Fostering Kittens On Budget?

[iloveallcats]

hello everyone!
So, a friend found some orphan kittens, they are around 5 days old and they need proper care.
i fostered young kittens before, but rn i am not so good financially, i also have three more cats, and i don't know if i can afford fostering these kittens, do you have any advice, or like, some cheaper products i can use for taking care of the little ones?

 

[Sarthur2]

Right now you absolutely must give them KMR, preferably the powdered PetAg in the can. Walmart sells it for $10.

Is this what you are giving them now? Syringe or bottle?

Have you been able to weigh the kittens yet?

Have you given them a heat source such as a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel?

Do they have fleas?

 

[Willowy]

Can you ask around at all the local vet clinics to see if any of the vet techs are willing to take them? Raising orphan kittens is expensive, no way around it.

 

[maggielee]

hello everyone!
So, a friend found some orphan kittens, they are around 5 days old and they need proper care.
i fostered young kittens before, but rn i am not so good financially, i also have three more cats, and i don't know if i can afford fostering these kittens, do you have any advice, or like, some cheaper products i can use for taking care of the little ones?

Have you tried contacting any local animal shelters and rescue groups? It's wonderful that you are willing to give your time and effort to these orphan kittens and it is a shame that you and they would miss out on that due to finances. The organization I foster for provides the KMR, kitten wet food, vet visits, litter pans, little toys, towels, blankets, etc. Of course if you can provide that yourself, it will help the organization rescue even more kittens and there is a need for foster parents so volunteering yourself is a gift to many kittens.
As to less expensive items, I have found baby blankets, towels, litter boxes, scales for weighing the kittens and other things at thrift stores for low prices. I found KMR on the internet for less than $8 a can. It may be nice if older kittens can have premium food, but if it's a food that provides 100% nutrition for growing kittens, I would use that rather than not help the kittens. Please don't let money keep you from helping these kittens. Reach out to rescue groups and ask for assistance. Good luck and please let us know how you are managing!

 

[iloveallcats]

Thank you so much for your answers!
Unfortunetly, there are just a few shelters in my country, and there is no kind of organization that helps with fostering.
There is actually no shelter JUST for cats, only cats and dogs, and they don't really have any space and time for kittens..
About the kittens. I found another experienced person that was willing to take care of them, and now they are in her care!!

 

[StefanZ]

Good the problem solved itself.

Contacting shelters is not to get them take over, its rare, unless they specialize on such. but what is quite common is, YOU are becoming their foster home. Ie you do all the practical fostering, but they help you with all vet costs, most food, litter, etc... You do it under their umbrella. They take of course most part of the glory.
So this is to try for a spontane wannabe fosterer.

Another practical tip to hold down costs, goats milk is probably cheaper than KMR in powder mentioned earlier.

 

[iloveallcats]

Good the problem solved itself.

Contacting shelters is not to get them take over, its rare, unless they specialize on such. but what is quite common is, YOU are becoming their foster home. Ie you do all the practical fostering, but they help you with all vet costs, most food, litter, etc... You do it under their umbrella. They take of course most part of the glory.
So this is to try for a spontane wannabe fosterer.

Another practical tip to hold down costs, goats milk is probably cheaper than KMR in powder mentioned earlier.

In my country no shelters help with such thing, they just don't have the funds i guess..

 

[catsknowme]

I came across this excellent, free webinar from Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine/Maddie'sFund Intitute:
"Critical Care of the Sick Neonatal Kitten", for vet students but it covers all the basics and then some for ANYONE who cares for kittens, both 'normal' and sick, tiny and older...it takes about an hour & a half, but well worth it! I highly recommend it and please invite other cat lovers to watch (the knowledge may come handy someday):
Critical Care of the Sick Neonatal Kitten
Also, for some other ideas to foster kittens on a shoestring budget: warming pads made with old tube socks filled with cornmeal and microwaved (no microwave? no problem - saute the cornmeal until warm, in a dry frying pan and use a funnel or the cut-off top of a juice bottle to spoon into the sock), you can also use rice but cornmeal is softer and seems to heat longer; ask around with caregivers to see if they can donate "puppy pads" for humans - these are great for all stages of the game; larger square cotton make-up pads for "diaper changes";Fo
FourPaws nursers with rubber nipples (less chafing than from using plastic nipples; goat milk donated from FFA or 4-H students (your local county farm advisor can help you locate them).
And bless you for helping rescue those kittens - you have directed them to the right person and now you are available to foster other kittens!

 

[iloveallcats]

I came across this excellent, free webinar from Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine/Maddie'sFund Intitute:
"Critical Care of the Sick Neonatal Kitten", for vet students but it covers all the basics and then some for ANYONE who cares for kittens, both 'normal' and sick, tiny and older...it takes about an hour & a half, but well worth it! I highly recommend it and please invite other cat lovers to watch (the knowledge may come handy someday):
Critical Care of the Sick Neonatal Kitten
Also, for some other ideas to foster kittens on a shoestring budget: warming pads made with old tube socks filled with cornmeal and microwaved (no microwave? no problem - saute the cornmeal until warm, in a dry frying pan and use a funnel or the cut-off top of a juice bottle to spoon into the sock), you can also use rice but cornmeal is softer and seems to heat longer; ask around with caregivers to see if they can donate "puppy pads" for humans - these are great for all stages of the game; larger square cotton make-up pads for "diaper changes";Fo
FourPaws nursers with rubber nipples (less chafing than from using plastic nipples; goat milk donated from FFA or 4-H students (your local county farm advisor can help you locate them).
And bless you for helping rescue those kittens - you have directed them to the right person and now you are available to foster other kittens!

Thank you so so much, extremely helpful advice!!
The streets are full of abandoned kittens now that the kitten season is here, and we MUST help them.

 

[catsknowme]

Amen to that, ILoveAllCats!! I recently found myself with a litter of 6 kittens born in my home (I haven't had that happen since 1985) and there is at least one kitten in the field, in a feral colony, that now I can't take in because I have no placement for it, without risking eviction from my current home and no one else can/will help out The cat whom I adopted had her kittens on 4/29, her spay date was on Tue, 5/2....she had 6 kittens, but 1 died on Sunday despite my best efforts...too many kittens, too many desperate mama-kitties