All vet visits must be pre-authorized unless you are willing to pay for the visit yourself. Check with Stephanie first. We work with a number of vets in and around the Gettysburg area who bill FLR directly. There are no out-of-pocket vet costs to a foster parent if they have been sent to the vet by us.

We must be very cautious when deciding whether or not a foster needs to go to the vet as these costs add up very quickly. Adoption fees hardly cover even routine veterinary costs. Each case will be evaluated individually by what is best for the kitty as well as economically feasible for FLR. If a kitty is eating and active, there is likely no urgency.

Authorization to foster parents for vet visits may be given for:

• Fever (103.5 or above, rectally)
• Respiratory distress (choking, wheezing, open-mouth breathing, shortness of breath)
• Green secretions and/or bad odor from nasal area
• Not eating or drinking for more than a few days
• Eyes that are red, swollen, and/or have extreme discharge and have not responded to eye ointment after a week
• Extreme lethargy for more than a day or two
• Obvious distress, pain or pronounced behavior/weight changes.
• For kittens less than 2-3 weeks: open mouth breathing, not nursing/latching, and crawling away from the litter/mother
• Lingering symptoms delaying a kitten otherwise ready for adoption

 

Spaying/Neutering

Kittens are ready to be spayed and neutered once they are at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least two lbs. Let Stephanie know when a litter or singleton reaches BOTH milestones and she will schedule the appointment.