How to Start Fostering Kittens

Kitten fostering can be a rewarding experience for yourself and the kittens as well as a way to help your local shelter take in more animals so that they do not have to be out in the streets or put down. There are some important steps to take when getting into fostering kittens. Here is how you begin the process.

Find a Shelter

The first step is to find a shelter that needs help with fostering. You can find a list of animal shelters in the area by looking online or by asking your local pet shops. Pet stores often do charity work with local shelters, so they should be able to point you in the right direction. You can simply contact your local shelters and see if they have any animals needing foster. You can then apply for approval and fill out paperwork before beginning training to learn how to foster kittens.

Pick the Kittens

Once you have been approved and trained, you can decide what kinds of kittens to foster. You could foster kittens that have a mother cat, or orphaned ones. Orphaned kittens will be more difficult to take care of if they were not old enough to leave their mothers, so for a first time foster you may want to take kittens that either still have a mother or who are old enough to be weaned.

Set Up the Room

You will want to dedicate a room in your home to your kittens and kitten-proof it before their arrival. Choose a dark, quiet place away from other animals in your home, and move out large furniture as well as anything you don’t want potentially ruined. Put away anything small enough for the kittens to try to eat, and make sure there are no electrical wires within reach to be chewed.

Once the room is proofed, fill it full of items that enhance the kitten fostering experience. In addition to the litter box, food bowl and water bowl, you will want to supply the kittens with a bed. Make sure that it is covered so they can go inside and feel safe. Toys are also a good idea to give the kittens something to play with when you aren’t around and for you to make socialization easier.

Get the Kittens

When you go to get the kittens, make sure you have a carrier with you as you should never leave animals to free roam around the car. Bring some bedding and toys with you to comfort the kittens during the ride home, as they will probably be stressed out. Drive slowly and carefully while talking to the kittens, and when you get them home settle them in their room and leave them be until they have time to relax. Do not let them out of the room while they are adjusting, as they will try to hide.

Fostering kittens is a great way to help out the local shelters if you are not able to adopt animals yourself. If you are interested in helping shelters care for animals while they wait for homes, don’t hesitate to look into fostering today.