BECOME A KITTY FOSTER PARENT
We can only rescue as many animals as we have room to accommodate. Animal shelters euthanize dozens of healthy and friendly animals each day to make space for the new ones coming in due to limited holding space. TCMR has to turn away dozens of adoptable cats each week because we lack foster parents with whom we can place rescued cats/kittens.
Not only do foster parents maximize the number of cats rescued, they can also help to give a second chance to cats that require special care: sick or injured cats, kittens with immune systems not strong enough to fight germs, orphaned or feral kittens, mothers with newborn litters, etc.
By joining TCMR as a foster, you are making an immeasurable difference to our efforts and, most importantly, you are providing a much deserved second chance to for the cat(s) you welcome into your home.
Not only do foster parents maximize the number of cats rescued, they can also help to give a second chance to cats that require special care: sick or injured cats, kittens with immune systems not strong enough to fight germs, orphaned or feral kittens, mothers with newborn litters, etc.
By joining TCMR as a foster, you are making an immeasurable difference to our efforts and, most importantly, you are providing a much deserved second chance to for the cat(s) you welcome into your home.
What is required of me as a foster parent?
A foster home is a person or family who temporarily houses and cares for a homeless cat until a permanent home can be found through our adoption program.
We have a foster application and foster agreement that we ask potential fosters to fill out so that we can learn a little more about you and allow you the opportunity to get a better feel for what fostering with TCMR requires. TCMR provides a Foster Packet with additional information that includes cat assessment forms, rescue care and prevention guide, adoption protocol, vetting information, etc. to help make sure you are as prepared as possible for your foster experience.
We prefer our foster homes be within a 25 mile radius of Longview/Kilgore. Our veterinary partners are in this area and so if a kitty needs to be seen, our foster homes must be able to get them to our designated vets for exams or scheduled appointments (we don’t have partnerships with any veterinarians outside of our immediate area so to help keep our costs down our foster homes must be able to access our designated vets). We are also very hands-on with our foster homes (especially new ones) so having foster homes close to our base area makes helping them help their foster kitties go smoother.
We ask that our foster homes treat their foster kitties like they were their own kitties. They must be kept indoors only. When first introduced to the home we ask that they remain separated from other household pets for a two week “quarantine” to make sure that the foster kitties are healthy and not caring anything that could be transmitted to other personal pets (the rescue does not take responsibility for personal pets contracting any sickness or issues from foster kitties). We do test all of our foster kitties for feline leukemia/FIV, and prior to being available for adoption all kitties are spayed/neutered, fully vaccinated, treated for fleas, dewormed and microchipped. And of course in order to be adopted they must be healthy to the best of our knowledge (cats with chronic health conditions may be put up for adoption with a full disclosure of their health concerns, care requirements and needs). Being a foster also requires that you take on an active role in helping your foster cat(s) find new homes - making sure we have updated photos, keeping up with facebook posts and comments for your foster(s), be able to host meet at greets (often in your home) for interested adopters. We network our kitties through facebook and we list our available pets on Petfinder.com and our website.
We do expect our foster homes to continue to care for their foster kitties until a forever home is found, so we encourage fosters to be selective and aware of any potential issues the kitties that they are wanting to take in may have. Any potential foster kitty must be approved for intake in advance by the rescue director/president, and once a foster home commits to a cat, we expect them to honor that commitment regardless of what might arise along the way - if the kitty does not get along with their pets, if there’s health issues or behavior issues, etc. - these are things a foster home must be willing and able to handle and accommodate… So again we strongly encourage foster homes to be aware of these possibilities before taking in a foster cat. Since we are a foster home based rescue, we don’t have a facility or other placement options to send cats that a foster home no longer wants to care for. This is partly why we develop strong, trusting relationships with our foster homes, because in the end we are in this together. Also in the event that an adoption does not work out and the kitty must be returned, we ask that our foster homes be willing to take that kitty back to the best of their ability. We understand sometimes after years things can change and that is no longer an option, but in an immediate time frame, within a couple weeks or month after adoption if it doesn’t work out, the foster home must be willing to take the kitty back until a new home can be found.
*PLEASE NOTE* - Right now our adoptions are extremely slow. We have some really wonderful kitties in our rescue, but with the current climate, a lot of changes happening, and a lot of uncertainties, sadly it seems that adoption has fallen off the list of priorities for a lot of families. We understand that and we are doing our best to keep up with the surge of kitties in need while also being aware that the more we take in, the longer it might take to find them all homes. So there is always the possibility that a foster kitty might be with a foster home for several months or even several years.
We greatly appreciate your interest in becoming a foster. We know fostering can be unpredictable but also a lot of fun, so we want to make your foster experience a good one. We cannot do what we do without our dedicated fosters and we are grateful to each and every person that has chosen to be a part of our efforts!
We have a foster application and foster agreement that we ask potential fosters to fill out so that we can learn a little more about you and allow you the opportunity to get a better feel for what fostering with TCMR requires. TCMR provides a Foster Packet with additional information that includes cat assessment forms, rescue care and prevention guide, adoption protocol, vetting information, etc. to help make sure you are as prepared as possible for your foster experience.
We prefer our foster homes be within a 25 mile radius of Longview/Kilgore. Our veterinary partners are in this area and so if a kitty needs to be seen, our foster homes must be able to get them to our designated vets for exams or scheduled appointments (we don’t have partnerships with any veterinarians outside of our immediate area so to help keep our costs down our foster homes must be able to access our designated vets). We are also very hands-on with our foster homes (especially new ones) so having foster homes close to our base area makes helping them help their foster kitties go smoother.
We ask that our foster homes treat their foster kitties like they were their own kitties. They must be kept indoors only. When first introduced to the home we ask that they remain separated from other household pets for a two week “quarantine” to make sure that the foster kitties are healthy and not caring anything that could be transmitted to other personal pets (the rescue does not take responsibility for personal pets contracting any sickness or issues from foster kitties). We do test all of our foster kitties for feline leukemia/FIV, and prior to being available for adoption all kitties are spayed/neutered, fully vaccinated, treated for fleas, dewormed and microchipped. And of course in order to be adopted they must be healthy to the best of our knowledge (cats with chronic health conditions may be put up for adoption with a full disclosure of their health concerns, care requirements and needs). Being a foster also requires that you take on an active role in helping your foster cat(s) find new homes - making sure we have updated photos, keeping up with facebook posts and comments for your foster(s), be able to host meet at greets (often in your home) for interested adopters. We network our kitties through facebook and we list our available pets on Petfinder.com and our website.
We do expect our foster homes to continue to care for their foster kitties until a forever home is found, so we encourage fosters to be selective and aware of any potential issues the kitties that they are wanting to take in may have. Any potential foster kitty must be approved for intake in advance by the rescue director/president, and once a foster home commits to a cat, we expect them to honor that commitment regardless of what might arise along the way - if the kitty does not get along with their pets, if there’s health issues or behavior issues, etc. - these are things a foster home must be willing and able to handle and accommodate… So again we strongly encourage foster homes to be aware of these possibilities before taking in a foster cat. Since we are a foster home based rescue, we don’t have a facility or other placement options to send cats that a foster home no longer wants to care for. This is partly why we develop strong, trusting relationships with our foster homes, because in the end we are in this together. Also in the event that an adoption does not work out and the kitty must be returned, we ask that our foster homes be willing to take that kitty back to the best of their ability. We understand sometimes after years things can change and that is no longer an option, but in an immediate time frame, within a couple weeks or month after adoption if it doesn’t work out, the foster home must be willing to take the kitty back until a new home can be found.
*PLEASE NOTE* - Right now our adoptions are extremely slow. We have some really wonderful kitties in our rescue, but with the current climate, a lot of changes happening, and a lot of uncertainties, sadly it seems that adoption has fallen off the list of priorities for a lot of families. We understand that and we are doing our best to keep up with the surge of kitties in need while also being aware that the more we take in, the longer it might take to find them all homes. So there is always the possibility that a foster kitty might be with a foster home for several months or even several years.
We greatly appreciate your interest in becoming a foster. We know fostering can be unpredictable but also a lot of fun, so we want to make your foster experience a good one. We cannot do what we do without our dedicated fosters and we are grateful to each and every person that has chosen to be a part of our efforts!
If you have questions or would like to apply to become a foster parent for TCMR,
please EMAIL US.
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© 2013 The Cat's Meow Rescue. All Rights Reserved.
© 2013 The Cat's Meow Rescue. All Rights Reserved.