This month’s edition of Purr-esident’s Press is a call out for FOSTERS.  In last months newsletter we talked about kitten season and the strain it has on rescues and shelters across the country.  We are not immune to this phenomenon. I seem to always be asking for fosters but during this time of year I tend to beg. Last year we went from 30 cats to 120 in two weeks!  That is a serious drain on our resources, and we need all the help we can get.

If you have ever thought about being a foster, right now is the time!  Our rescue puts our heart and soul into not only our animals, but our rescue family.  We offer you a helping hand every step of the way. We don’t just give you animals and say, “here, hold this.”  We start you off with everything you need to be the best foster you can. Supplies such as food, litter, litterboxes and toys are given immediately.  We then keep you stocked for as long as you continue to foster. If your space is limited but you’d still like to foster, we can give you pens to keep the critters contained.  Fosters who plan to continue long term are also offered cat trees to keep your active babies occupied.

If you are ambitious enough to be a bottle feeder, we give you all the bottles, cleaning supplies and goat’s milk (which is preferred over formula, which we use in a pinch).  I am lucky enough to have an amazing friend who raises goats and offers us fresh milk for free. If you have never bottle fed before, we have plenty of pros that can give you all the training you need.

During kitten season, we tend to get four types of intake –

1. Bottle feeders – only for the strong at heart – think newborn human, feedings and cleaning every 2-4 hours around the clock.
2. Found litters – Usually a little older and found without mom or mom is feral and we pull the littles and TNR mom once we feel it’s safe to wean. These guys will eat wet food at this point.
3. One offs – 1 or 2 littles that have been found abandoned.  We usually do our best to add these to a nursing mom or they become bottle feeders.
4. Pregnant Mommas – The easiest by far!  99% of the time, Momma does everything needed to have a thriving litter.  Very rarely is there a need for intervention during labor and mom feeds and cleans the babies until they are weaned (and then some).  You just need to keep mom happy.

We vaccinate our littles at 6 weeks old and again at 8 weeks as well as giving them dewormer and a microchip.  They are scheduled for the vet when they are 8 weeks old and have reached 2lbs. After they are fully vetted, they are ready for their forever homes! If you have a Momma, she will also be vetted and be available for adoption along with her babies.

Your job as a foster is to give them a home, love and all the social skills needed to make them wonderful companions in their future homes.  You will also need to transport them to their assigned vet appointments and the adoption events when they are ready. If you are unable to do so, we can make arrangements with other volunteers to take care of it.

PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING OUR FIGHT!  BECOME A FOSTER TODAY!

–Kaylene Pearce

President |AZ Center for Animal Rescue & Education |AZ CARE