Any fosterers out there? Please share your wisdom

[ChishandFips33]

I'm thinking about fostering cats/kittens on behalf of a local rescue centre - have been reading up a little about it but would like some RL wisdom please!

I've had cats previously but only two - house is now empty so seems like a good thing to do

I foster. What would you like to know?
Every charity will have slightly different guidelines and procedures so it's best to speak to the one you're planning to foster for about anything specific of course.

In general having one room of your house to dedicate to the foster cat/cats/kittens is preferred, at least to start with. I mainly foster kittens and mum & kittens families and keep them exclusively in one room to keep them separate from my resident cats. Our charity also has other fosterers who foster single adult cats and have no resident pets and their foster cats can have the run of the flat/house once they've settled in - although you have to be extremely careful to avoid escapes as foster cats are not allowed out.

What would you like to know?

Tbh I'm not sure!

I guess any hints or tips, settling in magic, do you advertise them or does the centre, do you end up adopting and become crazy cat lady kind of things??

I used to foster kittens that needed bottle feeding!! Worse than having a newborn tbh!! Ddog did the bum washing though - she showed pure dedication !!

I've read about that bit - poor cat mums having to do that

Think I'll be fostering slightly older ones as I work during the day

DO NOT GET ATTACHED is the only advice you need!!

You can foster through cat protection, they advertise the cat, you look after them either in your home or they provide a free pen if it's outdoor cat. They pay and provide for all food, vet bills, litter, injections, you just have to take cats to appointments and let people come and visit them, often it's older cats, pregnant, ones that have been at a centre for a long time. In certain areas, I know in London, they also run a scheme to take cats in while someone is escaping from domestic abuse. Celia Hammond trust may be looking for fostered too, they take in cats while people are in hospital.

I used to foster for Celia Hammond then moved away and now foster for another charity. Love it! Get yourself registered.

Thanks everyone!

Usually they are advertised through the charity although the one where I volunteer and foster is happy for fosterers to post about their foster cats on social media etc. - just all adoption enquiries need to go through the charity. Having people visit my foster cats is my least favourite part tbh because I'm not a people person and hate having strangers in my house...

I strongly disagree with the 'don't get attached' part - of course you get attached and love them like your own cats while they're with you - you just have to remember saying goodbye is part of fostering and it enables you to save more lives by fostering others. I did adopt one pair because of their special circumstances but mostly saying goodbye when they get adopted by others is quite magical; seeing them go off to lovely homes makes it easier but it's still sad. And then the next foster cats arrive and you soon love them too!

I'm not a people person and hate having strangers in my house...
This!!!!! This would absolutely be the hardest part

Do you have to give any feedback about the potential adopters? How they interacted, behaved towards the cats etc?

Yes, I've always been asked for feedback. Most visitors have been absolutely fine, it's just me being weird - I don't even like people I know visiting me at home most of the time, let alone strangers! But of course they are usually screened by the charity first to be good prospective adopters anyway.