If you’ve decided to foster kittens, you know how hectic the first week can be. We hit one heck of a learning curve.

Yep, we decided to foster kittens (or, rather, I did). This decision has been a long time coming, and after visiting our local animal shelter, it was clear that it was time.

Our First Foster Kittens

I got a call to foster the very afternoon I applied for the foster program. Two precious butterbeans came in that needed a place to stay until they are old enough to adopt. Of course I said yes!

I can’t yet tell you guys the details or names of these two, so I’ll just call them ‘Dusty’ and ‘Smudge’. One is still bottle feeding (and he is HUNGRY!).

Everybody Makes Mistakes

Without going into too much detail, it was conveyed to us that the younger kitten was able to eat wet food (this ended up being a mixup). After several attempts to feed Smudge (the younger kitten) the canned food we were provided with, it was clear he was struggling. Kittens up to 4 or 5 weeks old need either a mama cat’s milk or milk replacement. I had a gut feeling when I picked the kittens up that he was too young for wet food, and I should have listened to it.

I ended up making a quick trip to PetSmart to get formula and a bottle kit. I also picked out some Nature’s Variety Kitten Wet Food to make sure Dusty was getting proper nutrition. It’s crucial to feed weaned kittens a special kitten food because it has the protein and calories they need. Smudge took to the kitten formula very well; I was so relieved.

Be Your Foster Kitten’s Best Advocate

If you’ve decided to foster kittens, you are their #1 defender. I’m not saying that the care instructions of foster programs or animal shelters are wrong, but even they can make mistakes. It happens. That’s why you need to arm yourself with knowledge from those who are veteran foster parents.

Kitten Lady is my go-to resource for neonatal kitten care. She’s been doing this for quite awhile, and when I decided to foster kittens, I knew I would be visiting her website A LOT. You can also visit her Youtube channel for a more visual walk-through of essential kitten care.

You Can Help Us!

I’d love to say that I have the money to buy all the supplies I need, but I simply don’t. Animal shelters typically don’t have a wealth of funds to supply their foster parents with products like what I bought. However, I firmly believe that I need to do my best for these kittens. That means providing them with quality nutrition and the proper supplies.

The Meow Place has set up an Amazon wish list with all the supplies we are currently in need of (and a few other items that will be needed down the line). If you’d rather donate money instead of buying off a wishlist, you can visit our foster kitten GoFundMe campaign.

Even if you can’t gift any of the items or donate, used items (or helpful advice for a first time foster parent!) will go a long way. You can find where to send items on our Contact page. Thank you so much for your support!

What is the most important piece of advice you have for a new kitten foster mom? Are there any tips you have that could help us (and others like us) out? Let us know in the comments section!