Foster kittens require specific medical care protocols to prevent the infectious diseases that spread rapidly in early development and cause significant welfare and mortality.
Foster kitten medical care protocols exist because the first weeks of life represent the highest-risk period for welfare-compromising disease. A litter of kittens exposed to an upper respiratory virus without treatment can deteriorate rapidly from sneezing to eye ulceration to systemic illness within days. Appropriate medical care from the start — parasiticide treatment, vaccination scheduling, respiratory infection management — is not optional extra welfare care but the foundation of appropriate foster kitten management. Well-supported foster carers with access to veterinary guidance have dramatically better kitten welfare outcomes than those managing independently.