Pet Foster Care

“Cold Noses, Warm Hearts”, the Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center’s foster care program is funded in part by donations to FACF. Donations to FACF help fund foster care coordination, training and educational materials for foster parents, medications, and supplies a foster parent needs to care for an animal.

The majority of foster animals are kittens. Kitten season in Iowa runs May through December. Kittens may be found as strays or surrendered by owners who cannot care for them.

In a best case scenario, kittens arrive with their mother, who can care for them until they are old enough to be weaned and adopted. The mom and babies go to foster care together. Frequently, kittens arrive without their mother, and need more specialized care. Kittens under four weeks of age need bottle fed every three to four hours. Older kittens require lots of socialization and play time. 

FACF provides funding for kitten milk replacement, heating pads, kitty havens (caging), and more. If you are interested in becoming a Pet Foster Home, contact the Foster Care Coordinator Charlotte Tobiason at: 319-541-8631.  Print off the application here.

Steinway's Story

A momma cat and her 7 kittens, just 3 weeks old,  came into the Animal Center and were all diagnosed with ringworm. While not fatal, ringworm is highly contagious to other animals and humans as well.  Momma cat and her kittens were able to live with a foster family who quarantined them and  treated the ringworm.  The kittens returned to the Animal Center healthy and ready for adoption. One of these kittens was Steinway.  He went to his forever home in July and is living a happy, healthy life with kids who adore him!

Donations to FACF helped pay for Steinway's ringworm treatment and supplies in Foster Care and allowed a kitten who might otherwise have been euthanized a chance at a long life in a loving home.

 


 

 

 

 

 

Bokusa's Story

Bokusa arrived at the Animal Center flea and tapeworm infested, with engorged mammary glands and a broken rear leg. Despite her pain, she allowed staff to pick her up and carry her outside to potty several times a day. She soon won the hearts of everyone who met her, taking treats gingerly and giving kisses in return.

Initially, Bokusa had surgery to pin her broken leg. The break would not heal and she had another surgery to remove the leg. Complications during the amputation and healing time required a third surgery for a skin graph.

Recovering from surgery in the shelter environment would have been very difficult given Bokusa’s already weak immune system and the everyday stress a shelter environment can have on an animal. Thanks to FACF, Bokusa recovered from her surgeries in a quiet and healthy foster home environment.

She gained physical strength and learned that humans can give lots of love, and plenty of treats too! Bokusa’s foster parents took care of her serious medical needs, giving her medications and dressing her wounds regularly. They also provided Bokusa with socialization and training, preparing her for adoption into a loving ”forever home”.

Donations to FACF helped pay for Bokusa’s surgeries, medications, and the supplies her foster family needed to help her regain her strength and become the beautiful dog that she is today.