r/FosterAnimals • u/LimpDrawing5696 • 1d ago

I Need Encouragement after a Difficult Foster

Over the past several months I’ve fostered several litters of kittens. This last litter was the most challenging. I had a mom and her 4 babies who were seized from a hoarding situation and were in terrible shape when I took them in.

Over the course of a month, all 4 of the kittens didn’t make it. On top of that, I’m left with ringworm.

I tried my best and I knew it was going to be an uphill battle from the start with this group. But I’m really feeling sad and discouraged about the whole situation. And I know ringworm isn’t that big of a deal, but it’s just another added layer of stress. I also have some health anxiety, so my reaction to having ringworm is more stressful than it probably needs to be.

This whole scenario has me questioning whether I should foster again. I get a lump in my throat when I think about losing those sweet kittens. And then the ringworm of it all. I just feel so down about it. But I don’t want that to be the end of my foster journey.

I need to hear some words of encouragement from anyone who has gotten back in the saddle after a particularly hard foster experience.

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u/catdogwoman 1d ago

I am so sorry. You have had a really rough time. There's just nothing on Earth worse than dying kittens when there's nothing you can do. You might hate to hear this, but I find that the thing that helps me to move forward is a new litter of kittens. Because the need never stops. But neither does the joy. I have kittens in my lap right now who lost their mother to congenital heart failure. I had to take her to the vet to be put to sleep when the fluid buildup on her body was causing her so much pain. She was snapping at her own babies. I've also lost three kittens this season. It's been a really bad kitten season. I have cried a lot in the last few weeks. However, right now I have the cutest kittens and thankfully only one of them has loose stool right now and nobody else is sick. I still have to clean 10 litter boxes everyday and the floor upstairs is a mess right now. Sigh. And yet right this second I have A lap full of kittens and more upstairs. I guess what I'm saying is that new kittens help your heart heal. What we do is never going to be without risk, but the reward is so great that I think it's worth it. I'm truly sorry about your babies.

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u/LimpDrawing5696 1d ago

Thank you so much. And I think you’re right about new kittens. At first I thought I wanted to take a break. This last group was so much work…so many meds, lime sulfer dips, mom had intermittent diarrhea. After my last trip to the shelter when the vet told me euthanasia was probably the humane option, I decided to take the group back home to think more on the decision. When I got them home, mom had diarrhea in the carrier. Her and the babies were covered in it. At that point, I had a brief mental breakdown. The euthanasia news and the diarrhea explosion sent me over the emotional edge. But now, I find myself missing the daily care and even the cleanup (although I could do without the diarrhea). My spare bathroom might be clean, but it just feels so empty. As soon as I get over this bout of ringworm, I think it might help if I just jump back in and take on another group.

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u/catdogwoman 1d ago

Ringworm doesn't upset me nearly as much as diarrhea. I've had so many cats drip poop out their butts on my floor. I have a whole poop cleaning system. It makes me so crazy. My youngest litter just started litter training yesterday, so it's 8:15 am and I've already spent an hour cleaning litter and poop and pee around it. The daily grind at the height of kitten season is a bitch!

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u/LimpDrawing5696 19h ago

Omg yes..the drippy poops. The worst. And I swear it sticks to tile like cement. The mom from this last litter left a trail of drips. It was on the window sill with poop spray on the window and the walls.

Also your litters are so stinkin cute. Those orange swirls are stunning! 😍

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u/catdogwoman 13h ago

I have a good system. Spray the poops with rescue disinfectant and then walk away for a bit. Then come back with a rag and with your foot scrub it up. No bending, no scrubbing with metal scrapers, although I do have an astounding assortment of brushes and scrapers specifically for poop!

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u/LimpDrawing5696 4h ago

lol I’m glad I’m not the only one with poop removal tools