Adopting a Rescue Kitten/Cat
Why did you choose to adopt a precious kitten or cat?
It is hoped that you have thought this through because this is at least a 15-20 year commitment if not more. Now we will say thank you. Don’t mess it up.
If you think a shelter cat is going to love you right off the bat, that is rare. It takes time and patience. Think about what they have gone through.
Someone decided to adopt a cat and either thought the cat would cuddle with them all day, maybe they thought the cat would be a licker or head butter…you know, super affectionate. Or the cat clawed the furniture or made too much noise. Instead of putting in the time it takes to adapt the kitten or cat, they gave up and tossed the cat out or surrendered it to a shelter.
There are thousands of people like me who round up unwanted cats, help get them fixed, get them vaccinations, and a months’ relief from fleas. If the cat is adoptable, we work with local shelters or cat rescues to help adopt them out.
If a cat is unadoptable, they become part of the TNR program. TNR is Trap, Neuter, Release. Most likely, the ear will be tipped to prove the cat has been fixed or a female may possibly get a tattoo on her tummy. (Ear cut off at the top. Would you want 2 hysterectomies or vasectomies?). They will live outside in the elements for life. At least they have a vaccine and won’t reproduce.
This is how we treat an animal we chose to domesticate.
PETA statistics will tell you how many kittens one cat can produce over 10 years. The number is astonishing, even if it is possibly exaggerated a bit.
Here is your kitten’s/cat’s history. It was found outside, most likely covered in fleas like most. Its litter mates may or may not have made it. The kittens are sickly. Have worms and diarrhea, their eyes are runny, and they smell. They need immediate care because most people call for rescue only when they see tiny kittens because “they are so helpless.”
The lucky ones get picked up or dropped off at a rescue facility with or without a mother. Many spend all their time in small cages. Some lucky ones get foster homes like mine. We hold onto them until they are 2 pounds. At that time, they are returned to the rescue to be neutered/fixed and sent out for adoption. Sometimes, we find out the outcome by accident. Personally, it is best not to know.
As a foster parent, it is my job to socialize your kitten/cat so she or he can be adoptable. If not, they get put out with a colony or put down. There are just too many unwanted pets. As foster parents, we watch how they eat and poop. Teach them not to gorge on food as they are on a schedule. They have toys, cat trees, and room to be kittens/cats.
If you don’t know the word feral, the standard definition for an animal is (especially if an animal) is in a wild state, especially after escape from captivity or domestication.
"A feral cat" - Wild, untamed, undomesticated, untrained, unused to humans, unbroken, broken in, house-trained, housebroken, resembling a wild animal.
Opposite: tame pet. Credit Wikipedia. But Feral cats aren’t just wild cats. They need to add abused to the definition, even lonely. Lonely humans lash out. Why wouldn’t a cat? (Yeah, I know, a dog might, too, but this is about cats).
Some rescues and shelters consider any cat found outside without a collar or chip a feral cat but many have just been dumped for whatever reason and are totally adoptable.
We are writing this to help you avoid re-homing or dumping your cat.
Don’t blame the cat if you don’t have a house that suits its needs. This is like bringing a baby home, but you have less control. Cats have claws. Cats claw things. They don’t give a rat’s ass how much you paid for it so you shouldn’t either. Get a cover for the couch instead of complaining the cat scratched it. Get cat trees and make sure they fit your cat. Don’t get a kitten tree for an adult cat. Make sure the tree fits the cat. Do some research. If you want your cat to be happy, it needs some stimulation. Your choice: The couch, a cat tree, or multiple trees.
Learn this now. All cats have different personalities and have been treated differently. Just because you get a kitten does NOT mean it will grow up the way you want it to if you don’t help it along. I have had kittens that were just feral or just unfriendly. It happens. Know what you are getting into. Foster a cat or group of kittens before you adopt. That is the best way to find the personality you want.
Before you adopt, find out as much as you can from the foster parent, if possible. It can make the difference between you loving or hating the cat.
Our foster kittens have had a whole room to play in. Two cat trees with mouse toys hanging from them. Catnip toys, balls, and fishing poles. Boxes to use as a tunnel or hiding place from the others or just life.
Foster parents keep kittens on a schedule. They are usually dropped off at two to four weeks, and when they hit two pounds is anyone’s guess. Sometimes it’s just for a month, sometimes less, sometimes more.
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There are many legends about cats, but my favorite is that cats are souls taking a break, and they get some time off and hope they end up in a place where they can rest up. Foster homes are a cat and kitten wonderland. We love each and everyone with all our hearts. There are tears when they move on, but there has to be the hope that they will find a home with people who love and adore them as much as we do.
We are a Waystation.
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Bringing Kitty Home
When you bring home a new cat or kitten, it takes time for them to adapt. It has been said that about 3 weeks is good. It is preferable that you keep the cat/kitten to one room in the home that people frequent. Whatever room you choose should be “cat-proofed”. They will try and eat everything just like a baby, treat them like one.
It will be up to you to determine how long the cat needs to adapt. If you give it enough attention, it should adapt easily. When you do let it roam, if the cat is small, beware of places like under the fridge and stuff. You don’t want to lose the cat. BUT, as much as you may want to, it is easy to overwhelm the cat with people and toys which will make it anxious and scared. Keep it simple. Let it sleep and eat when it wants to.
Surroundings
All cats and kittens are unique. They like consistency as do most humans. Keep the litter box clean and in one place, the food and water in another and leave it there. Toys on the other hand are like prey so move them around frequently and change them out now and then in rotation.
Noises
Here is an oddity among many older rescue cats: In my experience, they tolerate outdoor noises very well like thunder and fireworks when they are inside. They don’t hide or get scared. Not all of them, but nearly 80% of my rescued adult cats did awesome. They still run from a vacuum though. NONE of this means you don’t have to be careful while noisy outdoor events are occurring. Keep the windows and doors shut. Put the cat in a quiet room with dim light, catnip etc. Stay with them and pet them through the bad parts and they will realize that it is OK. Again, this does NOT mean you can let down your guard.
Food
Going with the assumption that any cat that comes through my home has had to fend for itself until now, I leave dry food out all the time. Let’s do kittens first. You don’t know whether or not they had mom around and were weaned properly or if they were bottle fed. When we take these littles in, they get kitten dry food left out all day, sometimes, in a separate bowl, we mix the dry with water so it’s a bit softer. They get wet food often and they need to eat when they want to eat. They could with mom. You should continue this until the kitten is about 4 months or so and then start backing off, slowly. They suckle wet food so it is like having mom around. Remove one wet food feeding (breakfast, lunch or dinner) every two weeks or so until they are only on dry food. It is in my opinion that wet food should become a treat after 4 months old. Mine split a 3 ounce can twice a week. Dry food is better for their teeth and keeps them a healthy weight. BUT, every cat is DIFFERENT. Pay attention to yours.
If you adopt an adult cat, ask how the shelter has been feeding the cat and stick with that routine for a while until you and your cat develop your own. It is that simple.