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I need advice on what to do with the kittens I'm fostering

Got a new, young, furry love in your life? This is the place for you to ask all of your questions - big or small! Just remember that you are receiving advice from other cat owners and lovers... not professionals. If you have a major problem, always seek the advice of a vet or behaviorist! Most important is to remember to have fun with your new fur baby.

  
Kittens

1205763		 
 
Purred: Sun Sep 11, '11 12:20pm PST 
We are fostering 5 kittens (4 brothers and 1 sister) who were abandoned by their mother (she was a stray so who knows where she is). They are just now 4 weeks old. We have had them at the vet and they are healthy and all is well finally. The problem is that we already have an older cat who is not in the best of health so we cannot keep these new kittens. When they are adopted, is it OK for them to be split up? Should all 5 stay together? Should we have them adopted with 2 going to one home and 3 going to another if necessary? If one is split from the rest, would he/she become depressed and stop eating or be unhappy? All five are very playful with each other so it worries me deeply that they may have problems or difficulties if split up. Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
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Patch

Patch - wallpaper- stripper		 
 
Purred: Sun Sep 11, '11 1:27pm PST 
I fostered too and if someone only wanted 1 kit I would let it go as asingleton, not everyone can take or afford more than 1. Let them go single if necessary is all I can say. As to the older cat, Abbi was 14 when I was given Perdita. Perdita was 6 weeks old and Abbi treats her like she is her kitten even now she is 3 years old, I would consider keeping one or two as company for your older cat.
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Jack

1198637
 
 
Purred: Mon Sep 12, '11 10:48am PST 
When I was born, I had three other siblings besides myself. My momma couldn't afford to keep all of us plus Kiki, (my birth mom) so she adopted out the other three kittens and kept me. I've been very happy here, but since I've lived with momma all my life it wasn't that big of a shock to me.

Kosuteh, on the other hand, was brought to our house at two and a half weeks old, and was alone from her siblings. She is the strangest cat I've ever met because she didn't have anyone to really learn from besides us, and we weren't terribly keen on teaching her.

I suspect the kittens will be scared the first few days because everything will be different when they are adopted out, new home, new humans, no siblings, etc. but it'll be alright. Lots of kittens are split up and adopted out every day, and they end up fine. So I wouldn't worry too much about it.
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Spencer &- Lucy

If you love them- Spay & Neuter!
 
 
Purred: Mon Sep 12, '11 12:03pm PST 
It's fine to let kittens go on their own but it's nice if they do go in pairs. Personally, when I had foster kittens, I would not let a kitten go singly if the person adopting was to be out at work all day. A kitten will get bored home alone all day (unlike an older cat who's more calmer in temperament)and they can become destructive due to that boredom.
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BK

Ambassador at- the Kitty U.N.		 
 
Purred: Mon Sep 12, '11 4:26pm PST 
We agree with Spencer & Lucy. My rescue will only adopt kittens in pairs for that reason - kittens are the only ones that can keep up with each other and it really makes things *easier* on the adopters, rather than harder, to have 2. In your case you could let one go as a single if someone insists, but let the others go in pairs.
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Jane, Lydia- & Mary- Bennett

1203372
 
 
Purred: Tue Sep 13, '11 4:23am PST 
Bless you all for taking in these little orphan kittens. We agree, two kittens are MUCH easier than one alone, especially if the person adopting them works all day. Keep us posted on their progress.

The New Orleans Kitties
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Pandora

go getter kitter		 
 
Purred: Tue Sep 13, '11 7:47am PST 
We say pleeease keep the kits until they are 9-10 weeks old, also. Please? We know most people let them go at 8 or even 6 weeks, but between 6 and 12 weeks they learn a ton from mommy and the other cats they see, and so get better socialized and are less likely to have unwanted behaviors. We know with mixed kittens 12 weeks is a bit too old as they are very close to being out of the 'cute' stage, but if you let them stay till 9 weeks, it will pay off big time.
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QGM- Harlequin- (Striped- Seven)

I am a show- champion!
 
 
Purred: Tue Sep 13, '11 11:23am PST 
Kittens always do better in pairs. I would try to get them adopted out in pairs, or to a home that has another young cat or kitten already. More and more shelters/rescues are doing this now.
Personally I kept my fosters until they were 12 weeks old, 8 weeks is definitely too young...

Here is some info on why kittens do better in pairs:

http://www.staf.org/kittenpairs.htm

http://www.spcanova .org/health/kitten_pairs.php

http://armv.org/adoption/kittens-sho uld-be-adopted-in-pairs/
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