# Looking for cat foster parents! Desperately!



## Sarahr34xx (Jul 29, 2016)

Hi....I am in desperate need of help. I am desperately looking for a kind hearted foster parent for my two cats Jack and Dan. They are absolute best buddies. Dan is 10 and Jack is 4. Both indoor cats and both the most affectionate, human-like cats you could ever wish to meet. It's absolutely broken my heart to have to do this but we are expecting our first baby in September and I just cannot bring a newborn into a house with cats. Not at least until her immune system is strong enough. Anyone with cats knows the amount of hair that gets everywhere and we have tried so hard for this baby. I just want them to be in a loving home for about 12 months or so until the baby gets established and is strong and healthy. They mean the world to me. I would obviously pay for their food and make a monthly allowance payment. I just need them to be somewhere they can get the love and affection they deserve.


----------



## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Umm. I honestly do not know what to say.


----------



## buffie (May 31, 2010)

moggie14 said:


> Umm. I honestly do not know what to say.


Me neither so best I say nothing


----------



## Dobby65 (Aug 7, 2014)

I know what to say - poor, poor kitties.


----------



## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

What harm is cat hair going to do to a baby? Your baby will be fine with cats in the house. Plenty of babies live in houses with cats. I don't understand your concerns?


----------



## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

Are you expecting you baby to be born with health issues or a compromised immune system ? If not then the presence of cats or cat hair would not normally be expected to have any effect on your baby. Obviously you need to stop your baby from handling cat faeces or playing in the litter tray and give the cat somewhere to go to escape your baby when s/he becomes more mobile but sensible precautions and management should be sufficient.

Your baby will receive antibodies against the germs you commonly encounter via their first feeds so these will protect them initially and as their own immune system developed they will so have antibodies of their own.

If you have other reasons for removing the cats then it might be better for them to find a reputable rescue they can be rehomed by. They could remain with you in the interim but the rescue could vet prospective adopters.

I understand some (non pet owning) health professionals ( and family friends and relatives) can sometimes advise prospective parents to be to "get rid of their pets" in the best interest of their babies but as many many pet owners who are also parents can attest, owning pets and babies / young children is not an issue.

If your baby subsequently is found to be allergic to your cats dander then off course rehoming your cats might be something that needs to be considered. But otherwise owning cats at the same time as having a baby shouldn't be detrimental to the baby ( or the cats).


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Sarahr34xx - getting rid of your cats because of the arrival of the baby is the worse possible thing you can do to protect your baby's health. Studies have been done which show that children who grow up from babies sharing their home with pets are much less likely to develop childhood allergies.

In one research study conducted at Finland's University of Turku it was found that a child having close contact with a pet in the home increases the likelihood of animal gut bacteria transfer, which then increases the immunity of the child against different types of allergens, including pet dander.

Pet dander is considered as one of the most common triggers of allergy diseases. It contains a protein that causes the human immune system to overreact which results in allergy symptoms.

For the blind study the researchers selected 51 women with young babies and pets as the test group, and for the control group they selected 64 women with babies but no pets.

The babies in both groups underwent two types of tests at different times. When they were one month old, their DNA was tested using faecal samples, for the presence of two types of animal gut bacteria. 43% of the babies who'd lived with pets tested positive for the protective bacteria, while only 10% of the control group had them.

When the babies were 6 mths old the researchers did a number of skin prick tests to find out which allergies the babies were prone to. More than 25% of the babies raised WITHOUT pets in the home had allergic reactions to various substances using the skin prick tests. Of the babies raised WITH pets, none had allergic reactions.

I am very thankful my parents raised me with pets, (dogs and cats) not only for the fantastic companionship they provided me with as a child, but also for the fact that I did not develop any childhood allergies.


----------



## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

I had two cats and one dog when I had my son and never considered rehoming any of them; had there been a subsequent problem, on medical advice I would have had to consider it. Agree totally with what @chillminx has said. Babies won't develop an immunity to something with which they are not in contact. Just because a baby is ''strong and healthy and about a year old'' does not meant it will have developed an immunity to cat dander (or anything else) with which it has never been in contact.


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

No response from the OP to our comments even though she logged on this morning ?


----------



## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

chillminx said:


> No response from the OP to our comments even though she logged on this morning ?


Presumably she didn't like our replies hun


----------



## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

@chillminx and @moggie14: So often this happens...new poster...the word ''desperate'' in title of post; but then they don't like the fact that people do not agree with their post, they disappear, and one is left wondering what happens to the poor unwanted cats. ''I just cannot bring a new-born into the house with cats''. Well, I did, the ''new-born'' is now 6'5'' and one of the cats is still soldiering on. It's the same with the ''allergies'' which force so many ''loving owners'' to advertise their cats on Gumtree as ''free to good home''. Sad story altogether.


----------



## Sarahr34xx (Jul 29, 2016)

Perhaps you should maybe think before you speak a lot of you and keep your nasty little opinions to yourself and maybe think about what I have been through during the pregnancy and the things that I ALREADY KNOW about both mine and the babies health before you make off the cuff hurtful comments when you have absolutely no idea of the personal details of mine and the babies situation. It's not just "on a whim" but there is no way in a million years I would put a human life at risk. Never. And if any of you think you would then there is something seriously wrong with you. Just take a second to think about what horrific things a person has been through before making spiteful rude comments and think about the reason why someone is doing this. None of you have absolutely any idea about the medical details so you cannot pass judgement at all. You've just made yourself look like absolute nasty pieces of work with not an ounce of sympathy, empathy or understanding between you. I just hope none of you ever, ever, ever have to go through what I am going through/have been through. I hope you all sleep well with your spiteful, cruel and sharp tongues and just hope you never have to suffer what I have had to go through. Nasty nasty people. I come here for help thinking there would be warm, kind hearted people like myself but what do I find? A gang of immature playground bullies who should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. Like I say I just hope the same does not ever happen to you or your families. Absolutely disgraceful.


----------



## Sarahr34xx (Jul 29, 2016)

chillminx said:


> No response from the OP to our comments even though she logged on this morning ?


Maybe it should cross your cruel little mind that there were more urgent issues happening than replying to a bunch of nasty little witches who have no idea about what situation is going on


----------



## Sarahr34xx (Jul 29, 2016)

Calvine said:


> @chillminx and @moggie14: So often this happens...new poster...the word ''desperate'' in title of post; but then they don't like the fact that people do not agree with their post, they disappear, and one is left wondering what happens to the poor unwanted cats. ''I just cannot bring a new-born into the house with cats''. Well, I did, the ''new-born'' is now 6'5'' and one of the cats is still soldiering on. It's the same with the ''allergies'' which force so many ''loving owners'' to advertise their cats on Gumtree as ''free to good home''. Sad story altogether.


Like I said in my other response, before you go attacking people maybe you should think about what personal circumstances are going on and the fact I should not have to broadcast the entire details of my medical history in order to not be prosecuted. And maybe just maybe you should think that there are urgent things happening which makes someone not be able to reply to spiteful remarks within 30 seconds. Nobody said the cats are unwanted. You at clearly part of a bunch of vicious people who have nothing better to do than sit on this site waiting to pounce on people who are in genuine need of help. Nasty nasty pieces of work.


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

No, you are the one who is being vicious, and very spiteful. Your replies are totally unreasonable and out of proportion to the replies we gave you. You evidently feel you can get away with such rude offensive remarks because you can hide like a coward behind the anonymity afforded you by internet. 

Thank goodness most people who come here to ask for help do not react like you just have or this forum would be a miserable place to be, instead of the positive warm and friendly place it is.


----------



## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Wow how rude!


----------



## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

Sarahr34xx said:


> in order to not be prosecuted


Prosecuted...by whom?


----------



## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

chillminx said:


> Your replies are totally unreasonable and out of proportion to the replies we gave you


Agree, @chillminx: you in particular took the time to write a long and (I thought) very helpful and informative post which was not acknowledged.


----------



## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

OP

If you and or your baby are likely to have health issues that could be compromised by the presence of your cats then finding them a new home (temporary or otherwise) makes sense.

Without this information, it was difficult for people responding to determine from your first post why a temporary rehome is required.

There are a large number of people that post on the forum wanting to rehome cats purely because they have been told by family members, midwives or other health professionals that pets and babies are incompatible, usually by those that do not own animals themselves.

In cases where there are no health issues then having a baby and owning pets is not an issue and normally there is no reason to rehome. 

However if there are medical reasons why rehoming is the most appropriate action then that is entirely reasonable.

People do not expect you to give details as to the medical reason but it really helps to know that there is one in order to understand that your reasons for rehoming are different from those that are under the general impression babies and pets cannot live together.

I don't know where in the country you are but wood green animal shelter does provide temporary fostering in certain circumstances so it may be worth approaching them.


----------



## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Wow, such rudeness after a couple of well thought of members posted some very sound advice.

OP, people have been having babies for millenia with animals around without any issues, it's highly unlikely that yours is going to be any different.

How on earth did you cope with cleaning litter trays during your pregnancy so far?


----------



## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

I think OP's reaction and response to subsequent posts (many of which were helpful) was totally over-the-top, juvenile and immature. I am starting to wonder about the authenticity of the original post to be honest.


----------



## westie~ma (Mar 16, 2009)

Closing this


----------

