Have you ever been scrolling through social media and seen a cute video of a kitten? Behind the scenes is a foster, raising those kittens to be ready for adoption.
I wanted to learn more about the world of cat fostering, so I reached out to two rescue organizations: the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA), Arlington’s local non-profit animal shelter and rescue, and Tails High, a cat-exclusive rescue and foster organization that primarily serves the DC/Maryland/Virginia area.
I set up interviews and spoke with a representative of each organization: Mary Strycula, a foster and transfer coordinator at the AWLA, and Acacia Waller, the President and Executive Director of Tails High. I asked them each a series of questions to learn more about cat fostering.
I asked about both organizations’ foster programs. The AWLA is a nonprofit and “[relies] very heavily on [their] foster program to get animals out of facilities” and into the homes of people who want to foster. They also gather information on how those animals do in home environments. Additionally, fostering gives the animals a break from being in the shelter. The AWLA is the founder and “one of many campuses of the Kitten College Foster Program” which is a program for neonatal and young kittens. Tails High doesn’t have a physical space and relies on fosters to open their homes to cats. They focus on local cats, but lend help to other communities nearby who need it. They help cats from the streets and medical needs cats that other rescues may not be able to take on. They also fundraise for medical needs cats.
How would someone get started with fostering cats or kittens at your organization? What are the requirements?
At AWLA, you are required to fill out an online application to foster. The application lets AWLA know important information, including your home environment, living situation, other pets you have, and what kinds of foster animals you are interested in taking in. After being approved, AWLA onboards fosters and sets them up with resources. AWLA provides all of the supplies a foster needs.
Getting started with fostering at Tails High is a simple process. If you navigate to the “Foster” page on their website, you will find FAQs about fostering, as well as a foster inquiry form you can fill out to get started. Tails High is very supportive of their fosters. They provide all necessary supplies, as well as covering veterinary care. Foster coordinators are super supportive.
Why should someone foster cats or kittens?
From both Mary and Acacia, I learned that there are many reasons that someone should foster, ranging from personal to more profound. Acacia told me that some people are nervous about jumping into cat ownership straight away, but through fostering, you get to experience cats short term. It sets you up to be a wonderful cat owner and provides you with an opportunity to experience the joy of cat ownership. Fostering is a “really cute way” to get involved in cat rescue. You get to learn about socialization and behavior. AWLA fosters get to learn how to do subcutaneous fluid therapy and tube feeding.
The United States has a huge cat overpopulation problem. There are not enough homes for all of the cats, so many cats end up living on the streets or other places outdoors. Mary told me about a study that found that if every household fosters just one animal, we could fix pet homelessness in the United States. Additionally, the more animals that shelters can get into foster homes, the more animals those shelters can take in. Being in the shelter can be stressful for animals, so putting them into foster homes can ease anxiety, as well as help gather info to find the right adoptive home for the animal.
The only space you need to foster is a small room, like a bathroom. Acacia told me that “your bathroom can save a life.”
I asked each organization if they wanted to highlight any of their adoptable cats.
Molly is a 4-year-old tuxie girl with colitis. She needs special food and medication, but she is healthy otherwise. She has been at the shelter for a very long time and is adoptable through AWLA.
Perseus and Pegasus are bonded, cuddly boys. They have mild cerebellar hypoplasia, so they are a bit wobbly, but are able to do the same things as other cats. Perseus and Pegasus are adoptable through Tails High.
If you are at all interested in cat fostering (or adopting a cat!) I encourage you to get in contact with AWLA or Tails High.
Animal Welfare League of Arlington
@awlaarlington (Instagram)
@AWLAArlington (Twitter)
Tails High
@tailshigh (Instagram)
