When you pick up your foster kittens, you will receive a Foster Goal Sheet that specifies
the dates that vaccines are due and any medications that your kittens are taking. You are
responsible for scheduling appointments for your kittens’ vaccines on or around the due
dates indicated on your Foster Goal Sheet. Vaccines and dewormers are given starting at
four weeks old and every two weeks afterward until they are adopted. To schedule
appointments for vaccines, coordinate with the Vetting Department.


Veterinary Care.

The Rescue Crew provides all medical care for our foster animals at our partner
veterinary clinics. Because we are ultimately responsible for your foster animals’ wellbeing,
our Vetting Team must authorize any and all treatment for foster animals at our
approved veterinary partners.

If your foster kittens need to go to the veterinarian, please notify the your Coordinator
and Vetting Team member.

For non-emergency situations, please understand that our veterinary partners book
quickly and will not likely be available for same-day appointments. We ask that you
schedule basic non-emergency appointments as far in advance as possible.
Remember, foster parents will be responsible for payment of any medical care if they
take their foster animal to a veterinarian without authorization from the our Vetting
Department.
​

Signs of Illness and What to do Next.

Kittens do a good job of masking when they don’t feel well, so determining if a foster
kitten is under the weather will require diligent observation of the kittens’ daily activity
and appetite levels. Be aware that kittens act differently at different ages. For example, a
healthy two-week-old kitten will sleep often and get up only to nurse, whereas a healthy
six-week-old kitten should have a lot of energy. If you have any questions about the
health of your foster kittens, please contact your Coordinator, who will be happy to
answer any questions that you may have or put you in touch with another resource.
Eye discharge. It is normal for kittens to have some discharge from their eyes when they wake up. But if a kitten has yellow or green discharge or swelling around the eyes (making it hard for him to open his eyes), or the third eyelid is showing, you need to contact the Vetting Department to schedule a vet appointment.

Loss of appetite. Your foster kittens may be stressed after arriving in your home, and
stress can cause lack of appetite. Unwillingness to eat in kittens can be very serious, so pay close attention to whether the kittens are eating. Kittens should eat on a four- to eight-hour schedule, depending on their age. If a kitten under four weeks old misses two meals or a kitten over four weeks of age goes more than 12 hours without eating, your Coordinator and the Vetting Department should be made aware. With a kitten who is not eating, please do not change the kitten’s diet. An abrupt change in diet can cause
diarrhea, which will lead to dehydration.

Dehydration. Dehydration is usually associated with diarrhea, vomiting and/or loss of appetite. To test for dehydration, gently pinch the kitten’s skin around the scruff area. If the skin stays taut, the kitten is dehydrated. Please contact the Vetting Department immediately so we can direct you to urgent/emergency care, as dehydration can be fatal in kittens.

Diarrhea. In kittens, it can be tricky to determine if diarrhea is a problem. Soft stool diarrhea, most likely caused by stress, is normal for the first two days after you take kittens home. Kittens who are nursing tend to have loose stool, but if it is watery or very large in volume, that’s a concern. By the time kittens are five weeks old and are eating consistently on their own, they should have firm, normal stool. If your foster kittens have liquid stool, please contact us so that a vet appointment can be scheduled; the kittens may need medication. Once your kittens are using a litter box, please monitor the box daily. Remember that diarrhea will dehydrate your kittens, so be proactive about contacting us if you notice any diarrhea. If a kitten has bloody or mucousy diarrhea, this should be considered urgent.
Hair loss. It is normal for cats to have thin fur around the lips, eyelids and in front of the ears, but clumpy patches of hair loss or thinning hair can indicate ringworm or
dermatitis. It is important to check your foster kittens’ coats every day.
Vomiting. If a foster kitten has thrown up two or more times in one day, please notify
the the Vetting Department. If there is bile or blood in the vomit, please call right away
Sneezing and nasal discharge. Occasional sneezing is common in kittens. If the sneezing becomes more frequent, examine the discharge coming from the sneeze. If the discharge is clear, the infection is probably viral, and medication may not be necessary. But it is important to monitor the kittens in case the problem becomes worse. If the discharge becomes colored, contact the Vetting Department to schedule a vet appointment because the kittens may have a bacterial infection. Be sure to monitor the kittens’ breathing. If they start to breathe with an open mouth or wheeze, call your Coordinator  immediately so we can assess, with the Vetting Department, if it is an emergency. Also, once you notice nasal discharge, monitor the kittens’ eating habits more closely to ensure that they are still eating. And of course, continue to weigh them daily.
Lethargy. The activity level of your kittens will vary with each kitten in your litter and
with age. Sick kittens may have lower energy levels and just want to sit in your lap or on the floor and not move much or play. If you notice a drop in your foster kittens’ energy level, please contact the Vetting Department to make a medical appointment. If a kitten cannot be roused or seems weak and unable to stand, this is an emergency. Note: Some undersocialized kittens will move less because they are frightened. If you have a fearful group of kittens, it can be more difficult to determine if their energy levels are low. But tracking all behaviors in your journal will help you decide whether you should contact
your Coordinator and/or Vetting Department to schedule a vet appointment.
Pain or strain while urinating. When kittens first go into a foster home, they may not urinate due to stress. If a kitten hasn’t urinated in more than 24 hours, however, please make your Coordinator aware. Also, if you notice the kitten straining to urinate with little or no results, or crying out when urinating, the Vetting Department should be made aware immediately because it may be indicative of an infection or a urethral obstruction, which can be life-threatening.
Frequent ear scratching. A foster kitten may have ear mites if she scratches her ears
often and/or shakes her head frequently, or if you see a dark discharge that resembles
coffee grounds when you look in her ears. We can provide preliminary treatment for
mites, so please make the Vetting Department aware so the necessary medication can be provided.
Serious Kitten Ailments.

Kittens are susceptible to these illnesses:

  • Fading kitten syndrome: Symptoms include unwillingness to eat, dehydration, lethargy, weight loss, coldness to the touch, and difficulty with breathing or labored breathing.
  • Panleukopenia (feline distemper): Symptoms include unwillingness to eat, vomiting, diarrhea and/or dehydration. The diarrhea often has a mucoid texture and/or is bloody.

If a kitten is displaying any combination of the symptoms listed above, please contact
the Vetting Department immediately so we can direct you to urgent/emergency care.
These ailments can be fatal if left untreated.
​

Criteria for Emergencies.

What constitutes a medical emergency in a kitten? A good rule of thumb is any situation
in which you would call 911 for a person. Here are some specific symptoms that could
indicate an emergency:

  • Not breathing or labored breathing
  • Symptoms of fading kitten syndrome or distemper (see “Serious Kitten Ailments.")
  • Signs of extreme dehydration: dry gums, weakness, vomiting, not urinating, skin tenting (when the skin is pulled up, it stays there)
  • Abnormal lethargy or unable to stand
  • Unconsciousness or unable to wake up
  • Cold to the touch
  • Broken bones
  • Any trauma: hit by a car, dropped, stepped on
  • A large wound or profuse bleeding that doesn’t stop when pressure is applied
  • Loss of appetite for more than 12 hours

If a foster kitten displays any of these symptoms, please contact the Vetting Department and/or your Coordinator immediately so we can direct you to urgent/ emergency care. If the animal is vomiting or has diarrhea, but is still active, eating and drinking, you can probably wait until the next day to get help. However, if the animal is lethargic and shows no interest in food or water, this should be considered urgent.
​If you think your foster pet may incur permanent damage or pass away if not seen by a veterinarian immediately, please proceed to an emergency clinic and make us aware as quickly as possible. In urgent situations like this, The Rescue Crew will reimburse any out of pocket expenses you may incur to provide emergency care to your foster pet.
A significant portion of the Resources sections of this website, and content therein, are reproduced from Best Friends (www.bestfriends.org). Specific authors are noted where appropriate. Resources utilized from the Best Friends website are available for use and reproduction without prior contact. Much of this content is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.
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