I found two kittens under a porch in rural Ohio a few days ago. They are skittish and bolt when touched. I am trying to build trust before I can find foster homes for them. I have been keeping the environment quiet and dim as beth_b96 advised in Socializing a feral cat, but I am not sure how to proceed with the fostering part.
You need to get them checked by a vet first. No one will foster a cat with unknown health status. I know it costs money but it is necessary. Check out Vet bills for strays for some estimates on what to expect.
I was in a similar situation last year. I posted on local Facebook groups and the county animal control website. They have a list of foster homes. Also, try the Foster resources thread, mikej64 has some good links in there.
Agreed with Mark. Rural areas are harder. I used to work with a shelter and they had a waiting list. You might need to call a few places. Make sure you have the kittens contained first. Stray cat in the yard has some tips on using a towel to scoop them up safely.
I have them in a carrier now. I used the catnip toy trick dana.young suggested. They are eating a little but still hide. I am worried about their diet. Picky eater might help but they are very young.
How old are they? If they are under 8 weeks they need to be bottle fed. If they are eating solid food, you can start looking for fosters. I set up a Quarantine setup for my last rescue and it worked well. Keep them separate from your other cats.
They are about 10 weeks. I posted an update in Update on the porch kittens with more details on their progress. Thanks for the help.
| Topic | Posters | Replies | Views | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| legal standing of feral cat owners | 6 | 558 | ||
| why we can't afford to foster CKD cats anymore | 4 | 955 | ||
| studio apartment foster limits | 4 | 646 | ||
| foster vet bills and reimbursement | 7 | 1.1k | ||
| stray at my building eats my food but won't let me near him | 4 | 311 |