cat fostering

[eub]

Today I went to the Seattle Animal Shelter's monthly orientation session for prospective cat foster parents. One thing I hadn't realized was that the single most common reason for fostering out a shelter cat is that it has an upper respiratory infection, and will do better in a low-stress environment (plus, the shelter's isolation space for contagious cats is limited). Others are kittens needing socialization, kittens without a mother, and injured cats. The shelter and the fosterer try to place the cat for adoption directly out of foster care, and they figure usually a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on what the cat needs to recover from, and then how irresistable they are to adopters.

So, I'm thinking of fostering a cat, a relatively easy non-feral non-kitten to start with, since [ominous chords] I have not actually kept a cat.

Logistics:

Would need to be a cat that will be okay during weekdays. Looking ahead, I might be away for a day or two around Thanksgiving, and will be for a week around Christmas; would need help there. Other cat-fosterers can often cover if that becomes necessary.

Cat paraphernalia:

Food. Shelter suggests "Science Diet Growth" (for older cats too?).

Food and water dishes.

Litterbox.

Litter. They say non-clumping for cats under six months; otherwise unspecified.

Scratching post. Cardboard kind will do.

Cardboard crate from shelter usable both as carrier and as hiding place?

Odor neutralizer.

What else?

House prep:

One bathroom can be cat-owned.

Houseplants which are non-toxic: orchid, mint, African violet, mother fern, ginger (presumably), bay (presumably).
Toxic, but dead anyway: tomato plant.
Unknown: Australian tree fern. "True ferns" are reported as okay.

May be best to clear precarious stacks of cruft off high horizontal surfaces.

Pin up blinds cords.

What am I not thinking of?

Comments

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Some cats react to bay leaf as to catnip, as you might remember from Squeak's hair-chewing fetish. I recommend getting bulk wheat grains from PCC and growing your own cheap cat-grass; a pot in a wide saucer with water in it is very good at sprouting the wheat and doubles as Interesting Water for drinking.

The ground corn litter that I use is safe for kittens, clumps, and is flushable. Also it tends to smell less, whether that is from natural corn enzymes as they claim or what. It costs more, but it's much more pleasant to deal with than most kinds of litter.

In my experience, blinds cords can be slipped through blinds to stay out of chewing range, but if you want to tack you should tack. You're terribly tidy, so I can't think of anything dangerous you'd have lying around. Some cats can open cabinets, though, so you might get baby-locks for the ones that have dangerous chemicals in.

Yay cat.

[eub.livejournal.com]

Hm, right, so I may need to protect the bay. Cat-grass and corn litter sound good; thanks.

Terribly tidy, my foot.