How to Find Foster Homes

Finding good homes for your rescued cats will be one of your organization's greatest challenges if you choose to go that route. Advertising will bring foster home volunteers, but due diligence requires you to screen, interview, obtain references, monitor and do home visits repeatedly. Always follow up on foster homes at regular intervals. REALLY GET TO KNOW YOUR FOSTER HOMES AND STAY IN CONTACT! 

You will need to be direct and specific regarding your expectations - what the responsibilities of the foster home are and what your rescue will take responsibility for and who makes basic decisions. You should read our section on fostering and our Foster FAQ and quarantine to better understand the issues, and you should have a foster application and foster contract that your can offer at booths you sponsor, at your rescue, on your website and at your veterinarian's office.

We assume you're already checking with friends, family, and your vet for possible foster home options. Below are some suggested means to find foster homes.  We anticipate more creative and original ideas coming forth with the networking of rescue groups through Purebred Cat Breed Rescue.  Be sure and share your success stories as well as your problems with us.

The Internet

You will definitely need a digital camera to most effectively advertise your cats on the internet. "A picture is worth a thousand words" certainly applies. Do bathe and groom the cats prior to taking pictures, cleaning eyes and generally making them look their best... or at least show a "before" and "after" picture if you showing them in worse shape makes sense.

Do not neglect Facebook. A page on facebook can help a great deal if you post those pictures of adoptable cats there and it costs nothing except your effort to make the page and upload pictures and provide information. Then post animals that need help, adoptions, happy tails, stories, requests for donations and fosters, and even funny pictures. Tell your fans how much I appreciate them all the time,  because you can't do what you need to do without them. You can keep albums of every cat who comes into the rescue, and then transfer those photos to an "Adopted" album, to keep track. Facebook is also an excellent place to promote events and  for fundraisers, and to recruit help for those as well. Promote your rescue website and your petfinder page on your Facebook page, too. Do  also include a "like button" on your website!

You can post a request for foster homes on cat rescue email lists - be sure to specify your catchment area and location as well as what is expected of a foster home for your group. In addition, you can ask your vet if he knows of any possibilities and, with permission, put up a flyer at your vet's office, and at other local vet offices.

Also, you can offer to accept a "foster with option to adopt" - some adopters are concerned about how their animals or family will react, this gives them a "trial period" and in the meantime provides a foster home.

Cat Shows

If you have cats in your program when a local cat show is scheduled, you can arrange with the show manager to get a table or booth for your rescue. The show manager may allow you to set up a booth with cages. Make sure the cages are where the cats can be easily viewed. If there isn't going to be someone there to staff the booth at all times, place a sign on each cage giving the name, age, breed, and something interesting about each cat. It always helps to leave note, so the people interested in adopting can find someone to help them. For example, "If your interested in adopting one of our kitties see Susan Smith at the announcer's table". If you don't have any cats currently in your program, still set up a table with photos, promotional information, and a sign up list for people that are interested in a rescued purebred or in fostering.

You also might want to include a sign-up sheet for people who are interested in fostering cats for your organization. If this is a direction your group is considering, remember to be brutally honest with your potential foster homes, especially if they already have cats.