Why should I foster a cat?

Fostering creates space in a shelter for another cat in need, allowing organizations to save more lives. 

Fostering is important work that provides so much value for cats and shelters: Care, training, and socialization for the foster cat, plus information and photos. 

What do we mean by information and photos? In order for organizations to match cats with forever families, they need to know about the cat’s behavior in a home, their likes and dislikes, their personalities. And they need photos and videos to show potential adopters how cute they are! Fostering gives you time to get to know a cat, in a home environment, which helps organizations learn as much as possible about that cat in order to make a great match for their new home. Fosters learn all about their foster cats, and it’s nearly impossible to resist grabbing adorable photos.  

Fostering is a more natural way for a cat to live during the transition period between a past family and their new forever future. An environment that feels like a home instead of a shelter is usually best for cats. 

When you become a foster, you positively impact your community instantly. Fostering opens the door to a giant network of pet lovers throughout your community, and all over the nation, and expands adoption marketing opportunities outside of the shelter’s usual network. 

By providing a safe and stable environment for a pet, foster families can help pets heal from any physical or emotional trauma they might have experienced, and develop into the best family member they can be.  

By opening your heart and home, younger family members can experience the value of helping others, while learning the best ways to care for a pet in need.  The lessons learned through fostering a pet, translate to different situations throughout life.

What kind of cats need fostering?

Nursing moms: They need quiet and safe places to care for their kittens without fear of predators or environmental challenges. 

Motherless kittens: From itty bitty neonates to toddlers learning to play, young kittens need an extra set of eyes on them while they grow healthy enough to be adopted. 

Sick and injured cats who need medical recovery: These felines often heal and recover more quickly in a home than in a shelter environment. Having a quiet, safe home to relax and be loved, allows the immune system to focus on the body’s needs.

Stressed cats: Often adult cats struggle to make the sudden adjustment from home life to a kennel. There are strange sounds and smells, their favorite blanket is gone, the food is different, and there’s no sunny window spot! That can be really stressful. For those cats that end up shutting down in a shelter environment, a foster home is the opportunity for them to adjust and to be themselves while the foster parent helps get them ready for a forever home. 

Shy cats: A lot of our cats/kittens come from dire situations and were abandoned or abused and when they arrive at a shelter they are terrified! Fosters can teach a fearful feline that new people and places are ok!

Cats that shelters need to learn more about: There are some things that organizations just can’t learn about a cat in the shelter. The role of the foster caregiver is to learn as much as possible, and share that information with the shelter/rescue group, and all the friends and family you know, in order to make a great match with their new forever home.

Will I have to buy anything in order to become a foster?

We will provide food, supplies and medical care for pets in foster care. 

So, I don't keep my foster cat?

As a foster parent, you are taking care of a cat that belongs to Pooler Paws. Foster parents can, if they choose to do so, potentially care for many cats during a year as they nurture one cat through to adoption and then take in the next cat in need. That means reliable foster homes play a huge role in developing lifesaving plans. Remember that after your first foster cat finds a home, there’s another one that needs you!

If you fall in love with the cat and can’t possibly let them leave your home, you can adopt them.  You just need to pay the adoption fee. Most volunteers have had “foster fails” and have made a foster cat into a family member.

Isn’t it hard to let a foster cat or kittens go to another family?

Sure, it can definitely feel sad to say goodbye. But we like to focus on happiness! Nothing outweighs the joy of knowing you helped save a life (or a whole litter of lives), and because you got your foster cat to an adoptive home, you can now foster another cat in need!

Will my foster cat be sick?

It’s possible. When a lot of animals are housed together, they easily spread germs, and the stress of a shelter weakens the immune system. It is not uncommon for a cat to get a cold a few days after being placed in your home. Contact someone at the rescue and let them know what’s going on.  They may need to make an appointment for the vet or have you give them medication. It’s best to separate the foster cats from your household pets for a short time to be sure they don’t have an illness. 

What if I have other pets in my home?

Be sure your resident pets are up-to-date on their vet-recommended vaccines and flea treatment. We also strongly recommend that your pets are spayed/neutered, if possible, for a few reasons. First, spay/neuter is a very big part of the animal welfare mission and a key part in preventing and tackling pet overpopulation. Second, it will help to alleviate some territorial behaviors on their part that could arise from bringing home a foster cat. Lastly, to prevent any pets in the home from getting pregnant (or impregnating another cat) if they accidentally get out of your house or interact with a foster cat who isn’t yet altered.

What do I do when I bring a foster home?

Coming to a new home can be scary and overwhelming to a foster cat, especially if they’ve never lived indoors before. We never want to walk in the door with a new foster cat and just open the carrier, giving them access to the whole home. It’s just too much at once and likely will result in them hiding in a place that you can’t reach. They may not come out or eat for days. The stress could also make them sick. Even if your foster cat or kitten is friendly, please have a safe space in your home for them to slowly adjust and call their own

The best place to first place your foster cat is in a safe, secure space in the home with a door to that space that can be closed. A spare bathroom, bedroom, basement area, or any other safe, quiet space will work great. Young kittens will need smaller enclosures inside of this space, like playpens. As they grow, their living space can grow too. Learn more about safe and appropriate enclosures for kittens here.

You can leave the cat carrier in the foster space with the carrier door open and a soft blanket inside. By leaving the carrier in the room, it becomes another safe space rather than something that’s only used when they’re going to the vet or shelter.

How can I help my foster cat find a good home?

It’s important to socialize the cat and get them used to being around people.  Encourage them to engage with you and get used to being pet, loved and played with.

Having good photos and videos of the cats are very helpful to prospective families. Try to get good photos/videos that are in focus and show the cats personality. Get a variety, some cuddling and some playing.  Chances are they will be so cute that it won’t be hard to take lots of photos/videos.  

Write a brief description of the cat to help prospective families get to know them and their personality. This helps adopters to know if they would be a good fit for their home. 

Email them to us at PoolerPaws1@gmail.com

Share the cat on social media and let friends and family know that you are fostering and that the cat is available for adoption. The more people that see the cat and share the photos the quicker they will be able to find a forever home.

Bring the cat to adoption events.  This is a great way for them to meet families looking to adopt.