How to foster a mom cat and her kittens

you've probably heard that fostering a cat from your local shelter a rescue group is an important way to save lives especially during the spring and summer when kitten season is in full swing but what is it like to foster a mom and her kittens a family of cats in this video you'll watch these little nuggets grow up with their mom and learn how you can help a family just like this posturing a mom cat and her kittens typically requires a two to three month commitment depending on the age and health of the cats there's a lot of cleaning and general daily support required but it's incredibly rewarding you will be the reason why they enjoy a Wonderful Life later on the majority of cats in the U.S are born outside and many don't survive their first few months we found this family in a Brooklyn apartment building basement where at least 20 other cats were fighting to survive because our community lacks affordable access to Veterinary Care cats are quickly reproducing out of control foreign these three kittens were born deep inside an old futon okay hi Mom they were only a day old When We rescued them [Music] two of their siblings unfortunately did not survive usually we prefer to trap Mom first but she was hiding so we placed the kittens in a smaller transfer trap to bring her out and in the process we trapped a bonus kitten that you'll meet later during medical intake our volunteer rescue team assesses each kitten and gets them ready for their foster home [Music] let's look at some of the things you'll typically need to foster a mom cat and her kittens we recommend using a large dog crate as their home base this keeps the Kittens safe and out of trouble reduces stress for Mom and is much easier for you to clean daily and within that crate it's important to give Mom a smaller nesting space where she can comfortably nurse her kittens [Music] if Mom is feral we'll use a cat carrier for the nest that way we can safely close her inside the carrier for a few minutes to clean the cage or away kittens within the crate you'll also Place food water and litter for Mom and of course soft blankets to relax on we named her mama stratiatella she's very happy to have a safe and relaxing space to raise her babies and when the kittens are very young she does most of the work she feeds them keeps them clean and even teaches them how to be cats by modeling Behavior like how to groom yourself or use the litter box your job as a foster is to feed her we recommend lots of calorie dense kitten wet food and to keep their space clean it's also really important to weigh the kittens daily track their progress to confirm they are making steady gains and you should handle them frequently so they are familiar with people from an early age coordinate vaccination and deworming details with your Foster manager or local veterinarian what is it [Music] and of course don't forget to give Mom lots of love and attention too please note that we do not Foster pregnant cats we spay pregnant cats because unfortunately there are not enough resources for all the cats in Brooklyn who have already been born [Music] shelters have been overcrowded here for decades [Music] before you know it the kittens will grow up quickly and be ready to start exploring it's fun to watch them develop motor skills and tap into their biological instincts they will learn how to hunt and play by wrestling with their siblings ideally kittens will receive all three essential types of socialization at this stage they will learn from Mom from other kittens their age and from you can also start to introduce toys and other types of environmental enrichment to boost their coordination and confidence all the care you're providing now is preparing them to be loving and well-adjusted house Panthers later on as the kittens get older and more rambunctious mom enjoys a separate Zone where she can take a break and eventually the kittens are ready for a larger space too where they can run around and expend all that hidden energy did you get stuck [Music] thank you [Music] and they are five to six weeks old kittens should transition to eating solid food on their own by following mom's lead this is another reason why we feed mom kitten food it's good for her and it's easy for kittens to join in on separate plates when they are ready it's normal for kittens to continue to nurse for a short time but in a few more weeks Mom's work will be done here and so will yours it's time to accept that these little nuggets are almost ready for their own forever home [Music] it's normal to become very attached and it can be really hard to say goodbye but that's our job as Foster volunteers we know there are more cats just like these who still need help as a small non-profit we can only rescue cats when they have somewhere to go wherever you live chances are good that your local rescue TNR group or city shelter needs Fosters right now caring for a mom and her kittens is a deeply rewarding experience but it's also a privilege if you're fortunate enough to be a cat lover of available time space and resources if you're willing to make room in your life for a family just like this please consider fostering this year you will literally be saving lives while creating your own memories that last a lifetime did you ever wonder where your cats came from before you adopted them or what about the people who watched over them making sure they grew up big and strong who taught them how to ask for help [Music] how to care for each other how to protect their family keep them entertained oh my goodness you guys and help them with work did you ever think you might be one of those people who helps to create so much joy for others what would that feel like [Music] it's time to find out [Music]

Channel: Flatbush Cats

Views: 238,764

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Id: qDGs14hpXPs

Length: 9min 30sec (570 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 26 2023