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What does
it mean to be a foster parent?
Well, it means
bringing an unwanted or homeless cat/kitten into your home and providing
food, love and playtime. Then when the cat/kitten is ready to go
to their forever home, you give them one last kiss and send him/her
on their way. It's the most wonderful feeling to see a scared, scraggly
cat/kitten turn into a loving, beautiful baby ready for a life of
love and
happiness.
Becoming a foster
parent for a cat/kitten is very rewarding and enjoyable, but it
is also a big responsibility and should not be taken lightly. The
most important factors to consider before deciding to foster is:
Do you have the time and resources for this cat/kitten that will
rely on you for food, love and socialization?
Things to consider
before fostering a cat or kittens:
1. We recommend
that foster cats be housed in their own room or area, away from
existing pets. This allows your foster cats to be socialized properly
without causing stress to your current pets. We do provide cages
as required, litterboxes and access to food donations made to The
Cat Shack.
2. Do you have
time to feed, change litter boxes and socialize your fosters?
3. Will you
be wiling to take time to show your fosters to potential adopters,
either by bring the cats to adoption days on weekends or permitting
people to meet them in your home?
If you answered
yes to all three, you are ready to foster!
The Cat Shack
provides:
1. All cats are FeLV/FIV tested and given appropriate veterinarian
treatment (inoculations, deworming and flea treatment) for their
ages prior to going to a foster home.
2. The Cat Shack
will cover all medical expenses the cats might incur while in your
foster care- but keep in mind that the cats must be brought to approved
vets that work with our rescue group so we can keep costs down.
3. The Cat Shack
will screen prospective adopters and set up adopter visits, home
visits and the cat's delivery to their new homes. Foster parents
are welcome to participate as much as they like in the process!
4. Foster parents
can adopt their foster cats if they fall in love.
Remember, fostering
is a big job but with a very rewarding ending.
Please read
some notes from our foster parents:
Jenn
Adopted: Heman, Thor, Conner, Sierra, Danielle, Riley and Courtney
Current: Georgie, Frankie and Teddy
Being a foster
parent gives me the best feeling. I know that my my foster babies
are safe with me rather than dead on the side of the road (sorry
to be blunt.) They will be able to experience all the love and fun
they deserve in life. And I gave that to them. What a feeling!
Theresa
and Jake
Adopted:
2 feral kittens Albert and Merlot 7 years ago in April
Fostered: too many to list over the course of the last 4 years,
with two "failed" fosters (Judge and Horst) who are now
part of the family.
We started fostering
a few little kittens that needed socialization-between work, our
own pets and these little guys it seemed like a burden at first.
Then we saw progress, the little hissers started to purr, and what
once felt like a burden became a wonderful experience!
When it came
time to place "Our" fur balls in their new homes, it was
admittedly very difficult to see them go. However, when you get
the e-mails and pictures from their new families, and you see your
former fosters become the pride and joy of loving owners, you know
you are doing something special.
It's WELL worth
the time and the effort. Just think; you can help far more animals
through fostering then you can by personally adopting.
If you would
like to foster kittens or cats, please email CatShack@ptd.net.
Thank you -
you are saving a life!
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