National Foster a Pet Month is a month-long celebration in June. This campaign encourages people to open their homes to animals in need. Fostering involves caring for an animal until a forever home is found for it. Often, this is done to clean out shelters and make room for at-risk pets, such as those with underlying health conditions and very young pets.
Fostering helps shelters find a place for these pets and makes room for more pets looking for a home.
What is National Foster a Pet Month?
This month focuses on the benefits of pet ownership, which include:
- Saving lives: Overcrowding in shelters is not good for anyone. Even in no-kill shelters, this can increase the risk of diseases and force the shelter to turn away pets. Care can help open up more shelter space and reduce disease transmission, especially among pets at risk.
- Improve socialization: Grooming also helps socialize pets. Kittens do better in homes where they can be introduced to the world. This improves their kindness, increasing the likelihood that they will be adopted. Even older pets can benefit from some in-home training.
- Trail running: Taking care of a pet can also help you “test run” with many types of cats and cats. You can learn which cats work best in your family and which ones don’t without the extended responsibility of caring for any of them. If you’re interested in owning a pet but don’t want to dive right in, fostering can be an easy middle-ground.
What Are the Different Types of Foster Care?
There are two main types of foster care: short-term and long-term.
Short-term foster care usually lasts only a few weeks to a few months. Often, these pets are suitable for adoption, and the organization can easily find an adoptee. However, for one reason or another (usually because the shelter is full), the care for this animal may be better. These animals usually don’t have many special needs or wants. Usually, this is where most fosters start.
Long-term care can last months or even years. You will need to commit to providing long-term care for an animal. In many cases, these animals have health or behavioral risks that make them currently unacceptable. However, at some point, they will become adoptable in the future.
A pregnant cat is a good example of this. A pregnant cat cannot be adopted, but she often does best in a home environment. After giving birth, pregnant cats and kittens can be adopted as adults. However, the foster owner must commit to several months of care for the mother and kittens.
Sometimes, senior cats also fall into this category. It is very difficult to find someone to adopt senior cats. Therefore, they are often the first to be placed in a foster home. In many cases, these cats may not be adopted, and they should not spend their final days in a shelter.
What Are the Responsibilities of a Foster Pet Parent?
You will have certain responsibilities as a pet parent, but different programs work differently. Some may provide all the food your cat needs, while others may require you to buy it but provide money to do so. However, the less money you need from the program, the more cats it can help.
Even though the program provides food, you must provide water and shelter. Your house should be big enough for a dog, for example. You should also be able to provide adequate outdoor access for the dog.
You will also need to take the cat to veterinary examinations and other medical services. A pregnant cat may need more visits than others, for example. Often, the not-for-profit will cover the fees for these visits, but you will need to bring the cat to them.
The main point of care is to teach the animals basic house manners. You should start with some basic training, which can make the cat more adaptable. Animals should also be well socialized. Often, this is the main hiccup for many of these adoptable cats. Therefore, it should be one of your main focuses when breeding.
How Can I Find Foster Pet Opportunities in My Area?
There are a few basic ways you can look for development options in your area. First, contact your animal shelter. Many of these may have their own foster programs. If they don’t, they probably work with an outside organization that does. They can direct you to sign-up or classes you may need to take before getting rich.
Local rescue groups are also reliable options. They often rely on caregiving, as they have no shelter of their own. They can also work with local shelters to provide care and admission when the shelter is too full.
Once you’ve found an organization that suits you, you’ll likely need to fill out an application and even have an interview before they’ll allow you to foster. Some also require training classes, even if they are only online. If approved, you will be placed on a list of available fosters and contacted when a suitable animal is available.
How Many Animals Are Saved Each Year Through Foster Care?
It is difficult to determine exactly how many animals are saved through foster care, because there is no centralized place that collects data on pet care. Furthermore, it can be difficult to determine when specifically foster care made the animal adoptable.
Many shelters have reports on how many animals they take in each year, but they don’t go through foster care (all the time).
However, foster care probably helps millions of pets each year. The number is growing as development programs become more popular.
Conclusion
Pet Fostering Month provides an opportunity for many animals around the world to be adopted instead of suffering in a shelter. All cats benefit from grooming. However, some cats benefit from others. Younger cats and kittens can socialize in a fostering setting, while they can’t socialize in a shelter. Sick and sick cats tend to do well in a home setting, especially if they need special care.
June is a good month to start caring or at least looking into it. Organizations are always in need of more foster care so they can help more pets.
Featured Image Credit: Karpova, Shutterstock
