# Thinking about fostering



## tyg'smum (Aug 14, 2018)

A local cat rescue are desperate for foster homes.

Having lost our beloved Tyg ten days ago, I am wondering about offering to help. Before I contact them (or indeed mention it to the Significant Other), I thought I'd seek some advice here.

I've been owned by a series of cats for the last 40 years, so I'm well accustomed to them. My main concerns are 

a) We're only a small house - living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, but due to medical issues SO and I sleep separately - and don't have a room that could be a dedicated cat room: 

b) We're two roads away from a main road. In forty years I've never known anyone in our road have a cat run over, but before we adopted our last cat, I was turned down in no uncertain terms by a certain cat charity (as I opened the door to the woman doing the home inspection, she snapped at me "You're too near a main road"). We do have a big enclosed back garden.

So - any advice? or tips?


----------



## Summercat (Oct 8, 2017)

@tyg'smum 
Hi

Have you tried smaller cat charities? Would it be possible for you to cat proof your back garden if you wanted? Or make a catio.
Would the cat need to be outdoors? You could maybe foster a disabled cat who a charity would offer as indoor only.

I would probably request a more social cat, if there is not an option for a separate safe room to start out. 
Our cat who came from a shelter, did not need a safe room, after initially getting his bearings, he wanted out of the room in about 15 or so minutes.


----------



## SbanR (Jun 16, 2017)

tyg'smum said:


> A local cat rescue are desperate for foster homes.
> 
> Having lost our beloved Tyg ten days ago, I am wondering about offering to help. Before I contact them (or indeed mention it to the Significant Other), I thought I'd seek some advice here.
> 
> ...


What came to mind.

What sort of support will you get from the charity?
Will they be supportive if you have health issues from the fosters or leave you to cope on your own.

Also ask that before you take in a foster, that the cat is first vet checked and has been started on a course of vaccinations.

Fosters have to be kept indoors, so busy roads nearby shouldn't be an issue.

I think @Treaclesmum , @Paddypaws have fostered?


----------



## tyg'smum (Aug 14, 2018)

SbanR said:


> What came to mind.
> 
> What sort of support will you get from the charity?
> Will they be supportive if you have health issues from the fosters or leave you to cope on your own.
> ...


Looking at its website, the charity in question seems very supportive, paying for any vet treatments etc. They seem particularly keen on people who are prepared to foster adult cats, particularly those which are elderly or have special needs, which we would be more than happy to do.

I think I'm twitchy because the woman who did the home visit when we tried to adopt via a rescue was just so foul - other than her opening gambit, she couldn't make her mind up whether we needed to install a cat flap or not (she brought the subject up, and went on about it for some considerable time), asked questions about our income which went well beyond whether we could afford any unexpected vets bills and, when asked what vet we would use, sniffed loudly and said that it was far beyond her to make disparaging comments about any local vet, in tones which made it obvious that that was exactly what she was doing. We never heard whether or not we'd passed the home inspection: I only found out we'd failed because our local vet - the one she didn't like - in whose care the cat in question was, phoned and told me. The vet in question, by the way, had suggested that we might like to adopt said cat because he felt that we were exactly the right home for the poor little soul.

We're seriously considering fostering anyway, but are taking our time at the moment because we're still very raw over losing our last little one.


----------



## SbanR (Jun 16, 2017)

tyg'smum said:


> We're seriously considering fostering anyway, but are taking our time at the moment because we're still very raw over losing our last little one.


Understandably so. Mr Tyg was in the prime of his life. Xx


----------



## tyg'smum (Aug 14, 2018)

Summercat said:


> @tyg'smum
> Hi
> 
> Have you tried smaller cat charities? Would it be possible for you to cat proof your back garden if you wanted? Or make a catio.
> ...


We're looking at a small local charity (though, typical for me, their website appears to be unavailable today!), and are thinking of elderly/disabled.

As long as 15 minutes, huh? It took the late lamented Mr Tyg all of five minutes to look round the room, clearly decide that we'd do, and demand to see what the rest of the accommodation was like. Mind you, during that five minutes he'd sworn fearfully at Something Invisible under the footstool, which I am still convinced was just to check that I could move quickly if he wanted me to. On the other hand, Sammy lived under my bed for six weeks, and Big Bill went to roost behind the fridge, which was his place of choice for the rest of his life.


----------



## Summercat (Oct 8, 2017)

@tyg'smum 
That sounds a good plan, a smaller charity and taking on an elderly or disabled cat. 
Once you are ready, let us know how you get on.
Xx


----------



## Babyshoes (Jul 1, 2016)

If there are no other pets in the home, you don't need a separate room for fostering. 

A foster cat should (usually) stay indoors so the road won't be an issue... 

(I say usually because we currently have a foster who is elderly with various health issues, who is going to be a long term (permanent) foster with us, assuming the introductions to our kitties is successful. That's because he would struggle in a rescue (loves company, can't stand being behind a closed door) and would struggle to get adopted because of the health issues and age.)

I'd say go for it when you feel ready. Some of the big rescues are very dismissive and have blanket rules about roads and children, and it sounds like you got a real nasty stickler for your home check. Smaller rescues are usually willing to do the work needed so they can place the right cat in the right home.


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@tyg'smum - I have done both long term fostering and short term. The last cat I fostered was a senior with a chronic health issue (CKD) and it was a long term arrangement.

The Rescue was keen for the cat to have safe outdoor access, as he'd come from a home where he'd always had outdoor access. (his owner had died). In fact it would have been impossible to keep him indoors permanently as he sprayed in the house while he was shut in. Once he was allowed out the spraying stopped. I live in a quiet rural area in a cul de sac not near a main road, and I have a garden.

He had his own room at first but he mostly preferred to continue using that while indoors, the whole time he lived with me. He got on fine with my other cats though.

After 18 mths living with me as a foster I decided to adopt him. He lived another year before he died of the kidney disease. I was glad I had given him a home for the final years of his life. If I hadn't done, the chances are he would have been stuck in a pen in the Shelter the rest of his life.

He'd already been in the Shelter 6 months before I took him, and no-one else had shown any interest in fostering him. The poor boy was stressed and miserable being shut in a pen all the time and I couldn't bear to leave him there. x


----------



## Pelascini23 (Apr 24, 2019)

I have fostered for 2 years now and we always keep ours inside. We foster mostly young ferals, but have also taken on a pregnant semi-feral and currently two bottle-feeding kittens. Fostering is honestly my favourite thing, it's been amazing and so worth it all. A good rescue will pay all your fostering costs, and will be there to answer any worries or questions you may have. As long as you don't have other pets then space isn't a major issue! I hope you find a good rescue to foster with, we're so, so happy with ours! x


----------

