Foster Support

The neonatal program is constantly striving to make fostering easier and more accessible for fosters, and we have a few systems in place to assist with supplies, transportation, and general advice and mentorship.

Supply Hubs

Fosters may request to pick up a variety of kitten care supplies at supply hubs distributed across Austin, Round Rock, and Cedar Park. This service is intended for after-hours emergencies and to help fosters avoid long commutes to the nursery.

Available items include:

Purina One kitten food - both canned & kibble
Shelter's Choice formula powder
Bottles
Miracle nipples
10cc & 1cc syringes
Heating pads
Digital scales
Routine dewormer
Feeding tubes
Butterfly needles
Baby wipes

To request items from your local supply hub, please fill out this form. We will respond to requests same-day if submitted before 7pm, or within 24 hours if submitted after 7pm.

Kitty Catpool

The kitty catpool is a network of transport volunteers who can drive kittens, medications, and other supplies between the Tarrytown nursery, APA clinic, and fosters' homes. Fosters can request transport for last-minute medications and emergency situations if they are unable to get to APA during business hours.

To request help with transport, please fill out this form. We will respond to requests same-day if submitted before 7pm, or within 24 hours if submitted after 7pm. PLEASE NOTE: Our ability to provide transport is dependent on the availability of our small and dedicated group of catpool volunteers. If you or anyone you know would like to volunteer, please email neonatalfostering@austinpetsalive.org and let us know!

Foster Support Sessions

We hold virtual meetings on the first Tuesday of every month to provide a space for fosters to connect with one another face to face, share their wins and challenges, and offer support to one another through some of the more difficult aspects of fostering. Whether you want to share or just listen, and whether you're a new foster or have been fostering for years, all fosters are welcome.

Announcements with the meeting link are sent to current fosters and posted to our Facebook group before each meeting.

Neonatal Mentors

The neonatal mentors are a dedicated group of volunteers who are available to answer any questions that come up throughout the fostering process. Each foster is assigned a mentor as soon as they take their kittens home, and can email them at any time for advice related to kitten care, feeding tips, space set up, and any health or behavioral concerns. All of our mentors are experienced fosters themselves, and are there to help you navigate all the ins and outs of caring for neonatal kittens! Scroll down to meet our amazing mentor team.

Sara

Sara mostly fosters short-term emergency placements, and really loves bottle babies and critical-care cases of older neonates. Here she is pictured with Kevin, APA! Lionel class of 2020, a really sick baby who turned into a giant healthy floof.

Christine

In addition to mentoring, Christine is also a nursery feeder and virtual trainer! She started fostering in early 2020 and has since developed an obsession with Tuxies after fostering so many sweet ones. Please send her photos of your black and white kittens!

Stephanie

Stephanie is one of our original neonatal mentors -- she's been doing it since 2014! She mentors fosters who take home orphan kittens, and she also leads APA's cat behavior team.

Mary F.

Mary F. has been a volunteer feeder in the nursery since 2013, a neonatal trainer since 2015, a panleuk foster since 2017, and a mentor since 2018! Mary exclusively fosters kittens diagnosed with the virus panleukopenia, so she's one of the most medically experienced fosters around!

Katie

Katie started out as a feeder in the nursery before quickly getting conned into fostering (and is super glad she did!). She loves the spicy mamas so much that she was adopted by 2 of them (so far...). Katie mentors fosters of pregnant momcats and nursing families.

Kathy

Kathy started fostering kittens in 2010 and has been a part of the nursery and mentor team for 12 years! She is mom to 3 humans, 1 dog, and 2 cats, and she loves hiking mountains, warm weather, and vegan tacos.

Mary J.

Mary J. is a longtime mentor and Neonatal Program volunteer. In addition to her years of experience training volunteers and fosters to feed kittens, she also specializes in incontinent cats (like O'Purry above).

Kyla M.

Kyla is our newest mentor, but she has been an APA! Neonatal Foster for many years. Despite fostering hundreds of kittens, she and her partner have NEVER foster failed! She is also a professional baker, and skilled visual artist!

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