Foster Requirements & FAQs

Answer: Your application will be reviewed by the Foster Care Manager who will contact you by phone or email to discuss any additional questions or concerns you have, or questions they may have for you. You will then be invited to the next foster care meeting, where you will be given a copy of the foster contract and any manuals you may need. You will then be added to the foster list.

Answer: This depends on what area/age of fostering for which you registered. Neonate/Kitten season is generally from February-October, with the peak of the season being April-August. The Foster Care Manager will review available foster families at the time of cat/kitten intake, and then determine which family “gets the call.”

Answer: FieldHaven provides all medical care and food for the cat/kitten. The foster is asked to provide the litter and any toys/cat trees/playpens. FieldHaven relies on donations and often will have these items available for fosters to borrow. As a 100% privately-funded charity, we greatly appreciate any items you are able to purchase for use in your own home.

Answer: Absolutely. You will want to make sure we know what pets you already have so we know not to place a scared kitten with you if you have dogs that like to bark and play loudly. All fosters should be kept separately from your personal pets for a few weeks to make sure there are no unknown illnesses or issues. After that, we encourage your fosters to meet the resident pets when appropriate, as it can increase their ability to be adopted quicker if they are used to dogs and other pets.

Answer: Kittens need to be brought to the shelter every three weeks when they are between three and 16 weeks old. After that, they only need to visit once every month until they reach one year, and then once per year unless there is an issue. You may need to bring your foster in sooner or more often if they become sick or have any behavior/medical issues.

Answer: The length of time a foster stays with you really depends upon the cat/kitten and the situation and can range from a few days to several months. The Foster Care Manager will have a “rough” idea to give you when you are called to foster a cat/kitten.

Answer: Call the Foster Care Manager who will arrange for you to bring the cat/kitten back to the shelter. We understand that life happens, and things come up. The best thing to do for the cat/kitten, and you, is to let us know as soon as possible.

Answer: Yes! We encourage our foster families to reach out to their friends/family to adopt their fosters. You know the cat/kitten the best and you know your family/friends best. We trust that you can determine if it is a good fit. It also helps avoid potential stress of moving the cat/kitten back to the shelter or into a venue for adoption. We love when our foster families post their kittens/cats on social media to find them homes with friends/family. Just make sure you never give your foster to a potential adopter until the kitten/cat is medically cleared and the adoption paperwork is complete. You are responsible for your foster until the adoption paperwork is 100% complete.

Answer: The general idea of fostering is to love the kitten/cat and then find him/her a great home, so hopefully you can help us save more lives. However, we understand sometimes you just can’t bear to let them go. We lovingly refer to these as foster failures. So yes, you may adopt a foster. Just know that you are still responsible for all adoption and microchip fees and completing the adoption paperwork.