I hate to ask that question. We've fostered so many precious kittens over the past few years, and it's an experience I wouldn't trade for the world. If we hadn't been fostering, we wouldn't even have St. John!
But.
Our house just doesn't allow us to reliably separate fosters from our other cats. And based on things I've learned here, and on the warning of one of our vets, I'm really starting to worry. Two reasons:
1. As I understand it, there are some potentially fatal diseases that very young kittens simply cannot be tested for -- so there's always a possibility that you're bringing something deadly into your home.
2. Although the shelter I volunteer for has a policy of doing thorough checks on every cat that's headed for a foster home, I now know that on at least two occasions, that didn't happen with us. The kittens came out of who knows what kind of situation directly into contact with my cats -- without even a flea bath.
So... I guess I'm asking if you more experienced fosters know of any way I can ensure the safety of our cats while still accepting foster babies. I know total separation is the best thing, but that's beyond our ability to manage. Is there any safe alternative?
But.
Our house just doesn't allow us to reliably separate fosters from our other cats. And based on things I've learned here, and on the warning of one of our vets, I'm really starting to worry. Two reasons:
1. As I understand it, there are some potentially fatal diseases that very young kittens simply cannot be tested for -- so there's always a possibility that you're bringing something deadly into your home.
2. Although the shelter I volunteer for has a policy of doing thorough checks on every cat that's headed for a foster home, I now know that on at least two occasions, that didn't happen with us. The kittens came out of who knows what kind of situation directly into contact with my cats -- without even a flea bath.
So... I guess I'm asking if you more experienced fosters know of any way I can ensure the safety of our cats while still accepting foster babies. I know total separation is the best thing, but that's beyond our ability to manage. Is there any safe alternative?