Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays

​The Whiskers Project is proud to be a part of the Petfinder.com Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays campaign. If you are interested in helping us rescue a deserving cat or kitten from a shelter, drop us a line at [email protected] or call us at 888-872-9330.

If you are curious about what pet fostering is all about, here is some information about what is typically involved:

Vertical Divider

Fostering a pet is a great way to give back during the holiday season. It gives animals a break from shelter living and decreases the number of pets shelter staff have to care for. (Shelter staff deserve a holiday break too.)

What does fostering a pet involve?
When you foster, you agree to take a homeless pet into your home and give him or her love, care and attention, either for a predetermined period of time or until the pet is adopted.

Why do adoption groups need foster homes?
There are many reasons a dog or cat might need foster care. Some of the most common include:

• A rescue group doesn’t have a physical shelter and depends on foster homes to care for pets until suitable homes are found.
• A puppy or kitten is too young to be adopted and needs a safe place to stay until he or she is old enough to go to a forever home.
• A pet is recovering from surgery, illness or injury and needs a safe place to recuperate.
• A pet is showing signs of stress such as pacing or hiding in the shelter.
• A pet has not lived in a home before or has not had much contact with people and needs to be socialized.
• The shelter is running out of room for adoptable pets.

Why should I foster a pet?
Fostering a pet is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have (other than adopting, of course). By taking an animal in need temporarily into your home you’re:

• freeing up a spot so the shelter or rescue can take on another pet.
• giving your foster pet the time he needs to be ready for adoption.
• helping the shelter or rescue learn more about the pet so he can end up in the best home possible.
• socializing the pet to a home environment and possibly getting him used to being around other pets and different types of people.

​For even more information about Pet Fostering, you can read Petfinder.com’s Fostering a Pet: Frequently Asked Questions.