Foster

Our biggest need is foster families.

It is a sad truth that there are always more homeless cats than there are loving homes that will take them in. And while we do what we can to find homes for as many cats as we possibly can, the simple fact is we can only help as many as we have room for. And since we do not have a facility to keep the cats in, we can only help the cats if someone will volunteer to foster them.

Fostering can be a wonderful and rewarding experience and there are different, but equally important ways to foster.

You must be able to drive your cats or kittens to any necessary vet visits. Our Primary vet for sick visits is in Phillipsburg, NJ and our urgent care /after hours vet is in Allentown, PA. Spay and neuter appointments are usually in Allentown, PA. We do often help to arrange carpool with other fosters but ask our fosters actively participate in driving as this is a big part of needed volunteer work.

KITTENS ... Kittens are always being born. We do what we can to control the population, but until more people make an effort to get all cats fixed, there will always be more kittens. And, like people, the first few months of a cat's life are critical to a cat's development. The more these kittens are loved and snuggled and played with, the better they will be around people and the better their chances are to get adopted. So we need fosters to take them home and care for them until we can find them a FURR-ever home. And there are different types of kitten fostering ...

When possible, we get the mom with the kittens. Moms with kittens are a cinch to foster. The momma cat does all the work! You just get all the fun. (Friendly mothers are spayed and put up for adoption. Feral mothers are spayed and returned to their colony.) Some people prefer to foster kittens after they have been weaned and take 2 or more kittens from the litter when they no longer need their mother. Some people like the more hands on fostering of bottle babies (kittens who were found or brought to us without their mother). Bottlebabies must be fed every 3 hours so bottlefeeders need to either be stay-at-home moms, work from home or have another suitable arrangement.

CATS THAT JUST NEED TIME ... These are friendly, happy, healthy cats that, through no fault of their own, have no place to go. When one of these surrendered or abandoned cats ends up with us, we do everything we can to find them a new home, but since we do not have a building to keep them in, we rely on fosters to care for these cats in their homes until we can find them a FURR-ever home of their own. These cats are usually older, more mature and require less time and attention than kittens or cats that need work. They literally just need a place to stay until we can find them a home or a space opens up in one of our adoption centers.

CATS THAT NEED WORK... Some cats have just had rough lives. They've been abused or neglected or abandoned ... Sometimes they just haven't had enough human interaction. Those cats need a patient and kind foster to work with them until they feel safe and secure around people. Getting a shy or scared cat to be comfortable around people can be the difference between that cat getting adopted and not getting adopted. It takes a special person to give these cats the time and space necessary for them to learn to trust again.

Some people foster cats because they want the companionship of a cat, but circumstances prevent them from being able to make the long term commitment of adopting, so they open their home temporarily to a cat that needs a place to stay. The person and the cat both get something that they need. It's a win-win. Some people foster kittens because they just love playing with kittens — And that's great. You get a kitten fix and the kittens get the love and attention they need.

FURR pays for all vet expenses at our approved vets.  We have a helpful network of volunteers who can help the new volunteers learn the ropes.

If you are interested, please fill out our online foster application, download our foster application or e-mail info@felineurbanrescueandrehab.org

For approved fosters please sign our Foster Agreement.

Finder Foster/Temporary Foster

If you can foster a cat or kittens you found please fill out this form (Finder Foster Form).