Fostering a viable solution to improving the unwanted cat population
Summer is upon us and the local animal shelters are almost full. Calls come in regularly, some showing up with litters and people are looking for solutions to deal with this problem. Unfortunately, there is no magic answer. An un-neutered cat can produce about 128 cats in its lifetime! Consider that a cat can easily live 15 years and the owner must to be willing to care for it during its lifetime. Many people get a cat without realizing the costs of the food, the vet costs (including sterilization) and the affection the kitty requires from its owner. After a few months some people realize pet ownership is a bigger commitment than they envisioned. This leads to pets being surrendered to an animal shelter, left outside at the cottage before returning to the city, without the option of getting back in, etc. This is the discouraging reality for all involved in animal rescue that plays out, year after year. It is time to start a discussion on fostering animals, as part of the solution to prevent and reduce the unwanted cat population. Fostering is a flexible option for a family to volunteer for an animal in need until a permanent home can be found.
Fostering provides the opportunity for a household to have a pet for a number of weeks or months, while the ownership of the animal is retained by the shelter. The family helps take care of the animal, socializes it, gets it into a routine and treats it as a family pet. Each shelter has its own procedure for selecting and working with foster families. The shelter is responsible for the vetting, collaborates with the family, responds to questions relating to the cat with the goal of getting it into a permanent home.
Last fall, a family of kittens was rescued in Bondville. The mother cat had been a stray for about one year. She appeared to be an end-of-summer dump from the previous year. She survived the winter and eventually camped out on a couple’s porch, together wither her litter of 5 kittens. A foster family took in the cats and within three months - all the kittens and the mother ended up finding permanent homes. The SPCA Montérégie and the foster family collaborated to create this winning solution. This foster family socialized the cats and worked with them to get them in to a routine, including using a litter box. The SPCA Montérégie had the cats vetted and a photographer took photos of them. The photos were posted on Petfinder and a local campaign was launched. The foster family found homes for the majority of the litter. Patience and collaboration were essential to realize this goal. According to the foster family, “It was amazing to be part of the solution and to see the cats move on to great homes, where everyone is happy.”
The cats benefit by being placed into a safe, home environment, according to Nathalie Leveault of Cabane à Chat in Cowansville. The network of foster families with this shelter provide a home that may have children, dogs and other cats. The families feed, water, provide love to nurture the kitty’s overall wellbeing. Cabane à Chat has the animals vetted including all shots, sterilization, de-worming, etc. Nathalie is periodically contacted by a foster family, who has decided to adopt the cat. The is known as a foster fail, but it really means the cat has found a loving home.
The Frontier Animal Society also has a large network of foster parents living in the Eastern Townships and Montreal. This provides opportunity and flexibility to the volunteers helping the animals and the shelter.
Fostering does not mean that shelters are able to take in every animal, but it provides an additional option to save lives. For further information, reach out to your local shelter. If you have time this summer, join in and become part of a rewarding solution.