In part 1 of this series, our Bangalore Cat Squad (BCS) volunteer wrote about her experience caring for her first rescued kitten, Juno. In the second part, we will guide readers on how to foster cats, and the process of adoption and caring for cats with feline distemper/simian parvovirus (SPV).
Therapists often recommend animal companionship, and many people have asked for our help in this regard. Using expert insights, we have developed methods to assess, assist, and enable adoptions for those grappling with mental health issues. Witnessing lives revitalised and spirits uplifted by the profound affection of a small animal has been a testament to the transformative power of such relationships.
Embracing inclusivity
BCS embodies inclusivity, acknowledging that love and care can originate from any corner of society. Our fosters represent a diverse spectrum, including individuals from the disability community and LGBTQIA backgrounds. This diversity has equipped us to advocate for adoptions among those often overlooked. For instance, we discovered that people with disabilities have difficulty adopting pets because the process has many barriers. Over the years, we have successfully enabled adoptions for persons with disabilities.
Guide on adoption
We have a 100% successful adoption rate. Rehoming stray animals is not easy and we began with the notion that we would use an encouraging narrative instead of one focused on distress and dysfunction. We highlight positive outcomes and celebrate the ordinary, which has yielded remarkable results.
Apart from those who help with rescue efforts, tireless champions such as Vivek Shirke, Rashi Narang and Ridhima Coelho support our work through fundraising, adoption camps and medical supplies.
Read more: A citizen’s drive to care for stray animals in Mumbai
Guide to fostering/nurturing
The Bangalore Cat Squad Foster Manual provides a comprehensive guide for fostering weaned kittens, focusing on their care during the initial days. It covers preparations like creating a safe, cosy space for the kittens, handling health assessments, cleaning, feeding, litter training, and socialising. The manual offers practical advice on treating common issues such as dehydration, fleas, diarrhoea and injuries while emphasising the importance of consulting a vet for serious health concerns. Additionally, it highlights fostering best practices, like providing warmth, food, and socialisation opportunities, to help kittens thrive.
Both foster and cat parents must recognise the early signs and symptoms of common illnesses that affect kittens and cats. This includes Feline Panleukopenia (also known as feline distemper), a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease that requires specialised care.
Here is a guide from BCS on caregiving for infected kittens/cats.
How can you contribute?
If you would like to support our work, here is what you can do:
- Adopt via the BCS Screening Form
- Join as a volunteer or foster.
- Share a space with us if you are a business owner so that we can host adoption camps.
- Donate in kind — food and resources.
- Donate: BCS is incubated by the Samarpan Foundation (since 2018). Please use the donation link https://samarpanfoundation.org/donate and select Animal Welfare-Bangalore to support us.
Alternatively, write to Poorima at animal.welfare@samarpanfoundation.org
Donations support our medical care work and allow us to continue to scale our ecosystem of offerings.
We now have 12 veterinary hospitals in Bangalore which are open 24×7. For actual location, please type the name as mentioned below in Google Maps.