The arrival and naming of foster kitten #1!

The new temporary addition to my household is a small, 4 week old, mostly black, female kitten. After much debate, I arrived on the name "Lexus". It's short and sweet, has positive vibes for potential adopters, and I came up with a cute catchphrase for it: "0 to 60 in under 5 seconds, loves taking tight turns" since Miss Lexi is a speed demon and a daredevil at times. :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/eandmaggie/IMG_0731.jpg

Lexus is up to date on shots, but does need to go back in a few weeks for a booster. She's dewormed and free of fleas too, not to mention testing negative on FeLV and FIV tests - all very good things!

The 15 min car ride home was filled with constant mewing from the cardboard carrier and periodic scrabbling on the sides. Lexus was not happy to be that confined all of a sudden.

Once home, I installed Lexus in her cage w/ fresh food and water and allowed my dog to sniff. Maggie shows a little more interest in Lexus than I would like, so she will be watched closely when around the kitten. Right now she'll alternate between staring at her and licking or shoving her w/ her nose. Quite a sight!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/eandmaggie/IMG_0729.jpg

Lexus spent a fair amount of time in the cage so she could adjust more easily w/o a lot of hub bub, but she wasn't too thrilled about the restrictions on exploring. After some crying and no reaction from me, she settled down quickly.

Throughout the afternoon and evening I took her out to play on the patio (securely fenced and always supervised) where she discovered the joys of flowers and bugs, spent time with her watching TV, allowed her to watch me work on the computer, and carried her around the house. She shows no fear or stress as of yet and is eating well. Outputs look good too.

I have noticed that, like small children, she gets cranky the later it gets, so after a few too many nips at my fingers, I put her back in her cage for the night - she played for a while on her own, but was out like a light before too long.

Only 3 more hours!

This is my first post about my experiences as a kitten foster home for the Tippecanoe County Humane Society. As a foster parent, my job is to care for and nurture kittens that are too young to be placed up for adoption. Some may have special needs, and all are in need of a warm home and lots of love. My goal for the weeks that I care for a kitten is to give him/her the best start possible so that adulthood finds my kitten well adjusted and happy.

I pick up my first foster in less than 3 hours and I'm psyched.

Here's what supplies I have so far:
- small litter box and scoop
- Feline Pine litter (non clumping since I've heard kittens might try to eat litter, and supposedly very good at odor control/flushable)
- stainless steel dishes (one for food, one for water; shallow since kittens are tiny, s.s. for easy cleaning)
- Kitten Chow (not my idea of a great food, but it's what the kitten is on currently if s/he is eating solids and I want to avoid tummy upset)
- milk replacer/bottle (only to be used if kitten still needs nursing)
- cat toys
- scratching surface
- nail trimmer (I want to work with the kitten so it is used to all types of handling, including nail trimming)
- harness/leash (another thing to desensitize an older kitten to)
- clicker (I am going to see if I can clicker train my kittens to exercise their brains and make them even better pets for their future owner)
- newspapers (for lining the cage with, easy to clean)
- 36" dog crate (for kitten containment)
- extra towels (bedding, cleanup)

Here's the setup as it is currently; the first picture is of the crate w/ a blanket over top and the second is a closeup of the interior (some of the interior didn't fit in the frame, so it's bigger than it looks).

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/eandmaggie/IMG_0718.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/eandmaggie/IMG_0719.jpg

I will be sure to update the page when the kitten is safely stowed in his/her kennel and I know more about the little critter I'll be caring for. Name suggestions are welcome!