2017 Foster Kitties

[gitabooks]

Kitten season has finally arrived at our shelter! That means foster kitties, here we come. : )

Our first babies for the year look to be about 6 weeks old, small but healthy. I'm pretty sure they are two boys, but I'll have to ask the vet to be sure. Chips and Billy are their names, and they are very shy but learning how to trust people. Chips is black and white, while Billy is just black.

I'll get more pictures soon!

Feel free to post pictures and tell stories of your foster cats and kittens for the year!

 

[di and bob]

My heart breaks for all those sweet babies, but they are so lucky to have found you! I'll pray taht you are successful in finding good homes for every one of them!

 

[kashmir64]

I'll take you up on that.
My three fosters were found in a bowl on the side of the highway when they were 10 days old. First, it was constipation. I think the good samaritan who found them put some canned food into their mouths so they would eat. Because once I got that out, that's what it looked and smelled like. Then 2 days later, the yellow nasty diarrhea. Shelter put them on Albon, when that didn't work it was Panacur and Amoxicillan. Giardia cleared up. Then the diarrhea came. Cleared up, came back, cleared up, came back and stayed. Finally figured out what was causing it and it's been cleared up for a week. Took them in for their 3rd shots yesterday

and they are all 2.7lbs. The shelter worker let it slip that the clinic vet gave them almost no chance of survival when they were found. Showed them. They are currently 8 weeks, but this picture was taken at either 5-6 weeks (can't remember)
I am adopting the two gingers and the tortie has already been adopted also. (I will miss her)

 

[gitabooks]

That's awesome! They can take a lot of work and anxiety and worry but it is so worth it when they are happy and healthy. And foster failing rocks too. : )

 

[gitabooks]

Chips and Bilby are starting to come around. They will let you pet them, come for food, and love to play. At first they just hid under the bed and didn't want to be touched.

Bully, or as we call him, Bilby!

Chippy, or as we call him, Chips. He is the more shy of the two but so handsome and cute!

 

[kashmir64]

They are so adorable.

 

[gitabooks]

Billy and Chippy (Bilby and Chips) are about adoption size, at least Bilb is, he is HUGE and chunky compared to his sleek brother.

We also got new foster babies yesterday! Four 2-3 week old orphaned kitties that came in from a dumpster! Apparently someone must have thrown them out like trash! Thankfully the trash-man found them and they were brought to the shelter, cleaned up, and quickly brought into a home to be bottle-fed every 2-3 hours. They are already settling in and rarely hiss anymore and are learning how to nurse from a bottle.

Bilby

Chips is getting over being so shy and comes out to play when you are around, even allowing you to pet and hold him.

Catalina, the runt of the litter and the only female, I also call her "Little Yoda" because of how big her ears are compared to her tiny body!

Memory is my little trouble maker. He is the loudest and most lively and was the one who hissed the most the first day. You can tell him apart from the other black kitties by the white hairs on his front legs and paws and his lighter fur color (more dark brown than black).

Honor is the black and white kitty of the litter, the easiest to pick out. here he is yawning after a meal

And last but not least is Nostalgia, my fat baby boy. He is the calmest and the largest of the black kitties (about equal with Honor).

 

[gitabooks]

Hans and Christian are two little babies that were introduced together because they were lonely orphans. They are in foster with another family until they are old enough.

Bilby and Chips are back at the shelter. Both are over 2 lbs and ready to be neutered and adopted!!! Wishing them the best!

 

[gitabooks]

Before her bath Catalina had the cutest hair do every!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[gitabooks]

They are growing so much and so playful and chubby!!

Memory, or as I just randomly started calling him, Zekezies, is the most mature of them

Catalina is so fuzzy after her bath! And a complete pig! She wants to catch up with her brothers

And of course adorable little Honor posing for a picture

 

[gitabooks]

I posted this last year during foster-season but I think I'll do it again as it helps me as much as it helps anyone else. I honestly don't measure the amount fed but just watch to see if they eat more or less than usual, as it depends on when they were last fed, if they are hungry or not, if they exercised a lot, if they recently used the bathroom, ect.

.....
FOSTER KITTEN CARE CHART:::::

Weight and amount given varies with individual kittens, especially in the formula quality, animals genetics and eventual size, ect.

0-7 days (up to a week): 3-7 oz (100-200 grams), average 4 oz or 112 grams

32 cc of formula per day. Feed 5 cc per feeding, 6-9 times a day (I do it every two hours)

Ears open at 5-8 days, eyes may begin to open around this time as well.

Stimulating to use the bathroom every time they are fed.

8-14 days (1-2 weeks): 4-10 oz, average 7 oz or 196 grams

56 cc of formula per day, 4-6 times a day, with around 14 cc (1-7 ml) per feeding (I feed them every 2-3 hours, three during the night)

Eyes open at 7-14 days of age.

Stimulating to use the bathroom every time they are fed.

15-21 days (2-3 weeks): 8-14 oz (200-300 grams), average of 10 oz or 280 grams.

80 cc of formula a day, 3-5 times a day, with 27 cc (7-9 ml) per feeding (every 2-3 hour feedings, 3 during the night)

Begin to crawl without dragging themselves. Continue to stimulate, though messes may occur sometimes.

22-28 days (3-4 weeks): 10 oz to 1 lbs, averaging 13 oz or 364 grams.

Feed 104 cc a day, 3-4 times a day, with around 35 cc (10 ml) per feeding (every 3-4 hours, lowering the amount during the night to 2 or even 0).

Ears are erect, kitten can stand, will begin showing grooming and play behavior as well a occasionally using the bathroom on their own.

29-35 days (4-5 weeks): 12 oz to 1.3 lbs, averaging at 16 oz or 448 grams.

Fed 3 times a day around 138 cc in 43 cc servings.

Can usually use the bathroom without help (watch for signs of them not using the bathroom). Offer a litter box every feeding or constantly if they don't eat the litter. Will begin to show interest in canned food or lapping milk from a dish. Consider mixing canned food into the milk and straining it to provide the new taste in the bottle.

May be wormed.

36-42 days (5-6 weeks): 14 oz to 1.8 lbs

May insist on one or two bottles a day, particularly in the morning. Continue bottle feeding of the kittens are showing signs of dehydration or weakness. Offer water in a dish. Feed them 3-5 times a day from a dish.

43-49 days (6-7 weeks): 1-2 lbs

Should be nearly or fully weaned onto canned food. Can offer dry kitten food but watch for choking in small kittens. Water and a litter box should always be available.

50-56 days (7-8 weeks): 1.2-2.3 lbs

Weaned. May be vaccinated. Shelters sometimes fix cats by this age/weight (they are generally neutered/spayed at 2 lbs, though it is healthiest to weight until 4 lbs).

57-63 days (8-9 weeks): 1.4-2.6 lbs

Likely neutered/spayed by now, if 2 lbs, and ready for adoption in many cases.

64-70 days (9-10 weeks): 1.4-2.9 lbs

Keeping them with their mother, if not orphan, until at least 10 weeks of age is best for social skills and health of the kitten.

By 14-16 weeks they should be 4-5.5 lbs. This is the age breeders will separate kittens from their mother and neuter/spay them before adopting them out.

..........

1 week = 7 days = 1/4 a month

2 weeks = 14 days = 1/2 a month

3 weeks = 21 days = 3/4 a month

4 weeks = 28 days = 1 month

5 weeks = 35 days = 1.3 months

6 weeks = 42 days = 1.5 moths

7 weeks = 49 days = 1.8 months

8 weeks = 56 days = 2 months

9 weeks = 63 days = 2.3 months

10 weeks = 70 days = 2.5 months

11 weeks = 77days = 2.8 months

12 weeks = 84 days = 3 months

......

Kittens should be gaining around 1.7-3.5 oz a week during their first few weeks or around 6-9 grams or 0.3 oz from what I read.

....

Week one kittens will be blind and deaf and not into snuggling, petting, or playing at all. They will eat, sleep and use the bathroom. They also need to be kept warm but not hot.

Eyes begin to open in the second week, though they can't really see all that well. Their eyes are vulnerable to infection at this time, so watch for this. They will have blue eyes at this age. They will recognize a favorite nipple by smell.

By three weeks they are more aware of their surroundings and may be active for a few minutes crawling around, but still likely won't be too excited about cuddling or playing for too long. Their ears will begin to perk up and their baby teeth show. They will begin to purr.

By four weeks they have a fully mature sense of smell and are begin active, playful and start to use the bathroom and groom themselves (though the mother does the real cleaning still). They are getting improved eyesight and their hearing is well-developed. The mother will begin to leave her kittens for longer periods of time and they can start to try water or milk from a dish as well as canned food.

By five weeks sight is fully developed and weaning begins. They will begin to try stalking and pouncing, use the litter box, and play on instincts for hunting.

As they reach 6-8 weeks the eye color will start to change, they are VERY active and should be socialized in what a regular house-hold will be like, including being handled a lot, from the paws to the head. They will have sharp baby teeth, sharp claws, and should be getting four small meals of solid food a day.

They will start to mature reproductively at 6-9 months of age, get their adult teeth starting at 11 weeks and ending at around 20-24 weeks of age. They will be physically mature (size wise) at around 8-12 months of age and behaviorally will begin to settle down around 2 years of age.

........

For converting weight and milk formula amounts:::

1 cc = 1 ml

1 tsp = 4.9 cc

1 cup = 48 tsp

1 oz = 28.3 g

1 lbs = 16 oz

1 kg = 35.2 oz

1 g = 1000 mg

 

[gitabooks]

The babies just keep growing! Zeke (aka Memory) is the biggest and seemingly most mature of them, being one of the first to use the litter box (they are all using it now, thankfully). He is struggling with a bout of diarrhea but loves to eat and play, so I'm not too worried.
Nostalgia is the calm, obedient little guy. Fuzzy and longhaired (we're thinking they are Persian mixes because of their fur-type and short face, ect), he is a good feeder, gentle when playing, and uses the litter box well.
Honor, the black and white one, is a trouble-maker but a cute one! He finally got over his bout with diarrhea and is eating very well, almost vicious about it when fighting off siblings from the bottle. He gets tired easily but still plays a lot!
Last but not least is the only girl, Catalina, who changed from a cry baby who ignored her brothers to a sweet, cuddly, talkative little thing that rubs up against you and follows you everywhere! I love the little girl! She is still very noisy and fussy, but her sweet personality makes up for it.

 

[gitabooks]

Update pictures of the foster babies!!!

Not really a "foster" baby, but Nocturne, my foster failure, is checking out the kittens. She is so amazed by them, but terrified at the same time. Typical Nocturne. : )

Nostalgia is a longhair, but he is a dirty one. He needs a bath

Zeke trying out some solid food

Honor

Typical Catalina crying for attention/food/ect

 

[gitabooks]

Update picture of my silly-boy, Zeke, always the biggest and first to do new things

Nostalgia is the sweet, laid-back one who still enjoys the bottle and will drink almost a whole one!

Honor loves to play! He's the little brother of the group, but doesn't let it slow him down

Catalina is doing so much better! After a couple days of fluids, a deworming, and catering to with a lot of food, milk, and water, she is plumping up (though still going diarrhea on her towels all the time). Yes, she did get a bath, she messes up her face eating very quickly.

 

[gitabooks]

Nocturne trying to get past her shy-streak and play with her foster siblings. She loves to run around with them making silly trilling sounds, but she doesn't like them to touch her. That's just scary. : )

 

[gitabooks]

The kitties are getting so big! Poor Zeke and Honor (Zeke is the biggest) seem to be loosing weight. They need treated for fleas now that they are old enough and one of them is having diarrhea. At least Catalina is doing great and Nostalgia has never had an issue besides the diarrhea making him dirty.

Zane the sweet kitty with almost creepily human eyes

Honor being a goofy cat

Nostalgia showing why he goes by his nick-name "Fatty"

Honor stretching

 

[gitabooks]

Poor Zeke has been loosing weight and is now under 2 lbs and is vomiting and having diarrhea. He saw the vet, was deflead (the fleas got bad for some reason), and was put on antibiotics. I also switched his diet, getting him on a different brand of canned food, and offering EN dry food. He seems to be doing alright, eating a lot that's for sure but still looking so skinny! My poor baby!

 

[gitabooks]

Nocturne playing with Nostalgia (or maybe Catalina)

Nox stalking Honor

Zeke is feeling a lot better and is eating like a pig!

Catalina getting cuddles

 

[kashmir64]

I haven't received a single alert to this thread. They are so very cute. A lot of black cats in your area.

I don't understand why it's called a foster fail. If the kitten grows up to be healthy and happy, it should be a foster success. Whether you keep them or not is irrelevant. I wouldn't consider mine a fail anyway. I had to go through the whole adoption process for my two. It's just that I got first dibs.

 

[gitabooks]

I know, right? I guess it's a foster fail because some shelters don't let you continue to foster if you adopt, since eventually you would just get too many pets!!

Today was a tough day because Zeke and Honor weighed enough to remain at the shelter. I miss my babies!!! I feel like I'm betraying them! Nostalgia also weighed enough but I didn't want Catalina to be alone, so the two came back for another week.

I hope the two boys find homes quickly! They are so sweet, but black cats go slower than other colors. Show you're sweet side and anyone will fall for you, buddies!