“You might be temporary in their lives. They might be temporary in yours.
But there is nothing temporary about the Love or the Lesson”
-Tonia Christle
A foster home is probably the most important part of a rescue. We can only rescue as many cats and kittens as we have space in our fostering system. Without dedicated people who open their homes to neglected, abandoned and sometimes abused kittens and cats we would be helpless. While we do have cats in our shelter that environment cannot compare to a loving home.
Animal outreach provides the food, medical help and consultation.
You do the rest.
You are responsible for providing a loving home.
A clean environment (always inside), proper cat pans (for cats and kittens) and litter located in an appropriate space, and safe toys.
You will also be responsible for protecting your own cats and dogs by making sure that their vaccinations are up to date and by maintain a quarantine zone until it is determined it is safe.
You will be responsible for ongoing evaluation and record keeping for the cats or kittens.
If any of them need medical help you will be responsible for transporting them to our veterinarian or to one of our adoption coordinators. When kittens are old enough to be neutered (usually about 2 pounds or 7-9 weeks for cats) or adults are scheduled for neutering you would also need to provide the transportation to the facility or to the coordinator.
The biggest risk is the attachment you develop with the animals you are caring for and giving your love to. It can be hard to let some of them go once you have given your heart and time.
There can be risk to your existing cats if you do not adhere to the quarantine time when bringing in new animals and especially if your cats are not fully up to date on their vaccinations. The quarantine time (in a quiet and separate location such as a bathroom) is critical. During this time the cat or kitten can focus on getting healthy, learning to play and learning that attention is wonderful. If this time is interrupted with other animals or environments that are not calm and quiet it can get the process of to the wrong start.
Knowing these few things should eliminate the problems.
Fostering is work but it should also be fun!
All you need to do is fill out the form below and submit it.
The foster coordinator will then be in contact with you, generally within a week.