Fostering is a great way to not only benefit an animal in need but provide a loving pet for a new families, old families, or families that just needs some company. Lots of animals in need of homes and animal rescues are doing everything they can to help. Bringing animals into your home to foster can improve the mental state of an animal, helps the animal become more socialized, less stressed, and can reduce the risk of them getting sick. Depending on the age of the dog or cat, it may take more time for them to become used to you and also realize that they are in a safe environment depending on their previous situation. Some animals also may not warm up to an entire family but certain people within that family. If you have young puppies or kittens that are 3 days old to about 4 weeks old they may not need a lot of time to adjust. Typically the older the dog or cat, the more time it may take them to adjust to their new surroundings.
Many animal shelters are trying to keep up with the amount of animals that they get in but it puts a lot of pressure on shelters. Most shelters do not have the adequate space for dogs and cats, and the kennels are just too small. Shelter living also limits the ability for other dogs or cats to interact with each other which can cause these animals to possibly injure themselves due to the lack of space and interaction. Dogs are very social so they need at least 2 hours of undivided attention throughout the day, cats on the other hand are very chill and many enjoy keeping to themselves so they need at least 20 minutes of social interaction a day.
Many rescue organizations that do fostering have all of the animals in their homes or homes of fosters that work with them so these animals get the proper amount of attention they need during the day. With these animals being in homes instead of locked in cages, the caregivers can ensure that they get the proper amount of food, water, and socialization. Animals being in a foster home can also help them learn basic house manners and that can help them get adopted at a much faster rate than animals that are in kennels at shelters and can’t get the proper training.
According to Kelly Bucksbee she fosters dogs and cats for the Nebraska Humane Society.
She states “We used to foster dogs and cats for a few months, and it would be around 2 weeks in between”
Kelly got involved with fostering animals because her parents wanted to and she loves helping. She and her family have been fostering dogs and cats for around a year and a half. When asked what she loves most about fostering she said “ being able to care for the animals and know that I’m helping.” When asked what she loves the least she says “Having to let them go.”
Fostering can also be a great benefit for people as well, if someone is not ready for the full commitment of owning a pet for a long period of time then you can think about fostering. Fostering is also a great way to introduce younger children to animals, this can also help animals that may not be used to young children being around. Many rescues can find animals that work well with your schedule, you can foster dogs and cats as little as 1 day old to even seniors. Typically the younger the dog or cat the more care they will need. Older dogs should be fed two to three times a day and can be left for a while, older cats can be fed two to three times a day or their bowl can be left filled depending on the cat and their diet. Young puppies and kittens need to be fed about every 2-3 hours so it takes much more time and devotion. These younger animals may also need to stay in a foster home for a longer period of time than an older animal.
