Welcome to 4 New Fosters!

We brought in a mama cat and her three kittens today. They had been living outside and a caring woman looked out for them and then reached out to have them taken into a rescue. No more babies for this mama, and no babies ever for her three kittens! This is what it takes to try and get a handle on the cat/kitten overpopulation problem in Ventura County.

Mama Cali is a tortie and looks to be an excellent mom to her babies. All three kittens are plump and adorable. Names and gender verification are coming. We’re guessing the kittens are around 2.5 weeks old.

Welcome to our home, sweet family.

Mama Cali with her two gray tabbies and one orange tabby

2 New Fosters: Meet Toby and Kelly

posted in: Fostering | 0

Toby and Kelly came to us on August 1st, and they were part of a litter of kittens named after characters from The Office. I’m not sure when they first came to SPARC but they have been there for a while and spent a good deal of time in the medical side of the building being treated for ringworm, and possibly other issues as well. They are almost 3 months old now and have grown up in a kennel in a shelter. They will let people handle them but they are fearful and prefer to hide. They are also not eating as well as they should be and are underweight for their age – neither one weighs two pounds yet, which you would expect from a kitten any time from about 7-10 weeks old.

They have been here for about two days now and have already made a lot of progress. When I walk in the room they don’t always run and hide, and when I try to approach them they will sometimes stay put and let me come over and pet them. They’ve each gained roughly an ounce since Saturday night, which is encouraging.

They are adorable and I have a lot of confidence in them and their ability to overcome their fear and realize that people are friendly! You can watch updates on Facebook and Instagram.

Toby (black) and Kelly (calico) on August 1st

New Foster: Mama Amiga

posted in: Education, Fostering | 0

We took in a new foster on Monday, an adorable tabby/calico named Amiga. She came into SPARC as a stray and they had a feeling she might be pregnant. They performed an ultrasound and sure enough, kittens! I got a call asking if I could take her in and after figuring out where to have her stay safely while Coriander and Saffron are still here, I said yes and drove over to SPARC to pick her up.

Coriander and Saffron go back to SPARC Saturday afternoon for their spay/neuter surgeries and then to their “furever” home after that. Once they have moved on (sniff, sniff) I will deep clean the back room and move Amiga back there. For now, she is in a playpen in our daughter’s room (she’s living out of state for college so we have a little extra space on our hands). Amiga is probably not due for a few weeks, so we will just let her relax and keep her well-fed and well-hydrated. She’s very affectionate and friendly, and I am looking forward to getting to know her personality better.

If you’ve wanted to foster but didn’t think you had the room, these playpens can be very helpful. An extra bathroom, den, or bedroom works too! I like setting up these clear panels that can be found on Amazon for my fosters, but for several years I used the playpen until I felt the kitties could roam safely in my laundry/craft room.

Welcome, mama Amiga! Can’t wait to meet your kittens. 🙂

Mama Amiga, our newest foster

So You Want to Foster Kittens?

posted in: Education, Fostering | 0

Most shelters will do some sort of foster training and orientation before they bring on new fosters. Because of the coronavirus and sheltering in place orders, most shelters are not able to do this now. But the need for kitten fosters is always present, now more than ever as fewer spay-neuter surgeries may be happening due to clinics operating at reduced hours.

The following is a list of instructional videos from Kitten Lady that you can watch to start learning how to be a kitten foster. When I took in my first litter of kittens, they were just found outside and I did not have a shelter to help me. I did as much research online as I could and tried to learn what to do (and what NOT to do) in order to save those four tiny lives. It worked. I have learned more since then but the basics in neonatal kitten care are still the same: keep them warm, keep them fed, and keep them eliminating!

Here are my suggested videos for an essential education in kitten fostering. There are plenty more videos to watch on her site and elsewhere on the Internet but these will get you started!

  1. Bottle Feeding
  2. Syringe Feeding
  3. Stimulating Kittens
  4. Diarrhea
  5. Constipation
  6. Fleas
  7. A comprehensive list of supplies

Your local shelter or veterinarian can help you with vaccinations, upper respiratory infections, and other medical issues. Rule of thumb: if you have a concern, reach out for help! Most shelters have a network of fosters who are passionate about saving kittens and are happy to help new fosters.

2 New Tiny Fosters

posted in: Education, Fostering | 0

We took in two one-day-old ginger kittens this afternoon. They weighed in at 116 and 140 grams, and they still have their umbilical cords. They have had a rough start in life, losing their mom on their first day of life, but we’ll do all we can here to keep them safe and healthy so they can grow into big, strong cats! This is a good example of why spaying and neutering is so important, and why cats shouldn’t be left to their own devices outside.