Although most dream of warm, relaxing summer days, every kitten foster knows that summer brings a flood of emaciated, infected and infested little souls. And with that, a roller coaster of emotions, medicines, wins and losses. Emrys’ would be no different.
July 23: My new challenge and love. He is named Emrys. I looked that […]
Even as a recent graduate from an accelerated veterinary technician school, I didn’t learn much about neonates or pediatrics. Since then, I have gained so much knowledge about kittens from the National Kitten Coalition, which has helped me as a foster and licensed veterinary technician (LVT).
Working as a LVT, I often triage animals over the […]
It’s finally summer. Fun-in-the-sun time.
Not so fast. Even if hurricanes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes, tornados and other natural disasters aren’t common where you live, you could experience chemical spills or even a house fire. Before you let your hair down, it’s important to have an emergency plan for you and your feline family members. NEVER […]
In September of 2013, my world was turned upside down in a way that few could even comprehend. During these months, which turned into years of waiting for solutions and resolution, I experienced chronic anxiety and depression that people before the pandemic could not understand, appreciate, or frankly tolerate. I was isolated, lonely, and […]
It’s springtime for many of us, which means of course, it’s kitten season again.
As adorable, lovable, and sweet as tiny kittens are, there are too many. Kitten season is in full swing in the U.S., and shelters and rescues will be overwhelmed with homeless kittens from March through October because cats who are not spayed […]
If you’ve been lucky enough to foster a mom cat with kittens or orphaned kittens, you may have been curious about some of their endearing behaviors. What kitten behaviors, in addition to these listed in our Tuesday Tips, have you wondered about or observed?
Did you know that kittens start purring […]
The American Association of Feline Practitioners defines early spaying and neutering as surgical sterilization of sexually immature animals who are 6–14 weeks of age. Spaying involves removal of the female’s uterus and ovaries; neutering involves removal of the male’s testicles.
Early spaying and neutering of kittens (and puppies) has been done since the 1970s and […]
Watery feces, or diarrhea, has many potential causes and is a big concern in kittens. In fact, it can be life threatening.
Overfeeding kittens, especially those who are underweight or malnourished, is a common cause of diarrhea. Therefore, for the first 24 hours of feeding a bottle baby, dilute the kitten milk replacer formula. Use […]
Vicky Halls
As part of International Cat Care’s (ICC) Cat Advocacy team, Vicky Halls works specifically on projects relating to the welfare of unowned cats throughout the world. That’s a big job! She’s a registered veterinary nurse and clinical animal behaviorist, having spent over 23 years specializing […]
My fostering journey started back in 2016 when I was a junior in high school. I was scrolling through the website of my local animal shelter looking for volunteer opportunities and was greeted by a pop-up that read “foster homes desperately needed!” I read through the […]
