u/Rin_102

Hi all, I could use some experienced advice. I have a multi-cat household (3 adult residents) plus two kittens who are both currently isolated, and I’m trying to figure out the best path.

The two kittens:

**• Kolby** — a 4 months old deaf kitten I foster-failed/adopted. He has all 3 FVRCP shots. The problem: after a month of slow, proper introductions (scent swapping, barriers, supervised time), integration with my 3 adult cats is not working. He chases and pounces on them, they hide and are stressed. Because he can’t hear their warning hisses/growls, he doesn’t back off. Right now he’s confined to a room and only out \~10-15 min/day, which isn’t sustainable — he’s bored and destructive.

• New Siamese kitten — about 10 weeks old now. With me 1 week, currently caged in a separate room. Has had 1 FVRCP shot and been dewormed. At his previous foster he was caged separately, but in a room with other kittens (shelter-style). The previous foster had him for definitely more than 1 week but I don't know exactly how long.

My main question: Both kittens are now badly lacking cat and human interaction because they’re each isolated. Would it be reasonable to house Kolby and the new kitten together, hoping they become playmates — so Kolby can burn energy and learn to play appropriately with another cat, and neither is so isolated? Or is this a bad idea? I'm at my wits end and have been thinking to finding a new home for Kolby because that may be the best thing I can do for my 3 adult cats.

Sub-questions:

**1. Quarantine:** The new kitten was already “quarantined” at the last foster, but caged in a shared room with other kittens. He’s been with me caged in a room for a week. Do I need to keep quarantining him longer before introducing him to Kolby? He doesn't show any signs of sickness other than diarrhea first day and I brought him to vet for checking and treated with Ponazuril + Nemex.

**2. Kolby’s diarrhea:** His stool firmed up after 10 days of metronidazole + 5 days of Panacur, then went soft/diarrhea again about a week after treatment ended. Fecal exam was negative, but I don’t fully trust that (I had a previous foster litter with negative fecals that turned out to be coccidia on PCR). He’s bright, playful, eating, and gaining weight throughout — just soft stool. Any thoughts on next steps, and whether his GI status should stop me from introducing the two kittens?

Thanks in advance — trying to do right by all of them and a bit overwhelmed.

My foster tripod baby Gray went to his furrever home today. 💛

I held it together the whole time… and then I got home and absolutely lost it. Ugly crying, the whole thing. 😭

So THIS is what fostering feels like. I’ve never felt anything like it. Honestly? It’s better than any promotion I’ve ever gotten at work. You know you were part of something so much bigger than yourself — you helped save a life. And now you get to picture your baby being spoiled rotten and endlessly loved by his new family.

Fostering is hard. It breaks your heart a little every time. But it’s so worth it.🥲 I'm so happy that I didn't give up fostering after a very exhausting first foster experience.

Hi everyone! It's me again if you read my post in the past here (And yes I didn't stop fostering after that unfortunate first time foster experience). But now I’m in deep and could use some experienced advice 🥲

My household:

•	3 resident adult cats (all vaccinated, generally gentle)  
•	Kolby — 12 week old deaf white kitten I’ve fostered since early May, and I foster failed him. He just recovered from a stress-related eating/nausea episode and we’re in the early stages of introducing him to my residents  
•	Baby Gray — 14 week old tripod kitten I just took in today as a foster. Amputation was 12 days ago, spent entire recovery in a cage, combo test negative, one squinty eye being treated with Terramycin

The situation:

My residents are already stressed from the Kolby intro process. Now Baby Gray is in a fully separated room but I know his scent alone (I do use under door block) plus me going in and out is adding to their stress. My 3 cats all eat less than normal today and they start hiding under the bed or somewhere else but still go out sometimes.

I don’t plan to ever introduce Baby Gray to my resident cats — my only goal with him is helping him recover, learn to navigate on 3 legs, and get adopted. But I’m worried even his presence behind a closed door is too much right now considering Kolby is not my 3 cats' cup of tea right now (he would get puffy and swat at my cats if they approach him).

I couldn’t say no to fostering Baby Gray because I have to take in Baby Gray so other foster homes can take the kittens that are at risk of being euthanized.

If anybody ever in a similar situation like me, could you please lend me some advices? I'm Feeling guilty and overwhelmed but committed to making this work for all of them.

Picture is Baby Gray and my deafy boy Kolby.