Questions about fostering...

[ellenrr]

I thought about it.
since my last cat died (Nov '14) I have been cat-less, first time in my 68 years.
I can not afford the vet. fees.
so I looked into fostering.
I found a local agency which pays not only the vet bills, but even the food, for a fostered pet.
I'd like to hear about peoples' experiences fostering.

I am afraid of getting attached.

What is the average length of stay?

any other feed-back appreciated.

thanks.

[MADem]

1. I think it depends on the pet.

If you are fostering for a no-kill shelter, and you're willing to take in that lame, one-eyed old girl who looks a little mange-y but has a nice nature, you're probably going to get to keep that cat.

If you're fostering a kitten that looks like a Care Bear, you'll have that thing a week if you're lucky.

You might want to ask the shelter how long you can expect to have each pet, and let them know that you're willing to take on hard-to-place cases if that's your mindset...

[japple]

2. So sorry your last cat is gone. If you live in an area where there are many cat rescue

groups, go to their website and see if there is any information or an application to foster. The best, most organized groups will set a time limit up front, will have you fill out an application, will vet the animal before you receive it, will do a home check and will check up on you from time to time during the fostering period. Average length of stay is usually 2 weeks to 2 months. As the previous poster said, if you are fostering a black cat or a grey tabby, it could be much longer, but if you have a fluffy exotic, it will be shorter. Some rescue groups will require you to bring the pet to adoption days at a place like Pet Smart, which can be quite an obligation esp. if you live in a rural area like I do. Some groups will also arrange for potential adopters to meet the cat (probably at your place). The best situation I ever had was fostering a mother cat and her 6 kittens for 2 weeks. I bottle fed the kittens, but they were also nursing on mama cat, so it wasn't round the clock. If I hadn't been scheduled for vacation, I would have kept them longer.

I just went into fostering knowing that I would have to give them up at some point and realizing that I was helping this kitty along the way. In our (Southern US) area, sometimes that is only way we can get cats out of the high kill shelters.

My advice would be to try to get with a well-established, reputable group that has a visible presence in your community (website, facebook page, etc.) and don't hesitate to ask them for names of some of their fosters that will talk to you about their experiences.

If you decide that fostering is not for you, you might consider going to animal shelters to help with socialization or volunteering to clean cages in the cat rooms.

ETA: Please feel free to PM me if you want more information.

[ellenrr]

3. thank you! I will msg you in time, as I think this over, and have more questions. nt

[ginnyinWI]

4. different shelters have different foster programs.

In some places, it is fostering until they are adopted, because the shelter doesn't have room on-site. Or maybe the adult cat doesn't do well in a shelter environment.

Kitten fostering at my shelter is just until they are big enough for surgery and are healthy. A lot of the stray kittens come in with upper respiratory infections that they need to get over before going in for surgery. That, and being at least two pounds at my shelter. Once they are healthy and two pounds they go back and are adopted quickly. Fostered kittens make the best kittens!

I've had kittens between one month and three. You do really get attached after three months! But you also learn to say goodbye, so it's not as painful as you imagine. They have to go back so that more little ones can be fostered in our home. I still do think of my favorites from time to time and wonder how they are doing, but the shelter does a great job of checking out potential adopters, and people who adopt from shelters are, in general, great pet parents.

My shelter handles all meds and vet bills, and gives me an initial supply of food and kitty litter. After that I am on my own and buy food and litter as needed. Not a big deal, because I figure I'm getting the fun of having them in my home.

Because you have no other pets it will be easy to manage. Establish an area that you can close the door on for when you want them confined, say when you are away from home. Less space to get into trouble with! Otherwise it will be very good for them to run around in a household setting. Turns them into great pets. Likewise with an adult cat: you can observe them and give them the TLC that they need.

I have three cats of my own so have to keep them apart from kittens while the kittens have a virus.

I really recommend fostering! You are doing something for the animals and also for the people who adopt them! It's a good feeling.

[ellenrr]

6. thanks so much! this is very encouraging. nt

[MiniMe]

5. I started fostering after I lost my first dog

I was unemployed at that time and I missed having a dog around. I paid for the food, but the rescue paid any vet bills. They told me when I started that some I would cry when they left, and some I would be happy when they left. And that turned out to be very true. It has been very rewarding for me getting the fosters started on their new life in their forever home.

I am mostly doing moms with puppies now. The rescue places the pups when they are 8 weeks old. I am getting a pregnant mom tomorrow, and what happens to me with the pups is that by the time they have been with me for 8 weeks, I am ready to see them go. I always love my fosters and sometimes it is hard to see them go, but I am just a stop on the way to their forever home. That is the best way to look at it. I am sure that my next dog will be one of my fosters that I fail on. It is interesting that the longer I fostered, the pickier I became about who is the right dog for me.

[ellenrr]

7. aw that is sweet, to foster a new family. nt

[ellenrr]

8. I live in subsidized housing,

and they require a $100.oo deposit to have a pet, even a temporary guest.
that wouldn't be a problem for me - I could just leave the deposit, and the guests come and go.
What could be a problem is that they require copies of all vaccinations, etc when the resident has a pet.
However, if I decide to do this -- perhaps I could do the exchange, when a cat arrives or leaves - on week-ends when the authorities are not around.
what they don't know won't hurt them.