If you are considering fostering a cat or dog, here are a few questions you should ask yourself to determine if it’s the right choice for you.
Are you prepared to treat a foster animal like a member of your family?
In addition to ensuring that the cat or dog stays healthy during their stay with you, it’s also going to be your job to teach your foster pet how to be a good family member. To this end, make sure that everyone in your household is on board with fostering, and willing to help your temporary pet fit in.
Will own pets get along with the foster dog or cat?
If you already have pets, consider their personalities. Are the possessive of your lap? Have they ever been aggressive or fearful of other animals in the past? How do you think they will respond to another animal on their turf? If you think your pet would be alright with another animal living with them, still consider making sure that your pet has somewhere in the house to retreat if they need some space.
Are you prepared for a long-term commitment?
While many of our foster animals are adopted within weeks, others can take much longer. Be sure you can commit to keeping your foster pet for many weeks, or even months.
Do you have time to take this animal to weekend adoption events?
Getting the cat or dog out there to meet potential adoptive families is an important part of fostering. Pets Alive holds regular adoption events at a variety of venues and events. We’ll need you to be able to take your foster pets to these events to help them get adopted, so it’s important to carefully consider your schedule before committing to becoming a foster parent.
Will you be able to give up your foster pet to an adoptive home when the time comes?
It’s very easy to become attached to your foster pet. And that’s a good thing! Your foster pet should be loved and appreciated while they’re with you. That being said, this can make it very difficult and painful to part with them when the time comes. Before committing to fostering, do a little reflection, and think about whether you will be able to handle giving up a beloved friend.
Fostering pets is as emotionally difficult, and chances are good that you’ll cry when your foster pet walks out the door for the very last time. But the rewards are 100% worth it, so if you think fostering is right for you, please contact us to get started!
