Topic: Fostering Advice (Read 4759 times)

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #24 on:** August 03, 2011, 10:03:18 AM »

Quote from: sheilarose on August 03, 2011, 06:51:06 AM

I love your thinking - an open mind and an open heart. Enjoy your summer. Bless you.

Agreed

Dawn F · « **Reply #23 on:** August 03, 2011, 08:17:31 AM »

more that a little pleased to hear it!

sheilarose · « **Reply #22 on:** August 03, 2011, 06:51:06 AM »

I love your thinking - an open mind and an open heart. Enjoy your summer. Bless you.

poppycat · « **Reply #21 on:** August 02, 2011, 23:39:48 PM »

Her fostering period has been extended as her skin lesions returned. Am keeping her for another two months to monitor and work out what's causing the lesions.

More than likely she's staying for good as really don't like the thought of sending her back to a cage and her feeling rejected (again). She's also made herself very at home here. Still amenable to re-homing her - would prefer her to go directly to another home straight from this one though, rather than back to rescue first. Have a two month reprieve for now though, so will just enjoy the summer for now.

Guest · « **Reply #20 on:** August 02, 2011, 21:08:23 PM »

Hi, I just wondered what you had decided xxx

Dawn F · « **Reply #19 on:** July 24, 2011, 16:53:48 PM »

you sound like you are thinking things through carefully poppycat, I'm sure whatever you decide to do it will be the right thing

sheilarose · « **Reply #18 on:** July 24, 2011, 16:49:29 PM »

poppycat · « **Reply #17 on:** July 24, 2011, 16:06:07 PM »

Thanks everyone for all your advice.

She is from one of the 'bigger' rescues and their facilities are rather plush. The cats are in glass cages but also have a run to their own glass fronted private patio, where they look out over a beautiful lake !!! So although not nice for her to be enclosed, it's not as grim as it sounds.

It's so hard trying to juggle whether to put her as an individual first or look at the greater picture. The rescue needs fosterers who can provide a 'rehab' type environment ( ie a quiet stress free home with no other anaimals). If I keep her it means other 'problem' cats will be denied those facilities ( as they have a shortage of such homes) and then potentially they will immediately be earmarked for PTS.

I really think I should be far more detached and help others. Will talk to the rescue tomorrow about quick re-homing chances for her. If she doesn't get picked within a certain time frame I can always adopt her later.

Dawn F · « **Reply #16 on:** July 24, 2011, 11:10:29 AM »

totally agree, the rescue I go to anything over about 6 months is hard to home

Guest · « **Reply #15 on:** July 23, 2011, 21:59:56 PM »

Quote from: sheilarose on July 23, 2011, 20:58:40 PM

I guess you're getting the message from lots of folk here to keep her.

You already know about the over-crowding problem in rescues just now, or you wouldn't have volunteered as a fosterer. This situation isn't likely to improve.

Your decision is whether to keep this little soul who has been guided to you, or to put her back in exchange for another little soul who may never find a home, and hope she is spotted in favour of cute tiny kittens, of whom there are hundreds.

Right now, even "adoptable" cats are being overlooked. This is the conundrum we rescuers are dealt.

Every soul deserves a chance - and hers is no less deserving than any other....

Your heart will guide you.

(PS My first two fosters are still with me, and are a pure delight and bonus to our family. Never, ever feel like a failure - whatever you decide - you have helped!)

What a lovely message xx

sheilarose · « **Reply #14 on:** July 23, 2011, 21:37:00 PM »

If there's room in your house, there's room in your heart.

After that it's all down to finances. If the sums add up, go for it!

Sarah_Jane · « **Reply #13 on:** July 23, 2011, 21:20:23 PM »

i want to foster, talkin oh into it he isnt keen atm as he knows what im like.. id keep her lol somethings happen for a reason ....

sheilarose · « **Reply #12 on:** July 23, 2011, 20:58:40 PM »

I guess you're getting the message from lots of folk here to keep her.

You already know about the over-crowding problem in rescues just now, or you wouldn't have volunteered as a fosterer. This situation isn't likely to improve.

Your decision is whether to keep this little soul who has been guided to you, or to put her back in exchange for another little soul who may never find a home, and hope she is spotted in favour of cute tiny kittens, of whom there are hundreds.

Right now, even "adoptable" cats are being overlooked. This is the conundrum we rescuers are dealt.

Every soul deserves a chance - and hers is no less deserving than any other....

Your heart will guide you.

(PS My first two fosters are still with me, and are a pure delight and bonus to our family. Never, ever feel like a failure - whatever you decide - you have helped!)

sheryl · « **Reply #11 on:** July 23, 2011, 19:22:38 PM »

It sounds like you have done wonders with her but as others have said surely her health problems will return if she is taken back and then the poor little soul is back to square one - as her health has improved so much she is obviously settled and happy with you - follow your heart and keep her x

Guest · « **Reply #10 on:** July 23, 2011, 12:37:03 PM »

You have had a chance to make a connection with her and that is what we want with our cats. Keep her

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #9 on:** July 23, 2011, 00:17:23 AM »

I agree with Si, her health probs may just come back when she gets back there,

poppycat · « **Reply #8 on:** July 22, 2011, 22:15:49 PM »

She's been put out to foster because they wanted to see if her health problems cleared up in a home environment. If they don't have any issues they never go out for fostering.

The rescue won't re-home direct from the fosterer so all the cats have to go back to the centre so that they can be viewed there along with all the others.

She's been here 2 wks now and has gradually got quite attached and is 100% well. Still can't decide what to do. Heart says keep her, head says 'no as she's got a much better chance of getting a home than one of their old/sick cats and so give her back'.

Fostering her has given her a lifeline as they were considering pts as they thought her health problems weren't going to clear and she would then have been un-insureable and consequently rejected by potential adopters. So really I should give her back and make room for the next problem case and try and give other cats a chance. Easier said than done though. Have one more week to decide.

Guest · « **Reply #7 on:** July 22, 2011, 21:47:59 PM »

If you are worried, is there not the option to foster her for longer.

Also if you heart has fallen, personally I would give in as I know thinking of her back in the cage would upset me. yes she may be rehomeable but if someone comes to look at her and she isn't there(if ya get me) then another cat would be homed

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #6 on:** July 22, 2011, 20:38:24 PM »

My Sasa was rehomed 2 or 3 times before me and lived in a pen for over a year...........she was brought into rescue afteer being found with ferals but she is still semi feral and after 5 years still cant touch her.

I just have a question and no offence meant...........why do the rescues allow these cats out to a fosterer for a few weeks and then make them come back to a cage?

Pudding · « **Reply #5 on:** July 11, 2011, 19:06:21 PM »

They all get over it and are fine

poppycat · « **Reply #4 on:** July 11, 2011, 16:37:05 PM »

Thanks for the replies.

Had to take her back in today for routine vaccinations ......she cried pitifully all the way there. Not a peep from her though on the journey back. I'm convinced she thought I was dumping her back and she was being rejected again. I feel terrible about the fact that in 4 weeks time she will be going back for good.

There is always the option to keep her of course, But I feel that as she's young, friendly and confident she should be able to get a good home. If I'm going to take a cat on it should be one of the 'un-homeable' ones. This is tough. Someone tell me that they all get over it and are fine please !!

CarolM (Wendolene) · « **Reply #3 on:** July 11, 2011, 13:54:54 PM »

I can't give you the answers you want but I can empathise having been in a similar situation when I was fostered a kitten with behavioural problems. I knew that I couldn't keep her so unless she could be homed directly from me the likelihood was she would have to go back into pens - which is what happened. Sadly there was a bit of a disagreement in my case because I felt she was homeable but the rescue thought otherwise and took her back.
I was a volunteer pen helper at the time but, like you, worried that she would feel rejected and confused if I took her from my home (where she was happy) and put her back in the pens then visited her 2 or 3 times a week. The upshot was that I actually gave up my pen duties.
Thats not helpful to you I know, but the good news is that I probably over-reacted because although she stayed in the pens for many months she did eventually become good friends with another cat and they were homed together.

In terms of food I did gradually introduce a little bit of variety but kept her mainly on the food I knew she would get in the pens.

Dawn F · « **Reply #2 on:** July 11, 2011, 08:29:57 AM »

you should probably keep her on the same food, mainly because changes can upset tums

nothing wrong with being a failed fosterer if that is what happens!

poppycat · « **Reply #1 on:** July 10, 2011, 23:39:22 PM »

Have just started fostering and have been asked by the rescue to look after a cat for 4 weeks so that they can assess a few health problems. Have never fostered before so not really sure on how how I treat her will affect her longer term.

I'd like to give her a wider variety of food, but am concerned that she'll get used to it and then when she goes back to the rescue will miss it (gets the same brand of food every day at the rescue). Am already concerned that she'll be upset at having to go back to a pen after 4 weeks of freedom - has already had 1 failed adoption....will she be upset at being 'rejected' again (original owners gave her up after 3 yrs last adoptees after 1 week) ?? Should I keep her on the same food regime so she knows no better ??

Author Topic: Fostering Advice (Read 4759 times)