# Feedback on foster quarantine time



## Lopn (Nov 24, 2010)

Hello,
I am a fosterer for a local animal control shelter. I typically only foster the itty bitties that are too small to be at the shelter or adopted. I'm trying to get a sense of folks thoughts on a particular situation. 

I currently have 9 healthy foster babies ranging in age from 3.5wks to 8 wks. They are all doing well and most have been here for several weeks themselves. They have had all the appropriate dewormers and vaccs. 

So, 3 days ago I went to the shelter to pick up some dewormer and came home with a new 3ish week old baby (caught by a resident, from a feral momma, there were siblings but they weren't caught and neither was the momma). I currently have him up in my bathroom quarantined from everyone else. He seems very healthy (clear eyes, no sneezing, good eater and other resulting processes) but you can never tell which is why I have him separated.

So, after all that, my issue is how long to keep him up there... I'm torn because he was just taken from his family and is obviously too young to be separated from his momma, but that ship has now sailed... he REALLY needs the companionship of the other babies... for many reasons... but I also don't want to risk the group of others if he breaks with something... I was kinda thinking that tomorrow evening (if he's still doing well) I might break his quarantine and put him with the group (it will have been 4 days)... It is such a tough call because at this age the socialization with the other kitties as well as me is so critical... I just can't see keeping him by himself for what seems to be the recommended 2 weeks...

Any thoughts anyone would like to share would be welcome!

Thanks so much,
Lopn


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Its a crap shoot of when to bring another foster in with the others. If the kitten hasnt shown any health issues Id maybe bring him out with the others. Do know (depending where you live) health issue can show up 2 weeks, 4 weeks down the road. Weve had that issue with ringworm poping up. 

I keep my bowls washed everyday. beds, blankets and toy kept washed and clean. Have them on healthy food and maybe liquid vitamins to build up their immune system. 

When a cat is stressed and unhappy it tends to break down its fragile immune system. So lots of love and handling is like a medicine in itself!

Good luck with your babies. Post pictures of them! Bless you for fostering them!


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## Lopn (Nov 24, 2010)

*Thank you*

Hi,

Thanks so much for your reply... I agree with you about the crap shoot... trying to balance the group's health against the new baby's development... I'm with you... it will have been 4 days and no signs of anything yet... I'm not a gambler by nature, but in these situations either option is a gamble so there's no avoiding it! I tend to be on the conservative side but I just think it will be so much better to get the little one in with the group... he was only in the shelter (dispatch area, not main kennels) for a few hours before I got to him and I tend to think that the ones coming from out in the wild are sometimes less likely to bring stuff in... it's being in the shelter that usually make 'em sick!

I just had to go a few rounds with ringworm... I think I got off easy... but that lime sulfur dip just smelled awful!

Thanks again!
Happy Thanksgiving,
Lopn

ps not sure why my picts didn't show last time, but I'm gonna try again here...


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

The photo with the cat tree with all the kittens is adorable.  My experience is the cats coming in from out of door has one set of medical issue where as shelter cats tend to come down with other types of sicknesses!

When we have newborns or a kitten in issolation we put a stuff animal in with them. Or we have this stuffed cat that has a heartbeat you can turn on so the kitten feels like its with it mom.

Ugg! Sulfer lime dips. :shock: I refuse to do them on my kittens. The smell alone is enough to gag you. Plus it seems so chemically harsh on kittens. My vet has us use Malaseb Shampo and ResiZOLE conditioner. 

Fingers crossed this batch of kittens are free of illnesses! Then it seems like a breeze to foster when they arent sick, doesnt it!!


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## Lopn (Nov 24, 2010)

*Thank you*

I know what you mean about outside vs inside... good point... 
I didn't realize there were reliable other options for treating ringworm... I thought the only thing that truly killed it (other than bleach! eek!) was the lime dip... I agree with you that it seemed harsh... but unfortunately, I don't have too much say in the treatments on AC kitties... unless I was in a position to vet them all myself (and oh, how I wish I were)... I am lucky that our AC shelter has it's own vet clinic on site (though they are currently looking for a replacement vet, but we have local vets offering their time there to help us out)... I do have to say that those 4 seem more puny than the others...


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

I can't help you with the quarantine issue, but I just popped in to say the picture of your little kittens on the cat tree is absolutely adorable!


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Just curious, do you work with a no kill shelter? Or is it like an animal control type situation? 

In the future, the Malaseb Shampo and ResiZOLE conditioner arent that expensive if you want to take it out of your own pocket. 

I bought mine in bulk because at the time I had 12 kitten at varrying ages and degree of ringworm. I found mine on line cheaper than the vets sell it for.


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## Lopn (Nov 24, 2010)

@Susan: Thanks! I got lucky... they were all piled in there of their own accord and my camera was close by 

@Mitts & Tess: It's an animal control situation... it is a rough environment and you have to look at each one you can help as a victory and try not to be discouraged by all the ones you can't... 

Fortunately they have a policy that if an animal gets fostered it does not face the adoption time constraints that animals normally do there... so, essentially they could only get PTS if they got too sick to help or if there was some behavioural issue that made them unadoptable... it would have to be a pretty serious situation... I have fostered 42 kittens since May... I started with 10 kittens the day before the big flood hit here! I was really nervous about the possibility of having to evacuate with 14 cats! Fortunately I'm on a pretty good hill so it was ok...

I have also been lucky enough to adopt out most of them from Petfinders and haven't had to take them back to the shelter... that really makes me happy! 

I'll make a note on the ringworm treatments you mentioned, but I'm really hoping not to have that pleasure again anytime soon! ;-)

Oh, and I introduced Teddy to the group this morning and he is doing GREAT! He really needed the support of the group and since it was 7 girls to 2 boys, the boys are happy to up their numbers a bit! Let's just hope he stays healthy!


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