Category: Foster & Volunteer

What to do with a stray cat depends on if you can catch him or not. If you can, you should start by getting him checked for a microchip. If you cannot catch him, you should call animal control and ask for further direction. When and if the cat is in your care, follow these three steps:

1. Find out if the cat has a microchip. Microchipping a pet is one of the most common ways animal shelters, rescues, and loving pet owners help pets go from “lost” to “found” before they ever go missing. A microchip is a small piece of technology that is safely placed under the skin of a pet. Each microchip has a scannable barcode that links back to a larger database that contains identifiable information on a pet and his owner. To read a microchip, you must have a special scanning device. Most veterinarian offices, grooming salons, and animal shelters will have a microchip reader, so your first move should be to take the cat to one of these three places to have them scanned for a microchip. If the cat has a microchip, there may be information on file with the chip company that would help you get connected to the cat’s family!
2. Look for the cat’s owner. Just because the kitty doesn’t have a microchip, doesn’t mean someone isn’t desperately searching for their lost little one. A good way to start looking for the cat’s owner is to canvas the area where you found him. Ask your neighbors if they recognize the cat and know who might be the owner. You could also try posting “Found Cat” flyers on telephone poles in the neighborhood, community cork boards at your local grocery store, local veterinarian offices, and the local animal shelters where a cat owner might pop in to see if their cat was turned in. We made a downloadable template that you can easily use to make a quick, but effective found pet flyer. You can even try using online community apps, like Nextdoor, to alert your neighbors or sites that focus on helping lost pets make their way home, like Pawboost.
3. Find the cat a loving forever home. If you’ve done your due diligence by scanning the cat for a microchip and searching for their owner, it’s possible that the kitty is truly a stray in need of a home. If you cannot keep the cat yourself, you can find a wonderful new adopter using Rehome. Rehome is the peer to peer pet adoption platform that will guide you through the process every step of the way, from creating a profile that makes your cat stand out to the millions of adopters on Adopt-a-Pet.com to choosing the purr-fect adopter. You can learn more about how Rehome works, here. 

By Savannah Admire

Shava Cueva / Stocksy
Deciding to foster a dog, which involves temporarily taking care of a dog from a shelter or rescue organization, is a huge commitment, but it can make a major difference in the life of not just the dog you take into your home but also other animals in the shelter. Fostering helps prepare dogs for life with their forever family and frees up space for the organization to take in and care for more animals, saving lives one pet at a time.

Fostering can last a few days, weeks, or even months, and foster dogs come from all walks of life — they may have been abandoned, surrendered, or rescued from a neglectful situation. Fostering is a chance to give a dog a loving home and help them prepare for adoption. It can also be a rewarding experience for you and your family.

If you’ve never fostered before, stepping into this world can be daunting. Read our breakdown to learn how to foster a dog and how you can make an impact in your community.

What is dog fostering?

So, what does it mean to foster a dog? Fostering involves bringing a dog from a shelter or rescue into your home and giving them care and love for a set amount of time or until the dog is adopted.

Many shelters have foster programs to give dogs more individual attention and help them become accustomed to living in a home with people and sometimes other animals. Some rescue organizations, known as “foster-based” rescue groups, don’t even have a designated facility and instead rely entirely on foster homes to shelter and care for their adoptable pets.

Shelters and rescues invest in foster care for dogs for a wide variety of reasons, such as overcrowding in the shelter or giving timid dogs the time and space they need to feel comfortable. Maybe the organization wants to learn more about a dog’s personality, which is much easier in a home setting, or maybe a puppy needs to learn how to behave properly before adoption. Some foster families even care for dogs healing from injury or recovering from an illness.

What is the process of fostering?

If you’re interested in fostering a dog, the process is relatively simple. Reach out to a local rescue group or shelter and tell them you would like to foster a dog. Most organizations desperately need fosters and will be happy for the help. The shelter will work with you to find a dog that fits with your lifestyle.

But how does fostering a dog work? As a dog foster parent, your main job will be providing a safe and loving home for the dog, however long you need to. That means ensuring your temporary pet has all the food, water, affection, exercise, and socialization they need to stay happy and healthy. Shelter workers may also ask you to bring the dog to adoption events, work on obedience training, and report on the dog’s behavior and personality to the shelter.

Why should you consider fostering a dog?

When you take a dog into your home, you’re freeing up space and resources for the shelter to take in another dog in need, all while helping shelter staff learn more about your foster dog’s genuine personality.

“Housing dogs in private homes makes for happy, well-adjusted animals who make an easier transition into an adoptive home than they would coming straight out of a facility,” Eileen Bouressa, executive director of the Animal Compassion Network, says.

If you already have a dog, a foster dog can offer some canine companionship, which can, in turn, help socialize your foster dog, preparing them for life in a forever home with other dogs. Fostering also helps dogs become more accustomed to human interaction and lets you learn a little more about how to care for a dog. And don’t discount those warm feelings you get just from the company of a dog and from doing meaningful volunteer work.

What are the benefits of fostering a dog?

While fostering can be challenging, it comes with numerous benefits — for the dog, other animals in the shelter, the dog’s future family, and your community. The advantages of fostering a dog make for a long list, including:

• Help a rescue dog become more adoptable and feel comfortable in a home environment
• Enjoy the rewarding feeling of helping an animal in need and saving a life
• Try out dog parenthood before adopting a dog yourself
• Open up space for the shelter to rescue more dogs
• Reduce the population of homeless dogs in your community
• Experience the joy and companionship of a dog

What costs are involved in fostering?

Fostering is much-needed volunteer work, but it can be overwhelming to think of purchasing all the supplies a dog requires. How much does it cost to foster a dog?

Fortunately for potential dog foster parents, the rescue group or shelter provides most, if not all, of the supplies your foster dog will need, such as food, leashes, a crate, and even veterinary care. The shelter is your partner in fostering, and the staff will be there to help you out and answer any questions you may have — which is incredibly important for first-time dog foster parents.

While fostering may not cost much monetarily, it will likely take an emotional toll. Saying goodbye to a dog can be hard, especially after spending weeks or even months seeing them every day. But it’s all worth it.

“You’ll love every dog that comes through your door and may get emotional when they’re finally adopted,” Krista Almqvist, executive director at Badass Animal Rescue, says. “It’s important to recognize how critical of a role you play in the dog’s journey to become adoptable and get a second chance at a new beginning.”

FAQs (People Also Ask):

Is there an age requirement for fostering?

Each shelter or rescue group has its own rules in place for fostering, but generally, foster parents should be at least 18 years old.

How long does fostering usually last?

The length of a dog’s stay can vary depending on their needs. On average, most dogs are fostered for about two months, but they can stay longer, especially if they’re recovering from an illness or injury.

Can I adopt the foster dog if I become attached?

It’s not uncommon for foster dog parents to “foster fail” or adopt their foster dog. Fostering can be a great way to test the waters of pet parenthood while still supporting your local shelter or rescue organization.

References

Emergency Fostering of Dogs From Animal Shelters During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Shelter Practices, Foster Caregiver Engagement, and Dog Outcomes

Fostering Rescued Dogs: An Exploratory Study of the Experiences of Foster Care Providers

A Guide for Foster Dog Parents

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Savannah Admire is a writer, editor, and pet parent to two dogs and a cat. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing Animal Crossing, or being an obnoxious nerd about her favorite movies and TV shows. She lives in Maryland, where she constantly debates whether or not to get a third dog.

By Julie Zeilinger

Gabi Bucataru / Stocksy
There has never been a better time to consider fostering an animal: Animal shelters across the country are at capacity to overflowing and understaffed. Fostering, or temporarily taking care of an animal in need, not only provides animals with safe homes and the attention and love they need to be more adoptable until they find their forever homes, but also frees up space in already crowded shelters.

There are a number of reasons why people may hesitate to foster, but there are a lot of great reasons to foster as well. Here are just a few.

1. Fostering helps you know if you’re ready to adopt.

If you’re not sure if you’re ready to commit to being a pet parent forever, fostering offers an opportunity to get to know what it’s like to have different kinds of pets.

When choosing which animal to foster, however, it’s important to consider which kind of pet is best suited to you and your home, and factors such as the time you have available to care for a pet and the size of your home should all play a part in that decision.

2. Fostering a pet is a short-term commitment with lifelong rewards.

If you’re an animal lover but don’t have the time to devote to having a pet for their entire life, fostering is a great short-term way to help animals in need. Shelters and rescue organizations are always looking for people willing to open their homes to pets, and getting a pet ready for adoption — especially those that may have been stuck at shelters for a long time — by giving your love, time, and friendship is incredibly rewarding.

3. Fostering is endlessly entertaining.

You’ll never be bored with a pet in your home. There is always something to do with your foster, from cuddling to playing fetch to everything in between.

4. Fostering can help you find a community.

Fostering is a great way to meet new people who care about animals. For example, many rescue organizations have events, such as those devoted to promoting pet adoption, where fosters can meet each other and the wider rescue community.

5. Fostering saves lives.

Opening your heart and home is an important part of saving a life; each year, approximately 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Fostering a pet is one of the most direct ways you can help an animal and save them from this fate.

6. Fostering can be tax-deductible.

Fostering-related expenses may be tax-deductible; ask your tax professional for advice. Depending on the shelter or organization you foster through, however, you may not have many expenses at all — most cover medical expenses for foster pets and many others are able to provide food and other supplies.

7. Fostering provides relief for shelter staff.

Animal shelters across the country are at capacity to overflowing and understaffed. Fostering not only helps shelters’ capacity but also allows already overworked shelter staff the ability to focus on one less pet — which helps them better take care of the pets already in their care.

8. Fostering is an educational opportunity.

Fostering can be a great learning experience as you’ll likely learn a lot about caring for different kinds of animals and their various challenges. For example, you may learn about an animal’s physical needs, such as dietary restrictions or medical conditions, or behavioral needs, including helping them by training them.

Fostering a pet can also teach children in your family invaluable lessons about responsibility, empathy, and caretaking.

9. Increased adoption rates.

Research shows that fostering pets can help get them successfully adopted. For example, one study found that dogs who were fostered were less likely to be returned to shelters and benefited from being exposed to potential adopters out in the world at places like parks and restaurants. Even brief visits in foster homes can also help lower dogs’ stress, which can help them connect with potential adopters.

FAQs (People Also Ask):

Is animal fostering only for cats and dogs?

Cats and dogs are probably the most commonly fostered pets, but many organizations and shelters have other animals that need foster homes, including rabbits, birds, and even farm animals.

How does fostering benefit shelters and rescues?

Fostering benefits shelters and rescues by creating capacity for them to save more pets. Animal shelters across the country are at capacity to overflowing and understaffed. Fostering not only helps shelters’ capacity but also allows already overworked shelter staff the ability to focus on one less pet — which helps them better take care of the pets already in their care.

How long do animals usually stay in foster care?

The length of time animals stay in foster care depends on a number of factors, including the pet’s age and/or breed, the level of demand in the area, the pet’s health, and more. Some fosters only have their pets for a few days, while others have them for months.

Can I adopt the animal I’m fostering?

Many shelters and rescue organizations allow fosters to adopt the pet they’ve been fostering. There’s even a term for this: “Foster failure.” Of course, foster “failure” is hardly a failure since the goal is for the pet to be adopted. Some shelters and rescues even have “foster-to-adopt” programs.

References

Evaluating Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes in Conjunction with the Secure Base Effect for Dogs in Shelter and Foster Environments

Evaluation of a Novel Dog Adoption Program in Two US Communities

Emergency Fostering of Dogs: Shelter Practices, Foster Caregiver Engagement, and Dog Outcomes

Fostering Rescued Dogs: An Exploratory Study of the Experiences of Foster Care Providers

Benefit of Short Term Foster Sleepovers

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Julie Zeilinger is a NYC-based writer and editor whose writing has been published in Marie Claire, Vox, HuffPost, Forbes, and other publications. She is also the author of two books: College 101: A Girl’s Guide to Freshman Year (2014) and A Little F’d Up: Why Feminism Is Not a Dirty Word (2012). She is the mom to Baloo, a two-year-old Bichpoo and foster mom to dogs via Badass Animal Rescue.

Ready to make a difference in a kitten’s life?

By Lindsay Hamrick, CPDT-KA

Spring marks the start of kitten season, which means more litters are being birthed now than any other time of year — and shelters are feeling the strain. That’s where you come in. If you’ve ever considered fostering a cat, now’s the time. But while the decision to foster might seem like a no-brainer (who doesn’t want to be surrounded by as many purring, adorable creatures as possible?), it’s a big responsibility, and there are a few important steps to take first.

1. Find your why.

While euthanasia of homeless animals is dropping significantly every year, there are far more cats who are unable to find a home than dogs. Neonatal kittens are some of the most vulnerable homeless animals and shelters can be extremely stressful for cats, causing them to get sick with upper respiratory infections. When appropriate housing for cats in a shelter is combined with lots of enrichment, it can help prevent cats from getting sick, but there is no better place for a cat to wait for a new home than in a foster home.

Maybe your “why” is to help reduce euthanasia of cats in shelters, or maybe it’s to help make their transition to a new home as stress-free as possible. Maybe you want some companionship or to learn more about the stages of kitten development by raising a litter. Regardless of your motivation, it’s important to be committed to giving your fostered animal the best experience possible.

2. Attend any required trainings and talk to someone who’s done it.

Your local shelter or rescue will likely have a process to become a foster parent which might include an application about why you’re interested in the program, an orientation to learn more about the organization and their policies, and introductions to staff or volunteers who will be able to help you. Some questions to ask:

• Is the organization able to provide you with some or all of the supplies you’ll need, or should you be prepared to spend a little money? Most organizations will give you the basics – food, litter, bowls, toys, bed – but if you’re like me, you’ll end up buying kitten tunnels and interactive toys while stacking the latest cute cat bed on top of a cute cat bed.
• What is the organization’s emergency protocol if you have a question or urgent issue late at night? Most likely, you’ll be given a phone number of someone on call to guide you through the situation.
• What are the organization’s medical protocols? Any foster cat or kitten should come to you vaccinated with age-appropriate vaccines (rabies, distemper, and any others recommended by a veterinarian). If kittens are too young, an appointment should be made so they can receive vaccines during their stay with you. They should also be treated for any internal and external parasites like roundworms and fleas.
• Lastly, ask about the adoption process. Will you be part of helping to find a new home (if you want to) or will the shelter handle the adoption process?

3. Make sure everyone is on board.

Check with your roommate, partner, children, or your senior dog to make sure everyone is excited to foster and then divvy up the duties. Who will be the point person for the shelter and who will make sure that the kittens are eating enough, using the litter box, and not showing signs of sickness? Who gets to scoop the litter box each day (or more than once a day if you’re working with multiple cats or kittens)? Who is Head of Playtime? Raising a litter of kittens can be a wonderful experience when everyone is all in.

4. Prepare the space.

You don’t need an 800-square-foot finished basement to foster kittens. Many people use a bathroom, guest room, or home office. There should be enough space that a litter box is not directly near their food and water, and enough room to play. If you’re short on space, you can create vertical options for kittens to climb up on cat trees or install walkways along the wall. The most important thing is that the room be cleanable. Carpeting or lots of heavy furniture make disinfecting difficult between cats, which is critical if you’re planning to foster more than once (and we hope you are!).

Good ventilation and temperatures that aren’t too hot or too cold are important to keep cats and kittens healthy. If you’re planning to give your foster cat access to your entire home (and the shelter is ok with this!), it’s still a good idea to give them a safe room for the first few weeks to help them acclimate and to watch for any signs of sickness.

5. Prepare any resident pets.

If you already have a pet of your own, remember that most foster kittens can’t be mixed with your pets, at least for the first month or longer in the event they’re carrying a disease that can be transmitted to your resident pets (particularly other cats). Tests for certain diseases are not always an option or accurate until kittens reach a certain age, so it’s better to be on the safe side. Your local shelter or rescue will provide you with any medical information and instructions before you take a litter of kittens or a cat home. Assuming you’re providing temporary care to a healthy cat and the shelter thinks they may benefit from getting to know your dog, be sure to do a slow introduction to keep everyone safe.

Learning about a foster cat’s preferences for living with another animal (or not) is key to finding a loving adoptive home down the road, and the shelter can help you find a balance between protecting everyone from any potential diseases while also letting them experience life in a home.

6. Prepare to say goodbye.

This is the part most people dread, but it gets easier with time – we promise! The first litter or adult cat is always the hardest. You can’t imagine that anyone could possibly care for them as well as you can. While it’s 100% okay to adopt a foster animal, remember that every time you keep one, it impacts your ability to foster again. If you don’t have any pets of your own, you can choose to take on cats recovering from an illness without worrying about making your own pet sick and you won’t have to worry about resident and foster animals getting along. Whatever you decide, pat yourself on the back for saving a life.

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Lindsay Hamrick lives in New Hampshire with her three dogs, chickens, and an assortment of rotating foster animals. She forces her elderly chihuahua, Grandma Baguette, on overnight backpacking trips, can diaper a lamb with one hand, and while she’s a long-time Certified Professional Dog Trainer, 66.7% of her dogs still won’t lay down when asked.

Adopt-a-Pet.com has a program available for individuals in the U.S. who need help with cat or dog rehoming. See more info at rehome.adoptapet.com and read our tips below!

Whether you rescued a pet from a shelter, one you found abandoned in the street, or from a home that could not or no longer wanted to keep him or her — you are a pet hero! Thank you for helping a pet in need and trying to find him or her a new loving home. (If you are trying to find a new home for your own pet, please click that link for an article that is written just for your situation.) Adopt-a-Pet.com is a service that lets shelters and rescue groups list their animals for adoption.  We also have a peer-to-peer service called Rehome that allows individuals in the U.S. to post pets they cannot keep or stray/rescue dogs and cats to our website. If you have a stray or found pet that you would like to Rehome, please read our tips if you find a stray pet before doing so. The information below is not intended as a complete guide to rehoming a pet, but is a great way to get started. Thank you again for helping a homeless pet!

Find your pet a new home yourself

More than likely, you will need to do the work yourself to find the pet a good home. Don’t worry – Rehome is here to help! If you choose to post your pet on Rehome, you will be guided through the entire process- from creating your pet’s profile to transferring vet records to the new owner. There is no fee to list a pet on Rehome and once your pet’s profile is live, millions of potential adopters will be able to view her or him. If you cannot keep the pet in your home, ask friends and family to help, or look for a boarding facility or veterinary office where you can pay to house the pet. Don’t house the pet too far away or it will be hard to show him/her to potential adopters. Here are a couple other tips that can help you with the rehoming process:

• Friends, family, coworkers and neighbors are valuable adoption resources. Not only are they potential adopters, but they can help spread the word to others as well.
• Have the pet spayed or neutered-you’ll have better luck adopting him or her out!

Screen any potential new home

If you are considering giving the pet to someone you don’t know, you will want to screen them to ensure the match is a good one. Let your pet’s personality be a guide for what questions to ask. Is your pet good with cats, dogs, and kids? Does she have any characteristics that warrant a more experienced pet owner? If you are using Rehome, you’ll get suggestions on how to screen applicants to find the best home for your rescue dog or cat.

Once you’ve chosen a few top applicants, you should meet with the potential adopter in person to make sure it is a good fit. Through Rehome, we offer tips on how to set up a safe and successful in-person meeting. Trust your intuition—you want to be sure that the adopter has your pet’s interests at heart. You may want to check identification and ask for references. Let the new adopter know they can call you for questions or advice.When you pick the perfect new home for your pet and transfer ownership, you may want to give the new owner a call after about a week to find out how things are going.

Do NOT give away a pet for free

Free pets are much more likely to be abandoned, and in some cases, someone might be seeking to obtain a pet for free to use for an illegal purpose such as dog fighting. When using Rehome, there will always be an adoption fee applied that will be donated to help more pets find their forever homes. Having someone pay money for a pet is one of the most important ways to be assured that the person who is taking the pet is serious about wanting them, and can afford to pay for the food and veterinary care the pet will need throughout his/her life.

Surrender to a rescue or no-kill shelter?

There are privately-run shelters and rescue organizations that do not kill pets. But because they keep the pets for as long as it takes to find a new home, they are usually filled to capacity, so it can take weeks to get an appointment. If you do find a “no-kill” organization than might take the pet you rescued, offering as big a tax-deductible donation as possible will help. Remember, in the case of private shelters and rescue groups, they are just people who are doing their best because they care about pets, most are volunteers spending significant amounts of their own money to cover vet bills, and they all get far more legitimate hard luck cases than they can possibly handle each day. For a list of shelters and rescues in your area, click here.

Surrender to a public shelter?

It is greatly preferable to find the pet a home yourself rather than taking him/her to a shelter. Even the best shelter is stressful for the animal, and you have only one animal to focus on while a shelter may have hundreds. Publicly run animal shelters are already overcrowded and, in many cities, a majority of the pets are not adopted, but instead are euthanized. Even purebred and friendly pets are routinely destroyed at public shelters to make space for new pets coming in. The extent of the overpopulation problem varies from area to area. For a list of shelters and rescues in your area, click here.

Remember, this pet has NO ONE but YOU—The loyalty you show and effort you put forth to find this pet a new loving home, even if it causes inconvenience for you now, will be well worth it when you know that this pet is living out a healthy and happy life!

Thanks again for helping to find a rescued pet a new loving home!

If you have any further questions about cat or dog rehoming, please visit our FAQs page.

Losing a pet can be a traumatic experience for a pet owner. If you find a stray animal and you think it could be someone’s pet, it’s important to do all that you can to reunite the animal with its owner. Here is a list of things you should do if you find a stray animal.

• Approach with Caution – A frightened, injured, or feral animal may act aggressively or bolt away. If the animal looks threatening or makes you feel uneasy in any way you should stay away and notify your local animal control center. If you do decide to approach the animal, speak calmly and warmly and make sure you are clearly in views.
• Assume there is an Owner – Although the pet may seem afraid, this may be his natural behavior, even at home. His appearance may also be deceptive – if he has fleas, seems malnourished, or has an injury, it may simply be because he has been lost for some time. It’s best to assume the animal has an owner until all measures to find that owner have failed.
• Take the Animal to the Shelter – The animal shelter is often the first place pet owners will look for their lost pets, but the last place where people will take a found animal because they fear the animal will be euthanized. Many shelters will let you shelter the animal if you fill out a found report with a description of the animal, the location you found it, and your contact information.
• Check for ID – Many pets will have ID tags on their collars or a tattoo on the inside of an ear or leg. You may also want to have the animal shelter or a veterinarian search for a microchip embedded under the animal’s skin with identification.
• Go for a Walk – Something that often works well for adult dogs is to put a long leash and secure collar on the dog, then tell him to “Go Home!” Many dogs will be familiar with their own areas and will lead you right to its home. However, don’t release the dog to anyone unless you are sure that you have found the rightful owner(s).
• Look for LOST Signs – Look in a one-mile radius around the area where you found the animal for LOST PET signs. Keep in mind that signs may not appear right away if the owner was on vacation or has a disability, or if the animal was lost relatively recently. Don’t assume there is no owner if you don’t see signs – keep checking for signs whenever you can.
• Make FOUND Signs – Make large, brightly colored FOUND signs with a few descriptive words such as “SMALL BROWN TERRIER” that can be read from far away, along with your contact information or the number of the animal shelter. You may also want to take a picture of the animal for the poster. Then you should put a poster near the spot where you found the animal, as well as a few others nearby where they can be seen by many people. You may also want to consider putting signs at animal shelters, pet supply stores, and animal rescue centers.
• Check Other Sources – Periodically check the “Lost & Found” section in your local paper for an ad about the lost animal–you may also want to place a “Found” ad in this section. You may also want to look on the internet for local lost pet websites, as well as online classifieds like Craigslist.
• Make Sure You’ve Found the Right Owner – If you receive a call from someone claiming to be the owner, have them give you a full, detailed description of the animal. Don’t ask leading questions such as, “Does the dog have a brown spot on its back?” but you could ask something like, “What does the dog’s fur look like?” Leave it to the caller to give you a full description. If you agree to deliver the animal, bring someone else with you and let someone know where you are going.
• If You Cannot Find an Owner – Check with your local animal control for what the legal requirements are for when you’ve found a stray pet. Some cities laws require you surrender the pet to them for a certain number of days to give an owner a chance to reclaim their pet, before they can adopt it to you or anyone else.

If you cannot find an owner, and have checked with your local animal control about the laws, you can decide if you want to adopt the pet yourself, or want to help that pet find a new home. Please read Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Lost Pet Guide for helpful tips!

Ashley Porter is a pet lover who writes about various topics including pet health issues and is the owner of the site Guide to Becoming a Veterinarian Technician.

Fostering is one of the most selfless acts you can do to help homeless pets. You take an animal into your home, give them all the love and care you would lavish on your own pets, often nurse them through being sick, or train them through adjustment behaviors. Then when they’re ready and the right adopter comes along – like a child going off to college or getting married, your heart breaks with both happiness and sadness as you usher them into their new loving fur-ever home! So… once you’re convinced you want to save an animal’s life by fostering, how do you pick the best type of pet to foster? This article is here to help!

The criteria for picking a good pet for your home to foster can be similar but is not the same as if you were adopting the pet as your own. We speak from experience! We’ve fostered and helped others foster thousands of pets in our decades of rescue and shelter work. But we can’t pick a good foster for you: you know your home best. What we can do is help you understand the Time, Space, Cost and Experience the most common types of foster pets need, to help you decide on the type of foster pet that will most likely be a good fit and make for happy fostering!

Time

You may be wondering what the silly photo of one of our former foster kitties is doing on this article. Muggles is demonstrating one of the most important aspects of foster care: relaxation time! How much free time (or time spent on expendable activities, like maybe watching TV) do you currently have in your day, every day, over the next few weeks or months? How much relaxation time and activity time do you have where you can include the foster pet?

When you are looking to adopt a pet, you look at this criteria too, but for FOSTERING you likely only need to consider this for the time it takes the rescue or shelter to find a new home for that pet, or get those pets ready for adoption (like underage kittens and puppies). Between jobs or on summer vacation? You might be able to foster a more time-intensive pet that wouldn’t be a good long-term match for your life in the future.

Below is a general guideline showing how much time a FOSTER animal takes daily. Now some of the “time” could be just hanging out like Muggles is doing or on the couch/chair next to you while you do other things, but we’ve counted mostly for “active” time you’ll need caring, cleaning, training and loving these types of foster pets!

Also… pairs of pets always take less time than a single pet.
#1 is below requires the LEAST amount of time:

1. adult/senior cats
2. adult/senior dogs (trained)
3. puppies
4. adult/senior dogs that need basic training
5. kittens 8 weeks to 6 months old
6. bottle babies

Space & size

Pick a pet that you have room to isolate in your home. Cats are fine in smaller spaces temporarily (think: bathroom), while even tiny dogs need to get out several times a day – can they do that without crossing paths with your other pets space? If you are fostering a pet that is coming straight out of most animal shelters, and if you have other pets, you will need enough space to keep the new foster totally separated.

Isloation space is good for three reasons: One: shelter pets can appear healthy, but can be incubating sickeness or parasites, and most vets will advise keeping them separate for 2 weeks. (Many experienced rescues with fosters and their vets know their shelter’s common illnesses, and how effective vaccinating foster’s own pets is against them, and may guide you otherwise.) Two: it can take time for your current pets and the new pet to learn to get along, and keeping them totally separated while doing a slow introduction may be the safest and least-stressful path. Three: sometimes, the pet you are fostering may not get along with other pets in your home. Be prepared for a ‘worst case’ senario to have a comfortable, separate room where your foster pet can live until he or she is adopted.

We hope these general guidelines help you pick the right kind of pet to foster. Thank you for helping pet adoption by opening your heart and home to foster a pet! You can register with the Adopt-a-Pet.com Volunteer database so that shelters and rescues near you can see you’re interested in being a foster home, and you can also use the Adopt-a-Pet.com Shelter Search to find a shelter or rescue near you to ask them if they could use your fostering help.