Would you like to help by fostering a cat or cat family?

What is fostering?

Foster parents are volunteers who take cats into their homes and care for them, love them and socialize them until they are adopted. More lives are saved with foster homes!

All food and medical care is provided!

The cats will be tested for FIV (feline aids) and FeLV (feline leukemia), vaccinated when old enough, dewormed, spayed/neutered when old enough and other routine medical care. Conrad Strays will handle all of the adoption and screening procedures. The cats will be listed on our website. Some (especially kittens) will be adopted quickly and others may need to be in foster for several months.

Which cats need fostering?

Kittens who are too young to be adopted
Moms with nursing kittens
Kittens who are old enough to be adopted but need a foster home until adopted
Cats that need socialization because they are very shy, have never been around people or have been abused or neglected
Older cats who do not do well in multi cat foster homes
Cats with special medical needs
Adoptable adult cats
Feral cats or kittens that show potential to be adoptable
Cats with behavioral problems

While some volunteers end up adopting their foster pets, please note that the foster program is not for people who want to "Try out" an animal prior to adopting them.

What would I be expected to do as a foster parent?

You must have a vehicle
Provide a clean, nurturing, safe, indoor home for the cat until they are adopted. You must have a reliable car and be willing to bring the animal to Vet when vaccines are needed and other medical treatments are needed.
Give medication as needed
On occasion bring the kitty to mobile adoption sites and pick them up if not adopted.
Allow pre-screened potential adopters to set up an appointment with you to show your foster kitty at your home or if you feel more comfortable we'll set up a time to meet at the Vet clinic.

Questions to ask yourself before fostering a cat?
1. Do I have a room in my house or a separate building away from my own pets?
2. Can I handle the emotional part of fostering?
3. Do I have the time needed to care for my foster cat?
4. Can I handle saying good-bye to them when they get adopted?
5. Am I patient enough to handle a shy cat who may hide?
6. Am I patient in the amount of time it takes in introducing my foster to my own pets. Knowing it takes a while for the adjustment. Your foster cat should be kept in a separate room for a few days.
7. Kittens can be quite fragile and you could lose one to illness without much or any warning.
8. Is my house and family "cat safe"?
9. Am I patient and willing to clean up after cats and kittens?