Why foster?
Be a temporary purr-ent
Fostering cats is a great way to provide temporary care and socialization for cats, preparing them for adoption into loving homes. It also allows individuals to experience the joys of pet ownership without the long-term commitment, which is perfect for those with busy lifestyles or uncertain circumstances. Additionally, fostering cats provides a sense of fulfillment in knowing that you have played a crucial role in saving lives and enriching communities.
As an ARC Foster, your responsibilities include:
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Providing daily care for your foster pet
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Ensuring your foster pet is fed and provided with litter
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Taking your foster pet to authorised vets to complete any necessary treatments, including vaccinations and dewormings
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Meeting with potential adopters
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Sending regular updates and photos to ARC to assist with rehoming
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Using your personal networks to help advertise your foster pet
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Not giving your foster pet to another person without prior approval from ARC
What is the typical length of time a cat stays with foster carers before adoption?
The time it takes for a cat to find a new home can vary greatly depending on their age. Unfortunately, older cats take longer to find a home than younger ones. Typically, young kittens aged 2-3 months take less time to be adopted. However, older cats over a year old might take longer to find a new home.
If we have to relocate and the cat we are fostering hasn't found a permanent home yet, what happens to the cat? Does your organisation have a plan in place to help with the transition of the cat to another foster home or back into your care if necessary?
In such cases, we take responsibility for finding the next suitable place for our cats. Ideally, we aim to find them a forever home, but if that is not possible, we will look for another foster home to take care of the cat until they find their permanent home.
If the cat finds it difficult to adapt to our home environment, what steps can we take to address this issue? Also, I would like to know if your organisation provides any support or assistance in such cases or if there is an option to return the cat if it is deemed to be in their best interest.
We are committed to providing all possible support to our fosters. As cats are sensitive, they may require time to adjust to new surroundings. While some cats may feel comfortable and settled on the first day, others may take a few months to acclimate fully. In rare cases where a cat cannot feel at home even after a reasonable amount of time, we may look for another suitable placement.
I was wondering if you could tell me more about how your organisation goes about finding permanent homes for cats. I'm really interested in learning how I can help out during the fostering process!
We advertise our rescue cats on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram and participate in community events to spread awareness about cats available for adoption. We are always looking for new foster homes and adopters for our cats.
I will travel overseas later this year for a couple of weeks. How should one manage temporary care when fostering cars? Is it something the ARC can support fosters with, or should we make our own arrangements?
Of course we will be happy to help. If the travel is for a couple of weeks, the most likely solution is to hire a pet sitter and have them visit the cat. We sometimes use pet boarding services if we cannot find a temporary foster.
I am located outside Saigon. Would it be possible for me to be a foster?
Unfortunately, we only operate in Saigon, so we cannot coordinate efforts outside of the city.