FOSTER CARE MANUAL Updated November 2013

Transcription

1 FOSTER CARE MANUAL Updated November 2013

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS: Welcome and Contact Numbers...3 Preparing For Your Foster Animal(s).4 Picking up Your Foster Animals(s).. 4 Caring For Your Foster Animal(s)...5 Medical Concerns Wellness Check-Ups..6 Family Involvement...6 Encouraging Good Manners 7 Behavioral Issues..7 Aggression and Reporting a Bite Incident..7 Medical Emergencies.8 After-Hours Emergency Agreement... 8 After-Hours Emergency Care Facilities..9 Returning Your Foster Animal(s)....9 Promoting Your Foster Pets Adoption Policy 10 Happy Endings Caring for Infant Animals Fostering Pregnant Animals Fostering Moms with Litters.. 14 Fostering Self-Sufficient Puppies and Kittens..14 Fostering Animals with Medical Conditions 15 Fostering for Behavior Modification/Socialization...15 Connecticut Humane Society Foster Care Agreement.16 2

3 WELCOME! Thank you for participating in the Connecticut Humane Society s Foster Care program. Fostering is a wonderful way to contribute to the Society and its mission by providing love and care to sick, injured, under-socialized, or underage animals. By temporarily sheltering these animals in your own home, you allow the Society to vacate cages that otherwise would be occupied by animals that are not yet ready for adoption. This allows the Society to take in more needy animals. The individualized attention you provide for your foster animals is priceless- you are making a lasting impact on their physical and emotional well-being. This manual is a guide to provide you with important information about caring for your foster animals, and will help to clarify any questions or concerns that you might have along the way. Any additional questions should be directed to the Foster Care contact employees listed below. Feel free to call or us. Our goal is to make your foster care experience enjoyable. With a little work and a lot of love, you will make a huge difference in the lives of your foster animals. If you have a friend or family member that is interested in becoming a Foster Care volunteer, please direct them to the foster contact person for your district. Again, thank you for accepting this important responsibility. We truly appreciate your commitment. Good luck and happy Fostering! Connecticut Humane Society Foster Care Contact List: Newington: Melissa Zaluski x.6203 mzaluski@cthumane.org Sandra Ocasio & Katie Robinson (Maternity fosters) x.6209 socasio@cthumane.org krobinson@cthumane.org Medical Department (Medical cases) x.6101 Waterford: Denise McNichol dmcnichol@cthumane.org Westport: Amanda Aronoff aaronoff@cthumane.org 3

4 Preparing For Your Foster Animal(s) Before you pick up your foster animal(s), you will want to prepare your home for their stay. If you have other pets in your household, you must provide a separate room for your foster animal unless prior authorization is given to allow the pets to interact. This is for the health and safety of all animals involved. No matter how friendly your dog or cat may be, you never know how they may react to a new animal in their territory. Also, although our medical staff examines our shelter animals as soon as they arrive at the Society, they may be harboring an illness or infectious disease that could be contagious to your own animals. It is especially important that pregnant and nursing moms and underage animals be kept isolated from other pets in the household. Infant animals are not fully vaccinated, and should not have any contact with other animals. Failure to abide by this policy may result in termination from the Foster Care program. In some cases, our staff may authorize foster pets to interact with owned pets. This is generally to help rehabilitate under-socialized animals. The Connecticut Humane Society cannot reimburse you for medical expenses if your pet catches an illness or becomes injured from an interaction with your foster animals. You must keep your own pets up-to-date on their vaccinations, whether or not you are planning to allow them to interact with the foster pets. The room that you keep your foster animals in should be free from any valuables that may become damaged. Covering the floor with newspaper or a tarp is a good way to prevent damage from accidents caused by kittens or puppies. For the safety of the animals, remove any choking or strangulation hazards, and make sure they cannot access any cleaning chemicals. When fostered animals are not being supervised, they may be crated to prevent damage. The foster room should also be smoke-free. The ideal foster room is easy to clean and disinfect. The Connecticut Humane Society will provide you with food, litter, a crate, and medicine or formula (if needed) for your foster animals. You must provide your own food and water bowls and bedding. Old towels and blankets work great. If you are fostering cats or kittens, you will also need to provide your own litter pan. Picking Up Your Foster Animal(s) When the shelter has animals that are waiting to go to foster homes, your Foster Care Coordinator will begin contacting volunteers (via phone or ), to make foster care arrangements. We will give you detailed information about the assignment including the type of animal, number of animals in the litter, age of the animals, approximate length of assignment, and any special instructions pertaining to the animals. Please do not agree to take a foster assignment unless you can keep the animals for the entire length of their foster period. Once you agree to an assignment, your Foster Care Coordinator will arrange a time for you to come to the shelter to pick up the animal(s), ideally within 24 hours. When you arrive at the shelter to pick up your assignment, a staff member will go over specific instructions with you regarding the care of the animals, and will give you an approximate date as to when the pets are due back to the shelter. You will also be given basic supplies (food, litter, and medicine if needed), and a Foster Care Receipt. Whenever transporting animals to and from the shelter, dogs should be on a leash, and cats should be secured in a carrier. 4

5 Caring For Your Foster Animal(s) Each day you will need to provide your fosters with fresh food and water. Food and water dishes should be cleaned daily. Your Foster Care Coordinator will discuss how much and how often to feed your fosters when you pick them up. Young animals should be monitored during feedings to make sure that they are eating and that their mom or littermates aren t stealing their food. Foster animals should always have access to fresh water, except bottle-feeding infants. Litter pans should be placed away from food and water, and should be scooped daily. Foster cats and kittens must be kept indoors at all times. Pregnant or nursing cats and young kittens should be kept confined to one room and should not be allowed to roam in the house. Dogs can go on walks, but please do not take them to dog-parks, or let them interact with other dogs. Puppies may be taken outside to do their business, but please keep them in your own yard. Young puppies have not been vaccinated against disease, and should not be around other dogs. Foster dogs should only be allowed offleash in securely fenced-in areas. Foster animals should be kept clean and dry. If your foster animal(s) become dirty, you may need to give them a bath. After bathing young kittens or puppies, make sure to dry them off thoroughly. A hair-dryer set to low works well. Make sure to keep their faces clean, and wipe off any excess formula or food to prevent bacterial infections. Long-haired animals may get fecal matter stuck in their fur. It is important that any fecal matter be cleaned off right away. Please spend time socializing your foster animals every day. Both playtime and snuggle-time are very important in the development of young kittens and puppies. At least one hour of socialization time per day is ideal. You may also work on desensitizing young foster animal to being handled. Go ahead and touch their paws, look in their ears, and open their mouths. This will help them to be easier to handle when they are bigger. If you run out of supplies, please call your Foster Care Coordinator to schedule a pick-up of refills. We will not be able to reimburse you for supply purchases unless prior authorization was given. We feed all of the animals a consistent diet to prevent stomach upset. Please do not switch your foster animals to another brand of food unless recommended by your Foster Care Coordinator. Only feed treats that were provided by CHS, and do not feed any people food to foster animals. Medical Concerns Please be sure to monitor your foster animal(s) daily for signs of illness or injury. Any vomiting, diarrhea, sneezing, coughing, lethargy or change in energy level, loss of appetite, loss of weight or failure to gain weight, constipation, blood in stool, dehydration, nasal or eye secretions, or anything different should be reported to your Foster Care Coordinator. If the medical staff asks to examine the animal, the appointment should be scheduled as soon as possible, but no later than 48 hours after first noticing the symptoms. All medical decisions must be handled by our veterinary staff. Please do not administer any medication without our approval, or attempt any home remedies. It is important to monitor the fecal/urinary activity daily, as it will provide clues to the health of your foster animal. 5

6 If you are fostering infant kittens or puppies, we recommend that you weigh them daily on a digital scale. If you do not have a scale, one will be provided for you by CHS. Kittens and puppies should gain roughly ½ ounce per day. A failure to gain weight or loss of weight indicates that something is wrong and they should be seen as soon as possible. Young animals should be chubby- not bony! Infant animals are very fragile, and many medical concerns can be life threatening. Diarrhea can lead to severe dehydration which is often fatal, and even a flea infestation can lead to anemia and death. It is very important that you take all medical issues seriously when dealing with infant animals. Depending on the symptoms that your animal is experiencing, the Foster Care Coordinator may want to examine the foster animal, or may ask that the foster animal be returned for hospitalization. In the unfortunate event that a foster animal passes away at your home, please call and inform us. We require that the body be brought to our shelter for proper disposal. Please understand that unfortunately death is a reality when fostering infant animals. Infants that were abandoned by their mother at a young age may not have received the necessary immunities from their mother s milk to ward off illness, and may not survive despite the best care and medicine. Wellness Check-Ups: Young animals must be seen by your Foster Care Coordinator every two weeks for Wellness Check-ups and routine vaccines. Check-ups may take up to a ½ hour or longer depending on the size of the litter. Please feel free to bring reading material with you so you have something to do while you wait. Our medical staff has to keep to a tight schedule, so please arrive on time for scheduled appointments, and provide at least 24 hours notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Please monitor animals for vaccine reactions following a check-up. Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, or anything unusual. Please contact us immediately if you notice your pet having a vaccine reaction. Family Involvement: Fostering is a great way for children to learn about caring for pets and helping pets in need. Children can help with socializing foster animals. However, a trained adult must be the one responsible for the daily care of the foster pets, including feedings (to ensure all animals are eating the proper amount), dispensing medications, and daily health checks. Young children should never be left alone with foster animals. 6

7 Encouraging Good Manners It is important that you help your foster animals learn good manners. Provide appropriate toys for cats to scratch so they aren t tempted to claw your furniture. Make sure kittens are kept clean so that they learn good grooming behaviors. Don t allow young animals to nibble on hands. While it may be cute now, it won t be when they re larger and are biting! Many foster dogs know the sit command before leaving the shelter. If not, we can give you some tips on teaching this behavior. Once a dog knows sit, you can ask them to sit before going out for walks, ask them to sit to earn their food, and ask them to sit for treats or pets. Dogs should be given appropriate toys to chew on so that they aren t tempted to chew shoes or other inappropriate objects. We recommend crating dogs when they are not being supervised. We can give you tips and tricks on desensitizing your dog to their crate so that it becomes a safe haven rather than a punishment. If a dog is expressing an undesirable behavior, such as barking at the mailman or begging for food, do not encourage the behavior by giving a reward or attention. This will only teach the dog to continue to repeat the bad behavior. Please note that the Connecticut Humane Society utilizes positive reinforcement training, which uses treats and praise to encourage good behavior. Volunteers must never use physical force or a raised voice to reprimand a foster animal. Behavioral Issues Please inform your Foster Care Coordinator of any behavioral issues that you are experiencing with your foster pet, such as destructive behavior, cats not using the litter box, dogs having accidents inside, separation anxiety, aggression, etc. We can give you tips and tricks to correct the bad behavior before it becomes a habit. Issues that are left untreated may prevent the foster pet from going out for adoption when they are returned to the shelter, so it is important that we know about and work on any problem behaviors as soon as possible. Aggression and Reporting a Bite Incident All animals will be temperament tested before being placed in a foster home. Questionable or fearful animals will not be sent to a home with young children. Even the nicest animal may show signs of aggression if they are protecting their young. It is very important that all nursing moms are approached cautiously. If an animal begins to show signs of aggression, please contact your Foster Care Coordinator immediately. Aggressive animals should be returned to CHS. If a foster pet bites or scratches anybody, please contact CHS immediately to report the incident. The animal may need to be returned for a mandatory quarantine. This is for the safety of you and your family. Failure to report a bite will result in termination of your volunteer status. 7

8 Medical Emergencies: If your foster animal has a medical emergency, you will need to act quickly. A medical emergency is a life-threatening situation that requires immediate care, such as a severe injury, severe bleeding, uncontrollable vomiting, etc. Dehydration can also become life threatening. Signs of dehydration, such as concentrated urine and lethargy, should be monitored closely. In the event of a true emergency, animals should be brought back to the shelter for treatment if it is during our normal business hours. The Connecticut Humane Society is open 9:30-5:30 Monday Saturday, and 11:00-4:00 on Sundays. Please call ahead so that our staff can prepare. If the Connecticut Humane Society is closed or if there is no vet on duty, you will need to bring your foster pet to the after-hours emergency facility that we use in your area. After-hours visits can be very costly to the Society, so it is important that you follow the guidelines in the after-hours emergency agreement below. The after-hours clinic will provide short-term care for the foster pet until CHS is open, at which point, the volunteer must transfer the animal(s) back to the shelter. Volunteers may not leave foster animals hospitalized at the emergency clinic if CHS is open. It is important that you know how to get to the closest emergency clinic. Mapquest directions from your house, or program the address into your GPS. Keep your foster receipt somewhere handy so you will remember to bring it with you in an emergency. Foster Care After-Hours Emergency Agreement 1. Foster care volunteers may only use the after-hours emergency facility when CHS is not open or there is not a veterinarian on duty. 2. Foster care volunteers may only use the after-hours emergency facility for true, lifethreatening emergencies. Volunteers are required to call ahead to the emergency facility so that the doctor or receptionist can assess the severity of the illness or injury over the phone. Volunteers must not walk-in without calling ahead. 3. Volunteers must present a Foster Receipt on arrival at the hospital to prove that the animal is indeed a CHS foster animal. Receipts will be provided when you pick up an animal for fostering. 4. Foster Volunteers are responsible for transferring the foster animal back to CHS first thing in the morning following treatment at the emergency hospital. In addition, the doctor has agreed to: 1. Stabilize the foster animal but refrain from performing excessive surgery/treatments that can wait until the following day. 2. If the doctor deems it is necessary, they will have the authority to euthanize a foster animal, but the volunteer must transfer the body back to CHS the following morning for disposal. 3. The doctor will refrain from dispensing follow-up medications (i.e. Clavamox, etc.) that can be obtained by the volunteer at CHS for no cost. 8

9 After-Hours Emergency Care Facilities: Foster volunteers should use the following facilities for after-hours emergencies: Newington: Pieper Memorial Veterinary Center, 730 Randolph Road, Middletown. (860) 347-VETS (8387) Bolton Veterinary Hospital, 222 Boston Turnpike, Bolton (860) or (860) Waterford: Pieper Memorial Veterinary Emergency Treatment Services, 8 Enterprise Lane, Oakdale. (860)-443-PETS (7387). Westport: VCA Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center, 123 West Cedar Street Norwalk, CT. (203) Returning Your Foster Animal(s) All foster animals remain the property of the Connecticut Humane Society, and must be returned to the Society for their final health check, spay or neuter procedure, and adoption. When your foster animal(s) are picked up, you will be given an approximate date as to when they will be due back to the shelter. This date may vary, depending on the health of your foster animal(s). Most puppies and kittens are scheduled to come back when they are between eight and nine weeks old. By this stage, they should weigh at least two pounds. If they weigh less than two pounds, you may be asked to keep them a little longer. Please call your Foster Care Coordinator in advance of your approximate return date so that we can schedule a mutually convenient time for the foster animals to be returned. We will need to make sure to reserve cage-space for your foster. Please do not return fosters without first calling ahead to schedule their return. All foster animals should be clean and dry upon return to the shelter. If an emergency arises and you are not able to keep the foster animal(s) until their scheduled return date, please call in advance to let us know that the fosters will be coming back early. If you have to leave town unexpectedly, please return the animal to the shelter. Do not leave fosters in the care of pet-sitters, neighbors, or family members that have not gone through the Foster Care training. They will not know whom to contact in case of emergency. Upon the return of your fosters, you may have the option to take home another foster assignment. Please make sure to wash and disinfect all bedding, bowls, toys, and litter pans before using them for your next assignment to prevent the transmission of diseases or illnesses between the fostered animals. Bedding and soft toys can be washed with regular laundry detergent. Soaking litter pans, bowls, and hard toys in a solution of diluted bleach will help to remove most contaminants. To disinfect, mix 1 part bleach to 32 parts waters (ex. 1 oz. bleach per quart of water). Flooring in the foster room should be vacuumed or mopped. Walls should be wiped down with a disinfectant. 9

10 Promoting Your Foster Pets Please do not promote your foster pets to friends and family until they are cleared for adoption. Volunteers can help by ing us quality digital photos and short writeups for use on our website. We can post up to three photos per pet. Photos should not contain any people in them, and should not be low-resolution or blurry. Write-ups should be positive, and should describe all the wonderful qualities of your foster pet. Please note that write-ups may be edited by our PR Department. Adoption Policy Please refrain from lining up a home for your foster animal(s). All adoptions must go through the Connecticut Humane Society s interview and application process. If one of your friends is interested in adopting, please let us know. We cannot put a pet on hold for your friend. Adoptions are on a first come, first served basis. We can let you know when the animal is going up for adoption and you can relay this information to any potential adopters. It is up to your friend to arrive to the shelter promptly because we cannot put the pet on hold for them. If they meet our adoption requirements, they will be able to adopt. If you are interested in adopting your foster animal, please let us know prior to returning the animal to the shelter. Foster volunteers are able to adopt their foster animals in accordance with CHS adoption policies. All returned fosters must be vaccinated, health checked, and sometimes spayed or neutered before they can be adopted by you. As a courtesy, we will hold the animal for you and will let you know when you will be able to adopt. For details about the adoptions process and requirements, please visit our website, We do require that our foster volunteers pay the full adoption fee. Volunteers that have been with the organization for five consecutive years are eligible for one free adoption per calendar year, in accordance with CHS adoption policies. Happy Endings Once foster pets have been made available for adoption they will appear in the list of available animals in the Adopt section of our website. A day after the pet is adopted their name and photo will appear in the Happy Tails section of our website. To view our Happy Tails go to and click to see All Adoptable Pets. Scroll down to see the Happy Tails list. 10

11 Caring For Infant Animals Fostering infant puppies and kittens is challenging, but extremely rewarding. Animals of this age (0 to 4 weeks old) are completely dependent on their surrogate mother for survival. By following the guidelines below, you will be able to nurse your infant into a playful adolescent, right before your eyes. Location: Infants should be kept in a quiet, confined space such as a small carrier or box. Old towels or blankets can be used for bedding. Infants always need to be kept clean and dry. Please wash bedding daily. A small stuffed animal may be used for the infant to snuggle up with. Infants should never be outside, except when being transferred to and from the Connecticut Humane Society. Warmth: Keeping infants warm and free from drafts is very important. A heating pad set to low, hot water bottle, or Snuggle safe microwavable pad should be placed in their nest box. Be sure to cover any hot surface with a towel in order to prevent overheating or burns. Only cover half of the box or crate with the heat source so that the infant can escape the heat if needed. Infants should feel warm, not hot and not cold to the touch. Handling: Infants under two weeks old will still have their eyes shut. They are very confused and unsure of their surroundings, and should be handled as little as possible. They need a lot of rest and quiet. Infants from 2-4 weeks old can be handled more often. Their eyes are open now and they will be very interested in their surroundings and will even begin to play. Feeding: Infants should be fed special formula. Never give cow s milk to any infant as it can cause severe stomach trauma. Always pay close attention to feeding guidelines. Dilute formula carefully according to the directions. Formula should be warm. Test formula on your wrist to make sure it is not too hot or too cool. Open formula containers should be stored in the refrigerator. Mixed formula can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours, and can be reheated by placing the bottle in a pan or mug of warm water. Do not heat bottles in the microwave. Microwave heating causes nutrient loss in formula and hot spots can develop. If there is not an opening in the bottle s nipple already, make a cross cut with scissors. The nipple opening should be only large enough for a few drops of milk to drip out when the bottle is held upside down and squeezed gently. Milk should NOT stream out. This is important so that the infant does not aspirate formula and develop pneumonia. Bubbles of milk coming out of the nose indicate that the animal is aspirating. In this case, stop feeding the infant immediately. An adjustment must be made to the opening in the nipple. Use good hygiene/cleanliness with all food supplies. Bottles can be disinfected by placing them in a pan of boiling water. 11

12 The best method of feeding is for the infant to lie on your lap as they would when nursing on mom. Lightly grasp the infant around the head with one hand, then place the tip of the nipple to the infant s mouth and squeeze a little milk into the mouth with your other hand. The infant should latch on. Do not hold the infant too far upright or tip the infant s head or the infant may choke or aspirate. Avoid overfeeding. Infants have very sensitive stomachs and are prone to developing diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and death if not corrected. If your infant refuses to eat for two consecutive feedings, call your Foster Care Coordinator. The following is a breakdown of infant feeding guidelines, according to their age. These figures are general guidelines, but may vary for puppies depending on their breed. Age How often to Feed Kittens Puppies (+/- depending on breed) 0-1 week Every 2 hours ML s 10-15ML s 1-2 weeks Every 3 hours 5-10 ML s ML s 2-3 weeks Every 4 hours 10-15ML s 30-45ML s 3-4 weeks Every 5 hours 15-25ML s 45-60ML s Weaning: Infants 4-5 weeks old should have tiny teeth coming in. At this age, begin offering canned food to the infants. You can add a little warm water to the food to make it easier for them at first. Put a small amount of food in a shallow dish. If the infant does not show an interest, take a small amount on your finger and place it in their mouth to get them interested. Don t be alarmed if the infant is not interested- sometimes it can take a couple of days for them to catch on. Continue to feed with the bottle until the infant is eating well on their own, and then gradually decrease the number of bottle-feedings per day. As you begin the weaning process, dry food and water should also be made available. Urination and Defecation: Bottle-feeding infants need to be stimulated before and after every feeding in order to encourage urination and defecation. Gently pat their anal area with a cotton ball or soft toilet paper that has been moistened with warm water. Gently rubbing the infant s belly also encourages movement. Be sure to keep the anal area clean and dry by sponging with warm water and patting with a soft towel. Infants should urinate after every feeding, but will defecate less often, sometimes only once a day. Urine should be clear to pale yellow. Dark yellow urine is an indication of dehydration. Consistency of stool can vary from quite loose to toothpaste consistency, and can range in color from yellow to dark brown. 12

13 Potty Training: When infants first begin to eat solid food, the time has come to begin potty training. Kittens: Place the litter pan in a convenient place for the kitten, but away from the food. Many kittens will begin using the litter box instinctively, but if they need help learning, you can place the kitten in the litter pan and stimulate them with a warm, moist cloth. When kitten starts to urinate or defecate, remove the cloth and allow the kitten to use the pan. Instinctively, the kitten should start scratching and burying waste. Repeat these steps until the kitten goes into the litter pan on his own. Make sure the box you are using has low sides so that the kitten can easily get in and out. Be sure to keep the litter box clean. Some cats/kittens will not use a dirty box. Puppies: A few minutes after feeding, puppies should be taken outside to the area where you would like them to urinate and defecate. Pat the anal area with a moist cloth to stimulate movement. Take puppies out often. When not being supervised, crate puppies (they don t like to relieve themselves in a confined area where they will have to lie in their own waste), and then walk them as soon as you let them out of the crate. If the puppy has an accident inside, do not punish the puppy. Take the fecal matter outside and place it in a spot where you would like the puppy to defecate. They will go where they smell their feces. When your puppy urinates and defecates outside, reward him with praise and affection. If he has an accident inside, be sure to clean it up with a solution that will neutralize the odor. White vinegar diluted in water works well, as does Nature s Miracle. Note: puppies this young should not be walked outside of your yard. They will not be vaccinated yet, and could catch a disease. Fostering Pregnant Animals Fostering an expecting animal is a wonderful experience. You will be able to witness the miracle of life right before your eyes. Pregnant animals need extra care and consideration while they are preparing to give birth. They should be kept in a room or enclosure where they will be kept quiet and comfortable. Food and water should be available at all times. Please provide a space for the mom to give birth, such as a box with towels in it. They like to hide and have privacy while they are giving birth to their infants. In most cases, infants will be born when you are not in the room, and the mom does all the work. While most deliveries go smoothly, it is not uncommon to find that the mom has given birth to one or more stillborn infants. Signs that the delivery is not going smoothly would be excessive bleeding, or vocalization that indicates that the mom is experiencing pain. If your mom is in distress, please treat the situation as a medical emergency, and follow the emergency guidelines in this manual. Our medical staff will give us an estimate as to when the mom may give birth. If it seems that the mother is having trouble going into labor, please contact CHS medical staff. We may ask for the foster animal to be returned for a c-section. For births that occur in your home, please contact your Foster Care Coordinator to report how many offspring were born, and how they are all doing. 13

14 Fostering Moms with Litters When a mom first comes to your home with her babies, allow her to have some time and space to get used to her surroundings and reduce her stress. Do not touch the babies until the mother is more trusting of you. Have patience. Take some time during the day to sit in the room with mom and babies and let the mother come to you. Soon you will be the best of friends! Mothers with their litters should be kept in a relatively quiet environment so as not to stress out the mom. A large bed should be provided for mom and babies and food and water should be available for mom at all times. The room or enclosure where the litter is kept should be baby-proofed. Even kittens and puppies with their eyes still shut are very mobile and can easily find themselves in harm s way. Please monitor mom s nursing. If one particular baby is not eating enough, place them right up to mom s nipple. If the infants are failing to gain weight, please contact the Foster Care Coordinator. Infants will continue to nurse up to 6-8 weeks of age, but please follow the weaning guidelines in the Infant Care section this manual to gradually introduce solid food around 4 weeks of age. Occasionally give mom some time away from her infants, but bring her back shortly because she provides the warmth that they need. Always be cautious around moms with their litters. They can sometimes become protective of their babies. Watch for warning signs such as growling or hissing. Nursing mother cats must never be outside! A nursing cat is most fertile at this time and will get pregnant if left outside. Fostering Self-Sufficient Puppies and Kittens Once kittens and puppies are eating on their own, around 4 weeks of age, they are considered self-sufficient. At this age, they no longer need to be kept in a nest box, and should be in a room where they can run and play. A bed should be provided along with food and water, and a litter box for kittens. Make sure their space is completely babyproofed and damage-proofed. They will want to play and be held and cuddled often. Don t be afraid to have fun! Kittens should continue to be kept inside, and puppies should only be walked outside in your yard. These animals are not fully immune so keeping them away from other animals and possible exposure to disease is key. It is important to keep kittens confined to a small room so that they have easy access to return to their litter box, and so they aren t able to hide or get into trouble. 14

15 Fostering Animals with Medical Conditions Animals that are recovering from an illness or operation may be placed in a foster home until they are completely recovered and able to be adopted. These animals will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and the Foster Care Coordinator will make sure you are aware of all of the specific needs of the animal. If medicine is to be administered, it will be provided for you, and instructions given as to dosage. Please follow instructions carefully and be diligent about medicating. It is important that your foster animal(s) receive medication on schedule. They won t get better if they don t get their medication. It is imperative that these animals be kept away from other animals, both to prevent the spread of illness and disease, and to lessen the stress on the foster animal. If any conditions get worse, please contact your Foster Care Coordinator immediately. The animal may need to be brought in for a check-up. Fostering For Behavior Modification/Socialization Certain shelter animals may need to be placed into foster care for modification of an unwanted behavior, or for general socialization. For example, a dog that is so nervous that he is constantly hiding in the back of his cage with his tail between his legs, refusing to eat, will benefit from individualized love and attention in a foster home. Likewise, a kitten that is just a little bit feral will benefit from spending time around humans in a home environment. Volunteers that take in these special assignments must be prepared for a little extra work and must be able to follow the instructions from our Behavior staff. These animals will need extra time spent building their trust (sometimes through handfeeding), and possibly some training. These animals will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and any specific handling instructions will be relayed to you when the animal is picked up. 15

16 CONNECTICUT HUMANE SOCIETY FOSTER CARE AGREEMENT Volunteer Copy I hereby agree to participate in the Connecticut Humane Society (CHS) Foster Care Program. I agree to follow the conditions set forth below. All animals remain the property of CHS and are to be returned to CHS as directed by the Foster Care Coordinator. Please do not make arrangements with your family or friends to adopt your foster animals. Volunteers may adopt foster animals in accordance with CHS adoption fees and policies. Young animals are to be returned at eight weeks of age. Animals must be at least 2 lbs. for spay/neuter surgery. All foster animals must be kept separated from other pets in the household, unless prior authorization is given from your Foster Care Coordinator to let the animals interact. CHS is not liable for any damage done by foster animals, including injury or illness to other pets. All supplies (i.e. food, litter, medication, etc.) will be provided by CHS. You will not be reimbursed for expenses unless the Foster Care Coordinator gives prior authorization. If your foster animal becomes ill, please contact CHS immediately. Afterhours emergencies must be handled according to the emergency agreement policy. Do not take a foster animal to your own vet. CHS is not responsible for any veterinary bill incurred by you. If your foster animal is exhibiting any behavioral issues, such as aggression, litter box avoidance, separation anxiety, etc., please contact your Foster Care Coordinator immediately. You agree to provide the animal placed in your custody with proper food, water, shelter, care and with adequate human contact to socialize him/her. CHS reserves the right to examine the animal at any time, upon reasonable notice, and may require that the animal be returned at any time. 16

17 A Poem for Foster Volunteers There I sat, alone and afraid. You got a call and came right to my aid. You bundled me up with blankets and love. And, when I needed it most, you gave me a hug. I learned that the world was not all that scary and cold. That sometimes there is someone to have and to hold. You taught me what love is, you helped me to mend. You loved me and healed me and became my first friend. And just when I thought you'd done all you do, There came along not one new lesson, but two. First you said, "Sweetheart, you're ready to go. I've done all I can, and you've learned all I know." Then you bundled me up with a blanket and kiss. Along came a new family, they even have kids! They took me to their home, forever to stay. At first I thought you sent me away. Then that second lesson became perfectly clear. No matter how far, you will always be near. And so, Foster Mom, you know I've moved on. I have a new home, with toys and a lawn. But I'll never forget what I learned that first day. You never really give your fosters away. You gave me these thoughts to remember you by. We may never meet again, and now I know why. You'll remember I lived with you for a time. I may not be yours, but you'll always be mine. - Author Unknown 17