Question
I have one very territorial cat, named Butterscotch. (Male, Neutered, 6 human years old, Ginger Tabby.) I have a friend who fosters animals, and I am very jealous of the adorable kittens he recently had. (I am happy to say that they found homes very fast.) I would love to foster animals but I don't think my cat would like that to much. Is there some way I can still do this without my cat being bothered? I don't have any extra space in my house to have a foster room, and there is definatly no place in the house where my cat doesn't have a "special place." If there is no way of doing this, how can I get involved with a no-kill shelter? (which my home city lacks.) I don't want to get a full time job, just help with some no-kill cat care. Is there any other ways I can get involved with cat-related work?
Answer
If you don't have a way to physically separate foster animals from your own animals you should not take in foster pets.
At the very least you should quarantine foster pets for several days. Bringing in a newly adopted animal is a one time risk, bringing in a series of fosters is a repeated risk.
If you do allow the foster to intermingle with you pet, what happens when your pet forms a bond with the new pet? Which if they are not fighting, is what they are doing when they are together.
The only time a foster should meet your existing pets is if you are considering adopting it.
When it comes to open-door shelters, you may want to reconsider your potential for assisting. Each shelter is unique, but my local open-door shelter does not kill an animal to make room for the next. Sometimes it gets very crowded, one time a alligator spent a prolonged time in the staff restroom, waiting for it's forever home, because it just did not have another place to be.
See What is the difference between "Open Door" and "Limited Access" shelter policies?
Answered By - James Jenkins
