Many times rescues who have no central facility, rely solely on foster homes to determine how many cats they can take from our found stray and abandoned cats in our areas. Or cats from county shelters, who may be long term residents and/or at risk of euthanasia due to overcrowding. Rescues also rely on fosters to provide a change of environment for long term residents or those cats who may be having a hard time adjusting to a kennel atmosphere. Fosters are crucial to cats in need of a warm place to thrive.

There are many cats and kittens that need a little help before they get adopted. While fostering a cat, you are able to provide a safe, loving, secure environment that provides food, exercise and stimulation, which in turn creates a happier, healthier, calmer cat. In addition, you can work with the cat on socialization that potential adopters will find attractive when looking for the perfect cat for their family.

Rescues often look to fosters for those cats who may have endured a difficult past such as abuse, cruelty, neglect, under socialization, etc. As a foster, you have the chance and opportunity to gain a cats trust, show them human touch and love perhaps for the first time, provide an environment for them to feel safe, and watch them transform before your very eyes.

If you have existing pets, introducing a cat can be a great experience for them as an additional companion, additional socialization, and an additional playmate! Children can benefit from fostering as a way to introduce responsibility, selflessness, a way to educate about animals, and is also a great way to "test" the idea of a permanent cat into the home in the future.

Fellow fosters will help guide you through the experience, give ideas, answer any questions, and may even become your friends! There is nothing quite like sharing experiences with those who do the same and being part of a community of people who have like passions.

When the day comes, that your foster finds that perfect home, the rewarding feeling you will experience is something very special. You will feel a sense of pride, in knowing what you helped that cat accomplish in his time with you. You will feel overjoyed, that he has found his forever family and his happy ending that all homeless cats so desire. And while certainly, some goodbyes can be tough, knowing that a cat has found his happy ending and that another precious life awaits to be afforded your gifts, is as good of a feeling as there is!