Skip To Content

Stop That Scroll! Our readers get 20% OFF + a Free Toy with code PRETTYBLOG.

Get 20% OFF + a Free Toy
A Bag of PrettyLitter
Just discovered us? Try PrettyLitter today and SAVE 20% on your first order + a Free Catnip Toy with promo code "PrettyBlog"!
Get Started

November 21, 2018 |7 min read

Becoming a Cat Foster Parent: How to Make New Kittens Feel at Home

Share:Facebook IconTwitter IconPinterest IconEmail Icon

Cat Litter That Prioritizes Their
Health & Your Happiness.

Get 20% + a Free Toy Use Code PRETTYBLOG at Checkout
for 20% Off + a FREE Catnip Toy



It’s hard to think of anything else quite as cute as a kitten.

With their big eyes, tiny necks, and perky ears, a new kitten looks just like a living bobblehead doll.

Add a kitten’s awkward gait and uncontrollable curiosity to the mix, and you have a sure-fire recipe for heart-melting cuteness.

Sadly, there are thousands of kittens living in animal rescue shelters waiting for good homes. Until they find their forever homes, they’re left to learn the ways of the world from inside a cubicle surrounded by chaos.

While animal rescue professionals do their best to care for kittens and give them as much socialization time as possible, nothing beats raising a kitten in a home with a human family.

By being a cat foster parent, you can help foster kittens become properly socialized, minimize feline anxiety and the numerous health issues that stress can cause, and prepare that kitten to be accepted into a forever home.

If you’re considering being a cat foster parent, here’s what you need to know to earn that “#1 Foster Mom” coffee mug.

Helping Kittens Learn the Ropes


tiny kitten by window

canna-pet.com


As a cat foster parent, your job is to help your foster kitten learn how to live with humans and adapt to changes in a healthy way.

If you don’t plan on homing your foster kitten through adulthood, your foster kitten will be adopted by another individual or family when the time is right. That sort of drastic change can be difficult on a cat, so teaching your kitten how to cope with change is crucial.

Try PrettyLitter today!

The best time to socialize a kitten is between the ages of three and nine weeks. Hopefully, your kitten will still have access to her mom during this time, but many rescue kittens do not.

However, don’t let that window deter you from being a cat foster parent to an older kitten. All kittens need love and guidance and are capable of learning new social cues.

Positive Reinforcement, Not Punishment


little girl kissing cat


In the early stages of kittenhood, your adorable little friend is taking in every bit of information from her environment that she can. With you being one of – if not the only – other living things to learn from, she’s going to take your reactions to her behavior very seriously.

Start by finding a cat treat that your kitten loves. Then, use that treat and positive attention to reward her whenever she does something or encounters a new situation that you want her to repeat.

For example, a great foster kitten will know how to travel in a cat carrier like a champ. Practice with your foster kitten by encouraging her to walk into her cat carrier on her own and giving her a treat. Close the door, give a treat. Sit with her with the door closed, give a treat. Pick the carrier up, give a treat. Place the carrier in your car, give a treat. Drive around the block and return home, give a treat.

While that may seem like a lot of treats, what you’re actually doing is making sure your foster kitten associates things that often stress out other cats – like traveling – with positive feelings.

You can use the same technique to take your kitten in to visit the vet, even if it’s just for a quick exam without any shots, to introduce her to a new family member or another pet,

Meeting New People


cat sniffing persons hand


One of the most difficult things for many cats – kittens and adults – to overcome is the fear of meeting new people.

However, if you teach your kitten at an early age that new people are not to be feared, you can dramatically reduce your fur baby’s anxiety and help her transition to a new home smoothly.

Recruit a few friends to help you get your foster kitten used to new encounters. Start by having one friend come over and ply your foster kitten with treats, positive attention, behind-the-ear scratches, and toys.

A week or so later, have two people come over. The next week, invite three. If your kitten seems spooked by more people, continue the process until she comes around. Sometimes it takes a shy kitten a few opportunities to make friends before she’s willing to come out of her shell.

Foster-Parenting Must-Have Supplies


kitten in blanket

If you plan on being a repeat foster parent, first of all, good for you! It’s not easy to part ways with a dear feline friend when she’s ready to move on to her forever home, but remember that you’re doing your foster kitten and her new family an incredibly selfless service that will bring joy to them both for years to come.

As a cat lover, you probably know that cats are incredibly territorial. Just the smell of another cat can cause your foster kitten anxiety, especially if she is young and separated from her mother. Therefore, it’s important to use supplies that won’t carry the scent of one foster kitten to the next.

If you can’t afford to purchase a new litter box for each foster kitten, use strong litter box liners (we like these) as a barrier to prevent smells from permeating as much as possible.

Use laser pointers and edible treats as toys rather than plush toys that can easily absorb oils and saliva.

Have a “one kitten, one blanket” policy. Each kitten gets her own new blanket to lay on in her favorite perch. Not only will this help your kitten feel at home in her own space, but also it will provide some consistency when your kitten goes to her new home and gets to take her blanket with her.

Of course, it’s nearly impossible to completely eradicate the subtle smells left behind by a previous foster kitten, but these supplies will help you make a significant improvement for your next little one.

If you’re a cat foster parent or thinking about providing a home to a foster kitten in need, we commend you. Have questions? Post them in the comments below!

----

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram: @prettylittercats

----

Try PrettyLitter today!

Delivered straight to your front door, every month. We’ll even pay your shipping.

For a limited time only, get 20% off your first PrettyLitter order. Enter code “LOVE20” at checkout. Redeem Now!

Tired of your
home smelling like
you have a cat?

Use code PRETTYBLOG

Share:Facebook IconTwitter IconPinterest IconEmail Icon

Christina Scamporrino is a lifelong animal lover and began working in the petcare space in 2019. Christina’s passion for the community of feline owners and enthusiasts have led her to designing premium packaging for PrettyLitter cat litter, PrettyPlease dry food, wet food, and treats, and a litter box designed to solve common litter box issues.

Outside of her professional work in the petcare space, Christina is a longtime kitten foster and has worked with several cat rescues throughout Southern California. When given the option, she favors orange cats, but loves all cats equally.

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-tasci-68ab815b

Let's Be Friends

Get tips, spotlights, and upcoming offers and deals to your inbox

*By signing up to our email list, you are confirming you wish to receive marketing from PrettyLitter. You may change these preferences at any time by using the link Your Privacy Choices. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.