Help a Kitty in Need – Fostering
Have you ever wished you could have more cats but can’t afford the cost? Do you love raising litters of kittens? Would you like to help kitties in need? Fostering may be the perfect fit for you.

What is fostering? You sign up with a rescue organization, and they give you cats to house for days to maybe even months. This could be due to overcrowding at a shelter and the kitty just needs to stay until there is more space. Kittens have to reach a certain size before they can be spayed or neutered, so you might take in litters of tiny kittens and keep them for a couple months until they reach the right size. Some may need to be bottle-fed which requires you to be available every two hours around the clock.

Another common reason that felines are fostered is sickness. Upper respiratory infections are common in kitties, and the stress of the shelter environment can bring them on. Unless the animal is a tiny kitten or immune-compromised adults, this mostly amounts to a ‘kitty cold’ and just requires medications for a week or so. Others may need to recover from surgery or have conditions requiring more complicated care.

Socialization may also be a reason to foster. If a cat is not very friendly , has been traumatized, or is just not thriving in the shelter environment, the kitty may be sent to you. As the foster parent, you will work with the animal to get it used to human interaction and living in a household.

Some rescue organizations will provide all of the food needed, vet care, and even supplies like litter boxes. While you will need to provide transportation to pick up the cat and take it back, you may not have expenses beyond that. Note that small kittens will have to be taken to the vet every couple of weeks to get their shots.

Fostering is a great way to get to enjoy interacting with adult felines and kittens while giving of your time to a worthy cause. It’s very rewarding to know that you played a part in getting a needy animal a home.