Cappycat: March 2008

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Animal shelter looks for foster homes for kittens and puppies

Animal shelter looks for foster homes for kittens and puppies
Shelter staff says they want more foster homes in place before springtime influx.

By Isadora Vail
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, March 06, 2008

GEORGETOWN — Kathy Wright didn't expect to have to wake up every two hours to feed the two kittens she promised to take care of.

She set the clock anyway, anxious to see if they would survive intestinal and digestive problems at only 2 weeks old.

Wright became a foster parent for kittens in October, after volunteering at the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter. She and her husband brought two malnourished kittens home, wanting to save them.

"We tend to go for the more challenging pets, where they need more care," Wright said. "It is very rewarding when you see them go from 5 ounces to 2 pounds."

The animal shelter is rebounding from its troubled opening last year that was marked by overcrowding, controversy over conditions and staff turnover. Director Cheryl Schneider hopes to bring down the shelter's euthanasia rate and says training more people to become foster parents could help.

Such families would house kittens or puppies until they were about 8 weeks old. Schneider said they also need help with some special needs or post-surgery animals. Schneider said the shelter would pay for formula and bottles, and other materials for small animals.

Currently, the euthanasia rate is about 28 percent for dogs and 62 percent for cats, but that number is expected to go up in spring, when a burst of kittens and puppies are expected to come in. Both dogs and cats often breed during that time.

The shelter has 81 kennels for cats and 88 kennels for dogs, all of which can hold two animals.

Schneider said they expect the dog population to increase about 25 percent and cats to nearly double once spring arrives.

"I would like to see about 100 active families that we could call to come pick up the animals for a few weeks," Schneider said.

Schneider is also looking for a volunteer to coordinate a foster program that she is hoping to start. A class would be offered to teach neonatal care.

Wright, who lives in Round Rock, learned just how hard it could be to raise kittens. After getting up every two hours for nearly a month, she said she was happy to see the kittens grow to be healthy.

"I never had children, so I didn't know what it was like to get up every few hours to care for them," Wright said.

"They don't have someone to take care of them, and you just feel so bad because it's not their fault."

Wright is now fostering six kittens that will be ready for adoption in two weeks.