What is a Foster Carer? A foster home provides the "between" time: the time the cats spends from the shelter to the permanent home. When a cat is rescued from a high kill shelter or any other situation, it will likely be very scared, and possibly ill because it has been so stressed. A foster will take this frightened cat in and give it good food, fresh water, protection and love!

The foster may need to rehabilitate, so that it will accept human love or overcome behavioral problems. On rare occasions the foster may need to nurse it to health if there are health problems.

Kitten carers usually have a kitten for 2-4 weeks whilst we find them a rehoming centre.

What is involved in becoming a foster?

Dedication, communication and commitment ...mixed in with a desire for knowledge of how to provide better care for the cat. The foster needs to be willing to open his or her heart and home to a rescue.

• The foster needs to care for the rescued cat from the time it's put into foster care until it is adopted. This can be up to around 2 months depending on the season and cat. Normally this period is around 1 month and even less for kittens!
   
• The foster will need to help in our efforts to rehome. Normally foster carers love the opportunity to interact with the public and advertise in the local community. We help with this by providing cards, signs and access to a detailed cat rescue web site, and the foster carer provides the capacity to interview and meet prospective owners and follow through.
   
• The foster needs to be willing to put the time and effort into the care and rehabilitation of the cat. Sometimes these animals come from bad or abusive environments, and need to understand how to love again! Sometimes they need to be re-trained to use a litter box…or even eat without feeling threatened.
   
• If the foster is a family, the whole family must be dedicated to these goals. Being a foster home can, at times, be difficult. A successful foster home is one in which everyone works together for the welfare of the cat! Please make sure that everyone who will be involved in caring for the cat will be dedicated to its well-being.

What are the responsibilities of a foster carer

Foster homes are responsible for providing a loving home, food, fresh water, healthy treats, and safe toys for the cat. In almost all cases the Foster carer also interviews prospective owners and "beats the street" to help market their charges in the local area. We also help this by providing volunteers, time and materials.

A foster will be responsible for evaluating the rescue kitty, to ensure that the cats are placed in homes suitable to the cats’ needs. For instance, a home with young children, dogs or people who work long hours may not be suitable homes for some cats.

What is the foster not responsible for?

CatRescue will meet all vet costs. In most cases we will have vetted each animal immediately after rescue. However, in rare cases this is not possible, in which case you may be responsible for taking thecat to the vet for spay/neuter, FIV/FeLV testing, initial flea treatment, worming, and/or rabies or routine vaccination. These will be paid for by the CatRescue after the prices are negotiated with the vet by the rescue coordinator in charge. CatRescue also covers Medications and further vetting, if pre-approved by CatRescue.

How many cats can I foster?

2 -4 kittens or 1 adult cat maximum. The balance is based on how much available time and resources you have and the number of cats we mutually agree we can manage. Most foster carers have had a cat previously and/or still have cats. We assess how much effort that is required for each cat and make a call based on our past experience and your circumstance. We aim for the low end of an average of 2-4 kittens or 1-2 adult cats per carer. CatRescue does not support Cat collectors in our network on health, social, welfare and economic reasons.

Can I foster for other rescue groups at the same time?

CatRescue loves it's carers, we treat them well and make sure they are capable, coping and have the necessary support they need to foster. This is only possible by keeping low numbers, quality standards of care and reduced costs, and this is very hard if the carer is also taking in rescues from other groups. CatRescue will not normally work with foster carer/rescuers that are actively taking in and rescuing from other rescue groups. based on long personal experience. This was a hard decision, but aimed at reducing risk and overcrowding.

We know that some other rescue groups pressure carers to take more animals than they can manage and in some cases they are left unable to effectively care for the animals with undesexed and sick groups. This image simply cannot continue if we are to bring about large acceptance in the government of community based care groups.

Can I rescue other cats?

Due to the risk of infection, flu, ringworm or other issues CatRescue actively discourages our carers from taking in additional animals. Any cats/animals rescued independantly by the carer are the responsibility of the carer and not CatRescue.  if a carer exceeds the agreed number of animals in care we will take the animals back and they leave the group to join other rescue groups or become an independent carer.

CatRescue does not allow carers to use it's facilities, accounts or cost structures for personal rescues.

We receive many calls every week from rescuers who have taken in animals and want to become part of CatRescue to access our finances and facilities. We just cant afford it and it can be very risky.

It's a harsh rule but one we have learned over time as mysterious vet bills, high costs of food and risks of infection have led to long legal issues.

Are there any risks involved in fostering?

There can be. That is why it is necessary to ensure that, as a foster home, your own cats are fully vaccinated, and of course, healthy! It is also important that a quiet area for quarantine be provided. This is the best and safest way to evaluate the needs of the rescue cat, as well as provide the best care possible for each individual situation.

There is also a BIG risk that you will experience a sense of loss when the rescued cat gets adopted. All good rescuers/fosters realize this risk. However, the sense of accomplishment and eventual joy that comes with knowing that a cat has been saved and is in a loving home far outbalances the initial risk!

Summary... The cold, hard facts...

• Fostering is not always an easy job
• Fostering is often challenging,
• Fostering costs a small amount of money
• It can be painful to let go/adopt out a foster cat.....
• BUT, fostering can be THE MOST rewarding and fulfilling thing a true cat lover will ever do!

What are the steps to becoming a foster?

Step 1. Read this page and ask us any questions
Step 2. Fill in the "I want to become a foster carer" form below
Step 3. Print off and fax back the foster carer contract (click here)

Step 4. You will be notified if we need more information.
Step 5. Once we contact you you may either come over to our main carer shelter to meet a potential foster or we will contact you to come over and introduce you to your new foster.

We really are grateful for you offering to join our foster carer network, if you are interested then please email kd@catrescue.com.au 

Thank you!