Thinking of opening up to kittens. What do you wish you’d known?
I’ve fostered 2 adult cats, and I’ve loved working with my current shelter. We’ve had a wicked kitten season, and I’m thinking about opening my home to mama cats with kittens. I’ve floated the idea by my husband, and he’s said he’s not opposed but wanted to manage the expectation that with his work schedule, he wouldn’t be able to help out as much as he does with the more self-sufficient adult cats. I’m OK with this, I have more time on my hands right now than he does.
But I want to make sure I’m not biting off more than I can chew before putting my hat in the ring. Our foster coordinator has said they’re mostly self sufficient because mom does everything for them. They don’t give mom-less neonates to fosters without specialized training, and I’m not interested anyway. I also have an office where I would expect to keep them.
That said, I haven’t had kittens in decades, and never any that were un-weaned. Who are your favorite/trusted sources for learning about mom/kitten care? What do you wish you’d known when you started? How did you decide whether it was right for you?