Fostering 101

 What if I told you that? 

You can apply to foster a furry child by simply filling out an application at straycatalliance.org.There are sooooo many to choose from different litters of kittens,grown adult cats, chubby cats, cats with special needs, bonded cats & senior cats.

 And we would help you with any of the expenses that is medication, vet visits, & we’ll even provide the wet food, kibble , litter, & litter box. Would you be interested? 

Well then head on over …BUT before there are a couple of things that you SHOULD know about fostering before even considering it. I’m going based on what I’ve seen at the rescue. Soooo taking in a cat comes with big responsibilities. Just as cats come in all sizes & different colored coats, some fluffier than others. They also come with different personalities, behavior issues, & health problems.Some aren’t as social, & some take longer to warm up to a human. Think of it as ? Starting a new job, or moving to a whole different state. Frightening right? It can be a little scary at first. And say you haven’t had the best experience at other jobs, so it’s difficult for you to come around, or feel comfortable and confident. That’s how a cat feels, completely scared, might not eat the first couple of days, might even stay in the same spot for a week, might be scoping the place out but still not sure if he or she can let their guard down. I’ve seen soooo many people foster for a week, a damn week ! And then return the poor cat, because of a minor inconvenience such as oh the cats not eating , he’s not getting along with my other cat, he tried to attack me.  I can’t help but roll my eyes, at these silly ridiculous excuses. People… 

Do some research before signing up, most importantly of all be patient ! There is an orange tabby at the rescue who’s name is Charlie & I can’t even begin to tell you how many times that baby has been returned …it blows my mind. Patience !!! It’s not that hard, once you see the cat coming around and begin to warm up to you & the meowing becomes more constant & one day they crawl up on your lap it’s the most rewarding feeling.You have to just let the cat be, some of them have never been in a home they come from the streets. And some of them have spent more than half of their lives at a place where they thought was home. But now they’re being abandoned because their owner is moving to a new building and can’t bring him along, or their new partner is allergic or isn’t getting along with him or her. The list of excuses is endless, imagine having a child for ten years and being all like ok I don’t want you anymore sorry off you go. Don’t give me that bull**** of “ohhh you can’t compare a child to a cat” Yes I totally can, the only difference is one shits in a box, and I know a handful of ppl that treat their animals like children because they are. 

If you decide to foster a cat that has special needs or is on meds. One of the vets will be more than happy to do a demo on how to administer medication to a cat. Also if you’re fostering a sick cat, you might have to bring him in often for his visits and checks ups, keep that in mind if you don’t have any free time then perhaps getting a healthy adult cat might be for you. Kittens require to be fed every two hours, so if you work from home or are just taking time off fostering kittens might be right for you. 

If you’re patient, & are willing to work with the cat, & help him come around then sure go ahead and fostering might be right for you, keep in mind that fostering means you are lending your time, energy & place while the rescue finds the cat a permanent home. In some cases fosters get so attached they end up adopting the cat and it’s a happy ending for everyone. Specially when the kitty is already use to their human. 

These are just a couple of things I wanted to cover, if you have any questions, concerns or are just curious about what is needed to properly care for a cat, I encourage you don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I can try to help in anyway I can. Cats are super independent, & sometimes will only want love and pets on their terms sooo ? Not as needy, hyper or clingy as a doggo. But they will love you unconditionally nonetheless. 

Patience, understanding & love is all they ask for. 

Till next time ! 

~ Chibi