Make a Difference: Foster

Every day, homeless cats and dogs in need are euthanised unnecessarily simply because there is not enough space to shelter them all.

While not all stray animals need to be in shelters - this is an unrealistic and unnatural goal - there are many cases of animals in need of refuge from the streets but simply have no place to go. Some animals need a safe space to stay before they find a forever home. Others need to recuperate from illness or trauma before they go back on to the streets. And there are those that are healthy but cruelly abandoned pets and not suitable for the stray animal life.

There is currently a crisis of a lack of shelter space nationwide. Catteries are closing down. Resources are scarce. If you visit Cat Welfare Society's Special Appeals page, you will find endless calls for foster homes for cats truly in need.

While groups like us endeavour to stem this problem in the long run through conducting TNRM of stray cat colonies, educating as many people as we can through our presence, there is still an immediate need to help cats already suffering today.

Hence, this is a call for you. For you to consider fostering an animal in need. If you can take on the challenge to foster just one animal, it makes a huge difference. Not only to the animal in need, but also to set the precedence among your social network that fostering is not only doable, it is rewarding, fulfilling and educational. By fostering an animal in need, you are sending the message to those around you that fostering is a worthwhile endeavour.

Assess your own ability in order to decide who and when to foster. Some animals need just a few days of recuperation or care, others longer. Some are suspected missing pets with owners needing to be traced, others will require potential adopters coming to your home. Decide what you can handle, and stretch yourself a just little beyond your comfort zone. Speak to those who have fostered before. Find out as much as you can about the animal in need and what is required. Start with small steps.

If in doubt on where to start, write us an email. We are willing to share our own experience in fostering cats that will hopefully encourage you to make a difference by being a fosterer.