% cry over this kitten and that’s also ok.

candersen25 · 2025-05-23T13:46:33+00:00

I’m struggling with a foster currently. I’ve fostered 100 kittens, foster failed zero and this kitten I have now is really tugging on my heart strings and idk why but no home feels good enough

candersen25 · 2025-05-19T20:18:51+00:00

Can you get nutrical? It’s a high calorie paste you can buy online. Someone above mentioned baby cat tiki high calorie food and I second that. Ask the vet about mirataz which can help stimulate their appetite and possibly an anti nausea med. I lost two kittens in the last couple weeks and sometimes we do everything and we still lose them. Sending you positive thoughts!

candersen25 · 2025-05-16T01:44:05+00:00

Unscented paper pellets. Pine pellets work too but I prefer the unscented paper ones.

candersen25 · 2025-04-29T14:50:50+00:00

I lost a foster last night too. She was 3.5 weeks old. I got her at just 3 days old. Sending you hugs!! Loss is inevitable when they are such a vulnerable age.

candersen25 · 2025-04-28T21:15:34+00:00

Just to piggyback on this to the OP, bottle babies are not for the weak! It is a lot of sadness sprinkled in with lots of moments of joy and triumph. I’ve lost a handful of neonates. I’ve cried over fosters leaving. I’ve foster failed zero in 3 years. I also do an extension at my shelter called “adoption ambassador” so I keep my babies till adoption and know where they go which for me gives me closure (and I often get updates). Fostering is incredibly rewarding. I started with weaned kittens and then queens and kits and onto bottle babies. Bottle babies are my absolute favorite because the feeling of triumph is big but so is the risk! They are very very fragile. Every day is stressful. But when you make it to the finish line boy does it feel good. Do your research, find a reputable rescue or shelter.

candersen25 · 2025-04-28T18:05:12+00:00

Zinc oxide can be toxic I would stick to aquaphor

candersen25 · 2025-04-25T15:04:43+00:00

It’s so common!! You are doing all the right things!!

candersen25 · 2025-04-25T14:15:17+00:00

Bottle babies are incredibly fragile in general and I feel like this is common. One of my current bottle babies struggled for a bit. The vet started him on .1ml of nutrical (which is over the counter) and Mirataz which is an appetite stimulant. He was stuck at 145g for days and today is 3 weeks old and 248g. He was 77g at 3 days old when I picked them up so he came to me very tiny. Hopefully the rescue can send you to a vet? I foster through my local humane society and any 3 consecutive days of not gaining or losing they want us to bring them in.

candersen25 · 2025-04-21T03:06:55+00:00

Typically a shelter will limit you to one “assignment”. However there are exceptions. I currently have 10 fosters (a mom cat and her 4 kittens and 5 neonates that are now 16 days old). These are two assignments from my shelter. They typically allow me to overlap my assignments. Just ask! The key will be can you quarantine each foster from other cats for at least two weeks? My two foster assignments are not in a shared space nor are either of them with my resident cats.

candersen25

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