My Foster Adventure

[Lil Dude]

You've done an amazing job so far. It really is tough taking on so many cats, especially when a lot of them are sick kittens. It makes me angry that the foster group left you with all this responsibility and didn't help you at all, but don't worry. We'll work it out.



Could you tell me how many cats and how many kittens you have now?

How many of them have been fixed?

I'm just about to start work, but I'm going to send you a PM with the contract as soon as I can.

So, it looks like I've got 23. 16 of my own and 7 of the fosters. I didn't realize so many of them were mine . There are 13 adults and 10 kittens. Though the cut off for what's a kitten and what isn't is a bit thin. 13 of them are fixed, and 10 of them are not.

 

[catsknowme]

Norachan : Thank you for all your wisdom and guidance. I have been the 3rd party confidential go-between for some of the rescuers in that area of GA for about a year and a half (I am in rural CA, in the High Sierra). Just so everyone knows, the GA (and pretty much ALL the SE, especially the rural areas) are VERY underserved so the issues facing the kitties and their rescuers are extremely daunting and funding is ATROCIOUS as Lil Dude can readily attest.
The main rescues are still hoping and praying for veterinarians who are skilled in feline medicine. Good luck on finding after-hours care - a 2 hour drive to the emergency vet hospital is common. And the "low cost" spay begins at $55.00 (median annual income in the area is about $32-33 K).
In defense of the individual fosters, they are often on their own and have to pay out of pocket or "wait" for food and medicine. But we must remember that this is an area of the country that lacks many of the amenities that we take for granted. Add to that, the extra challenges of post-hurricane health threats (one found baby kitten had his private parts eaten out by bot fly maggots & had to be PTS despite FB donations for his care. same result for a homeless mama dog so it isn't just kitties suffering ).
So I guess that I mostly want to give a HUGE salute to Lil Dude and all the other rescuers who have had amazing successes at beating the odds! To them I say, "Keep marching forward - you are truly making a WONDERFUL change for the better".
...and to ALL our fellows here at TCS who respond to our posts "THANK YOU " because we have benefited TONS from your advice, your donations, your efforts!!

 

[Jcatbird]

catsknowme You are right that the situation for cats in many parts of the States are terrible. Some states are great but many places are horrible for lost, abandoned or feral animals. This can include cities as well as rural areas. I have also worked as a go between for some and it is a frustrating and heartbreaking thing to deal with for all involved. I can say that I know of one really great shelter in Georgia but even they struggle for funding and are a kill shelter if animals stay there ,” too long”. I spoke with a shelter further north in a Georgia city and learned that if an animal was surrendered, ( you have to pay to give up a pet) when the animal runs out of time and is scheduled to be put to sleep, you can not retrieve it. A verified and tax exempt rescue group can pay an adoption fee to pull the animal back out but the person who gave it up cannot. I later discovered that this is a common practice in much of the state. Each county and shelter has different rules but I don’t know of any who help with anything once the animal has left the shelter. Some charge adoption fees and others do not.
Norachan Spay and neuter fees here can run as high as $200 if you cannot access grant money or a vet who discounts their services. Grants run out every year during, “ kitten season”. For Lil Dude to get all the cats fixed will be all about timing in order to access assistance. Immunizations as well. There are some programs in her area and a few National ones help but it is limited. For her to get a rehoming fee will be a challenge when people can get kitties for free quite easily. I have had to pay fees for nearly all of the 71 I have gotten adopted out in order to make sure they go to homes that are verified by a shelter. That on top of Spay/neuter, immunizations and vet testing can be overwhelming for an individual. I am so glad you are sending a copy of an adoption contract. Personal adoptions need to have a contract that protects the cats and gives the foster the right to check on and even reclaim the kitty if needed. As you know, I have reclaimed a couple. Any help and advice you can give Lil Dude is much appreciated. It’s a very complicated process . Funding to the places and people who really help is crucial. Individuals like Lil Dude , if not helped by great people, truly struggle. They fight for lives and often put their own needs aside to do it. TCS is a great source for these people to network. I frequently get contacted by people who are trying to save cats. Sometimes I can help but sometimes I cannot. I am extremely grateful to all who have helped here as well as any other place a kitty is in need. Thank you to you all! Great job Lil Dude!

 

[catsknowme]

Jcatbird : You expressed the situation so very well. Truly our TCS family is making great things happen! United we stand and forward we progress

 

[Lil Dude]

Ever since hurricane Michael came through, I've been sleeping in the house and I go out every day to check on the cats, feed them, etc. I went out there today and the door was locked! They locked the flipping camper door!! I had to punch through a window screen and pull them out one at a time. Now they're in my room in the house. How in the world does a cat lock a door?!?! Might just advertise them as "genius cats".

 

[catsknowme]

It never ceases to amaze me about the mischief that kitties get into - your thread is aptly named My Foster 'Adventure' !! I hope that it is not too much trouble to fix the screen, though.

 

[Lil Dude]

It never ceases to amaze me about the mischief that kitties get into - your thread is aptly named My Foster 'Adventure' !! I hope that it is not too much trouble to fix the screen, though.

They've already scratched holes into most of them before getting to the window and realizing it was closed. The one window that was opened didn't have a hole in it

 

[Jcatbird]

I have a cat that can open doors, another that opens cabinets, another that can open any package( useful if I can’t open it) cats that can open cage doors, cats that play the piano, turn on or off the radio, one that often turns up when I open a drawer ( scared a visitor half to death when she opened the drawer and a little cat head popped out) and assorted other mischievous deeds. The cats here have been helping me to strip the old wallpaper out of a room. This is working to my advantage since I had planned to do that but don’t tell the cats. I want them to finish the job. If you can’t get the door unlocked, just send in another cat. They will probably get it done.Lol Paws can outwork any man made tool. I am so sorry about your screens!

 

[catlover73]

Ever since hurricane Michael came through, I've been sleeping in the house and I go out every day to check on the cats, feed them, etc. I went out there today and the door was locked! They locked the flipping camper door!! I had to punch through a window screen and pull them out one at a time. Now they're in my room in the house. How in the world does a cat lock a door?!?! Might just advertise them as "genius cats".

Very smart cats. My friends have a cat that opens doors very well. At one point he let himself out of the house when a door was left unlocked. He let himself out the door to the garage and went on an adventure outside for about a week. He is fixed so he was not out looking to mate. He returned home by letting himself back in the house in the middle of the night. He woke my friend up climbing on the bed after he let himself in. That door is now kept locked so he can not open it. He has not figured out how to unlock doors so far.

 

[Lil Dude]

I have a cat that can open doors, another that opens cabinets, another that can open any package( useful if I can’t open it) cats that can open cage doors, cats that play the piano, turn on or off the radio, one that often turns up when I open a drawer ( scared a visitor half to death when she opened the drawer and a little cat head popped out) and assorted other mischievous deeds. The cats here have been helping me to strip the old wallpaper out of a room. This is working to my advantage since I had planned to do that but don’t tell the cats. I want them to finish the job. If you can’t get the door unlocked, just send in another cat. They will probably get it done.Lol Paws can outwork any man made tool. I am so sorry about your screens!

Well, if you have arthritis, they're always there to help.

 

[Lil Dude]

I had to get a ladder, punch out another screen, reach in to unlock the emergency window latch, and then I had to hoist up one of the children I babysit through the window so she could unlock the door

 

[Norachan]

I had to get a ladder, punch out another screen, reach in to unlock the emergency window latch, and then I had to hoist up one of the children I babysit through the window so she could unlock the door

I'm glad you got in there eventually. One of my mother's cat worked out how to turn on the TV by stepping on the remote. They'd come home to find her sitting on the couch watching Oprah or something. I'm never surprised to hear what new things they're capable of.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

As far as actually finding homes, this article gives some good advice about screening, etc.

"kittens To Good Homes" - How To Find A Good Forever Home For Your Kittens

 

[Lil Dude]

The mother of the girls I babysit knows someone who runs a foster group in town. My mother knows her well and assured me that she's a good person and takes care of her animals. She offered to fix and give the kittens vaccines if I let her take them and adopt them out herself. I'm going to talk to her tomorrow to discuss it all.

 

[Lil Dude]

I know this may turn out well because she actually came to me with the offer. Instead of me asking her for help.

 

[Norachan]

Oh, that sounds very promising. I hope it works out.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

You have done so much for so long, I really hope this works out for you!

 

[Lil Dude]

The woman said that her group was full at the moment, so she couldn't take the kittens. But she did post something about them on her foster page on Facebook.

Anyways, Didymus, the cat who was having seizures, has started to have some strange behavior. I was sitting on the couch and she came up on the back of the couch and rested her head on my shoulder. I rubbed my head against her like I was petting her, and all of a sudden, she attacks my head! She grabbed both sides of my head and started eating my hair. I thought it was because she didn't like me rubbing my head against her. But she's just done it again while I was sleeping. It's really aggressive and is quite painful. Anyone know what's up?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Is it at all possible that she has a tumor? That's one explanation, and I'm so hoping the wrong one. I will note that in humans, at least, repeated seizures can occasionally lead to behavioral changes.

 

[catsknowme]

My daughter has a cat that does that when he does not get enough play time. It is misplaced aggression - he has a superhigh play drive and gets bored easily. He also needs lots of mental stimulation which is difficult because the kitties have to live in my daughter's room, although it is large; I take him with me to the bathroom to sniff around. I like to give him laser toy play. And he definitely gets correction via annoying "AAAchh" sounds followed by a stern, calm "claw control!". If you observe the kittens playing, you can see which sounds they use successfully to warn the other that they are playing too rough.
There are good episodes of "My Cat From Hell" where Jackson Galaxy addresses that type of behavior.
Because of her seizures, I would try for a vet check, in case it is neurological. A vet check is always optimal but for us folks in rural areas, especially those in underfunded cat rescue situations, that is not practical. And if she is not yet spayed, it could be hormonal - kittens that are only 15 weeks old can go into season!