Foster Training – Lesson 1

Paperwork & Medical Logs First

This lesson is intentionally taught before medical treatments, feeding, or behavior.

Core rationale:

  • If it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen.

  • Medical patterns are invisible without logs.

  • Accurate paperwork protects:

    • the animal

    • the foster

    • the rescue

    • the veterinarian

Paperwork is not bureaucracy — it is animal care.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, fosters will:

  • Understand why we track what we track

  • Know how to use the medical and daily logs

  • Recognize red flags that require escalation

  • Feel empowered (not afraid) to report concerns

Lesson Outline

1. Why We Track (5 minutes)

Key points to emphasize:

  • Weight trends matter more than single numbers

  • Appetite changes often precede illness

  • Stool changes are one of the earliest warning signs

  • Vets diagnose patterns, not vibes

2. How to Use the Logs (8–10 minutes)

Introduce:

  • Daily weight tracking

  • Stool consistency tracking (numeric scale)

  • Appetite tracking (what + how much)

  • Notes on behavior, energy, hydration, and symptoms

Clarify:

  • Short notes are fine

  • Consistency matters more than perfect wording

  • One line per day is enough if done daily

Key line:

“You don’t need to diagnose — just observe and record.”

3. Thresholds for Escalation (5 minutes)

Clear, concrete triggers for contacting the rescue team:

Escalate if:

  • Weight loss or plateau in young kittens

  • Diarrhea lasting more than 24 hours

  • Lethargy, hiding, or sudden behavior change

  • Not eating or eating significantly less

  • Vomiting

  • Any ‘something feels off’ instinct

4. Permission Statement (2–3 minutes)

This is critical for new fosters.

Say explicitly:

  • You are not expected to know everything

  • Asking questions is a strength

  • Early reporting saves lives

  • Silence is the only mistake

Key line:

“We can’t help with what we don’t know.”

Core Philosophy (Repeat These Often)

  • Observation beats assumption

  • Patterns matter more than moments

  • Early reporting prevents emergencies

  • Paperwork is part of fostering

This new style of keeping group records makes it easier to control spread of parasites when new cats are added to the group. See example below for what to do about coccidia when a new kitten is added

Coccidia Treatment Synchronization Decision Tree

Rolling Intake – Shared Foster Space

START

A foster brings a new kitten into a home with existing foster kittens.

STEP 1: Are there kittens already in the home?

☐ NO

→ Treat new kitten per standard intake protocol
→ Start Day 0 for that kitten
→ End

☑ YES

→ Go to Step 2

STEP 2: Are the existing kittens currently on a coccidia treatment schedule?

☐ NO (not currently being treated)

→ Go to Step 3

☑ YES (mid-treatment or between rounds)

→ Go to Step 4

STEP 3: Existing kittens NOT currently on treatment

Assumption:
Exposure is already shared the moment kittens co-house.

Action:

  • All kittens (new + existing) start treatment together

  • Designate the same Day 0 for everyone

  • Use one shared treatment calendar

📌 Key rule:

You do not treat the new kitten separately.

Logging:

  • Note “rolling intake – synchronized start”

  • Track weights individually, treatment collectively

→ End

STEP 4: Existing kittens ARE currently on treatment

This is the most common failure point — so this step is strict.

4A. Is the existing group within the first treatment window?

(early phase, before the post-treatment countdown begins)

☑ YES

  • Add the new kitten immediately

  • New kitten receives treatment same day

  • All kittens remain on the same schedule

  • No clock reset

📌 Key rule:

New kitten joins the train — the train does not stop.

→ End

4B. Is the existing group already in the post-treatment waiting period?

(countdown days already started)

☑ YES

→ Go to Step 5

STEP 5: Post-Treatment Countdown + New Intake

At this point, shared space = shared exposure.

Required action:

  • Reset the schedule

  • All kittens (existing + new) are placed back on treatment

  • A new Day 0 is assigned for the entire group

📌 Key rule:

You cannot “protect” treated kittens once a new untreated kitten is added.

Logging:

  • Note “reset due to rolling intake”

  • Start new countdown the day after the new treatment

→ End

STEP 6: Special Situations

Different ages / weights

  • Dose individually

  • Schedule remains unified

One kitten symptomatic, others not

  • Treat all exposed kittens

  • Symptoms determine urgency, not membership

Single kitten added briefly (“just overnight”)

  • Still considered exposure

  • Follow same decision tree

NON-NEGOTIABLE PRINCIPLES (Put in Bold in Training)

  • Coccidia management is group-based, not individual

  • Shared litter = shared organism

  • Rolling intake resets clocks

  • Desynchronization causes reinfection loops

  • This is a systems issue, not a foster failure

Trainer Script Line (Important)

“If kittens share space, they share parasites — so they share a schedule.”

What This Prevents

  • Endless retreatment

  • “Why won’t this clear?”

  • Foster frustration

  • Blame spirals

  • Medical burnout

Rolling Intake Medication Synchronization Decision Tree

For Co-Housed Foster Animals

START

A foster brings a new animal into a home with existing foster animals.

STEP 1: Are there animals already in the home?

☐ NO

→ Treat new intake per standard intake protocol
→ Assign Day 0 for that animal
→ End

☑ YES

→ Go to Step 2

STEP 2: Are animals co-housed or sharing resources?

(litter boxes, bowls, airspace, hands, surfaces)

☐ NO (fully separated)

→ Treat new intake independently
→ No synchronization required
→ End

☑ YES

→ Go to Step 3

STEP 3: Are the existing animals currently on an intake medication schedule?

☐ NO

→ Go to Step 4

☑ YES

→ Go to Step 5

STEP 4: Existing Animals NOT on Intake Meds

Assumption:
Shared space = shared exposure.

Action:

  • All animals (existing + new) start intake meds together

  • Assign one shared Day 0

  • Use one unified schedule

  • Track animals individually, treat as a group

📌 Key rule:

Do not stagger intake meds in shared housing.

→ End

STEP 5: Existing Animals ARE on Intake Meds

5A. Are they in the active treatment window?

(before any post-treatment countdown begins)

☑ YES

  • New intake joins immediately

  • Receives intake meds the same day

  • Schedule continues uninterrupted

  • No clock reset

📌 Key rule:

New intake joins the train. The train does not stop.

→ End

5B. Are they in the post-treatment waiting / observation period?

☑ YES

→ Go to Step 6

STEP 6: Post-Treatment Period + New Intake

At this stage, co-housing breaks containment.

Required action:

  • Reset the intake schedule

  • All animals (existing + new) return to intake meds

  • Assign a new Day 0 for the entire group

  • Start countdown the day after the new treatment

📌 Key rule:

You cannot preserve a clean window once a new untreated animal enters shared space.

→ End

STEP 7: Special Situations

Different ages / weights

  • Dose individually

  • Schedule stays unified

One animal symptomatic, others not

  • Treat all exposed animals

  • Symptoms drive urgency, not membership

“Temporary” co-housing

(overnight, playtime, shared supplies)

  • Considered exposure

  • Follow the same tree

Partial separation

(crate rotation, baby gates, shared air)

  • Considered shared exposure

  • Follow the same tree

NON-NEGOTIABLE PRINCIPLES

  • Shared space = shared schedule

  • Intake meds are group-based

  • Rolling intake resets clocks

  • Staggering causes failure loops

  • This is a system decision, not a foster judgment

What This Prevents

  • Endless retreatment

  • ‘Mystery’ reinfections

  • Foster frustration

  • Medical burnout

  • Blame cycles