Separating Family Cats from Foster Cats or Kittens

For their protection, keep your foster cats and kittens separate from your pets for at least 2 weeks. It is possible for a foster animal to appear to be very healthy while incubating an illness.

  • Keep foster cats and kittens in a separate room from your own cats and dogs.
  • The best room would have linoleum or tile flooring for easy cleaning. Wall-to-wall carpeting is not optimal as it is almost impossible to fully clean it.
  • Be sure that all of your pets are current on their vaccinations.  Vaccines offer your pet protection against a host of viral diseases.
  • Most illnesses will become apparent within two weeks though the panleukopenia virus can incubate for up to three weeks. 

 

Call us if your foster pet becomes ill

Cats and kittens can get colds just as we do. In many cases, they have been exposed to something before arriving at the shelter and the stress of change can bring on a cold. (Most kitties are not big fans of change.)

It’s never fun to have a cold, but just like with us, a cold will usually pass for a kitty within a few days. Occasionally, cats or kittens will develop secondary complications from a cold that will require prompt treatment. The list of symptoms below will help you decide what to do.

 

Symptoms and what to do

Clear discharge: If a kitty has clear discharge when they sneeze, it is a cold and you should keep an eye on them. They do not usually require treatment. If cat is not eating, take it into bathroom with the shower running to create a steam bath to help clear congestion.

Yellow or green discharge: If the discharge becomes yellow or green, the kitty may have developed an infection that will respond to antibiotics. If you notice yellow or green discharge from the nose or eyes, please call us.

Not eating: Sometimes if a kitty is congested and cannot smell the food, he may not eat. If a kitty has not eaten in an 8-hour period, please call us.

Watch for other serious symptoms: Symptoms of panleukopenia include loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy.  Diarrhea in an otherwise bright, alert, eating, and drinking kitten is more likely due to diet change, stress, or dietary indiscretions.