How does fostering work?

The Pine Cone thread got me wondering about how fostering works. I
know the theory - you get a cat or two until someone finds them a
permanent home. But does the fostering family have other cats?

I haven't usually had more than two cats at a time, but now I have
three and have recently added a fourth. That is not working out well
because the new cat, Scooter, is at odds with the other three. I'd put
on his report card "Scooter does not play well with the other cats"
but he is just fine when outside with the outdoor cats. He just
doesn't get along with Espy, Nipsy, and Marlo.

I couldn't even think of taking in foster cats on a regular basis,
although I guess eventually the regular feline household members get
used to a revolving door of transients?

On 28 May, 14:36, dgk wrote:
The Pine Cone thread got me wondering about how fostering works. I
know the theory - you get a cat or two until someone finds them a
permanent home. But does the fostering family have other cats?

I haven't usually had more than two cats at a time, but now I have
three and have recently added a fourth. That is not working out well
because the new cat, Scooter, is at odds with the other three. I'd put
on his report card "Scooter does not play well with the other cats"
but he is just fine when outside with the outdoor cats. He just
doesn't get along with Espy, Nipsy, and Marlo.

I couldn't even think of taking in foster cats on a regular basis,
although I guess eventually the regular feline household members get
used to a revolving door of transients?

The 'rules' of fostering vary according to the rescue group involve,
but in general it's advisable to keep the foster cat separate from
your own pets, to reduce the risk of cross-infections, and to reduce
stress levels. The rescue group that I volunteer for has about a dozen
fosterers who each have one or two purpose built pens in their back
gardens. The pens have light and heat, an insulated 'hutch' with a cat
flap to allow the cat to get away from the heat or the cold, an
exercise area with a ladder and shelf, and an escape run ('air lock'
type system) so that the cat can't get out when the fosterer goes in.
Each pen holds a maximum of two cats from the same household, or a mum
and kittens. We have one pen that is big enough for three adult cats.

One of our fosterers has no pets of her own, and whilst she does have
a pen for her foster cat, she usually brings the cat into the house
for socialisation. She usually gets our most timid cats, to give them
more of a chance to come round.

It is allowable to bring kittens into the house for socialisation and
play, but the guidelines are that they must be kept in a room that is
easily cleaned, and from which the family cats are excluded.

The charity pays for the pens, usually, but if a volunteer already has
a suitable outdoor pen of their own that conforms to our welfare
standards, that's fine.

Other branches of our charity have some fosterers who use a room of
their house to foster, on the understanding that it's fitted out to
allow easy disinfection, and that family pets are excluded from it.
Usually, in these circumstances, it's kittens that are fostered,
rather than adult cats.

I have occasionally fostered kittens in emergencies although I don't
have the right setup. In that situation, the kitten is with me on an
informal basis, and doesn't officially come into the charity's care
until there is a space with an approved fosterer. I keep them in my
spare room, and as I only do it once or twice a year, and only with
one kitten, the risk of cross infection is minimal. They don't meet up
with my own cats, although the cats are aware that there is a kitten
around. They don't care as long as they don't actually see it. Last
time I did this, I ended up keeping the kitten. I must stress that
this has only happened once and I've fostered dozens of kittens over
the years.

Other rescue groups have different rules.

Jeanette

On Fri, 28 May 2010 08:46:59 -0700 (PDT), NettieCat
wrote:

On 28 May, 14:36, dgk wrote:
The Pine Cone thread got me wondering about how fostering works. I
know the theory - you get a cat or two until someone finds them a
permanent home. But does the fostering family have other cats?

I haven't usually had more than two cats at a time, but now I have
three and have recently added a fourth. That is not working out well
because the new cat, Scooter, is at odds with the other three. I'd put
on his report card "Scooter does not play well with the other cats"
but he is just fine when outside with the outdoor cats. He just
doesn't get along with Espy, Nipsy, and Marlo.

I couldn't even think of taking in foster cats on a regular basis,
although I guess eventually the regular feline household members get
used to a revolving door of transients?

The 'rules' of fostering vary according to the rescue group involve,
but in general it's advisable to keep the foster cat separate from
your own pets, to reduce the risk of cross-infections, and to reduce
stress levels. The rescue group that I volunteer for has about a dozen
fosterers who each have one or two purpose built pens in their back
gardens. The pens have light and heat, an insulated 'hutch' with a cat
flap to allow the cat to get away from the heat or the cold, an
exercise area with a ladder and shelf, and an escape run ('air lock'
type system) so that the cat can't get out when the fosterer goes in.
Each pen holds a maximum of two cats from the same household, or a mum
and kittens. We have one pen that is big enough for three adult cats.

One of our fosterers has no pets of her own, and whilst she does have
a pen for her foster cat, she usually brings the cat into the house
for socialisation. She usually gets our most timid cats, to give them
more of a chance to come round.

It is allowable to bring kittens into the house for socialisation and
play, but the guidelines are that they must be kept in a room that is
easily cleaned, and from which the family cats are excluded.

The charity pays for the pens, usually, but if a volunteer already has
a suitable outdoor pen of their own that conforms to our welfare
standards, that's fine.

Other branches of our charity have some fosterers who use a room of
their house to foster, on the understanding that it's fitted out to
allow easy disinfection, and that family pets are excluded from it.
Usually, in these circumstances, it's kittens that are fostered,
rather than adult cats.

I have occasionally fostered kittens in emergencies although I don't
have the right setup. In that situation, the kitten is with me on an
informal basis, and doesn't officially come into the charity's care
until there is a space with an approved fosterer. I keep them in my
spare room, and as I only do it once or twice a year, and only with
one kitten, the risk of cross infection is minimal. They don't meet up
with my own cats, although the cats are aware that there is a kitten
around. They don't care as long as they don't actually see it. Last
time I did this, I ended up keeping the kitten. I must stress that
this has only happened once and I've fostered dozens of kittens over
the years.

Other rescue groups have different rules.

Jeanette


That makes a lot of sense. Thanks.