Foster a Cat
Open Your Home to Foster a Cat
Explore Cats to Foster in San Diego
For 50 years, Helen Woodward Animal Center has been a steadfast fixture in bettering the lives of people who help animals and animals who help people. This one-of-a-kind, no-kill, nonprofit organization provides humane care and adoption for rescue animals, as well as unique educational and therapeutic programs for people.
Helen Woodward Animal Center was founded based on Helen’s passion for animals and humans, helping one another through trust, unconditional love, and respect. Through its legacy of caring, the Center inspires, teaches, and supports human-animal bonds locally and globally.
One of its exceptional programs that benefit rescue pets as well as the community, is its cat fostering program. Helen Woodward Animal Center rescues cats and kittens from all over the United States. All the animals housed at the Center receive the utmost care, but when a foster cat or kitten is brought into a loving home, we can guarantee that they will be more likely to be adopted quickly. Because of the never-ending number of abandoned and homeless cats, we are always in need of caring, loving foster homes.
Curious about fostering a cat in San Diego? You’ve come to the purrfect place.
Explore Helen Woodward Foster’s Success Stories!
How to Foster a Cat: Common Cat Fostering FAQs
The benefits of fostering a pet in your home are indescribable. Not only do you provide love and care for a rescue cat, the love and gratefulness you get in return from a cat who truly needs you is countless. If you are considering fostering a cat, you probably have questions about what cats are available and how the fostering program works. Read on to get answers to your questions about how to foster a cat and/or contact us and speak to one of our fostering specialists to learn more.
Why should I foster?
Fostering a pet is a great way to show your commitment to the health and well-being of rescue pets in the San Diego County area. It is the ultimate way to demonstrate the philosophy of the Helen Woodward Animal Center, which is “people helping animals and animals helping people.” When you foster a pet, you are helping the cat or kitten have a safe space where he or she can socialize and receive the attention and love that they have never experienced. When you take in a foster pet, you are also freeing up one more space in our kennels for other pets to be rescued. If you have never been a foster parent before, you will be awed by the joy a foster pet can bring to you and your family.
What does the cat fostering process look like at Helen Woodward?
So, you are interested in fostering a rescue cat. Now what? First, know that you are surely saving the life of a cat who would not show its best self in the shelter environment. Second, you are freeing up space for cats who desperately need a roof and food to survive.
The eligibility requirements to be a foster parent include the following:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a driver’s license and a working vehicle for transportation to vet and other appointments
- Live within range of our organization’s vet
- Complete the application
- Attend an in-person orientation
- Agree to a home check
- Comply with all program policies and protocols
- Provide care for the pet and return on a specified date
- Maintain log on all care for the pet
After you have completed the foster application, there is an in-person foster orientation at Helen Woodward Animal Center where you’ll learn everything you’ll need to know to get started as a foster parent. Following this, there will be a virtual home check where one of our representatives will help you determine the best way to manage your resident canines and felines with your new foster baby.
We always have foster kittens and cats available, so once your application is approved, you’ve attended the foster orientation, and your home check is complete, your foster cat will arrive shortly after.
How much does it cost to foster a cat in San Diego?
Fostering a cat in San Diego County through Helen Woodward Animal Center is free of charge. We provide the basics of food, toys, bedding, litter, other miscellaneous items, and veterinary care. However, as the foster parent, you may choose to provide additional items such as toys for your foster cat. Additionally, any expenses accrued while transporting the animal to events or appointments will be the responsibility of the foster parent.
How long does cat fostering typically last?
The amount of time you can expect to foster a cat generally ranges anywhere from a few days to 1 to 2 months. On the short end, the goal is to get to know the pet’s personality, likes, dislikes, and so on, so that we can match it to the perfect adoptive family. If the cat you foster is ill or injured, you can expect to foster it for at least 2 to 6 weeks. Pregnant moms or very young kittens could need up to 3 months in foster care.
What should I consider with other pets in the home?
Whenever bringing a new pet into a home with resident pets, care and caution must be taken to ensure a smooth transition, and this is especially when introducing a foster cat into the mix. The first thing is to ensure that the resident cats are indoor cats only and that everyone is up to date with vaccinations and currently healthy. Once those boxes are checked, then comes the actual introduction. It’s important to keep everyone separate for the first day or so, which means making a secure space for your foster cat to feel safe while still smelling, hearing, and seeing the other canines and felines. Cats are especially hesitant in new surroundings, so be sure to provide something where your foster can hide until he feels secure enough to emerge.
Can I adopt the pet I am fostering?
Our foster homes are very important for the overall success of our program and our goal is to work with them to continue providing loving homes for cats for years to come. However, love happens, and so it is with some of our foster parents for their charges. To adopt a cat you are fostering we ask that you complete 3 assignments before you consider adoption, then you will need to fill out the Cat Adoption Request form. Our team will review your application and get back to you soon.
How do I find foster cats near me?
Whether you want to foster a cat or to foster kittens near you, the foster program at Helen Woodward can help. Our organization placed an amazing 3,300 lonely, orphan animals into homes last year, largely because of our foster program. If you live in San Diego County, then a foster cat or foster kittens would be available for you to open your home and heart to.
Learn How to Foster a Cat in San Diego by Visiting Helen Woodward Animal Center Today!
If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, contact Helen Woodward Animal Center to learn more. Fostering means you’ll become a member of our furry family that helps keep pets off the streets and in forever homes.
Sign up for Helen Woodward Animal Center’s newsletter to stay up-to-date on dog and cat rescue animals available for fostering as well as learn about exciting announcements.