FAQ About Fostering

  • Why does Columbia Animal Shelter need a Foster Care Program?  The program was created for animals who are too young or need special care before they can be placed in permanent homes.  It frees up space at the shelter for animals who are ready for adoption and allows more lives to be saved.  Foster homes also give kittens a strong start in life, protecting their health and enhancing their development.
  • How do I become a foster parent?  You will need to fill out an application, which can be found at the shelter or online by clicking here.  Our foster coordinator will approve your application and set you up for training for the foster program.
  • What is required of me as a foster parent?  Your pets’ vaccines must be up to date.  You must provide a safe, “kitten-proofed” room in your home containing the kittens’ necessities such as food, water, bedding, litter box, toys, etc.; bathrooms work well. You are responsible for ensuring that your kitten receives any scheduled medical treatments on time, is healthy, and is well-socialized.  You do not need previous foster experience since we provide training.
  • What are the requirements for a foster room?  The foster room needs to be a designated place for your foster kittens to live the entire time.  This room will need to be “kitten-proofed” and have plenty of space for a litter box, food and water dishes, and sleep and play areas.  Columbia Animal Shelter recommends a bathroom for ease of cleaning.  A spare bedroom or other room could work as well.  Either way, you should always start your kittens in a bathroom while ensuring they are not harboring any illnesses.
  • What supplies do I need to provide myself?  Columbia Animal Shelter will provide you with a Foster Bag full of essential supplies.  We will also provide you with a high-quality dry and wet kitten diet and kitten-appropriate litter.  Foster parents generally supply a litter box, food dishes, toys and scratching implements, bedding, and other small incidentals.  However, if you need help with some of these supplies, we will do our best to help you.
  • What animals have the greatest foster need?  Kittens!  We need people to foster kittens more than any other animals.  Some need to be bottle fed while others are weaned and just need to reach 12 weeks of age so they can be spayed/neutered.  We sometimes have mother cats with litters of kittens in need of foster care.
  • How do I get a group of foster kittens?  After you have completed foster training, you will be added to Columbia Animal Shelter’s foster pool.  As foster kittens become available, the foster coordinator will contact you and then will give further information with specifics on arrival and pick-up information.
  • How much do I need to supervise my foster group?  You must do welfare checks on your foster group at least 3 times a day.  This is to make sure everyone is healthy, eating, and using the litter box.  You need to spend about 1-2 hours per day interacting with your foster group so that they become well-socialized.  Bottle babies will require more frequent attention, as often as every 1-2 hours depending on their age.
  • Can my foster kittens and mom cat interact with my resident pets?  Yes, after a 2-week quarantine and only if your kittens have had their first FVRCP vaccine on board for at least 5 days.  If your foster kittens or resident animals are sick, then they may not interact.  If your kittens were not tested for FeLV, they should not interact with your resident cat.  All interactions must be directly supervised.  Be aware that mom cats are very protective of their kittens and will likely not want to interact in a friendly manner with your resident pets.
  • Can my children interact with the foster kittens?  We encourage your children to have supervised interaction with foster kittens.  Caution and direct supervision are a must!  Children should not be permitted to handle newborn kittens.
  • Do we bottle feed kittens?  Columbia Animal Shelter does occasionally take in kittens needing to be bottle fed.  There are also times when you may be asked to supplementally bottle feed a nursing kitten who isn’t getting enough to eat.  Bottle feeding is a tricky process, so we ask that you work with us and be trained before attempting to bottle feed a kitten.
  • How will people know that I have kittens for adoption?  All kittens will be returned to Columbia Animal Shelter prior to being made available for adoption.  Marketing will be done after that time by the shelter with your input and insight into your kittens’ personalities.
  • Must I have people come to my house to meet the kittens prior to adoption?  No – all available animals will be adopted out from the shelter.
  • Must I give injections?  No – all injections, including vaccinations, will be given by shelter staff at scheduled appointments.
  • If my foster kitten gets sick, do I take them to my vet?  All veterinary care will be provided through Columbia Animal Shelter.  Foster parents are NOT permitted to seek veterinary care from outside clinics.  Any visits to outside veterinarians that are not pre-approved will be the financial responsibility of the foster parent.
  • Can I adopt my foster animal?  Yes, of course!  But first, you’ll need to bring your foster animal(s) back to us so they can be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped before adoption.  After completing the adoption paperwork and paying the adoption fee you will be free to take your new pet home.
  • What do I do if my cats get sick?  Your kittens should be kept separately from your resident cats.  However, we do recognize that cross-contamination can happen.  If your resident cats get sick, it is your responsibility to seek veterinary treatment.  Remember, there is always an inherent risk of disease when you bring new animals into your home.  This is why we require that all animals in your home are current on vaccinations.  Columbia Animal Shelter is not responsible for any illness or financial burden resulting from illness of your personal animals.
  • Do my resident pets have to be up to date on their vaccines?  Yes – for everyone’s protection and safety, your resident pets are required to be up to date on vaccines.
  • Do my resident pets have to be spayed or neutered before I foster kittens?  Yes, your animals should all be spayed or neutered.  Columbia Animal Shelter can help you set up an appointment to have this done through our low-cost clinic.
  • Can my resident pets come to Columbia Animal Shelter for care with a discount?  We do offer a low-cost wellness clinic by appointment for all public animals.  Because it is already low-cost, there are no further discounts given for foster parents or volunteers.
  • What if I must go out of town unexpectedly?  Contact the foster coordinator as soon as possible so that we can find an alternate placement for your kittens.

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