How to Foster a Rescue Dog or Cat: The Do’s and Don’ts

How to Foster a Rescue Dog or Cat: The Do’s and Don’ts

Fostering a rescue dog or cat is a rewarding experience that offers animals a second chance at life while providing a temporary home until they find their forever family. However, fostering comes with its challenges. Proper preparation, understanding, and dedication are vital for creating a positive environment for your foster pet. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential do’s and don’ts of fostering to ensure a successful and smooth fostering journey.

The Benefits of Fostering

Before diving into the details, it’s essential to understand the importance of fostering:

1. Life-saving: Fostering helps reduce overcrowding in shelters and rescues, ensuring more animals are saved.
2. Socialization: Foster homes provide a safe environment for pets to learn social skills, making them more adoptable.
3. Emotional support: Many rescued animals come from traumatic situations. Foster homes offer the love and care they need to heal.
4. Insight into personality: Foster families learn a pet’s behavior, personality, and needs, providing valuable information to help match them with the right forever home.

Preparing to Foster

Before bringing a foster dog or cat into your home, preparation is key.

The Do’s:

1. Do Assess Your Lifestyle
   • Commitment: Fostering requires time and energy. Assess whether your schedule can accommodate the needs of a foster pet, including feeding, walking, and vet visits.
   • Space: Ensure you have enough space in your home. Even small dogs and cats need a designated area where they feel safe.
2. Do Gather the Essentials
   • For dogs, this includes a bed, leash, collar, food and water bowls, toys, grooming tools, and waste bags.
   • For cats, ensure you have a litter box, scratching post, bed, food and water bowls, toys, and grooming tools.
   • Stock up on food and treats that are suitable for the specific dog or cat you’re fostering.
3. Do Pet-proof Your Home
   • Remove hazardous items (e.g., wires, toxic plants, small objects that could be swallowed).
   • Create safe spaces for both dogs and cats to relax and adjust.
   • Secure gates, fences, and doors to prevent accidents or escapes, especially for dogs.
4. Do Communicate with the Rescue Organization
   • Discuss the pet’s background, special needs, and medical history.
   • Clarify who covers medical expenses and if the rescue provides supplies.
   • Understand the fostering process, including adoption events, meet-and-greets, and potential home visits.
5. Do Prepare Your Family and Other Pets
   • Talk to everyone in your household about fostering. Set clear expectations and roles for taking care of the pet.
   • If you have other pets, ensure they are up to date on vaccinations and prepare for a gradual introduction (more on this below).

The Don’ts:

1. Don’t Underestimate the Time Commitment
   • Fostering can range from a few weeks to several months, depending on the animal’s needs and the adoption timeline.
   • Be prepared for regular vet checkups, training sessions, and handling potential behavioral issues.
2. Don’t Skimp on Research
   • Each breed or individual pet may have unique care needs. Research the specific requirements of the dog or cat you’re fostering to be better prepared.

The First Days: Helping Your Foster Pet Adjust

The initial days with your foster pet are crucial. They need time to adapt to their new environment and bond with you.

The Do’s:

1. Do Allow Time for Adjustment
   • Most dogs and cats may be nervous or scared at first. Provide them with space, comfort, and patience as they explore and get used to their new surroundings.
   • Set up a quiet, calm area for them to retreat to if they feel overwhelmed.
2. Do Establish a Routine
   • Animals thrive on routine, so establish a feeding, walking, and sleeping schedule as soon as possible.
   • For dogs, regular potty breaks are essential to prevent accidents. For cats, show them the location of the litter box right away.
3. Do Start with Basic Training
   • Basic commands for dogs like “sit,” “stay,” and leash training can make them more adoptable.
   • For cats, reinforcing litter box usage and scratching post training can prevent unwanted behaviors.
4. Do Use Positive Reinforcement
   • Reward good behavior with treats, praise, or playtime. Positive reinforcement helps build trust and encourages good manners.

The Don’ts:

1. Don’t Force Interaction
   • Allow the animal to come to you. Forcing cuddles, petting, or interaction too soon can cause anxiety.
   • Let them explore their new environment at their own pace.
2. Don’t Introduce Too Many Changes at Once
   • A new home is already a big change for a rescue pet. Gradually introduce them to new people, places, or experiences to avoid overwhelming them.

Introducing Foster Pets to Resident Pets

Introducing a new foster dog or cat to your existing pets requires patience and planning.

The Do’s:

1. Do Start with Separate Spaces
   • Keep your foster and resident pets separated at first, allowing them to get used to each other’s scent through doors or baby gates.
2. Do Supervised Introductions
   • Once both pets seem comfortable with each other’s presence, begin with short, supervised face-to-face meetings. Keep dogs on leashes and observe body language closely.
3. Do Reward Calm Behavior
   • Reward both the foster and resident pets for calm, relaxed behavior during introductions with treats and praise.
4. Do Give Each Pet Space
   • Ensure both pets have their own areas to eat, sleep, and relax. This helps avoid territorial behavior and reduces stress.

The Don’ts:

1. Don’t Rush the Process
   • Introductions can take time. Some pets may need days or even weeks to feel comfortable with each other.
2. Don’t Ignore Warning Signs
   • If either pet shows signs of aggression or extreme anxiety, stop the introduction and consult a behaviorist or the rescue organization for guidance.

Addressing Common Behavioral Issues

Many rescue animals come from difficult backgrounds, and it’s not uncommon for foster pets to exhibit behavioral issues.

The Do’s:

1. Do Be Patient with Fearful or Shy Pets
   • Fear-based behaviors can take time to overcome. Slowly build trust by offering treats, gentle attention, and a consistent routine.
2. Do Use Crate Training for Dogs
   • Crates provide a sense of security for many dogs. Gradually introduce crate training as a safe space, not as a punishment.
3. Do Redirect Unwanted Behaviors
   • For dogs that chew on furniture or cats that scratch, provide appropriate alternatives like toys and scratching posts. Reinforce the correct behavior with praise or treats.
4. Do Seek Professional Help if Needed
   • If your foster pet’s behavioral issues seem overwhelming, don’t hesitate to contact a trainer or behaviorist for support.

The Don’ts:

Preparing for Adoption

Fostering is a temporary commitment, but your role is crucial in preparing your foster pet for their forever home.

The Do’s:

1. Do Keep Detailed Notes on Behavior
   • Observing and documenting your foster pet’s likes, dislikes, and quirks will help potential adopters find the perfect match.
2. Do Take Photos and Write a Bio
   • Work with the rescue organization to write a compelling bio for the pet, highlighting their personality and what kind of home they’d thrive in.
3. Do Prepare for Goodbye
   • Saying goodbye to a foster pet can be emotional. Remind yourself that by fostering, you’ve saved a life and made room for another animal in need.

The Don’ts:

1. Don’t Sabotage the Adoption Process
   • While it’s natural to grow attached, don’t hold on to a foster pet out of guilt. Trust that they’ll find a wonderful forever home.
2. Don’t Skimp on Training
   • The better trained and socialized your foster pet is, the quicker they’ll find a home.

Conclusion

Fostering a rescue dog or cat is a deeply rewarding experience that plays a crucial role in saving animals’ lives. By following the do’s and don’ts outlined here, you can ensure a smooth transition for your foster pet, help them find their forever home, and experience the joys of fostering again and again. Your effort and love will leave a lasting impact on both the pets you foster and the families who adopt them.