As summer begins, you may hear a lot of buzz about kitten season, along with the importance of, and the critical need for, kitten fosters. Kitten fosters provide love and care for kittens who are too young to survive in a shelter. And this kitten season, we are encouraging everyone to consider fostering—it’s easier than you think! 

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation out there about what it means to be a foster caregiver for itty bitty kitties. We are here to break down those myths and let you know just how easy (and exciting) it is to foster our most vulnerable furry friends.  

7. Myth: My apartment is too small to foster kittens. I don’t have enough space!

Fact: Fostering kittens actually doesn’t require much space. (Have you seen the size of a kitten?!) All you need is a small room, such as a bathroom, to house the kittens while you’re caring for them. If you don’t have a spare small room for them, you can use an enclosed playpen to house the kittens. 

6. Myth: I can’t foster kittens because I have other pets.

Fact: Because kittens are kept separate in a small room like a bathroom, your pets will be away from your foster kittens for the most part. We recommend you keep any resident pets away from your foster kittens for at least two weeks before you consider a meet-and-greet. That way the kittens will have time to get healthy, and your pets will have time to adjust to having them in the house.

5. Myth: I won’t be able to let my foster kittens go. I’m worried that I’ll get too attached!

Fact: We know it’s hard to say goodbye to adorable balls of fluff. But, after fostering your first litter, you’ll be feline empowered when sending your kittens off to a new home, knowing you’ve given them a healthy start to life. Also, saying goodbye means you are making room for more kittens who need fostering! 

4. Myth: I have no idea how to teach kittens to use the litter box. It sounds too hard!

Fact: You actually don’t need to teach kittens to use the litter box. These kittens may be little, but they are smart! Their feline instincts will kick in, and they will already know when and where to go (with maybe just a few mistakes at the start—nobody’s purrfect)!

3. Myth: I have a 9-5 job and just don’t have time to foster.

Fact: Fostering kittens ages four-to-eight weeks old requires a surprisingly little amount time out of your busy schedule! As long as your kittens are healthy and eating on their own, you can feed the kittens three or four times a day, give them socialization (and snuggles) and monitor their health both before you leave and when you get home from work and you’re good to go! 

2. Myth: I can’t take on the financial responsibility. I just don’t have the money to care for foster kittens.

Fact: Many foster programs across the country cover the cost of the kittens’ care and their supplies and toys. It’s free, and fun, to have adorable kittens crashing at your house for a bit!

1. Myth: I have children, so I can’t foster. 

Fact: You can certainly foster kittens if you have children. We actually encourage it! With supervision, children have the oppurrtunity to learn how to care for kittens, play with and socialize them. They’re learning at a young age to love and care for animals responsibly—and we’re all for that! Just be sure that your children wash their hands before and after handling the kittens. Also, keep in mind that if your child has a weakened immune system or is easily susceptible to communicable diseases, you may want to take extra precautions when they are interacting with your foster kittens.  

Now that you’ve got the facts, check out our Meow For Now campaign to find out how you can save kitty lives!