Unfortunately, for safety reasons and to ensure the level of care can be maintained, we require all foster cats to remain as ‘indoor only’ for the duration of their foster period. Due to this, all foster carers will need to be on board and happy to keep their home fully secure or put measures in place to prevent risk of escape, such as securing existing cat flaps, accessible windows and doors.

Once you have been set up as a cat fosterer, we always ask you to keep an open mind and look beyond breed preferences and stereotypes. Not all of our cats qualify for or need fostering, so we prioritise those that will most benefit from being in a foster home environment.

We will always consider what type of foster you are willing to take on and the set-up you have before placing a cat in your care, rather than you selecting your own. We would expect a fosterer to be open to caring for the cats we match without the need to meet them in person.

Although will always consider the application and home on a case-by-case basis, we can be more restricted when there are existing pets in the home. Some of the reasons we place cats in foster can include stress of the environment, as well as medical concerns, pregnant females/ new mums & babies, or young kittens, who are all vulnerable to infections & diseases.

If we do place a foster cat in the home with an existing pet, we may expect the animals to be kept separately and for appropriate measures to be in place to ensure their safety is maintained. 

All homes with existing pet cats will need to be fully vaccinated – proof of this will be requested.

We understand that most foster carers will likely have their own commitments and may not always be available, which is why we carry out our initial checks and take them in to consideration before placing a cat with you.

As travelling and moving environments can be quite a stressful experience for a cat, once a foster has been agreed, we would hope that you would be able to care for the foster cat for the full length of foster, unless you have a long-term agreement, in which case we fully understand you would require a break.

We are also aware that plans can change unexpectedly, therefore we ask that any holidays/trips are communicated to us at your earliest convenience.

It can be very difficult to make unforeseeable arrangements for a cat, therefore it’s important to let us know of your plans ahead of time. If you are the spontaneous type and like to take frequent trips away, then we would suggest that fostering a cat may not be suitable for you.

We will keep you updated with any news in regards to your foster cats’ journey, giving as much notice as possible about any possible new movements, such as if they are being made available for adoption or returning to an existing owner (Case or Pet Retreat).

We fully understand that saying goodbye to your foster cat can be difficult, no matter how long they have been in your care, so firstly we thank you for helping them on their journey. If you would like any support following your foster cat leaving, then do get in touch with CDCH.

We hope that although saying goodbye can be sad, you’ll be able to open your home and heart again, to another cat who needs some extra help.