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As with any cat there are some general things to consider when getting a foster cat. Unfortunately, there are animals in this world that have been abandoned and neglected by their original owners.
Preparing Your Home for a Foster Cat
As a rule, these poor cats end up in an animal shelter just hoping that somebody who passes through will choose them to take to their home. If you are considering a cat, you should definitely learn a few things about foster cat care.
Creating a Safe and Comfortable Space
If you decide on a cat that is in foster care you should let it reside in the cat cage you transport it home in until you can release it into a single, small, room. This will help the cat get used to their new home; as a matter of fact one of the best rooms in the house for this is the bathroom.
Naturally, the room you place the cat in will require food, water, litter, and a place for the feline to sleep.
Introducing a Foster Cat to Your Family and Other Pets
If you have children, no matter what age, they must be introduced to the cat one at a time and with age appropriate supervision. Young children will need you to teach them how to handle the cat properly.
Toddlers and younger should simply not be allowed to mess with the cat until they age enough to understand how to treat the animal correctly.
Ensuring a Smooth Transition with Age-Appropriate Supervision
Many people of course already have one or two cats in their home when they adopt one from foster care, this means you will need a couple of weeks to allow the animals to get used to each other.
Naturally, there is going to be a lot of hissing between the newbie and the other cats, and it is safest if you are always present for the two week period they need to get used to each other. If by chance a fight does break out, you should have a blank handy to wrap around them for separation. It is also best to first start out with separate bowls and litter trays.
Caring for a Foster Cat’s Physical Needs
It cannot be stressed enough, feed your cats high quality cat food! This will allow them to live longer and be overall healthier. You can even supplement your cat with vitamins like Omega 3.
Providing High Quality Food and Necessities
A lot of people are unaware of this, but it is actually required by law for your cat to wear an ID tag. On this tag should be the name of your cat, and all your contact info, this way if something happens and your cat gets lost somebody can get in contact with you. There is also the available option of getting your cat micro chipped.
Ensuring Proper Identification and Potty Training
There are cats that have never been potty trained, especially if they were previously a mostly outside cat. This should be done as soon as possible, and it is not generally difficult, if you end up with a cat like this.
The easiest, and most effective, method of potty training and adult cat is to carry them to the litter tray when you see them searching for a potty place. Encourage use of the litter box by giving them a food treat when they use it. This will help make a habit.
Training and Bonding with a Foster Cat
You are also going to desire placing a cat scratch post in your home in addition to the food and other basic necessities you provide for your new cat. This will help lower incidents of destroyed furniture. If you do catch your cat scratching the furniture simply take them to their post, do not strike or scold the feline.
Cat claws get sharp, especially on indoor cats, so cut them every two weeks. If this is your first cat, talk to your veterinarian about the best methods.
Caring for a foster cat can be a bit challenging. However with enough attention and love from both sides you will soon find that you love each other more than you can express.
Becca The Crazy Cats Lady is an experienced and knoweldgeable cat owner with years of experience caring for a multi-cat household. She curates, writes and shares cat content at https://CrazyCatsLady.com.