Disclosure
If you follow me on social media, specifically Instagram, you probably already know that our family fosters animals for rescues in our local area. We started fostering in 2019 but took a break during Covid, and started fostering again in 2023. We have fostered kittens, puppies, and dogs. We are currently focusing on dogs as our first pup passed last October and we no longer have a dedicated "kitten room" as we turned it into a guest room, which leads to the first reason why we foster:
1) To Find a New Family Member
Funnily enough, our first fosters were kittens and we already had two cats at the time, so we actually had no intention of keeping them. They were cute and affectionate but loved to chew on cords. They were both adopted by a wonderful family.
Our second foster was a dog, a one-year-old mini Aussie. We went full in with plans to adopt her if she was a fit and she bonded with our dog quickly. We knew within a week we wanted to adopt her and she's been with us ever since.
Covid hit and I didn't start fostering again until the spring of 2022. I fostered three puppies over Spring Break and did another three over the summer. Puppies are adorable, but after doing two rounds of puppies, I realized they were just too much for me. I went back to work in the fall and had to take a break from fostering.
Then in March 2023, we lost our first cat, Calcifer, so when summer came and I had more free time, I decided to foster a pair of kittens in June. We weren't planning on adopting one, but he was too perfect and reminded us so much of our first cat. His birthday was also the exact day we lost our beloved Calcifer! Needless to say, it was meant to be and we adopted him. His skittish brother ended up going to another foster who could provide a calmer environment for him and they ended up adopting him so he got a happy ending too.
Then we lost our first dog, Lexie, in October 2023. We decided we were ready to start looking for another potential family member and we started fostering dogs in February 2024. We were hoping to find another that would bond with our mini Aussie but so far she seems content to be an only dog. We came close to failing with one but ultimately decided not to and she went to a wonderful, loving home, which leads to my second reason for fostering:
2) It's The Best Feeling in The World
I've been asked if it's hard to let them go and so far there was only one I regret, but since we only had her for a couple of weeks before she got an application, it was not enough of an attachment to bring me to tears.
I view fostering as the same as "pet sitting." The animals don't belong to me but to the rescue. This mindset makes it easy to watch them leave and the families that do adopt them have always been "perfect" matches from what I could see. It's the best feeling in the world to see a dog or cat go to their new family knowing they're meant for each other.
Another great feeling is when you see a shy pup gain confidence. We've fostered a couple of timid dogs, and it's so heartbreaking to see how scared they are of people but after a week of us showing them affection, they began to break out of their shells.
3) To Save Lives
The more obvious reason to foster is because it saves lives. There are so many animals out there without homes and rescues can't save them all without the help of fosters. They need homes and animals thrive better in a foster home than a pound or kennel. Taking a foster also makes room for rescues to save more animals.
4) It's (Mostly) Free!
The rescues I work with provide everything you need: crate, food, leash, toys, medical care, etc.
The only out-of-pocket costs in my experience come in the form of cleaning, especially if you choose to foster puppies! I've used so many paper towels and carpet cleaners to clean up accidents. Also, laundry! Washing blankets, bedding, towels, etc.
Choosing to foster cats or kittens is usually the easier route as they know how to use litter boxes, so you won't have to deal with potty training as much.
5) It's Flexible
If you travel a lot or have other commitments, fostering is great! I work during the school year, so I have free time over breaks and the summer, which is usually when I choose to foster. Most of our fosters are adopted out in a few weeks. The longest foster we had was three months.
But even if something does come up while you are fostering, the rescue will often work with you to find another foster or if it's short, they might kennel them in-house for a day or two.
While there are many reasons to foster animals, these are our top five. If you foster, feel free to share your reasons in the comments!
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