Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Rescue & Rehoming => Rescue & Rehoming General => Topic started by: Elle CatRescueUK on January 02, 2012, 13:15:54 PM
-
I'm just trying to get more of an idea of this but I don't know if any rescues would want me to foster. I once enquired about it years ago and a rescue told me that I'd need a dedicated room to keep the cat away from my other cats... so I didn't have one and that meant they weren't interested in allowing me to foster. Is this the case with all rescues? I have 2 cats right now, as one went missing in Sept, but Im just trying to get advice really from others that foster etc. I have my own house (owned) and can keep foster cats indoors without fear of them escaping. :thanks:
-
The majority of Charities like you to keep foster cats seperate just in case they have something your own cat doesn't need and vice versa as this canlead to large vet bills for you and the charity
Could you put outside pens in the garden as this is as rewarding and the pens are supplied for that purpose
-
ah right I didn't think of that!! Maybem, although my garden is quite small. I'll seriously consider it thank you x
-
Have you enquiried here
http://www.animalaccident.org.uk/?p=1712
i foster for AARU and we're still desperate for fosterers and for help with driving and manning the phone- AARU is also provides emergency transport for sick/injured animals
I know not all the fosterers have a spare room but i think it is certainly best to have a room you ca n use for introductions and for at least an initial quarantine-i know some use their bathrooms for this (its bigger than a pen!)
-
Snarf, do you need to live in or around Nottingham to foster for AARU? Its something I'm considering this year after my success in fostering and rehoming a pair of little black kittens a couple of years ago. I have 2 spare rooms so no shortage of space, although my house is rented not owned (cats allowed though as I have my 2 already).
-
It is useful to have somewhere to be able to put the foster cat apart from your own. Most foster cats - even if you do let them mingle after an initial quarantine period need to be able to be contained at some point - eg after ops, when on medication, to allow you cat free access to a cat flap.
Also I think cats appreciate routine.
keeping them apart from your own also helps create an emotional distance when you have to home them.
Also, you own cat(s) will come to resent all the comings and goings of strange cats into their own home territory so you may get more stress issues - ie spraying. So even though a pen in your living room can be a minimum requirement it is not ideal.
If you do give it a try, make sure you only take an easy cat to start with - not all cats are easy going. And please stick it out long enough to home the cat.
We have had people come on board as fosterers only to last a week - and thats after a protracted time for them to be able to have second thoughts.
We put effort and expense into setting up new fosterers so this is then wasted.
Also because foster space is so short, it usually means we have taken in an extra ca that we would not normally have space for and so are then stuck with having to decide where the cat can be moved for. Its also not good for the poor cat to be shoved around more than necessary.
Having said all that, please do not let an outside chance of it not working put you off, but just accept to stick it out for that first cat.
-
Very good points Angie
Bryony- AARU are a local independant charity and like most,use particualar vets so fostering outside of notts isnt really feasible, we do have a nice lady in coventry that helps on the phone rota though.im sure there will be a charity near you crying out for help, they might just be so busy theyve not managed to call out yet!
-
Thanks for all the replies, esp Angie :)
I've emailed AARU, will email others tomorrow. I'm also not sure that me working 4 days at the moment would interest them, so just putting the feelers out there and will explain my circumstances. My work will almost certainly drop down anyway.