Temporary Angels

(Featured image by Joanna Reichert, Pixabay)

I’m guessing that almost all of our blog audience have at least one cat living in their home on a permanent basis. But all good things come to an end. Last summer, one of our human customers decided to put their elderly cat to sleep to spare him from further suffering. As much as they missed him, they were considering whether it was time to live a life without cats.

That all changed abruptly in early September. They saw an appeal for help from a local cat rescue they were following (cat lovers can’t help looking for more cats!) Our customer answered the call, and became a foster guardian for a rescued cat.

Becoming a fosterer

For anyone wanting to help their local cat rescue shelter in practical ways, this is something to consider. Check the requirements of your chosen shelter carefully before you decide to offer help, to make sure that you can deal with everything that’s asked of you; this is very important for the cat or cats you offer to take in.

• The main requirement for healthy adult cats is that you are able to offer a room where the cat can live without fear of being pestered by the resident felines.
• In all cases, you’ll be asked to take strong measures to keep the cat indoors – a cat-flap lock will not withstand a scared or determined cat, so keep the foster away from it or (if there are no other cats in the house) board it up.
• Experience of cat guardianship is a must, and the shelter may perform a home visit to check that you can offer a suitable temporary home to the cat they have in mind.
• If the cat in question has a health condition that requires medication, they will ask whether you can administer any drops or pills needed, though all expenses will be paid by the organisation.
• You may need to have an extra layer of cat savvy to be assigned a high-maintenance breed such as a noisy Mau or a mischievous Rex.
• You will only be allowed to take on young, orphaned kittens if you can prove you have experience of how to care for them.

The Next Stage

Be aware that the cat will be put up for adoption. You will be asked to arrange a mutually convenient time for potential adopters to visit the fostered cat at your home. A good cat rescue organisation will ask searching questions to ensure that only serious and genuine cat-lovers are offered the chance to adopt.

What can you expect?

You should be offered a cat that has been assessed by the rescuers for its behaviour and health. The cat will be neutered, microchipped, treated for fleas and worms, examined by their vets and have appropriate treatment prescribed for any health conditions. The rescuers will ask you what your household is like (young children, other pets, space available for the cat to live in) and they will try to match you with a cat that will settle in that environment.

You could also volunteer for an end-of-life foster, where the cat is assessed as having weeks or months to live due to its age and/or health problems. You have heartbreak guaranteed, but you’re giving the cat a good home for their last months. They pay their rent in affection and the kind of contentment it’s a pleasure to see.

If you’re new to fostering, you will be offered a cat that has spent some time in the shelter rather than a cat freshly rescued from a difficult situation. Even so, cats don’t like having their lives disrupted and it’s common to find defensive behaviour from your new foster cat. For the first few days, it may hide, find a high shelf to perch on or refuse to eat or drink. It takes patience and a calm approach to get these wary cats to accept that they’re safe to relax and enjoy being in a home from now on. The general rule is that it takes three months for a rescue animal to accept that they’re now ‘home’ and they can show you what their character is – but no intelligent animal ever forgets that they were once let down and they may keep an edge of wariness for the rest of their lives.

Success!

Our customers were offered a very nervous cat who hid in one room before cautiously exploring. By the end of her first week, Minnie was sleeping on ‘her’ chair. Having a home rather than a pen in a rescue shelter brought out the best in her, and she was adopted within three weeks. Fostering is not for everyone, but if you have a spare room and a love of cats consider whether it’s for you. You could be giving a cat a stepping stone to a whole new life.