Can we talk about cat fostering?

[BrainInAJar]

Hello,

I currently have an elderly cat (she was adopted from a rescue) and have learned quite a bit from having her.

I dread the day she passes but I'm thinking it will give me comfort to help more cats in the future.

I'm single, work from home and am a huge homebody in general. I live in a (mortgaged) flat but it does have access to a communal garden.

I don't have any family nearby so it really is just me on whom the cat(s) would be relying. I'm conscious, now that I'm getting a little older myself (40s) that a cat is a 20 year plus commitment and I don't know what the future holds for me eg my own health.

Please tell me about why you foster rather than adopting?

And what sort of cats, in what sort of circumstances?

Or would I be better just to adopt another, single, older cat?

Hopefully me and my love have a while yet but I'd just like to know what the future might hold, helping other cat(s) in her memory, sort of thing. :-(

Thanks

Rescues tend to be desperate for foster carers. I've found r it very temporarily for a couple of cats but only for a couple of days each.
I fostered to adopt my new cat. And to be honest it was a bit of a nightmare, as a problem was identified and the rescue disagreed with my vet about the treatment. (Rescue were wrong, vet was right. It was mortifying.) the other issue I have now. Is that I couldn't insure her before I officially adopted her, and the problems she was treated for, I now can't insure her for. As they are pre existing. Might not be an issue for you, but something to bear in mind if you be come a foster fail. (I.e you keep
The cat)

Fostered cats can’t be allowed out of the house, this is very very difficult in the summer as most cats are determined to make their escape. It also means all their toiletting needs cleaning from the litter tray.
The rescue will usually pay all the food, litter and vet bills so you get cat company without the expense.
You know they will always leave (unless you choose an elderly or disabled foster) so no risk of getting attached and feeling sad.

Thanks both, this is interesting.

I've self-insured my current cat.

Didn't know that about not letting them outside but it makes sense.

Yes, I can see how you would foster a cat and then end up owning it for one reason or another!

I fostered for 10 years, for me it was because I got so attached to my previous cat I didn't think I could cope with that again.

Then madam turned up and had other ideas.

You get to meet lots of cats of all ages. I fostered for Cats' Protection, they pay for food, litter, vet's bills etc.

If you have a car it helps because you can take the cat to the vet.

The best bit is when someone wants to look at a cat they come to your home and sometimes the cat just knows this is its new owner.

I had a 19 year old with only 1 tooth and a lady who was 90 came to look at her. I putt he cat on her knee and the cat just settled down with a look of, "this is where I should be"

Cat's Protection also send you on courses to learn about cat behaviour and health checks.

Thanks @sashh that sounds great!

We fostered for six years, and had 60 cats or kittens during that time. We loved it, and only stopped when we had a baby. We always thought we'd eventually adopt, and we probably will in the next year or two.

We began with Cats Protection, fostering very vulnerable (blind/FIV/recuperating/new queens) cats in a flat with no outdoor access at all. We then moved house and fostered for a local independent cat charity, which I much preferred, as ironically they were a bit more levelheaded about cats than some of the CPL employees we met. For example - they were happy for us to let some of our cats outdoors if they were with us for a long time and had no particular health needs, whereas the CPL were frantically worried about cats getting outdoors. It felt more genuinely cat-centred to me. I'd ask around and perhaps ask a local rehoming charity if you can talk to one of their fosterers to understand the commitment?

I fostered for a few years after both my cats had to be put down in quick succession. I had a variety of cats, mothers with kittens, orphan kittens and lots of adults either singles or pairs and one group of three. I enjoyed the kittens least, surprisingly, they are cute but relentless and the orphans were hard to litter train. My greatest joy was the very frightened ex-stray who took three months to go from totally unapproachable to semi-affectionate. There is a thread on here somewhere about him.
Letting them go was easy, generally, I often had the experience described by a PP of cat and new owner bonding almost instantly. I also rehomed a very elderly cat with a similarly elderly lady. The cat had been very feisty with me but just instantly loved her new mum. I know they had a good life together.
One advantage of fostering is that you can arrange it round holidays unlike the problem of finding someone to take care of an owned cat. And all the expenses are covered.

Thanks again guys, this is interesting to hear.

I'm not one for regular holidays for various reasons but there are a couple of "bucket list" trips I'd like to do at some point. So I need to time them for "in between" cats as I might be away for like a month at a time. Fostering might be useful for that.

I guess I basically just ask my local rescue what their greatest need is at the appropriate juncture - a permanent home or a foster home.

If you're used to your cats company once it passes it is awful. My DS's cat had to be PTS after having 2 seizures at 18 1/2 and he told me he could never get another cat to replace his cat. We were both so sad once he'd gone. But after about 3 or 4 months he said he hated getting up and not having a cat around his ankles. He hated coming in from work and no cat to greet him and asked if we could get another one. Once your cat passes you will be of course sad but I think it's nice to have a new companion. Cat charities are always trying to home older cats without a home. You could in the future give an older cat the security and love it needs for the rest of its life.

Thanks! My current cat was already 9 when I got her. My family has always adopted so my cat experience is really only with somewhat older cats funnily enough! I wouldn't know what to do with a kitten!

It depends on the state of your health and other conditions you may be at risk for, but fostering might be hard work for you emotionally. My nana adopted her last at 81 and has outlived her. I think it’s your decision as to what you’re capable of, what you need and whether you can provide what a foster or rescue needs respectively (might be everything for either one!) You’d really help a rescue shelter by fostering but nobody would be helped if you didn’t have the physical or emotional capacity for it.

And we can never replace one truly, but we can get a new companion who is lovely but different.

@CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau thanks. Yes, I still think of my parents' cat who died in 2007 (I grew up with her).

I won't take on more than I can handle. I did that once before with over committing myself with a befriending volunteering thing once and learned my lesson!

People often asked whether letting the cats go as they were adopted was hard - the first one really was - she'd had an awful experience and we'd nursed her back to health and joy, but she went to a brilliant home. We were never pleased to see any of them go (even the legendary Bad Tom the Biter) but when you know they're being adopted by people who'll love them, it's a pang rather than a crisis.

I think cat fosters are amazing people. We've adopted several cats from CPL and each time collected them from a foster home. These people had worked on the cats' confidence, sometimes after shitty previous experiences, and studied their behaviours to ascertain the best future home setting. They never seemed sad to be saying goodbye because they could see how much I was going to dote on the daft fluffers. Plus they normally had a dozen others waiting to take their place!

You don't need to time your holidays around the cats, they go to another fosterer while you are away. I've had a foster for a few days while another fosterer had a kitchen floor fitted.

I also had a couple of cats while their owner was in a refuge. I'm in a bungalow and when I took the cats to their new home they were not too impressed until one of them found the stairs and they then spent an exciting few mins running up and down stairs talking to each other.