And They Lived Happily Ever After

So that’s the goal, right? Everybody loves a happy ending, and we at Frogtown Fosters are no different. We want every kitten and cat that comes into our care to find the purrfect home.

After all, why else would we go through all the midnight feedings, administrating of meds, and sick visits? Sometimes we get lucky, and our foster (or someone they know) steps up and wantsto adopt one of our kittens. But eventually we all run out of family members, friends and co-workers to ask to adopt one of our charges.

Hello! My name is Lisa, and I coordinate adoptions for Frogtown Fosters. Let me give you a

peek at what goes into our adoption process.

First – some preliminaries

The adoption process starts when an application has been submitted. You can request an app, email us, text us, message us through Facebook, and comment online about your interest in adopting, but nothing starts until you submit your completed application to us for review.

Yes, I do a background check on each applicant and any other adult in the home. No, I don’t

care about that traffic ticket, or unpaid credit card bill from ten years ago. What I do care

about are animal cruelty charges, indications of violence, and any pattern of ongoing and

current financial difficulties that mean now might not be a good time to add to your financial

burden. And as a foster-based organization, I owe it to my fosters to know who I might be

sending to their homes for a meet & greet.

Verifying your pet policy (if you are a renter) lets me know you are aware of the additional pet

deposit (often non-refundable) and pet rent that you may have to pay after adopting a new pet. It also helps avoid issues down the line if your landlord suddenly finds out you have pets they haven’t approved. Nobody wants to be put in the position of getting rid of their pets or being evicted. Pets don’t deserve to be suddenly uprooted, surrendered to a shelter or returned to the rescue group, or worse – being dumped outside to fend for themselves because their owner got caught. And if your cat should “door dash” and get out one day, I never want there to be any hesitation on your part about posting signs and speaking with your neighbors because you are afraid of getting caught having unauthorized pets.

I take vet reference checks seriously. How you care for your current and previous pets is a

great indicator of how you will care for your new kitten. Do they get regular exams? Cats are

great at hiding illness, so getting regular exams is important for catching issues early while they are most treatable. Are vaccinations up to date? The kittens we adopt are usually 8-12 weeks old. They won’t have a fully developed immune system for several more months. Making sure your other pets are vaccinated helps protect your new kitten during this vulnerable period. Do you generally consult with your vet regarding medical issues, and follow their recommendations for treating illnesses or injuries that come up? Do you treat your cats with the same diligence as you do your dogs? Does your vet have any “red flags” regarding aggression, or medical watchouts that would impact whether we should be concerned about placing a young kitten into the home? Do they consider you a responsible pet parent? My conversation with your vet isn’t just a “check the box” exercise. It gives me a general picture ofhow we might expect you to care for your new kitten, and often leads to lines of inquiry whenwe speak. When you include your pet policy with your application and inform your vet that they have your permission to speak with us when we call, we can usually move through these preliminary steps in a timely manner.

But when information is missing or in someone else’s name, and numerous calls and emails must go back and forth to find out where the rest of your application is – this delays the process and frustrates both you and me. I want to get you matched up with kittens

as well!

Making a Match

Matching up qualified adopters with their new furry family member is a little like juggling six (or twenty!) balls in the air all at once. New applications are constantly being submitted, and

kittens are adopted as soon as they are spayed/neutered and go through clinic (at 8 weeks

old/2 pounds). The active list is always a moving target. As I write this, I have 20 applications

open (many wanting a pair of kittens), and only 11 kittens that are close enough to adoption

age to start lining up their new families. None of the current kittens in our program are “ready for adoption” today, so nobody is available for same-day adoption.

Applications are reviewed to find the best match for the needs of the kitten at hand.

Applications for pairs are prioritized over those wanting single kittens, and homes that already have a kitten or young cat are prioritized over single kittens to be adopted as an only pet. This is because studies have shown over and over that kittens do better when they have another kitten or young cat to learn from. Nobody wants a bitey, needy, or “always getting into trouble because they’re bored” kitten. It isn’t uncommon for adopters of single kittens to come back(usually at about 10 months old) to find a buddy for their resident kitty.

But even the most qualified adopters aren’t guaranteed to be the best match for a particular

cat or kitten. If you have a dog, you aren’t a good match for a kitten afraid of dogs. If you have an active house with lots of people coming and going, a kitten needing a quiet environment won’t thrive in your home. If everyone works or is at school all day, a single kitten is going to get bored (and probably into trouble) when left alone all day. Applications are reviewed with these things in mind. When we talk, I’ll ask about your home environment, what your other pets are like, and how your kids are around kittens. I want to make sure we match you up with a cat or kitten that best fits your family. I’ll ask about your experience with cats in the past, and help you think about whether a kitten is right for you if this is your first time as a cat owner. I’ll

walk you through proper introductions to the home and other pets, and kitten-proofing your

home if this is your first cat. I’ll provide information about vet histories and personalities to try to find the best match for your family. But even after all that, an adoption isn’t “approved” until you meet the kitten that you are interested in and make sure its personality is what you are looking for.

We don’t have a shelter location with paid staff open 7 days a week from 9-5. We are a foster-based volunteer organization working out of our homes. Consequently, we must work around work schedules, family activities, vacations and any number of other things when we’re scheduling meet & greets. During the height of summer when lots of kittens are in our

program, it is more likely that you can go to our adoption center and meet a kitten that’s “ready

for adoption” today. But often, the kittens I’m seeking adopters for are still underage and in

foster homes. It is not uncommon for more than one applicant to be interested in the same

kitty – especially those with compelling stories that have been a focus on social media. If one

adopter is in the meet & greet stage, the next adopter will have to wait until a decision has

been made by the first person. As kittens get paired off with their future families, the list

whittles down until every kitty has a pre-approved adopter lined up. Rest assured, there are

always more kittens coming through our program. The more flexible you are, the easier it will

be to find a match for you. But we aren’t a “build a kitty workshop”. If you want a male, and all

we have ready are female kittens, you will be placed on our wait list until the next litter with

male kittens is ready for pairing. If you insist on an orange kitten, I can’t magically wave a wand and turn my black and tabby kittens into gingers. And no amount of wishful thinking will make a six-week-old kitten old enough or heavy enough to safely go through clinic so they can be adopted in time for your child’s birthday party tomorrow.

I know that this process can seem time-consuming. I understand that you would love to apply in the morning and go home with your furry family member that afternoon. But, if you are aqualified adopter, and willing to work through the process, I’m certain we can find a greataddition for your family. After all, I love those “And They Lived Happily Ever After” endings too!

Nurture VS. Nature

One of the most difficult dynamics a rescuer has to grapple with is Nurture VS Nature.

In our case, kittens are brought to us and placed in our care with the optimistic hope that we will nurture them to an adoptable age and they will spend their lives curled up on a sofa by the fire with the perfect adopter. While that is OUR deepest wish for all of our kittens, it simply isn’t the reality sometimes.

The reality is: Nature. Receiving orphan kittens is like a box of chocolates mixed with Pandoras box. Each case we take under our mission of ‘best POSSIBLE outcome’, but that means something different in each case.

Just this week we have struggled with four tough cases that have smacked me right in the face, and reminded me that Mother Nature is a tough lady to compete against.

Fish and Chips ~ A partner organization reached out after three of their littermates had died. We agreed to give it our best shot, knowing that something was probably wrong… but who knows what? No one really knows because they are so tiny and did not come with a medical history, just a box of kittens. We fought with them, and after all the supportive care we could offer failed. Chips weighed less than his birth weight after a week of heartache; he passed in his foster’s arms, warm and loved. Sometimes that’s all we can give them. Her sister Fish, a sassy Calico, has gained about ten grams a day, is vocal, demanding and ready for the world. Why one and not the other? Who knows. Will Fish begin to decline? Who knows.

The Easter Kittens ~ These four were brought to us after the storm and then a dog had chased off momma. They have serious upper respiratory infections and are unable to bottle feed because they can not suck and breathe at the same time. Leaving them with mom, would not have solved the problem so we were happy to step in and get them started on medication and their patient foster is feeding them with a syringe. Will they recover? Probably. Where did they get the URI? Who knows.

Sharlene~ Sharlene is a small tabby, about half the weight she should be at her age. A couple of good samaritans reached out about a kitten that needed help and we offered to assist. Sharlene had no movement in her hind legs or tail, had been left behind by momma and was lethargic; we were not optimistic. After a few tube feedings, some fluids and a warm spot to sleep, she has perked up. But still no leg movement. Luckily, we have a wonderful vet that agreed to take a look on the same day! Apparently, this girl suffered some sort of trauma, no obvious spinal issues were discovered on x-rays, but a bigger problem; she is unable to void her bladder. I have had her this weekend and she is the sweetest thing, but this is life threatening, and hasn’t improved in 48 hours. She has however started to move her legs, which I am choosing to take as a sign that she wants to continue to fight. I will advocate and fight with her.

What happened? Who knows. Will she recover? Sadly, the odds aren’t in her favor.

Olive~ Olive had six beautiful kitten in a safety of my kitten room; no predators, no cold wetgrass only, three excited fosters cheering her on and telling her what a good girl she was. The first kitten was breach and she struggled to deliver him but once she did she was exhausted. She continued to have four more kittens with some assistance, and then a bonus kitten overnight. Six kittens is A LOT, and an overwhelmed Olive rejected the smallest, when he was found he had been out of the nest too long, and despite our intervention passed. As frustrated as I was when it happened; it’s nature. Olives other five kittens are growing and thriving under her constant care, obviously that is what her instinct told her she could handle. Would she had delivered without assistance? I don’t think so, all six would have been stuck. Does that make her a bad mom? Absolutely not, she is acting in instinct.

Knowing when and how much intervention is needed, is a tough dynamic.

Nature won a few times this week. But nurture is definitely still a contender.

Why Frogtown Fosters?

"Frogtown" is named after an old regional name used for our location. "Fosters" seems obvious, but it is more than the physical act of fostering animals: but fostering relationships and partnership with like minded rescue people and organizations. Fostering by definition is about enhancing and promoting development, that is what we want to do.

I fell face first into fostering many years ago . It started with found kittens being taken to the local shelter, but after learning that they were at capacity and the kittens I brought in would need bottle feedings, their future was bleak.

Without hesitation (or full understanding of what I was about to get myself into ) I agreed to take them with thrown together care kit, and was on my way. These three kittens looked like slugs, and survived in spite of my inexperience.

Since that trio I have fostered hundreds of neonatal kittens and learned a lot. Here are some hard facts and bits of intel that brought us to our Mission:

~Depending on the source or parameters of the study done up to 75% of kittens born

outside die within 6 months. Kittens are often born under less than desirable conditions, young or unexperienced mothers, sick or poor nutrition.

~ 10% of your town or county population is equal to your stray, feral, community cat population. Thats a lot of roaming cats, that may or may not be reproducing.

~ Most shelters funded by local government are required to intake resident strays, found or surrendered pets. This policy leaves many shelters at capacity, more often than not. Then add the influx of kittens, kittens are found in barns, under cars, parking lots, homes, and of course hoards, they are found from hours to weeks old with varying care needs. So, you see the problem here.

~Neonatal kittens exhaust resources. Not simply financial, but time. The age of the kitten is critical here, the younger the animal, the more time and effort it will require. This is honestly best done in a foster situation. Bottle feedings around the clock are not possible in a shelter setting.

~There are a lot of kitten fosters, but still never enough, and even fewer that are willing to take neo's or premie kittens, that may or may not need medical support as well.

So this is the trail of breadcrumbs that leads to Frogtown Fosters. I wanted to focus on the little ones, the "lost cause" kittens that can really clog up the works in the rescue world. Not only is it my comfort area, I feel that we are taking pressure off of organizations that have a larger scope.

There is no lack of horror stories of healthy kittens being euthanized due to space or lack of resources. To be honest, I personally have not had that experience locally, although I understand how easy it is to get there. Feeding kittens round the clock , when they are healthy is a full time job, not considering all the health issues their bodies can acquire so I wanted to take this small piece of the rescue world and try to help shepard as many kittens through their most vulnerable phase, and move them to adoption in loving homes. It’s hard, it’s heartbreaking, it’s rewarding and it’s the right thing to do.