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Over 70% of cats lost weight within 10 weeks when fed this nutrition
Science Diet's breakthrough nutrition supports ultimate digestive well-being & healthy microbiome
Precisely balanced nutrition with the delicious taste of savory minced chicken to help fuel the energy needs of cats during the prime of their life
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Interested in learning how to foster cats or kittens in your home? Fiona Branton, a longtime foster "parent" to cats, says go for it. Her first volunteer placement was for a pregnant cat she fostered in 2006. When the kittens were born, she was hooked. "They had six kittens and were all just adorable," she says. "It was so much fun." Read on to learn if volunteering to foster kittens or cats would be right for you.
In the years since her first mama kitty, Branton has fostered dozens of cats in her Erie, Pennsylvania home. Some have stayed just a few weeks, while others have stayed for years.
Most shelters use foster families to care for at least some cats, says Branton, who now serves as the president of the board of directors for Because You Care, Inc. (BYC), an Erie organization dedicated to the rescue, treatment, and placement of stray and abandoned pets. BYC is unique in that every cat that comes to the shelter is housed with a volunteer foster family before being adopted. The organization has found that by placing cats in a home rather than a shelter environment, a cat's personality, habits and health are easier to gauge — allowing BYC staff to place them in homes that are a great match.
If you want to foster kittens or cats, the first step is being approved by a shelter to volunteer as a foster home. You'll be required to fill out paperwork, and perhaps undergo training and a background check. A shelter employee may even stop by your house to make sure you have the accommodations in place for a temporary pet. Some parameters they might check for are:
You should feel free to ask your own questions during the approval process. You'll want to know the answers to questions like:
The answers to these questions will vary depending on the shelter. No matter what the answer is, just make sure you're comfortable with the shelter's practices and rules before moving ahead.
Before foster cats begin coming into your home, you'll need to think about what you have on hand to care for them. The shelter might provide some or all of these items:
How long foster cats will remain in your home depends on several factors. Branton says she's had healthy cats stay just a few weeks, while others with specialized needs have remained with her for years. She recently took in a Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)-positive cat that she expects will remain with her for the rest of their life. The cat was left behind after his previous family moved.
"He's an elderly cat, and he's missing an eye, and he has a really hard time eating," she says. "So he's basically my long-term hospice care cat at this point."
The ASPCA calls this kind of care "fospice" to reflect the blend of taking in a pet in need of a home and caring for a cat that may have difficulty being adopted due to advanced age, illness or behavioral quirks.
"This program involves opening your home and heart to an animal who is not medically healthy enough for adoption, but needs a warm and loving home environment where they can live out their golden years with proper medical treatment," the ASPCA writes. If you volunteer to care for a cat with a condition such as FIV, many shelters will offer training for administering medication or preparing easy-to-eat foods.
The hardest part of a fostering placement is seeing a cat off to their new home, says Branton.
"Fostering is very rewarding," she says. "But it's also kind of bittersweet, because you're losing a wonderful animal you've fallen in love with. You just have to remember that you're making room for another one to come in." You're also preparing a cat by giving them social skills and kindness to use in a supportive forever home.
If you truly can't say goodbye, the shelter will more than likely allow you to adopt the animal permanently, Branton says.
"That happens a lot," she laughs. "People fall in love and the cat stays."
Branton herself has adopted several cats that started as fosters.
"They work their way into your heart," she says. "You know they're in the right place."
Kara Murphy is a freelance writer and pet parent who lives in Erie, Pa. She has a goldendoodle named Maddie.
Over 70% of cats lost weight within 10 weeks when fed this nutrition
Precisely balanced nutrition with the delicious taste of savory minced chicken to help fuel the energy needs of cats during the prime of their life
Feline Adult Perfect Weight Variety Pack
Science Diet's breakthrough nutrition supports ultimate digestive well-being & healthy microbiome
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Our low calorie formula helps you control your cat's weight. It's packed with high-quality protein for building lean muscles, and made with purposeful ingredients for a flavorful, nutritious meal. Clinically proven antioxidants, Vitamin C+E, help promote a healthy immune system.
Our low calorie formula helps you control your cat's weight. It's packed with high-quality protein for building lean muscles, and made with purposeful ingredients for a flavorful, nutritious meal. Clinically proven antioxidants, Vitamin C+E, help promote a healthy immune system.