Foster cat news

[Jilly_in_VA]

It is with great sadness and regret that I think I am going to have to return my foster cat Sarai. She is not making any progress whatsoever. We had a setback two weeks ago when the man came to clean the furnace and since then she seems to have regressed and no amount of coaxing or cajoling will encourage her to come out of her shell, be more friendly or playful, or be more approachable. I've tried squeezeable treats, sitting on the floor with her, talking quietly to her, the whole works, but she just comes around for a minute or two and then runs away and hides again. I don't know if she needs another kind of foster environment, or if she just needs to be a barn cat (she was in the barn cat program originally and then was thought to be possibly adoptable). She might be a friendly barn cat like my two.

OTOH, there is a guy in the stray room that I have my eye on as a possible foster. He is 14 years old and very overweight. He is black and white spotted and his name is Paco. I don't know why he was turned in but he is a very sweet boy and I would be happy to foster him, whatever his needs are; one of them is most certainly more space and a decent diet! If he is diabetic or has thyroid issues (he was supposed to see the vet today) I can medicate him, no problem. His coat is in terrible shape, very dry, but I attribute that to poor diet previously; I brushed him today and he absolutely loved it. purred the whole time. If not him, there is a gray boy called Mosby who is shy but sweet. However, I think Paco needs me more.

[HeartsCanHope]

1. Thank you for fostering!

It takes a special person to foster an animal so they are better suited for a forever home. Kudos to you! Take care.

[femmedem]

2. It does sound like Sarai might be happier as a barn cat and Paco does indeed need you.

I bet it's hard to find a fosterer for a senior cat, regardless of how sweet he is.

I trapped a litter of feral kittens and their mom and brought them to a local foster/adoption/spay neuter group. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to trap them until they were almost ten weeks old, and one of the cats went through two fosterers without making progress. They ended up returning him to me, neutered, about a month ago. He's outdoors--we're at our indoor limit--but I have a small stray/feral colony I feed and trap/neuter/release (and sometimes find homes for). But I was surprised to see him bond with one of the stray adults. Then I was even more surprised when he started letting me pet him when I pet his buddy! Now he approaches me, circles my ankles, and purrs.

So if Sarai doesn't have FIV or leukemia, and if she's still fairly young, maybe another fosterer could make it work if Sarai gets attached to another friendly cat. Meanwhile, I hope you have a wonderful--and easier--time fostering Paco. If you go that route, please share photos!

[Jilly_in_VA]

3. I certainly will!

Sarai and i spent some time on the floor today doing a little bonding. She lets me pet her, loves neck scratches and even butt scratches and once rolled over for me to pet her but then put up a paw (no claws!) to tell me to stop. She does not like her ears touched (memory of ear mite treatments?) and will not allow herself to be picked up. Then she disappeared into her hiding place again. She'll be with me until at least Monday.

[femmedem]

4. Oh gosh, she does sound adoptable to just the right person.

Last edited Sat Sep 14, 2024, 06:17 AM - Edit history (1)

From how you describe her, she seems like my shy girl, Phoebe. Phoebe and her littermates were born under our porch, and I never adopted her out because when I brought the kittens in to socialize them, she spent all her time hiding. But although it took years--and she still bolts down the stairs if I come into the bedroom--she sleeps curled up next to me now and is a big love so long as I let her come to me rather than me coming to her.

Edited to add: this doesn't mean I'm urging you to keep trying with her. Poor Paco needs love.

And because I can't resist sharing a photo of my sweet Phoebe:

[applegrove]

5. We had a barn kitten. It took him a month to come

out from under the dresser. He was never a lap cat but would sleep at the foot of mom's bed (mom wasn't a touchie feelie cat mom so Angus knew he would be left alone). Angus would follow us from room to room but that was as close as he would get. Except at the cottage. He loved being outside and would dissappear into the woods for 2 or three days. He'd come back to us so happy and comfortable. He wanted to be patted. He enjoyed his food. And then he would go back into the woods that night again and be gone for a few days again. I've never seen him so happy in his own skin. We did this for two summers, I went up at the cottage every second or third weekday for dinner. After I'd been there for an hour he would appear in the flower garden curled up and relaxed. A little meow to say hi. Happiness and dry catfood to refill up his bowl. We could touch him. He seemed to be happy to see us. Then back to the woods he would go that night. Then one time he never came back. I can speculate in one way or another about what happened. I went up every day for a week. We never saw him again. I was glad he had those 2 summers of carefree wildcat life. I never let another cat outside at the cottage again. We tried to give him his best life given his barncat history and lack of desire to be touched.