How do you prepare for a foster animal?

Welcoming a foster animal into your home

Visit our Local Foster Opportunities section to locate an organization with which you would like to become involved. Next, contact them to find out about their fostering process and volunteer requirements. The following are some very basic fostering tips to help you prepare:

• Family Preparation
  • Younger children should be introduced slowly to determine the compatibility with the new foster animal. It is recommended that an adult supervise all interactions between foster animals and young children. An important thing to prepare your family for is that fostering is temporary. Unless a foster family is fostering to see how a new pet will fit into their family, the foster animal will be leaving. Carefully preparing the areas that the foster animal will have access to can help reduce the potential for damage or destruction to your home.
• Time and Space
  • If you have a family pet, it is recommended that you separate the living quarters of your pet and your new foster animal. This separation allows you time to observe your foster animal for any possible health or behavior issues. Additionally, it allows your new foster time to adjust to you and your family before meeting your pet. Time should be set aside to socialize and care for your new foster animal.
• Supplies
  • Initial supplies should include the appropriate type of food, toys, housing space, newspapers, litter box and litter (if needed), and food and water bowls. Please make sure to find out from your organization if there are any special supply needs or instructions that your foster animal needs.
• Emergency Contacts
  • Make sure that you have the organization’s telephone number and an emergency veterinarian telephone number handy at all times.

Fostering is a challenging but very rewarding experience. Foster homes provide shelters with the valuable option of temporary homes to care for their animals. They bridge the gap and offer the crucial extra time and space needed to be able to prepare a shelter animal to be adopted into a forever home.