Get involved
Foster
With Us
In Texas, Kitten Season can begin as early as late February and last through the end of November. Community cats and unfixed pet cats breed indiscriminately during this time, resulting in more homeless cats left to risks such as the elements, predators, and disease. Newborn and young kittens are particularly susceptible.
Shelters are already forced to stretch their limited resources, and Kitten Season only compounds this problem. Unweaned kittens too young to be adopted run the risk of being euthanized in shelters. Therefore, fosters for the most vulnerable felines are vitally important.
Kittens growing up in a foster home receive more personalized, enriching care than they would within a shelter. Consistent personal contact with humans as they develop will set even outdoor-born kittens on the path toward socialization. The most critical socialization window is before a kitten reaches 16 weeks of age.
Fosters are responsible for:
- Providing food, water, shelter, and enrichment
- Monitoring and reporting health concerns
- Transport to appointments and events
- Marketing your foster(s) for adoption
- Engaging with potential adopters
Fostering Benefits
Caregiver Types
These are babies who will require hand feeding of formula as they do not have a mother to nurse. Bottle feeding is necessary from birth to around 4 weeks, when their canines have emerged and they are ready to move onto wet food.
This stage begins around 4 weeks but can vary based on an individual kitten’s weight and their own readiness. The kitten’s canines have emerged and they are ready to begin consuming “gruel” (wet food blended with water) as they shift from formula to wet food.
These are kittens who are eating wet food and kibble on their own. This is typically around 5-7 weeks of age.
These are litters fortunate enough to have a mother. The kittens can be as young as newborn up to 6-7 weeks. We do not separate kittens and mothers until the kittens are weaned.
We also may ask to add an orphaned kitten or two around the same age/weight to your litter since neonatal kittens thrive best with a mother.
This category includes:
- Socialized Mama cats who have finished raising their litters
- Kittens who have “aged out” of kittenhood before getting adopted
- Special case adult fosters
Benefits
We cover the costs of spaying/neutering, vaccinations, and microchips. We also cover medical care and prescriptions as necessary.
We provide you with initial supplies, and can assist with additional supplies as needed.
If you bond with a foster kitty and would like to keep them, you will be able to complete one adoption process with a waived fee.
We provide all training free of charge and can help you develop the lifesaving skills necessary to help little ones in need!
Fostering a pet can be a personally rewarding experience, and is often a great way to enjoy the presence of a companion animal without the long-term commitment.