Category Archives: Foster

All Aboard the Shelter Skippers Foster Program!

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Do you know what time it is? It’s about quarter to kitten season and that means Tree House is ramping up our foster team efforts with a brand new program: Shelter Skippers.

Calling all potential Captains! Our goal is to get these kitties cruising from foster straight into forever without ever touching the shelter. Why would we want to do this?

  • It increases our capacity for care – if cats don’t come into the shelter, we have more available floor space to help more cats
  • It’s less stressful for the cats – having to switch homes one less time is going to be better for cats whose lives are already in flux
  • Some cats show better in homes – the shelter, despite our best efforts, can be stressful – Other animals, new smells, new people every day. Many cats show their personalities much better in a home setting, which will help them get adopted faster so they can start their new lives being loved as soon as possible.

So, what are the differences between our previous foster program and Shelter Skippers? In the Shelter Skippers program, we’re asking our fosters to become active advocates for the cats in their care. This will include:

  • Advertising the cats with a public social media presence. Fosters are asked to turn their foster charges into online superstars. Well, OK, we don’t expect them to become the next Grumpy Cat, but we do ask that they become a regular part of your social media postings. The more their faces get seen, the quicker they will be adopted. And think of all the cute nautical themes you can use!
  • Posting a lawn sign, wearing a button (Ask me about my Skipper!), or handing out info cards about your cat(s)
  • Serving as an adoption advocate for interested adopters. Tree House will handle initial inquiries and paperwork, and then potential adopters will visit the foster cat in the foster parents’ home. Captains of the Skipper Squads (e.g. foster parents) will conduct the showing and provide feedback to Tree House about how it went.
  • Be there for the pick up. Adopters will come directly to your home to pick up their new family member.

Interested in helping Tree House expand our life-saving capacities? Then come to a Shelter Skippers info session to find out more! We’ll be holding them Thursday, February 13th at 6 pm and Saturday, February 22nd at 11 am. Can’t make either? We’ll be hosting a call in conference line to make it easier to attend (email for details). Still can’t get there? Email us.

If you’re already a foster parent, you can choose to take part in the Shelter Skippers program or not, depending on your comfort level. In either case, you’re a major part of why we can do what we do and we appreciate you.

TOOT TOOT! ALL ABOARD THE SKIPPER SHIP! Let’s get these kitties adopted!

Love,

Tree House.

Tree House Takes in 30 Oklahoma Storm Cats

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We did it. In partnership with Anti-Cruelty and HSUS, three of Tree House’s team members showed up on the tarmac at Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling, IL to meet 181 dogs and cats. With PAWS Chicago, Felines and Canines, Green County Humane Society, and Animal Care League, we took in almost 200 animals to make room at the Tulsa Humane Society in Oklahoma for the animals who need shelter while they’re separated from their families during the storms.

A litter of kittens after the long flight.

They were hot. It was noisy. There was a lot of meowing. But we got them all back to Tree House safely and the rest of our team took over unloading them, getting them into the clinic, and processing each one. Some went right to the floor for adoption. Others are too small and will go into foster. A few more are awaiting space on the adoption floor to open up. All are safe.

  • A dog leaving the plane.

  • The plane carrying 181 animals.
Gidget, first off the plane and, now and forever, a Tree House Cat.

It’s days like today when someone like me, your writer, is thankful to work in animal rescue. All the way over here in Chicago, our community of rescuers and supporters came together to offer relief to animals and their families halfway across the country. The work is hard but so rewarding and it’s impossible not to be utterly, completely thankful on days like today that there are people out there who care enough to make sure these animals are safe and sound. Being out on that tarmac today brings an indescribable joy and satisfaction that I’ve never felt in any other place. Of course, not every day feels as heroic as today. Not every day includes airplanes and tarmacs, engines, running around, and hundreds of animals. Some days are quiet. But all days are important. And all days, we need each other because the animals need us.

If you’d like to help with this project, you can donate at http://treehouseanimals.org/OKStormCats

A doggie being carried off the plane.

Love,

Tree House.

Click Here To Save A Life

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Ah. You’ve clicked. That means you want to save a life. That means we’re on the same page, you and Tree House. There’s one really easy way to do it. Ready?

Foster.

That’s it. Every cat you foster is a life saved, especially for kittens under six weeks of age. CACC can’t keep kittens under six weeks, so they have less than 24 hours to find a safe place. We can pull them, but we HAVE to have a place to put them, and because kittens’ immune systems are delicate and they’re too young to be vaccinated, they need a safe place to rest until they’re big enough and strong enough to become full-fledged cats and come into our shelter.

Thanks for fostering!

Do you have a bathroom? Perfect. That’s all they need.

Do you have a spare room with a door to keep them separated from your resident animals? Great. You’re ready.

Do you live alone and have no other pets? Fantastic. You’re the perfect candidate.

It’s not hard, and once you do it, you’ll see why it’s one of the greatest experiences you, as a human, can have.

Every cat fostered is one life saved. That’s it.

Come to our kitten shower to learn more.

Love,

Tree House.

Kitten Conundrum: Where Do They Go Until They’re Ready?

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Hey you. Yeah, you there. I’ll bet you like kittens. It might be a little or you might already be wearing one on your t-shirt right now. If they’re not on your shirt, they might be on your socks. If they’re not on your socks, they’re probably on your mind. We know they’re definitely on OUR minds here at Tree House because it is just about to be kitten season. And what happens during kitten season? Kittens arrive. And then they need medical care. And food. And love. And they need to grow. Why? So we can spay and neuter them so they can go on to lead a long, fruitful life as someone’s best friend while not bearing any kitten-like fruit.

Now, let’s talk about the rub, for there is indeed a rub: Kittens aren’t generally spayed or neutered until they’re at least 2 lbs, which is around two months or later, depending on their health when they come in, and they can’t be admitted to our colonies until they’ve had their surgeries and vaccinations. So, where do the kittens go from the time we get them until they’re ready?

FOSTER.

This is from your writer’s private stash of foster photos. That’s Tot. I fostered her for Tree House in 2014 and I got to watch her grow up as I got updates from her adopter. They were too young to survive without their mom.

That word deserves its own paragraph because that’s how important it is. If you want to directly save a life, you foster. You see, if Tree House (or any rescue, for that matter) has open foster homes, we can pull more kittens from CACC because we know we have a safe place to keep them. If we have no place to keep them, we can’t pull as many. Every foster home equals AT LEAST one life saved. And if you take a whole litter of kittens? MORE lives saved!

Tree House needs two things right now: Long-term fosters and emergency fosters. If you are able to keep newborn kittens in a safe place for up to 72 hours, we need you. Those 72 hours are crucial and give us a place to stash these little critters while we find them the other thing we’re looking for: long-term fosters.

Our long term fosters will keep the kittens until they’re ready for the adoption floor. This is usually from 6 weeks to a few months.

Imagine it: you watch them grow, you love them, you scoop their boxes, play with them, enjoy them, and then, you set them free. Not back into the street, obviously, but into Tree House where they’ll find the homes of their dreams, all because of you.

We need you. THEY need you.

Are you ready to save a life? Click here to start.

Love,

Tree House.

PS If you want a little experience before you accept your first foster friend, come to our Kitten Shower & Foster Recruitment Event this coming May 5, from 11 am to 1 pm. We’ll play some games, provide some foster information, have some snacks, and we MAY have a visit from some kittens. It’s $10 per person, RSVP required.

Can’t make it? Send our little ones a gift. Kittens have wishes, too! Click here to view our Kitten Wishlist on Amazon.

#ThanksToMaddie, We Can Save More Kittens!

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Last Sunday, many of us from Tree House (staff, fosters, volunteers) gathered in our community room together with ten other rescue organizations to take a class from the National Kitten Coalition (NKC) that delivered important information about saving more kittens. Presented by Rosemarie Crawford, the class covered topics ranging from providing urgent care to kittens upon intake to dealing with infectious diseases and how to offer supportive care for illnesses like panleukopenia. Everyone walked away with a comprehensive handbook and much more confidence to go forward caring for little ones.

Tree House’s Dr. Emily and Rosemarie Crawford addressing our full house. (Photo provided by Rosemarie.)

Tree House was also able to host the NKC for an afternoon session aimed at helping shelters/rescues start or improve and expand their foster programs, a particularly important initiative during kitten season, when it seems like the little guys are falling out of the sky. This was all thanks to a grant from Maddie’s Fund to the NKC so that they are able to offer this lifesaving program to organizations who need it. Topics included information on how to find fosters, the benefits of fostering (For this writer, it has always been the joy of seeing kittens in my bathtub), how to fund your programs, and how to set your fosters up for success throughout the program. Thanks to Maddie, Tree House and all the organizations who joined us are now ready to improve our foster programs for this season and in the coming years.

A big thank you to both the NKC and Maddie’s Fund for making this day happen. We were so proud to host you and all of the wonderful organizations who joined us for the day so that, as a community, we can do more to help further our unified cause of saving lives.

Love,

Tree House.

P.S. For our readers who are curious about fostering, send us an email at fosterATtreehouseanimals.org to learn more. Olga and Kate, our fabulous foster team, will answer all of your questions with no pressure to go forward if you decide it’s not right for you. We’ll even be having a foster recruitment Kitten Shower this year on May 5, from 11 am to 1 pm (details to come) if you want more hands-on demonstrations. Fostering is a direct way to save a life (or many tiny lives) so if you’re even a little, kitten-sized bit interested in bottle feeding, snuggling, cuddling, and helping to raise a furry little friend who will always hold you forever dear as their very first loving human, send us a note. All you need is a spare room and a big heart.

Scared, Sick, and Disoriented – Wandering in a Busy Street

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Isaac was clearly struggling. Imagine the terror this poor cat was feeling: trapped in the middle of a busy Chicago street — turning in every direction, only to be confronted with another car rushing past. Isaac didn’t know how to get to safety.

It was only a matter of time before Isaac would be hit by a passing car and severely injured or killed.

Drivers Sprang into Action

Remarkably, several Good Samaritans saw that he was struggling and stopped their cars in the street, surrounding Isaac to protect him from oncoming traffic. One driver jumped out of her car and pulled him to safety. Immediately, she could tell Isaac was suffering and called Tree House for help!

In Bad Shape

When Isaac arrived at Tree House, he needed urgent care. During his initial veterinary examination, our clinic team discovered that Isaac had severe and painful infections in both ears and very limited vision — both of which contributed to his disorientation. He was also missing 13 teeth and suffering from dental disease, which is not uncommon for cats who are malnourished from living on the streets. In addition to treating his ear infections and extracting several infected teeth, we biopsied his tumor.

 When Isaac arrived, his first and most noticeable condition was a large raw tumor bulging on his right shoulder. Tests revealed his tumor was cancerous. But this beautiful cat’s good fortune continued — the type of cancer he had rarely spreads or recurs. We removed the tumor and his prognosis is very good!

A New Start

We placed Isaac with one of our foster parents so he could rest and recover and have the security of a warm bed, food, and water along with the love that he so desperately needed.

Isaac has healed incredibly well both physically and emotionally. He is a bit camera shy but a sweet and affectionate cat who turned out to be a real snuggler. He loves taking naps on a comfy lap. Despite being a senior cat with limited vision, Isaac is an active boy who enjoys playtime.

Ready for a Home

Thanks to people like you, Isaac is safe at Tree House and ready to be adopted. We hope this deserving cat will not have to wait long for his new home! Please share Isaac’s story to help him find a loving home.

Your Gift Helps Even More Cats Like Isaac

There are thousands of cats just like Isaac living outside in Chicago – many of whom are struggling. We believe every cat deserves to live a safe and healthy life.

Your Donation Helps Give Them a Fighting Chance!

To Tree House Humane Society