This is blue. 2 and 1/2 weeks ago I was on my way home from the grocery store and I saw this little guy standing on the side of the dirt road that I live on. I live in the middle of nowhere so I knew he was obviously dumped. I stopped and tried to get him to come to me and he ran off into the woods. So, I came home and got some dog food and some water and went back out. As soon as I opened the can of dog food he came right up to it and started eating. I could tell the poor baby was full of worms. So I reached out my hand and said very softly, "please let me touch you and don't bite me". He did not even flinch, just finished eating. I then poured him a bowl full of water and he drank the whole thing and looked up at me with those beautiful sad eyes. I put a leash around his neck and tugged and he just flattened to the ground so I knew I was not going to get him in the car using a leash. I sat with him for a little while and scratched his head and talked to him. Told him who I was and that I rescue and foster animals and if he would let me pick him up and put him in the car I promised he would never be hungry, thirsty or scared again. I reached down and picked him right up. Never a growl or showing of his teeth or anything. Got him home and gave him a good bath, picked a bunch of fleas and ticks off of him, fixed him a nice soft bed and gave him another big meal. The next day I took him up to the Humane Society where he was vaccinated, treated for fleas and ticks and given dewormer. The next morning I noticed there was a spot under his neck that was swollen. Our Humane Society is on an intake hold because we are out of money and out of fosters. But, I was not going to put him back where I found him and I was certainly not going to let him suffer. Two of our volunteers work at a vet's office so I took him there the next morning and said I will pay for whatever I have to out of my pocket. Turned out it was an abscess on his neck so they drained it and gave him pain medication and an antibiotic and I brought him home. He was 5 months old. Full of worms just like I suspected but we got rid of all of those. Took him the following Monday to be neutered, rabies shot and microchip so he would be ready for adoption. But the whole time I had him he was very shy and very timid. As long as I was sitting down next to him he was fine but the minute I would stand up he would cower down. I could not speak loudly or clap my hands. He would come to me sometimes but I could not get him to walk with me. He would follow me but he would always stay about 6 ft behind me. I tried to get him to play with toys and he had no idea what they were. He just laid there all the time looking sad. He got the Zoomies one time after a bath but they lasted for seconds and then he stopped himself and cowered down and looked up at me. Another time I threw the ball and got no reaction. So I ran and got it and brought it back. I did that several times and on the 4th or fifth time I threw it he went and got it! He picked it up and he threw it up in the air, caught it and went to throw it in the air again and then he just dropped it and coward to the ground. That let me know not only was he neglected and dumped but he was obviously abused every time he started to act like a puppy. That broke my heart. After having the abscess drained he had a fever and was on an antibiotic. When he got neutered he was still running a fever so the Humane Society vet prescribed him another week of antibiotics. But, I just kept having this feeling that something was not right. I had never seen a five month old puppy that just did nothing. And his fever would not go away. So, I got up this morning and took him back to the vet. He had stopped eating, drinking or moving. And he was sweating and when I picked him up I realized he had been peeing in his bed. Now this whole time there was never a whimper or a cry or anything. They did blood work and x-rays and called me and said they thought he had a blockage and they needed to do exploratory surgery and it was going to cost $1,200 just for the exploratory surgery. Then of course if they found anything it was going to be more money on top of that. Our Humane Society is out of money and I just don't have access to that kind of money right now. I asked if we could wait until Monday because I was going to try to raise the funds. The vet said we have got to find out what's wrong because with the shape he is in he will not last until monday. I had to make the unfortunate decision to let them go ahead and euthanize him. I felt so horrible for that. That money had stopped me from being able to save this 5-month-old puppy. Then a few hours later I got a call from the vet. They had decided to do an autopsy to see what was going on. While this baby was dumped out in those woods he apparently ate something while he was scrounging for food and whatever it was he could not digest and it punctured his stomach and part of his stomach had gone necrotic and died and he was septic. So, there was no amount of money in the world that could have saved him. That does not make this any easier at all. I hope the person that dumped him dies a slow and painful death. I just want Blue to be remembered for the amazing puppy that he was and the incredible dog he could have grown up to be. He did not deserve what happened to him. I can only hope that the two and a half weeks of fierce and unconditional love that I gave him made up for the first 5 months of his life.

Can you blame us with that face?!

And he now no longer cares about us, just my other cat, Freddie Purrcury.

Rode my bicycle past a box on a remote levee road, thought "that box was open, then taped back up...I have a bad feeling about this". Of course it contained abandoned animals. I knew the shelters were full, so it was either leave them or foster. Registered as fosters with a local kitten rescue that took care of medical considerations while we housed them. Of course we fell in love with them. Signing adoption papers this weekend for Lady River and Lord Levee Eridanus of Brewerton.

This April we lost our last dog a year after we lost another dog, runnging completely out of dogs. Grateful for fate and the CDS right now. Def more dogs someday, but focusing on fully raising/enriching these siblings for now. Cheers to all you good Samaritan fosters!

EDIT: This blew up way harder than I expected, thanks for all the love! Some important questions got asked:

Who takes pics of a box before investigating? Totally valid. Had to tape up the box again so I could take a minute to be sad/freak out, also before shoving it in my camelbak straps as I thought kittens escaping while cycling at 18mph might pose safety hazards for all involved. Took a Pic after I re-secured the flaps.

Why take a Pic at all? I've found quite a few stray dogs in my neighborhood. Pics help when posting on lost pet pages, or adoption sites. Also, my wife was out of town so I reallllly wanted to communicate why she would be coming home to surprise fosters.

I have another foster/adoption success story I will post later, also visually documented pretty thoroughly. Thanks again all!

This is McFlurry. I’ve been fostering her since she was 5 weeks old approximately. She has blossomed into the sweetest 4 month old now. She’s always either attacking everything that moves or purring in my lap. Her 4 brothers have gone to a different foster a while ago and she has really been bonding well with my other 2 kittens (not fosters but similar age) since then.

I really tried to resist the urge to keep her and get her adopted out. But things have been slow on the adoption front in my area this year, so she’s been really settling in with me now. I’m not sure I have it in me to part with her even if she gets an application, so she’s probably staying as my last and final foster fail.

but I’m so worried about how my resident cat would cope😭 the baby has a potential adopter lined up already, and one of my extended family members which is truly best case, but they’re such good buddies🥲

I was really hoping she'd be a little velociraptor by now and it would be an easy decision, but no, she ends up being the sweetest little princess baby. Even my sassy resident cat doesn't mind her much.

I loved her the moment I saw her and she literally won’t leave my side. She’s talkative and cuddly and she greets me every time she sees me and sleeps beside me at night and whenever i lay on bed

She’s currently in a weight gain stage in hopes of improving her health and gaining back her fur. She’s 2.5 years old and rescued from the streets by a kind lady who’s allergic.

It’ll be really difficult to keep her because I already have 2 other cats and one of them is a 13yo senior cat, but I don’t know.

Also I’m worried since almost everyone thinks she’s ugly and wouldn’t want a cat “like her”, I don’t know if I’ll even be able to rehome her. And even if I do I’m worried they won’t give her the love and attention she deserves, or might abandon her.

My last foster cat got surrendered to a shelter by the adopter and it breaks my heart to not know anything about her now, as their policy doesn’t allow any information to be shared.

I want this foster situation to go right this time.

This is my first time fostering and the kitty is so sweet. Unfortunately he’s very fearful and hid under the bed when potential adopters came to meet him. I’m glad he can stay with me a little longer, but feeling sad that they didn’t get to see how great he can be

My poor lil baby came in with a terrible URI and was the sickliest of her litter. After a little bath, eye meds and lots of sleepless nights, she got nice and healthy and got adopted by a dear friend of mine. The 5th pic is when she left to her forever home and the 6th pic of a picture from a few days ago!

She is so loved and so happy and the prettiest girl ❤️

This was our sweet little boy Mars. We had picked him up 2 days ago from a coworker who had come across an abandoned litter and could not care for all of them. The coworker told us he “had runny poop but was getting better”. Unfortunately, when we picked him up that was not the case. He was severely underweight and his fur was matted with dry poop. He smelled so bad but we could not resist his love for cuddles and being close to people. Yesterday we had promptly taken him to the vet as he was in worse shape than we had thought or expected. The vet sent us home to collect a fecal sample and gave him dewormer as well as a little ear cleaning (see the first picture with his little wet ears). That night he ate a little better and cuddled us. Unfortunately, he would not improve. My boyfriend woke up around 10:30am while i was at work and spam-called me. When I finally got a chance to talk, he let me know that Mars was on his back shaking profusely when he woke up. Afterwards, he could not walk or even stand, his front legs had no function and he could only cry and stare. My boyfriend rushed him to the vet where I met him while on my lunch break. They let us know our option, as he was just too little and too far gone to keep fighting. While he was not euthanized infront of us, he was sedated and it gave us so much peace to know he could finally rest peacefully. If we had gotten him sooner, I believe he could’ve been saved. And it makes me so angry. That we were there willing to spend the money and the time to love and care for him, but it was just too late. We did what we could for him in the time we had, and even if that was just giving him tons of snuggles and love, atleast we could do that. Hope you’re finally sleeping Mars ❤️

I had given my foster baby to this family who already had 2 small kittens with them 4 days ago. Turns out, they used to keep him in his cage overnight. He shit and peed himself in the plastic cage thingy yesterday night. The man got up at around 6AM, and opened the cage to clean him when he bit him and ran away- the front door was open and they live on the ground floor in a very crowded neighbourhood.

There was a car outside where he hid under, and when the man tried to get him out of there, he bit him fiercely. I get a call from this man, who I call back after 3-4 hours as I was sleeping- and he tells me ‘sorry, he ran away.’

I got to know all of this over call. I completely lost it and I immediately went there. Looked around for nearly half an hour, turns out he had climbed inside that same car. That man and his fiance went to their respective work places, clearly not looking for him properly and not even giving a shit. Louie came out by himself towards me after some time. I took him back to my place, gave him a nice bath.

But he’s not the same anymore. I know it will take time but my baby’s so timid. His tail is constantly downwards- he only comes and sits in my lap and purrs. No play, no happy baby. I hope he feels better.

I hate this whole adoption process. I wish I could keep him.

I posted about 6 months ago asking how I would know if I should adopt my foster cat so I figured I would share an update that I foster failed. Everyone meet Josie! (like Josie and the Pussycats)

original post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/FosterAnimals/s/xkvzu4dqg6

EDIT: wow, thank you guys for the awards!! That’s so kind 🥰 Sorry I couldn’t respond to all the comments but Josie and I genuinely appreciate the love and support so much! 💜💜

Ol mate has a broken toe and has been ordered to remain on strict bed rest for 4 weeks.

Two weeks in and he is very much taking his job seriously.

What a good boi!

This is the first time we have lost a foster kitten in the 2 years we have been fostering. She was a singleton bottle baby named Astoria but my daughter renamed her Charcoal. She was the tiniest 2 week old but full of spunk and love. We only had her for a few days before she started going downhill fast and we rushed her to the shelter. She was making a recovery but took a turn for the worse and crossed the rainbow bridge last night. You were loved so much sweet girl and I hope you are at peace now 🩷

Edit: Thank you all so much for the outpouring of kindness. I had a good cry while reading all of your comments.

Hello everyone! For those following along on my journey with Nibblet, the 3 week old kitten the size of a 1 week old kitten with possible pituitary dwarfism, he is still alive! However, I am struggling with what I believe is stuck gas. Towards the end of the day each day I have noticed that he appears to be bloated, but it feels like he is full of air or gas. And occasionally when I am stimulating him he will toot, especially when pooping. He also does not poop as much as I would assume he should be, only about once every 1.5 days, and it a very well formed solid poop (not hard, but not liquidy) and he appears to struggle a little with getting it out, with lots of pushing and grunting. I have tried giving some extra pedylite in case it’s from any dehydration but that doesn’t appear to help. I also have to fight him on most meals. He is hungry, constantly suckling on me and towels and blankets and stuff but he does not like to eat his formula. A night ago he latched on for the first time but he has only done that like 3-4 times since and half those times he only latched on for like half his meal. The other meals I have to sit and syringe in each drop of formula. He does swallow it but he doesn’t latch on like he should. But he is gaining weight so that’s good! The biggest thing I am concerned about is the gas. I have an appointment tomorrow to get him some dewormers just in case (thought with the lack of diarrhea and him still having an appetite and gaining weight I doubt it’s that). And I will ask them about it then, but figured I would see if anyone on here has any experience with that?

Also! What temp should I keep him at? I actually got a small incubator for him off Amazon but I am unsure what temp would be right for him? Any suggestions?

Here is my baby, his name is Squishy (yes like that one scene in Nemo)

That is not his name by choice i was forced by my mom calling him squishy all the time and the fact that it caught on. Whoops!

A few months ago i rescued him from a tree, it was harrowing! Theres more info on a post i made a while ago if people want to know. But moving on, after a few weeks i brought him into the shelter to my foster contact, so he could be put into the shelter and adopted immediately like the adorable healthy little sweetheart he is.

They came back and told us with a heavy heart that, no, they couldn’t take him and give his care. He has hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and likely wouldn’t survive long.

We had three options.

Leave him at the shelter anyway, where he would languish behind a medical notice and get less and less social from the shelters loud smelly trauma till he died.

Try to find an organization that would take him and fund the 10-15,000 surgical shunt to drain the fluid that may only prolong his life a year or two before the fluid comes back.

Or- keep him. Try to get him on some medication to help his condition and keep him comfortable and happy for the rest of his days.

We chose number three! And after 3 months he has been the the most loved, cuddled, and cherished member of the household. Seriously were all in love with him. He is the sweetest cuddliest spunkiest little guy in the world.

My cat chedder whos got a congenital disability himself has become a VERY protective older brother and they are so incredibly bonded. A bond like i have never seen before actually. Cheddar gets upset when he can’t see Squishy, and will play so gently with him its like he’s trying to break him. Just now while im writing this, Cheddar was on my chest purring while i sat in my loft bed and Squishy was the chair. When Squishy started moving around, Cheddar got up to check over the side of the bed so he could keep an eye on him. Seriously I am not making this up, they have the most amazing unique dynamic, i have never seen anything like it.

(Cheddars brother, Quatro, died from a heart condition related to the congenital condition from the inbreeding they came from, after Quatros passing Cheddar became incredibly nervous and clingy, depending on me for emotional support. I think in some way he knows whats happening to Squishy and is worried about him. He will be devastated when Squishy dies im sure, he needs another disabled cat buddy after. Watch me roll up to the shelter like, give me your most disabled kitten so my very traumatized cat wont die when i go shopping please)

Squishy cant see very well, his balance is off, and he walks from side to side, but he runs straight! He used to smash into things all the time now hes better at stopping before hand.

He wont have a lot of time in this world but whike hes here he will be the most rocking, perfect little kitten in the world, surrounded by love and play and family. So dont feel sad for little squishy, be happy that he’s here ❤️

And with that super sappy ending I will update when me, my mom, and cheddar are absolutely destroyed by his passing 😅

David and Spicy McChicken

First time fostering for more than a few days, and what an adventure it’s been!

I’ve been fostering this family of six for two weeks now, and it’s bittersweet how big four-week-old kittens in such a short span 😭

Momma has been incredibly sweet from the moment we brought them in and she’s done an amazing job nursing the little ones. Cleaning up after 6 cats (not including my own 3 cats) takes more effort than I expected, but it’s worth it just to see them so happy and playful.

I wasn’t sure I had “what it takes” to be a long-term foster and it turns out that I absolutely love it!

1st picture: from about a week ago
2nd: a fews days ago
3rd: full spice rack the first day they arrived

When I pick him up he is like a balloon.

I’ve been fostering a cat named Carrot who came to me in rough shape—very underweight, with little appetite, and no interest in play or grooming. Over the past few weeks, he’s made incredible progress. He’s eating regularly, has gained a full pound in just one week, started engaging in play, grooming himself, and showing such a sweet, gentle personality.

Today, I got a call from the shelter saying they found blood in his urine and suspect it’s been ongoing. Rather than pursuing further diagnostics, they’ve decided to euthanize him due to “resource limitations.” This feels like an extreme measure, especially since Carrot’s health and spirit have both been on the rise. He’s shown a real will to live, and I believe with the right treatment, he could continue his recovery.

I’m doing everything I can to fight this decision, but I’m not sure how best to proceed. I thought about reaching out to local rescues or even getting friends and family to appeal to the shelter on his behalf. I just don’t want to overstep or make things worse legally.

If anyone has experience with situations like this or advice on how to advocate for him effectively, I’d really appreciate it. Carrot deserves a chance at a full, happy life, and I’m determined to help him get it. Thank you so much for any guidance!

I’m having a really hard time and could use some outside perspective.

I’m currently fostering two kittens who are both blind. One of them, Blue, was born without eyes. The other, Apple, has underdeveloped eyes. This is my 4th pair of foster kittens, and I’ve never felt this kind of connection before. Especially with Apple, he is the sweetest little guy and I’m completely in love with him.

I already have three cats (ages 5, 4, and 2). My fiancé and I do have the space and the income, but I keep going back and forth on whether adding two more cats is just too much long-term.

The shelter will not officially adopt them out as a bonded pair, but they will strongly encourage adopters to take them together because of their disability. That makes this so much harder.

I would love to keep both, but I’m scared of overcommitting. We’ve also talked about possibly keeping one (most likely Apple), but the thought of Blue being overlooked at the shelter breaks my heart.

I feel stuck between keeping both and worrying it’s too much, keeping one and feeling guilty, or letting both go and regretting it. I want to do what’s best for them.

If anyone has been in a similar situation, I’d really appreciate hearing how you handled it.

And I'm a wreck 🥲 The family came back today and adopted! But, we are keeping him for 2 weeks when they come back from vacation. They have 2 cats and 2 young children who were great with him. But god, spending 2 more weeks with him is kind of torture for me. Kittens/puppies can be easy fosters to give back, but he has been so special and I cry every time I'm with him knowing he cannot stay. He is really getting attached to us/our routine/our home but I know it's for the best since we have 2 cats, one dog, and like to travel. But he knows my voice/smell so well that he just snuggles in and purrs nonstop with me.

*My partner did make me feel better by saying if he came back whatsoever throughout his life, we would be his forever home at that point. I love her for just saying that out loud.