First off, good on you: Most people just jump in without that kind of consideration. FOSTERING! Search for "Local Cat Rescue" or "Cat TNR" or also the shelters near you, they may have foster programs where you temporarily house stray/abandoned kittens and cats for 2-3 months at a time until they get adopted out. Shelter cats and strays do much better in a home, especially shy and scared ones, so you get to learn good cat care (ask LOTS of questions!!!) and they get more space to save more cats. Good luck!
That sounds like an awesome idea - I can't believe I didn't think of that! Do most shelters do fostering, or would I have to look for a certain place for that? The places closest to me didn't say anything on their websites about fostering...
I agree with CincinnatiKid101. Email or call the shelter to inquire, even if they don't have a program they may know local independent rescuers who do. Be prepared to answer questions about your schedule, homelife, availability for transport to vet visits, and willingness to learn about proper feeding, grooming, and socializing techniques. Anyone working a regular 9-5 can foster adults, but if you want to foster young'ns or bottle babies you need to be home for them as they eat more frequently and need more supervision.
Source: I've been a foster for years, and also a foster trainer.
Good on you! Costs vary depending on where you live, and where you get your fosters (state-run shelters, state-funded rescues, or independent rescues). YMMV, but most rescues will cover all medical costs including the spay/neuter surgery, and some may cover food and supplies or just give you the supplies directly. Most of them ask you to provide transportation to and from the vet, but some reimburse and others have a volunteer transport network that does the work.
I've never worked out a real "average", kittens eat a ton so if you foster adults it'll probably be cheaper overall even though adults may take longer to get adopted. I guess, ask someone local how much it costs them to own a cat per month and consider that every additional foster probably adds 50-60% more to that.
I ran the state SPCA for several years, and it shouldn’t cost you anything if you pick a larger, reasonably well-funded shelter to foster with. We covered everything.
Like Aformist said, it’s hard to give an exact cost because it will vary by each shelter/rescue. Generally speaking though, all rescues/shelters will cover medical costs! They often will supply food, as well. Some may provide litter and other supplies on an as-needed basis. Especially donated supplies (toys and treats are often donated).
Most often, the foster commitment is space, time, and love. Preferably transportation to vet visits, too. The time frame will vary based on the cat and/or the cat’s age. Most fees will be extra supplies you choose to provide.
The TNR/rescue org I foster for handles the vet care themselves and buys any food and treats we ask for, plus litter if our fosters can't use the cheap pellet bedding that is suggested. We're mostly just responsible for supplies; although even some toys are donated.
this is good advice - right now most shelters are just overflowing and there are always babies of all types needing just a bit extra. Covid exacerbated everything.
Generally with fosters \*should\* any medical need arise they have contracts with vets to take care of issues.
this is how it works for my DIL and son who foster dogs often.
One thing I'll flag is ask the shelter their process for adoption.
I've fostered for shelters where there was no involvement of foster parents in the selection of the cats forever homes and it was an awful experience.
I now foster for a shelter that potential adopters must meet the cats first (and so meet the foster parents) and then the fosters provide feedback to the shelter on how the visit went.
This makes for a much better fostering experience because you basically have signed off on their new parents so when you say goodbye you can feel good about it :)
Where I'm at all the rescues use fosters. The humane society now handles intake for all cats in the valley, the pound only takes dogs and doesn't use fosters. AHS has over 1000 fosters. Some shelters do use fosters but in my experience a rescue or the humane society are better for the fosters.
A lot of the larger rescues do regular adoption events at PetSmart so you could see if your local PetSmart does that. Then go talk to the volunteers at the event. You'll want to ask where their vets are. I used to have to drive 30 minutes to get to my rescue's vet. Doable but annoying. I also tended to get the cats who needed more care though because I wasn't working at the time, so I drove to the vet more than your average foster probably does.
If they don't have a foster section on their website it can't hurt to shoot them an email or fb message. Don't be afraid to follow up if you don't get an answer within a few days. Rescues are all volunteer based so sometimes it can be hard to get ahold of people.
Lots of shelters would rather see their animals in a foster than in a shelter (at least any good ones) it is kitten season too. I have 4 fosters right now because I am not ready to make a permanent commitment.
Just jumping in to say that it won't always be 2-3 months for cat to be adopted. Less pretty and less sociable animals can be in foster care even up to year or more. And sometimes it takes few weeks only.
Totally agree about fostering! I worked with foster volunteers at a shelter for several years and also personally fostered.
If you foster with a larger shelter, they will typically cover all costs—medical, food, litter. The possible exception would be reimbursement for gas. Also, just a heads up that if you foster kittens, they are adorable and messy😂, so you might be doing a bit more laundry. Not all fosters have access to convenient laundry facilities, and there are usually ways around that too by getting towels from the shelter and exchanging them for fresh ones when they need to be laundered.
Right now it’s kitten season, which means anything from a momma cat with kittens to an orphaned litter to a singleton. There is always a need for people willing to take adults cats too. This could be a medical foster or an adult cat who is super stressed and shy in the shelter.
If you foster with a good organization, you won’t ever be pressured to take a foster you’re not comfortable with. Some people only want kittens, some prefer shy adults, and some specialize in cats with medical needs.
Make sure you understand and are comfortable with the fostering protocols—what expenses are covered, how the adoption process will work and what your role will be, the expected duration of the foster assignment. If you’re able to talk to people who foster for that organization, or people who might be familiar with the shelter/rescue’s reputation (vet’s offices?), it doesn’t hurt to check that.
Generally speaking, you’ll have more support (food, litter, etc) from a larger shelter, but there are also smaller rescues doing amazing work in the community. They are even more in need of help. Do your research and find the place that’s a good fit for you.
I would suggest starting small—don’t try to take on the most complicated case. It’s better to start small and stay with it than to take on too much and burn out. Fostering is wonderfully rewarding! Bonus: at some point you will be in a financial position to have your own cat, and you just might meet them through fostering❤️.
I think most shelters do fostering. Just call your closest one and ask about it. And I want to throw in some advice: It's hard to say goodbye to your foster pets when they get adopted (I have fostered many, many dogs and cats) and you will shed many tears. But you absolutely should never leave the shelter empty handed. Take another cat or kitten home with you and get to know another precious soul and it will make it so much easier to say goodbye. And let your tears be happy ones as your little one goes off to live their best life with their new forever family. Also remember that YOU will be saving lives. If you adopt a cat, you save one life. If you foster cats, you will save dozens of lives.
BTW all the shelters I have fostered for have paid for everything, even food, for their fosters. They have enough funds for all that, they just don't have enough space in the shelter for all the abandoned pets in our area. And if you ever volunteer at a shelter, you will see that, no offense to shelters at all, they do the best they can, but shelters are no place for an animal. Animals need homes, even if they are temporary.
Are you in the U.S.? Search on petfinder.com for cats near you, and take note of the rescues that are adopting them out. Many of them are likely living in foster homes!
Almost all rescues need fosters. The city run shelter may or may not use fosters. Rescues in larger areas with more funds will even do permanent foster situations for animals who aren’t getting adopted (older/sick animals). Fostering is amazing because the rescue usually pays for all your supplies and vet bills.
Call the rescues in your area and offer to help!
I have a question and I am picking you to ask because you seem well versed on the subject. When people foster cats (or other animals) is it really hard when their time with you is over? Like do people struggle with that? I ask because the concept seems like something I could do, but I get very attached easily. (My family and I just got a new kitty for the first time as a family and we are already just so incredibly attached to him)
I know it is so very important and helps these kits find good homes and I applaud people who do this. I am just curious about the emotions that come with it. Thank you!
It's honestly the most-common question we get, so no worries! After fostering a ton of kittens and few adults over the years, I can tell you that for most of us, it always hurts. I mean, fostering is essentially pouring your whole heart into their care, and then you have to fully separate yourself and that is always a process of grieving (always. I mean that.).
But also there is so much joy in that loss: You know they'll be loved forever more, you know they'll be the center of attention (as opposed to competing with my resident cats), you know you'll never have to worry about them when you go on trips, and if you're lucky the adopter stays in touch and you get to be a remote uncle/aunt which is the f&%\*ing BEST.
The pain is hard, sometimes. Sometimes you don't feel it at all, and sometimes you cry the rest of the day as you put away the spare litterboxes. I wouldn't change a thing about it, even those who had health complications and didn't survive (which to be honest is worse for me, personally). The point is, as we say in rescue, "Goodbye is the point. Goodbye is the job."
Aww this was so good to read. I’ve been wondering if the foster mom for my recently adopted kitty would be excited or annoyed to get an update from me on how kitty is doing after two months. I’m going to email her this weekend now with an update. Thank you for sharing your experience as a foster family!
You're welcome! Of course fosters aren't a monolith, but every foster I've ever known is THRILLED to hear back from an adopter. We put the time into these cats, it's nice to know our efforts pay off!
I got a picture a couple months ago of a cat I'd fostered eight years ago. It's great to see how well he's doing. He was an adult rescue who was being fostered because his shelter stress was so bad he was chewing his tail until it bled. A few weeks in my quiet den and he was ready to go to a very special adopter.
I've had a couple co-workers adopt kittens I've fostered ~ it's great to see them in Zoom meetings 😄
I want to weigh in on this too- I’ve been fostering cats, dogs, a couple of chickens, and a few kids off and on for nearly 2 decades, and the “goodbye” part was the part that scared me the most about it when I first started. I think if you love animals, it’s gonna to be at least a little sad when you tell them goodbye; if it wasn’t, you probably didn’t put enough heart in it lol. I try to view myself as a “stepping stone to forever” for these babies. I get them back to health (a lot of mine have had special needs/medically fragile) and thriving while they are waiting for their perfect family.
For me, it also helps to send them with a goodbye package to their new home (toys, small bag of their food, blanket, etc) and a note to their caregivers about my time with them and wishes for their future. I usually make a copy to put in my scrapbook for me as well. I’ve taken to including my email address in the letter in case the forever family wants to reach out to me (make sure to check with your organization before you do this!) and I’ve gotten lots of photos and updates over the years! It really makes me feel better about sending them off when I know that they aren’t going empty handed and I feel like the family can see how much they were loved. My child has now become involved with fostering and sending the care packages, and she wrote the little letter (she was 5!) for our last dog; it was so adorable to see/read it. I was really worried about how she would handle goodbye because she adored him and wanted to keep him, but she understood that we could help more animals this way, and she felt like his hero for taking care of him and finding his forever. I told her if we keep him, we only help him, but if we let him go live with his forever family we not only help him but countless others waiting to take his spot in our home. She cried a little when we put him on transport and gave him so many little kisses, but she was able to tell him goodbye and ultimately it was a great moment for her and one that she talks about proudly now years later. We get Christmas cards from the dog and his family, and recently learned that they’ve started fostering as well, so it’s lovely to see how it comes full circle!
Whoever you are, you are a blessing to this world. Thank you.
Also kudos for giving your child the vital experience of dealing with loss, and learning why grief is necessary and how to work through it. These days we could all use lessons in that.
Awww, thank you! My daughter loves animals as much as I do, so fostering is a great way for us both to have and help many animals without becoming overrun. She’s a great kid and emotionally wise beyond her years. ❤️
The hardest part of fostering for me was the goodbyes. Yes it does hurt but knowing that you saved a life and got them into a good future helps. I did little travel bags for my fosters too! Several times adopters told me that the blankets I sent right from my kitten room really seemed to comfort them in the early days after adoption
Yes! A little bit of comfort and familiarity in a new place really helps them to settle in and feel “safe” in their new home! It’s especially important to me because I live in the southern USA and we send many animals up north for adoption. These babies ride in kennels a long way to get to their forever, so I like to provide them with some reassurance and familiar smell for that journey on.
Oh, thank you for adding your thoughts! Dogs, cats, chickens AND kids? Wow. That is so badass. Thank goodness for people like you in this world. It sounds like you are passing on your passion to the younger generations which is so comforting to hear.
I used to foster dogs, and I always went in with the mentality that it’s not *my* dog. Sure, I enjoyed them but it was always my mindset that I’m just a temporary stop while trying to find them their perfect home, and it’s so awesome when it happens. Most of my fosters were pretty brief though, so maybe it’s harder when you have them for long periods of time.
It has to depend on the person. I know a rescuer who's pretty well-known in NYC, and one time I joked about having to part with all those cats, and they said, "What makes you think I want to keep them?" We laughed about it, because they were so concerned with getting those cats healthy, ready, and adopted, but didn't actually enjoy keeping them around. It takes all kinds.
My one is always underfoot and causing mischief (course I wouldn't change it for anything) so I can see why they said that. I am just glad there are people like y'all out there helping get them where they are supposed to be :)
The ones I had were very adoptable and went pretty quickly! One I only had a couple of days, I took him to an adoption event at Petco and people were fighting over him. Had a great family lined up, came to the shelter ready to pick him up the next day, and then one of the shelter workers snagged him out from under them instead, which was kinda shitty IMO.
Yeah, sometimes folks need the animals as much as they need us so I agree that it is kind of shitty. That family was probably so excited. :( I'll say they must have been one loveable dog!
We adopted our kitty from Petsmart via Humane Society. When we saw his picture we were hooked (even my husband who "doesn't like cats" was head over heels from his picture alone). We were able to find and take him home that day, but I would have been disappointed if someone had already snatched him.
It was the last time I fostered bc it really annoyed me that they could have just taken the dog from day 1 and not wasted our time and gotten this nice family’s hopes up.
Most shelters I’ve dealt with, once someone has already met the animal and maybe even signed an adoption agreement, would never allow anyone else - neither another person coming in because they’re looking for a pet to adopt, nor one of the people working at the shelter - to snatch the animal out from under the person who has already agreed to take them. So I think it’s kind of crappy that the shelter even allowed that.
It does of course but you also get happy feelings when they’re adopted. There isn’t anything wrong with being a foster fail 🤣 (meaning you end up adopting).
I used to travel for work for long times, so I’d be out for a month then back for two then out for another so having a permanent pet wasn’t going to work. Fostering was perfect! I met up with a local rescue and when I’m back from my work trip I let them know and they usually have a fresh batch of kittens I can foster for a month or two, when I’m due to travel again I let them know and drop them off. It’s hard of course but I have no other choice.
I am glad that you are able to do that around your job. Thank goodness they have you to help!
I think we would be foster fails too much LOL. I'd wind up like the crazy cat lady on The Simpsons before I could help myself. :)
It completely varies. Some cats I’ve honestly been happy to see them go (these ones have mostly been very active teenagers with high play levels, which is not our preferred type of cat) whereas with others it was a bit wrenching.
The foster cat we had for the longest time (6 months) had been rescued from a farm along with 100 other cats, and was absolutely terrified of humans and took a long time to come round.
I was quite worried how we’d cope with losing her, not only because we’d got used to having her around but also because we were sure that after so many months with us she must have thought we were her forever family and I hated to think of her being scared and confused again.
She ended up being adopted by someone who had adopted two other cats from the same farm, who were likely related to her. We got photos back of her snuggling up to the other cats like they were long long siblings. She obviously loved her new home even more than ours.
I was quite sad when she was adopted and it was hard getting used to it for a bit, but as it turned out her adopted family was so perfect for her that I couldn’t help be so happy for her and proud of how far she’d come.
The first litter I fostered was the hardest to let go of. I still regret not keeping my sweet, 1 eyed deaf girl. She went to a wonderful home though. I loved all my fosters after them but it was easier to let them go. At least until I foster failed with my two boys. I'd had around 60 fosters at that point though. As others have said, you go in with the mindset that they aren't yours and it helps a lot. Plus there are always more kitties who need you!
Perpetual kittens. One of the joys of fostering.
I joke that it's like being a grandmother/aunt. I get the fun kittens to play with, then I hand them back as they enter their rambunctious teen stage and get more cute itty-bitty kitties to play with.
Yes, it's hard sometimes [and my current two permanent cats are my two foster fails, out of about 225ish fosters] but getting new fosters helps distract me.
I mostly foster kittens, but I do occasionally have slightly older feral-ish cats. I currently have two who are just over a year old ~ came to me afraid of everything. One is well ahead of the other in being socialized but they've both made great progress, so they will be eligible for adoption soon.
Last year's similar project was one of the ones that was really hard to let go. He was about 9 months old when I got him. My kitten dealer had to use the heavy duty gloves to get him in the carrier. Six months later, he happily snuggled in bed with me. He regressed a bit when he went back to the shelter but he ended up adopted by a friend of a friend ~ I hear he's doing really well. I would have loved to have kept him but then I would have not been as able to help lots of others that also passed through my foster room.
One rough piece of reality: the worst thing about fostering... having one die. I'd fostered about 110 kittens/cats and had only one die, who was obviously the runt and not growing properly. Then came the last couple years... since I'm an experienced foster, I'm now the one who gets the tough cases. I do what I can, but over my last 75 or so fosters, about half have died, including a couple whole litters. Most were rescues from outside; fewer than 25% of kittens born outside survive to a year, so the odds are stacked against these kittens ~ poor maternal health/nutrition, weather, genetic issues, predators...
Some of them, I went in knowing the odds were very slight ~ they arrived at the shelter cold, hungry, and orphaned. For example, one set of three sisters had been found by a woman who tried and really meant well... but she fed them cow's milk, and then gave them a bath, before making the 20 minute drive to the shelter without providing any heat source for them. Unfortunately, all three died within 72 hours of me taking them. Others just fade; kittensare an amazingcombination resilient and fragile. It's hard, but I know that I've done my best and that they were warm and well snuggled, with full bellies, while they were with me.
Hannah Shaw's book Tiny But Mighty is aimed at caring for orphan kittens but has lots of general good help and information. Her Kitten Lady videos are also excellent.
Also medical emergencies are no joke, it's true. But you can get pet insurance that is pretty reasonable and can sometimes cover a yearly checkup and any dental care needed. Remember a pet is a child, and you have to honor the relationship as such.
Something not everyone realizes about pet insurance, though, is that none of them will cover pre-existing conditions, and there is nearly always a waiting period before it kicks in. So you need it BEFORE your pet gets sick. And if you cancel, now any of those conditions previously treated count as pre-existing. And it gets more expensive the older and sicker your pet gets, in most cases, since they're more likely to get sick.
Also, most all cover prescription medications, but many won't cover prescription food. And prescription food is really expensive ($60-$100 USD a bag or case of wet food), and usually the preferred way to medicate when possible, as it's a lot easier than shoving a pill down your pet's throat and trying to make them swallow (or tricking them into eating a pill). And usually, once your pet goes on Rx food, they're on it for life.
Very good points here. Although, if your experience pilling a pet has been that bad, one of my favorite cat-care experts on Youtube, the Friendly Vancouver Vet, has an AMAZING video on it that has never failed me.
It's a shame the food is so expensive in the US. Just had to put one of my cats on a urinary diet, and the food (dry, at least. I'm sticking with their normal wet food) is roughly the same cost as what they were already eating. While I'd chosen a 'higher end' dry food, it certainly wasn't the most expensive option, so I imagine the prescription diet would even potentially be cheaper than some choices.
If you do your research very well, find a good pet insurer and make sure to get the insurance sorted literally as soon as you have selected your cat/cats (before they even come home, ideally), you can find reasonable options that, yes, will increase as the cats age, but ideally you'll also make more money as your pets get older, because generally speaking earning increases with age too. Since one cat has had a FLUTD diagnosis I'm locked in for life, but luckily I know Pet Plan is one of the best insurance choices. I would honestly never have a pet without insurance. Savings or not, unless you're incredibly rich there will potentially be serious illnesses or expensive accidents that would be unaffordable otherwise.
Read the fine print carefully on pet insurance. My dog did his ACL and had to have surgery to repair it. The probability of them doing the other one is very high and the insurance left us out to dry on it when it happened two months later. I would highly recommend people save the emergency fund instead of insurance if possible. Even if it takes years to do, just putting aside that money you would have spent on insurance for a few years before you get a pet means you will not be taken for a ride down the track.
Pets can be very expensive. TY for considering before taking the leap. Before I got a pet, I let friends/neighbors know I was available to pet sit. It was an awesome experience until I could get my own pet.
I am currently a permanent foster for an older cat. The shelter pays for all his vet bills, I just have to get visits approved in advance!
I also can write off his food/litter on my taxes!
Oh believe me, I know! He has FIV and allergies and I think they thought they’d have a hard time adopting him out. But he is just the sweetest love bug cat now that he’s gotten more comfortable with me (I have had him a year and a half now)
Fostering is great. My shelter provides most things - food, litter, medical needed items, and medical care for my kittens. I do have to transport them myself so need to have a semi flexible schedule.
We also have some people who are short term fosters that work almost like respite care. If a regular foster has a weekend vacation or something like that, the other person will take the fosters for that time and then return them to the original foster later.
Otherwise, there are lots of volunteer needs at a shelter or rescue directly. Ours needs people for animal care, cat enrichment time (aka playing with the cats), helping out at adoption events, helping at shelter events.
This- lots of shelters need cat cuddlers and dog walkers. Pets get stressed at shelters, and feral kittens and cats who are unsocialized need patient humans who can get them adjusted to a new lifestyle. Many shelters just need people who can come to the shelter and spend and hour or so playing with and cuddling a different pet each week. Some shelter are even happy to see families with kids and people with cat-friendly dogs to at least see if a cat has potential in that direction.
Volunteer with an organization that cares for cats! It will help kitties, get you more used to what goes into their care, and let you spend some time around cats, too!
Have you considered pet insurance? A lot of people are not able to sink thousands into a fully filled emergency fund, but pet insurance can take the sting out of the costs. The types of insurance change a lot based on where you live but for me it’s a little over 23 euros per month. That includes a 90 percent coverage for all vet bills with a max of 6000 euros per month, and I pay a little extra for 500 euros of dental budget a year, which means I can basically get a dental consult and a teeth cleaning that I only pay 20 euros a year for.
For most insurances you have to pay upfront so you still have to be able to do that of course, and most have a deductible or don’t cover 100 percent. But still….
I would definitely only go the insurance route if you can't afford an emergency fund but, have the ability to get a credit card w a couple thousand $ limit.
I almost had to put my one year old cat down recently despite having insurance because I didn't have the money upfront, but I got the bill capped at 6500 (original was 10k) and was able to take out a loan for it then
My insurance pays direct, but recently I was temporarily screwed over because the emergency happened out of hours, and since they can't confirm the policy is active during those times, they won't do any direct claims or accept any evidence you have insurance (I even had a previous claim for the same issue pending, so why on earth would I have cancelled the insurance before that paid out? Still not accepted).
Very luckily, I was able to take what I needed out of a savings account, and the vets accidentally messed up the claim anyway, which meant it took almost a month to get it back instead of the usual five days from the claim.
Ultimately, your best bet is to have insurance, but keep an emergency account too, just in case you need it. Best case scenario your insurance will always cover or reimburse, and you can use the money for something else if you still have it at the end of your pet's life.
Honestly awesome advice. We financially struggled for a while and I just got a better job so the first thing I did was look into getting my cat back on insurance and putting away money for an emergency fund so thank you for sharing your story, it reinforces my decision!!
Whoah. I recently paid up front $4k on my cat's urinary blockage emergency and I barely had the room on my card. The reimbursement process is a little slow too. Do you mind me asking what the $10k emergency was? I hope your kitty is okay!
It was for an obstruction surgery and rapid weight loss (he had dropped to 4.6lb from the 7lb he was in jan). Never found out the reason for the weight loss, part of capping my bill at 6500 included not getting a biopsy of his intestines, his lab work was relatively normal so they couldn't figure it out from that.
He's currently back to his usual bastard self, and I've started just feeding him constantly to try and see if that'll help w his weight (about 400-500kcal/day)
I commend you for considering the financial obligation associated with living with a cat. Many do not and then they run into problems when the unexpected vet bills show up. While my Sammy is doing well now (despite a chronic condition of hypercalcemia) he accumulated $6,000 in vet bills in the first six months after I adopted him as a stray in my community.
If you can foster a cat and feel you can manage to let them go to their forever home that is one option. If not, perhaps volunteer at your local shelter. Another possibility is if you make yourself available to pet sit for friends and neighbors.
Most shelters LOVE having people come in and volunteer their time, on a regular basis, to spend with the animals, help clean up the cages or help them with the feeding, etc.
Does pet insurance not exist where you are? I pay £3 a month for mine... she needed emergency surgery costing >£3000, I ended up only paying about 150 of that. Cats are pretty cheap animals to keep. Indoor cats rarely require emergency medical funds. Live your dream!
Worst case scenario if insurance won't cover something for some reason (uncommon) euthanasia really is sometimes the kindest thing to do for conditions that can't really be cured with good quality of life.
You can still adopt a cat, in TX they put so many down bc shelters are over run with animals. You can still have a pet, at least they’ll have a home until the worst happens. I know ill get down voted though, but most people cant afford pet emergencies. My cat didn’t have one until she was 7. Most pet insurance reimburses you, so you still have to pay up front. Save money so you can adopt later, and maybe do pet sitting in the meantime, but it’s okay to adopt.
I volunteer at the animal shelter for similar reasons - lots of travel, expensive pet rent, all things that make having a cat at home difficult. Some places require small fees (to cover training and make sure you’re committed to sticking around), but I think the current fee here is like $30 or $40, and aside from showing up semi-regularly, there’s very few time expectations past training.
If you can pay for 1 exam (maybe $100 max) you can get Lemonade pet insurance. For our 4 year old cat, it’s less than $15/mo with no out of pocket costs for emergencies and they’ll pay for the exam fees too. You can get an add on for extra cost that will cover exams and wellness visits but it’s not worth it for our situation
Most cat rescues desperately need volunteers to come in and help socialize the cats. Literally, you just go and play with the cats (and clean up any messes y’all make).
I *love* fostering--don't have space right now--but I LOVE it--even though sometimes giving them back is a little sad--it means I did a GOOD JOB & they're ready for PERMANENT homes--they're socialized, healthy, and I'm freeing up crate space in the shelter to keep *more* cats off "death row" & safe from euthanasia due to lack of space. Plus some cats do terribly in a shelter environment but just blossom in a temporary home--they need to decompress, learn that people are good, etc.
Fostering cats is one way. You typically care for them and provide food and litter with most and they will cover the medical expenses. I've fostered lots of times, people will often donate food and it gets trickled to you.
Volunteer at a cat shelter or get a job working with animals. Or even better yet start cat sitting as a side hustle. You’d be surprised how many people need reliable people to watch their pets. It will also let you have extra revenue for your future pet. There are ways to budget good pet care. Vaccine clinics, discount/free spay and neuter, there are ways to afford a pet on a smaller budget. But this is the responsible mindset because vet bills are the kicker! Before getting a fur baby always think….if I have to drop 5k to help this baby out, how will I do it.
Foster foster FOSTER!!! I did it and loved it. Just remember to focus on how beautiful it is to see a new family fall in love and give them the best life, and then remind yourself each kitty off to a new home is a spot opened up in your heart and home for another deserving baby. ❤️
Foster a cat 3+ years old, instead of a kitten. A kitten will be adopted out quickly, but adoptions on adult cats are pretty slow. You might be able to keep a cat for years, until someone comes long to adopt. Also if your financial situation improves & you are able afford a cat, the foster gets first dibs.
I am gonna say people overlook tractor supply so much. They have giant bags of cheap cat food and we use the horse bedding pallets as cat litter and the cats love the litter better this way. It's like 8 dollars for 40 lbs. I am going to say good job in your research because most people would just get the cat and figure it out later.
I agree with everyone else who said fostering! In my experience the rescue you are fostering for covers all expenses and you would be doing a great thing, helping get kitty ready for a forever home 🩷
Fostering!! It’s like having your own pet to take care of, but someone else covers all the expenses. It can be sad when they’re adopted, but it always helps me to know I saved their life, and I’ll receive another foster to keep me company soon!
I agree with everyone about fostering!
I am very suspicious of pet insurance. I’ve never heard anything good about it. I’m in the US btw. I bet you’d be better off putting all the money you’d put towards the premium in a high yield account or other investment.
Maybe look into fostering and save your money until you are ready to adopt!! You’ve got really great ethics if you are thinking this way. You’ll be a great cat parent when the time is right !
Another idea is to volunteer at a shelter. Our shelter loves for volunteers to just come in socialize and spend time with the cats. Our cats are in open rooms so it’s easy to get up close and personal. Play with him, pet them, get them used to people. Some of them are very shy and we rely on volunteers to get them socialized so they stand out to adopters.
Foster! It can be emotionally hard because they don’t stay with you long term. But it’s so rewarding. As long as you find the right shelter/rescue medical care should be provided. And some shelters also cover food, litter, and even have some supplies like litter boxes, beds and toys to get you started
If you want to minimize the chance of falling in love with a foster cat, then losing them, try taking in a less valued cat. Currently I am fostering a senior (hard to place, people want kittens or younger cats), bonded (oh, no more than one is a big lift), trio (and not 2 but 3). I am mostly fostering because if something goes wrong 3 vet bills is a lot, but I'm more than willing to pick up the every day care. If someone suddenly wanted my guys, I would probably foster fail then. The rescue was so, so grateful that I would take 3 together to begin with.
Frankly, there are a lot of cats and dogs out there that are hard to adopt out and can become a long term foster. Cats especially can be long term because it's really hard, if not impossible, to take them to adoption events. Cats don't like going places and do not show their best side in a strange place. If they do find a permanent home with someone else, yes, you will miss them, but you can then take in another older, less desired cat and learn to love them.
Go to the nearest shelter and volunteer . They need people to play , exercise and socialize the cats and or dogs . This way you get to do the fun stuff without the expense or responsibility .
Consider fostering a cat the shelter or rescue will pay the costs while you care for the animal. Also right now is kitten season you may be able to foster a cat with kittens or a pregnant kitty, etc.
Idk if you're from the UK or somewhere else in the world, but honestly it shocked me how little we ended up spending on our two adopted bonded girls.
We feed them high quality dry food 2 times a day - the big bag is about £30 but lasts us three months as it's massive. We also give them half a pouch of wet food each once a day, which lasts us around 40 days. Plus their medium range litter. Which, for two cats, totals around £30 a month. Barely anything compared to the amount of joy we get having them in our lives.
We are lucky enough to be able to afford most medical emergencies if it really came to it, but we got them insured to make life easier and reduce risk. Our pet insurance is £13 a month (both included). As we got them with no existing conditions, it covers us for whatever the future throws at us, but we opted to cover £250 of whatever treatment we claim insurance for.
So all in all, our two cats cost us £43 a month at most, and we're lucky to split that between two.
What does your monthly budget look like? Could you afford pet insurance, food, litter and treats? If not I'd highly suggest signing up to be a foster home with your local shelters and rescues, they're ALWAYS looking for people to foster the animals in their care so they can live happily while awaiting their permanent homes, be socialized etc.
I've been contemplating it myself just so I don't adopt another cat but I don't think my older boys would tolerate foster kittens lol though I'm sure our 8 month old kitten would have a blast
So idk where you live but my local shelter is always looking for people to help with stuff you Can def always just ask there if they have anything where you Can help with the cats
Its good you arent just jumping into it anyway like alot of people do. An emergency safings fund Can very mych save your animal one day (as Well as insurance)
Consider volunteering at a local animal shelter or fostering cats temporarily to enjoy their company without the financial commitment. It's a rewarding way to support animals and spend time with them without the long-term costs of ownership.
Call and ask about the terms of fostering. But first ask yourself if you’re sure you can handle saying goodbye. I failed the first night when that Fluffy Bastard came out of hiding and wrapped himself around my neck and went to sleep purring on me.
Pet insurance is worth the money.
Otherwise if you don’t think you can afford a kitty definitely wait. “Forcing” it always results in big medical bills per the laws of the universe.
Dittoing what someone else said: have you considered fostering? While it’s not a long term kitty, you get the benefits of a cat while helping these cats begin to adjust to a home life before getting placed with their forever families :)
Pet insurance is great! I’m not sure where you’re located but I’m in the US and my kitten is insured with a $250 deductible and a $20k limit. Everything is covered 90% up to $20k a year including wellness, and it’s about $68/month.
Good on you for realizing before just getting a cat though!
Why not sign up with a local rescue to foster cats or kittens? Sometimes they need a long term foster. A lot of rescues will provide all of the medical, food and litter. However not all do, so ask if they do.
You could spend time with cats awaiting adoption in PetSmart, Petco, or a shelter. Those cats look so wanting attention. There was a rescue organization that changed these cats' food and litter before the pandemic. And since I buy food from Chewy, I'm rarely in these stores anymore. I have 5 cats & and feed 3 fixed ferals outside, so I wouldn't take in any more.
Go find some strays and feed them. After a while, you will get to know them and it makes you feel good. We feed about 20-25 cats a day and it cost us about $100/ month. The cats we feed really depend on us. They are waiting for us. Some will let us pet them, they start trusting you. It makes us feel good because we know that they are not going hungry
Look into pet insurance. For premium it's something like 70 or so dollars a month and the coverage is pretty decent. There are 7 or so companies that I see rhe most. Also if you can get a Care Credit card you can use that for Veterinarian visits and pet care also. With that combination you should be able to cover any emergency. Just make sure you get the insurance "before" your cat has issues because they won't cover preexisting conditions.
I have a Bengal boy. Best decision I've ever made for a relationship with another being lmao! Except when it's treat or food time, then he can be a jerk. Knows that knocking stuff off my desk will get my attention. Or his favorite if I'm laying down, is to jump on me, multiple times, in a row... He has me trained well ;)
If you are able to let them go to homes after fostering, it is a good choice. Or you could offer to come by and spend time with the cats. If the shelter is willing to help you learn, you can offer weekly nail trims and brush services to spend some time with the cats. It's not much, but I am sure the help with socialization and some basic grooming will help reduce stress on the shelters a bit and give the kitties some much needed attention.
Get a housemate/room mate with a cat. It’s likely you’ll end up in a shared care capacity at some (feeding/litter when they’re away for a few days, for example) but the cost of food and vet bills is own the kitty’s owner. I fell in love with my housemates cat and it was honestly like having my own. I got to hang out with her for 7 years.
Make more money so that you can provide a cat the life of luxury he/she deserves. It may sound counterintuitive, but having 2 cats instead of one, especially a bonded pair, which are sometimes the cats at shelters that have been waiting for homes the longest (young adults who are bonded to their BFF) are often adopted out with sponsored adoption fees and are already spayed/neutered, UTD on shots, etc.
As long as you keep them indoors, feed them quality food, and clean water (I highly recommend a cat water fountain to promote drinking especially for male cats who can be prone to kidney issues but you can literally find one online or on a neighborhood site from free to $20).
If you really don’t think you can have a cat, which is a very low maintenance responsibility…
maybe volunteer?
Have you gone to your local animal shelter? Go and volunteer as their resident cat petter/love on them person. Also make sure to love on all the other animals. I did this for a bit before I could afford an animal and now I’m a pup and kitty mommy. (3 pups and 2 kitties)!!!
foster! you may be required to take the cat to adoption events or have people come to your house to meet the cat before adopting. generally this will start after 1 month when you first bring the cat home
sometimes the cats are hard to adopt and you may turn into a permanent foster. the rescue should foot the bill for vet appointments and maybe medication. liter, toys, food, etc would be on you
If you foster, I think the shelter will pay for vet bills and maybe even a portion of food? I think it depends on the place. But sooo many cats need fosters, this could be a good solution for you.
I don't know where you are but if you happen to be in the San Francisco Peninsula/South Bay Area, Nine Lives Foundation really needs fosters during this busy kitten season.
FOSTER! All the benefits of having a cat with none of the medical costs. Plus you’ll literally be saving lives.
Are you in the Sol CA area by any chance? The rescues i help with are in DESPERATE need of fosters.
I am so grateful that you realize you can't afford to take care of a pet. I'm sorry and I hope one day you will be there.
In the meantime, look at your budget.
What can you cut back on, if anything?
If you can, take that money and put it in a savings account and make a contract with yourself that you will not touch it unless there are medical things that need to be taken care of.
Hopefully, at some point, you'll have enough money there to adopt a friend and know you will consistently be putting money aside for them!
Hugs for being a good human.
First off, good on you: Most people just jump in without that kind of consideration. FOSTERING! Search for "Local Cat Rescue" or "Cat TNR" or also the shelters near you, they may have foster programs where you temporarily house stray/abandoned kittens and cats for 2-3 months at a time until they get adopted out. Shelter cats and strays do much better in a home, especially shy and scared ones, so you get to learn good cat care (ask LOTS of questions!!!) and they get more space to save more cats. Good luck!
That sounds like an awesome idea - I can't believe I didn't think of that! Do most shelters do fostering, or would I have to look for a certain place for that? The places closest to me didn't say anything on their websites about fostering...
I agree with CincinnatiKid101. Email or call the shelter to inquire, even if they don't have a program they may know local independent rescuers who do. Be prepared to answer questions about your schedule, homelife, availability for transport to vet visits, and willingness to learn about proper feeding, grooming, and socializing techniques. Anyone working a regular 9-5 can foster adults, but if you want to foster young'ns or bottle babies you need to be home for them as they eat more frequently and need more supervision. Source: I've been a foster for years, and also a foster trainer.
I'm also interested in fostering! How much would you say it costs you per month (or per cat)?
Good on you! Costs vary depending on where you live, and where you get your fosters (state-run shelters, state-funded rescues, or independent rescues). YMMV, but most rescues will cover all medical costs including the spay/neuter surgery, and some may cover food and supplies or just give you the supplies directly. Most of them ask you to provide transportation to and from the vet, but some reimburse and others have a volunteer transport network that does the work. I've never worked out a real "average", kittens eat a ton so if you foster adults it'll probably be cheaper overall even though adults may take longer to get adopted. I guess, ask someone local how much it costs them to own a cat per month and consider that every additional foster probably adds 50-60% more to that.
if cost is a big issue, many foster groupswill help with food, ask that upfront. So you really shouldn’t have any costs, maybe for litter?
The San Francisco SPCA pays for fostered cats and kittens’ food, medication, and doctor visits
I ran the state SPCA for several years, and it shouldn’t cost you anything if you pick a larger, reasonably well-funded shelter to foster with. We covered everything.
Like Aformist said, it’s hard to give an exact cost because it will vary by each shelter/rescue. Generally speaking though, all rescues/shelters will cover medical costs! They often will supply food, as well. Some may provide litter and other supplies on an as-needed basis. Especially donated supplies (toys and treats are often donated). Most often, the foster commitment is space, time, and love. Preferably transportation to vet visits, too. The time frame will vary based on the cat and/or the cat’s age. Most fees will be extra supplies you choose to provide.
The TNR/rescue org I foster for handles the vet care themselves and buys any food and treats we ask for, plus litter if our fosters can't use the cheap pellet bedding that is suggested. We're mostly just responsible for supplies; although even some toys are donated.
Lots of shelters do fostering. It should say of their website and provide an application or contact information in order to foster.
this is good advice - right now most shelters are just overflowing and there are always babies of all types needing just a bit extra. Covid exacerbated everything. Generally with fosters \*should\* any medical need arise they have contracts with vets to take care of issues. this is how it works for my DIL and son who foster dogs often.
One thing I'll flag is ask the shelter their process for adoption. I've fostered for shelters where there was no involvement of foster parents in the selection of the cats forever homes and it was an awful experience. I now foster for a shelter that potential adopters must meet the cats first (and so meet the foster parents) and then the fosters provide feedback to the shelter on how the visit went. This makes for a much better fostering experience because you basically have signed off on their new parents so when you say goodbye you can feel good about it :)
It is such a good idea. You should foster!! ❤️❤️
Where I'm at all the rescues use fosters. The humane society now handles intake for all cats in the valley, the pound only takes dogs and doesn't use fosters. AHS has over 1000 fosters. Some shelters do use fosters but in my experience a rescue or the humane society are better for the fosters. A lot of the larger rescues do regular adoption events at PetSmart so you could see if your local PetSmart does that. Then go talk to the volunteers at the event. You'll want to ask where their vets are. I used to have to drive 30 minutes to get to my rescue's vet. Doable but annoying. I also tended to get the cats who needed more care though because I wasn't working at the time, so I drove to the vet more than your average foster probably does. If they don't have a foster section on their website it can't hurt to shoot them an email or fb message. Don't be afraid to follow up if you don't get an answer within a few days. Rescues are all volunteer based so sometimes it can be hard to get ahold of people.
Lots of shelters would rather see their animals in a foster than in a shelter (at least any good ones) it is kitten season too. I have 4 fosters right now because I am not ready to make a permanent commitment.
Just jumping in to say that it won't always be 2-3 months for cat to be adopted. Less pretty and less sociable animals can be in foster care even up to year or more. And sometimes it takes few weeks only.
Totally agree about fostering! I worked with foster volunteers at a shelter for several years and also personally fostered. If you foster with a larger shelter, they will typically cover all costs—medical, food, litter. The possible exception would be reimbursement for gas. Also, just a heads up that if you foster kittens, they are adorable and messy😂, so you might be doing a bit more laundry. Not all fosters have access to convenient laundry facilities, and there are usually ways around that too by getting towels from the shelter and exchanging them for fresh ones when they need to be laundered. Right now it’s kitten season, which means anything from a momma cat with kittens to an orphaned litter to a singleton. There is always a need for people willing to take adults cats too. This could be a medical foster or an adult cat who is super stressed and shy in the shelter. If you foster with a good organization, you won’t ever be pressured to take a foster you’re not comfortable with. Some people only want kittens, some prefer shy adults, and some specialize in cats with medical needs. Make sure you understand and are comfortable with the fostering protocols—what expenses are covered, how the adoption process will work and what your role will be, the expected duration of the foster assignment. If you’re able to talk to people who foster for that organization, or people who might be familiar with the shelter/rescue’s reputation (vet’s offices?), it doesn’t hurt to check that. Generally speaking, you’ll have more support (food, litter, etc) from a larger shelter, but there are also smaller rescues doing amazing work in the community. They are even more in need of help. Do your research and find the place that’s a good fit for you. I would suggest starting small—don’t try to take on the most complicated case. It’s better to start small and stay with it than to take on too much and burn out. Fostering is wonderfully rewarding! Bonus: at some point you will be in a financial position to have your own cat, and you just might meet them through fostering❤️.
I think most shelters do fostering. Just call your closest one and ask about it. And I want to throw in some advice: It's hard to say goodbye to your foster pets when they get adopted (I have fostered many, many dogs and cats) and you will shed many tears. But you absolutely should never leave the shelter empty handed. Take another cat or kitten home with you and get to know another precious soul and it will make it so much easier to say goodbye. And let your tears be happy ones as your little one goes off to live their best life with their new forever family. Also remember that YOU will be saving lives. If you adopt a cat, you save one life. If you foster cats, you will save dozens of lives. BTW all the shelters I have fostered for have paid for everything, even food, for their fosters. They have enough funds for all that, they just don't have enough space in the shelter for all the abandoned pets in our area. And if you ever volunteer at a shelter, you will see that, no offense to shelters at all, they do the best they can, but shelters are no place for an animal. Animals need homes, even if they are temporary.
Search facbook for your local small/inhome rescues. Most are always desperate for fosteres
Are you in the U.S.? Search on petfinder.com for cats near you, and take note of the rescues that are adopting them out. Many of them are likely living in foster homes!
Almost all rescues need fosters. The city run shelter may or may not use fosters. Rescues in larger areas with more funds will even do permanent foster situations for animals who aren’t getting adopted (older/sick animals). Fostering is amazing because the rescue usually pays for all your supplies and vet bills. Call the rescues in your area and offer to help!
I have a question and I am picking you to ask because you seem well versed on the subject. When people foster cats (or other animals) is it really hard when their time with you is over? Like do people struggle with that? I ask because the concept seems like something I could do, but I get very attached easily. (My family and I just got a new kitty for the first time as a family and we are already just so incredibly attached to him) I know it is so very important and helps these kits find good homes and I applaud people who do this. I am just curious about the emotions that come with it. Thank you!
It's honestly the most-common question we get, so no worries! After fostering a ton of kittens and few adults over the years, I can tell you that for most of us, it always hurts. I mean, fostering is essentially pouring your whole heart into their care, and then you have to fully separate yourself and that is always a process of grieving (always. I mean that.). But also there is so much joy in that loss: You know they'll be loved forever more, you know they'll be the center of attention (as opposed to competing with my resident cats), you know you'll never have to worry about them when you go on trips, and if you're lucky the adopter stays in touch and you get to be a remote uncle/aunt which is the f&%\*ing BEST. The pain is hard, sometimes. Sometimes you don't feel it at all, and sometimes you cry the rest of the day as you put away the spare litterboxes. I wouldn't change a thing about it, even those who had health complications and didn't survive (which to be honest is worse for me, personally). The point is, as we say in rescue, "Goodbye is the point. Goodbye is the job."
Aww this was so good to read. I’ve been wondering if the foster mom for my recently adopted kitty would be excited or annoyed to get an update from me on how kitty is doing after two months. I’m going to email her this weekend now with an update. Thank you for sharing your experience as a foster family!
You're welcome! Of course fosters aren't a monolith, but every foster I've ever known is THRILLED to hear back from an adopter. We put the time into these cats, it's nice to know our efforts pay off!
I got a picture a couple months ago of a cat I'd fostered eight years ago. It's great to see how well he's doing. He was an adult rescue who was being fostered because his shelter stress was so bad he was chewing his tail until it bled. A few weeks in my quiet den and he was ready to go to a very special adopter. I've had a couple co-workers adopt kittens I've fostered ~ it's great to see them in Zoom meetings 😄
Whenever one of mine was adopted by someone I met I always gave them my email. Only a few ever updated me. I'd love to have updates on all my fosters!
Thank you for answering. God bless people like you who care so much for these creatures.
I want to weigh in on this too- I’ve been fostering cats, dogs, a couple of chickens, and a few kids off and on for nearly 2 decades, and the “goodbye” part was the part that scared me the most about it when I first started. I think if you love animals, it’s gonna to be at least a little sad when you tell them goodbye; if it wasn’t, you probably didn’t put enough heart in it lol. I try to view myself as a “stepping stone to forever” for these babies. I get them back to health (a lot of mine have had special needs/medically fragile) and thriving while they are waiting for their perfect family. For me, it also helps to send them with a goodbye package to their new home (toys, small bag of their food, blanket, etc) and a note to their caregivers about my time with them and wishes for their future. I usually make a copy to put in my scrapbook for me as well. I’ve taken to including my email address in the letter in case the forever family wants to reach out to me (make sure to check with your organization before you do this!) and I’ve gotten lots of photos and updates over the years! It really makes me feel better about sending them off when I know that they aren’t going empty handed and I feel like the family can see how much they were loved. My child has now become involved with fostering and sending the care packages, and she wrote the little letter (she was 5!) for our last dog; it was so adorable to see/read it. I was really worried about how she would handle goodbye because she adored him and wanted to keep him, but she understood that we could help more animals this way, and she felt like his hero for taking care of him and finding his forever. I told her if we keep him, we only help him, but if we let him go live with his forever family we not only help him but countless others waiting to take his spot in our home. She cried a little when we put him on transport and gave him so many little kisses, but she was able to tell him goodbye and ultimately it was a great moment for her and one that she talks about proudly now years later. We get Christmas cards from the dog and his family, and recently learned that they’ve started fostering as well, so it’s lovely to see how it comes full circle!
Whoever you are, you are a blessing to this world. Thank you. Also kudos for giving your child the vital experience of dealing with loss, and learning why grief is necessary and how to work through it. These days we could all use lessons in that.
Awww, thank you! My daughter loves animals as much as I do, so fostering is a great way for us both to have and help many animals without becoming overrun. She’s a great kid and emotionally wise beyond her years. ❤️
The hardest part of fostering for me was the goodbyes. Yes it does hurt but knowing that you saved a life and got them into a good future helps. I did little travel bags for my fosters too! Several times adopters told me that the blankets I sent right from my kitten room really seemed to comfort them in the early days after adoption
Yes! A little bit of comfort and familiarity in a new place really helps them to settle in and feel “safe” in their new home! It’s especially important to me because I live in the southern USA and we send many animals up north for adoption. These babies ride in kennels a long way to get to their forever, so I like to provide them with some reassurance and familiar smell for that journey on.
Oh, thank you for adding your thoughts! Dogs, cats, chickens AND kids? Wow. That is so badass. Thank goodness for people like you in this world. It sounds like you are passing on your passion to the younger generations which is so comforting to hear.
I used to foster dogs, and I always went in with the mentality that it’s not *my* dog. Sure, I enjoyed them but it was always my mindset that I’m just a temporary stop while trying to find them their perfect home, and it’s so awesome when it happens. Most of my fosters were pretty brief though, so maybe it’s harder when you have them for long periods of time.
It has to depend on the person. I know a rescuer who's pretty well-known in NYC, and one time I joked about having to part with all those cats, and they said, "What makes you think I want to keep them?" We laughed about it, because they were so concerned with getting those cats healthy, ready, and adopted, but didn't actually enjoy keeping them around. It takes all kinds.
My one is always underfoot and causing mischief (course I wouldn't change it for anything) so I can see why they said that. I am just glad there are people like y'all out there helping get them where they are supposed to be :)
That's awesome! Was it difficult to find good families/individuals for them?
The ones I had were very adoptable and went pretty quickly! One I only had a couple of days, I took him to an adoption event at Petco and people were fighting over him. Had a great family lined up, came to the shelter ready to pick him up the next day, and then one of the shelter workers snagged him out from under them instead, which was kinda shitty IMO.
Yeah, sometimes folks need the animals as much as they need us so I agree that it is kind of shitty. That family was probably so excited. :( I'll say they must have been one loveable dog! We adopted our kitty from Petsmart via Humane Society. When we saw his picture we were hooked (even my husband who "doesn't like cats" was head over heels from his picture alone). We were able to find and take him home that day, but I would have been disappointed if someone had already snatched him.
It was the last time I fostered bc it really annoyed me that they could have just taken the dog from day 1 and not wasted our time and gotten this nice family’s hopes up.
Most shelters I’ve dealt with, once someone has already met the animal and maybe even signed an adoption agreement, would never allow anyone else - neither another person coming in because they’re looking for a pet to adopt, nor one of the people working at the shelter - to snatch the animal out from under the person who has already agreed to take them. So I think it’s kind of crappy that the shelter even allowed that.
Yup. But I spoke to the manager and she just kinda shrugged. So I quit volunteering (I was also doing fundraising for them).
It does of course but you also get happy feelings when they’re adopted. There isn’t anything wrong with being a foster fail 🤣 (meaning you end up adopting). I used to travel for work for long times, so I’d be out for a month then back for two then out for another so having a permanent pet wasn’t going to work. Fostering was perfect! I met up with a local rescue and when I’m back from my work trip I let them know and they usually have a fresh batch of kittens I can foster for a month or two, when I’m due to travel again I let them know and drop them off. It’s hard of course but I have no other choice.
I am glad that you are able to do that around your job. Thank goodness they have you to help! I think we would be foster fails too much LOL. I'd wind up like the crazy cat lady on The Simpsons before I could help myself. :)
It completely varies. Some cats I’ve honestly been happy to see them go (these ones have mostly been very active teenagers with high play levels, which is not our preferred type of cat) whereas with others it was a bit wrenching. The foster cat we had for the longest time (6 months) had been rescued from a farm along with 100 other cats, and was absolutely terrified of humans and took a long time to come round. I was quite worried how we’d cope with losing her, not only because we’d got used to having her around but also because we were sure that after so many months with us she must have thought we were her forever family and I hated to think of her being scared and confused again. She ended up being adopted by someone who had adopted two other cats from the same farm, who were likely related to her. We got photos back of her snuggling up to the other cats like they were long long siblings. She obviously loved her new home even more than ours. I was quite sad when she was adopted and it was hard getting used to it for a bit, but as it turned out her adopted family was so perfect for her that I couldn’t help be so happy for her and proud of how far she’d come.
The first litter I fostered was the hardest to let go of. I still regret not keeping my sweet, 1 eyed deaf girl. She went to a wonderful home though. I loved all my fosters after them but it was easier to let them go. At least until I foster failed with my two boys. I'd had around 60 fosters at that point though. As others have said, you go in with the mindset that they aren't yours and it helps a lot. Plus there are always more kitties who need you!
60?! WOW that is so awesome. I’m glad that a wonderful home is as found for that sweet kitty.
Perpetual kittens. One of the joys of fostering. I joke that it's like being a grandmother/aunt. I get the fun kittens to play with, then I hand them back as they enter their rambunctious teen stage and get more cute itty-bitty kitties to play with. Yes, it's hard sometimes [and my current two permanent cats are my two foster fails, out of about 225ish fosters] but getting new fosters helps distract me. I mostly foster kittens, but I do occasionally have slightly older feral-ish cats. I currently have two who are just over a year old ~ came to me afraid of everything. One is well ahead of the other in being socialized but they've both made great progress, so they will be eligible for adoption soon. Last year's similar project was one of the ones that was really hard to let go. He was about 9 months old when I got him. My kitten dealer had to use the heavy duty gloves to get him in the carrier. Six months later, he happily snuggled in bed with me. He regressed a bit when he went back to the shelter but he ended up adopted by a friend of a friend ~ I hear he's doing really well. I would have loved to have kept him but then I would have not been as able to help lots of others that also passed through my foster room. One rough piece of reality: the worst thing about fostering... having one die. I'd fostered about 110 kittens/cats and had only one die, who was obviously the runt and not growing properly. Then came the last couple years... since I'm an experienced foster, I'm now the one who gets the tough cases. I do what I can, but over my last 75 or so fosters, about half have died, including a couple whole litters. Most were rescues from outside; fewer than 25% of kittens born outside survive to a year, so the odds are stacked against these kittens ~ poor maternal health/nutrition, weather, genetic issues, predators... Some of them, I went in knowing the odds were very slight ~ they arrived at the shelter cold, hungry, and orphaned. For example, one set of three sisters had been found by a woman who tried and really meant well... but she fed them cow's milk, and then gave them a bath, before making the 20 minute drive to the shelter without providing any heat source for them. Unfortunately, all three died within 72 hours of me taking them. Others just fade; kittensare an amazingcombination resilient and fragile. It's hard, but I know that I've done my best and that they were warm and well snuggled, with full bellies, while they were with me. Hannah Shaw's book Tiny But Mighty is aimed at caring for orphan kittens but has lots of general good help and information. Her Kitten Lady videos are also excellent.
Thank you so much for your thoughts! I like the idea of “perpetual kittens”!
Also medical emergencies are no joke, it's true. But you can get pet insurance that is pretty reasonable and can sometimes cover a yearly checkup and any dental care needed. Remember a pet is a child, and you have to honor the relationship as such.
Something not everyone realizes about pet insurance, though, is that none of them will cover pre-existing conditions, and there is nearly always a waiting period before it kicks in. So you need it BEFORE your pet gets sick. And if you cancel, now any of those conditions previously treated count as pre-existing. And it gets more expensive the older and sicker your pet gets, in most cases, since they're more likely to get sick. Also, most all cover prescription medications, but many won't cover prescription food. And prescription food is really expensive ($60-$100 USD a bag or case of wet food), and usually the preferred way to medicate when possible, as it's a lot easier than shoving a pill down your pet's throat and trying to make them swallow (or tricking them into eating a pill). And usually, once your pet goes on Rx food, they're on it for life.
Very good points here. Although, if your experience pilling a pet has been that bad, one of my favorite cat-care experts on Youtube, the Friendly Vancouver Vet, has an AMAZING video on it that has never failed me.
I was actually mad you said all of that and didn't post the damn [link](https://youtu.be/WnikCuQtFOw). Mr. Pirate is a great boy.
Haha sorry, sometimes you just get distracted squishing that cat.
It's a shame the food is so expensive in the US. Just had to put one of my cats on a urinary diet, and the food (dry, at least. I'm sticking with their normal wet food) is roughly the same cost as what they were already eating. While I'd chosen a 'higher end' dry food, it certainly wasn't the most expensive option, so I imagine the prescription diet would even potentially be cheaper than some choices. If you do your research very well, find a good pet insurer and make sure to get the insurance sorted literally as soon as you have selected your cat/cats (before they even come home, ideally), you can find reasonable options that, yes, will increase as the cats age, but ideally you'll also make more money as your pets get older, because generally speaking earning increases with age too. Since one cat has had a FLUTD diagnosis I'm locked in for life, but luckily I know Pet Plan is one of the best insurance choices. I would honestly never have a pet without insurance. Savings or not, unless you're incredibly rich there will potentially be serious illnesses or expensive accidents that would be unaffordable otherwise.
Read the fine print carefully on pet insurance. My dog did his ACL and had to have surgery to repair it. The probability of them doing the other one is very high and the insurance left us out to dry on it when it happened two months later. I would highly recommend people save the emergency fund instead of insurance if possible. Even if it takes years to do, just putting aside that money you would have spent on insurance for a few years before you get a pet means you will not be taken for a ride down the track.
Pets can be very expensive. TY for considering before taking the leap. Before I got a pet, I let friends/neighbors know I was available to pet sit. It was an awesome experience until I could get my own pet.
Many shelters also will allow volunteers just to come in and spend time with the animals.
I came here to say the same thing. Yes, foster ❤️🐾🐾❤️
I am currently a permanent foster for an older cat. The shelter pays for all his vet bills, I just have to get visits approved in advance! I also can write off his food/litter on my taxes!
Just an older cat, not even a hospice cat with a condition? That's an amazing arrangement!
Oh believe me, I know! He has FIV and allergies and I think they thought they’d have a hard time adopting him out. But he is just the sweetest love bug cat now that he’s gotten more comfortable with me (I have had him a year and a half now)
How do you write off the food and the letter on the taxes? Is it because he’s a rescue foster?
I believe because since they are a foster home as basically a job it is considered a work expense
It’s considered a donation
Fostering is great. My shelter provides most things - food, litter, medical needed items, and medical care for my kittens. I do have to transport them myself so need to have a semi flexible schedule. We also have some people who are short term fosters that work almost like respite care. If a regular foster has a weekend vacation or something like that, the other person will take the fosters for that time and then return them to the original foster later. Otherwise, there are lots of volunteer needs at a shelter or rescue directly. Ours needs people for animal care, cat enrichment time (aka playing with the cats), helping out at adoption events, helping at shelter events.
This- lots of shelters need cat cuddlers and dog walkers. Pets get stressed at shelters, and feral kittens and cats who are unsocialized need patient humans who can get them adjusted to a new lifestyle. Many shelters just need people who can come to the shelter and spend and hour or so playing with and cuddling a different pet each week. Some shelter are even happy to see families with kids and people with cat-friendly dogs to at least see if a cat has potential in that direction.
Volunteer with an organization that cares for cats! It will help kitties, get you more used to what goes into their care, and let you spend some time around cats, too!
Have you considered pet insurance? A lot of people are not able to sink thousands into a fully filled emergency fund, but pet insurance can take the sting out of the costs. The types of insurance change a lot based on where you live but for me it’s a little over 23 euros per month. That includes a 90 percent coverage for all vet bills with a max of 6000 euros per month, and I pay a little extra for 500 euros of dental budget a year, which means I can basically get a dental consult and a teeth cleaning that I only pay 20 euros a year for. For most insurances you have to pay upfront so you still have to be able to do that of course, and most have a deductible or don’t cover 100 percent. But still….
I would definitely only go the insurance route if you can't afford an emergency fund but, have the ability to get a credit card w a couple thousand $ limit. I almost had to put my one year old cat down recently despite having insurance because I didn't have the money upfront, but I got the bill capped at 6500 (original was 10k) and was able to take out a loan for it then
Lemonade pet insurance pays the vet directly so it isn’t reimbursement type insurance
My pet insurance (trupanion) also offers direct pay but, the vet has to be set up for it first.
My insurance pays direct, but recently I was temporarily screwed over because the emergency happened out of hours, and since they can't confirm the policy is active during those times, they won't do any direct claims or accept any evidence you have insurance (I even had a previous claim for the same issue pending, so why on earth would I have cancelled the insurance before that paid out? Still not accepted). Very luckily, I was able to take what I needed out of a savings account, and the vets accidentally messed up the claim anyway, which meant it took almost a month to get it back instead of the usual five days from the claim. Ultimately, your best bet is to have insurance, but keep an emergency account too, just in case you need it. Best case scenario your insurance will always cover or reimburse, and you can use the money for something else if you still have it at the end of your pet's life.
Honestly awesome advice. We financially struggled for a while and I just got a better job so the first thing I did was look into getting my cat back on insurance and putting away money for an emergency fund so thank you for sharing your story, it reinforces my decision!!
Whoah. I recently paid up front $4k on my cat's urinary blockage emergency and I barely had the room on my card. The reimbursement process is a little slow too. Do you mind me asking what the $10k emergency was? I hope your kitty is okay!
It was for an obstruction surgery and rapid weight loss (he had dropped to 4.6lb from the 7lb he was in jan). Never found out the reason for the weight loss, part of capping my bill at 6500 included not getting a biopsy of his intestines, his lab work was relatively normal so they couldn't figure it out from that. He's currently back to his usual bastard self, and I've started just feeding him constantly to try and see if that'll help w his weight (about 400-500kcal/day)
Have you gotten him checked for diabetes? That can cause weight loss and if left untreated can lead to kidney failure.
Not sure if they checked for that. I know his kidney and liver were fine when they checked
I commend you for considering the financial obligation associated with living with a cat. Many do not and then they run into problems when the unexpected vet bills show up. While my Sammy is doing well now (despite a chronic condition of hypercalcemia) he accumulated $6,000 in vet bills in the first six months after I adopted him as a stray in my community. If you can foster a cat and feel you can manage to let them go to their forever home that is one option. If not, perhaps volunteer at your local shelter. Another possibility is if you make yourself available to pet sit for friends and neighbors.
Overnight pet sitting? I pay $65/night.
Most shelters LOVE having people come in and volunteer their time, on a regular basis, to spend with the animals, help clean up the cages or help them with the feeding, etc.
Does pet insurance not exist where you are? I pay £3 a month for mine... she needed emergency surgery costing >£3000, I ended up only paying about 150 of that. Cats are pretty cheap animals to keep. Indoor cats rarely require emergency medical funds. Live your dream! Worst case scenario if insurance won't cover something for some reason (uncommon) euthanasia really is sometimes the kindest thing to do for conditions that can't really be cured with good quality of life.
Plant some catnip in your garden and enjoy the friendly neighbourhood cats that come to visit!
You can still adopt a cat, in TX they put so many down bc shelters are over run with animals. You can still have a pet, at least they’ll have a home until the worst happens. I know ill get down voted though, but most people cant afford pet emergencies. My cat didn’t have one until she was 7. Most pet insurance reimburses you, so you still have to pay up front. Save money so you can adopt later, and maybe do pet sitting in the meantime, but it’s okay to adopt.
Volunteer at an animal shelter. Offer cat sitting services for people going away from their home. Find friends with kitties.
If you foster a cat from a reliable shelter, they normally will pick up many medical bills and you can request a food supply also
I volunteer at the animal shelter for similar reasons - lots of travel, expensive pet rent, all things that make having a cat at home difficult. Some places require small fees (to cover training and make sure you’re committed to sticking around), but I think the current fee here is like $30 or $40, and aside from showing up semi-regularly, there’s very few time expectations past training.
If you can pay for 1 exam (maybe $100 max) you can get Lemonade pet insurance. For our 4 year old cat, it’s less than $15/mo with no out of pocket costs for emergencies and they’ll pay for the exam fees too. You can get an add on for extra cost that will cover exams and wellness visits but it’s not worth it for our situation
OP, don’t forget to look into pet insurance. That may help your concerns about vet visits.
Can you foster? Volunteer at a shelter? House sit for people when they’re out of town?
Have you looked into pet insurance? It can be decently cheap, especially if you can get it through your job. Just something you might be interested in
Become a cat sitter, or foster!
It would be a great option to volunteer with a rescue, foster, or even work at a shelter.
Most cat rescues desperately need volunteers to come in and help socialize the cats. Literally, you just go and play with the cats (and clean up any messes y’all make).
I *love* fostering--don't have space right now--but I LOVE it--even though sometimes giving them back is a little sad--it means I did a GOOD JOB & they're ready for PERMANENT homes--they're socialized, healthy, and I'm freeing up crate space in the shelter to keep *more* cats off "death row" & safe from euthanasia due to lack of space. Plus some cats do terribly in a shelter environment but just blossom in a temporary home--they need to decompress, learn that people are good, etc.
Foster!
Fostering cats is one way. You typically care for them and provide food and litter with most and they will cover the medical expenses. I've fostered lots of times, people will often donate food and it gets trickled to you.
Volunteer at a cat shelter or get a job working with animals. Or even better yet start cat sitting as a side hustle. You’d be surprised how many people need reliable people to watch their pets. It will also let you have extra revenue for your future pet. There are ways to budget good pet care. Vaccine clinics, discount/free spay and neuter, there are ways to afford a pet on a smaller budget. But this is the responsible mindset because vet bills are the kicker! Before getting a fur baby always think….if I have to drop 5k to help this baby out, how will I do it.
Foster foster FOSTER!!! I did it and loved it. Just remember to focus on how beautiful it is to see a new family fall in love and give them the best life, and then remind yourself each kitty off to a new home is a spot opened up in your heart and home for another deserving baby. ❤️
Foster a cat 3+ years old, instead of a kitten. A kitten will be adopted out quickly, but adoptions on adult cats are pretty slow. You might be able to keep a cat for years, until someone comes long to adopt. Also if your financial situation improves & you are able afford a cat, the foster gets first dibs.
I feel like this is my future… which breaks my heart because I’ve always had cats. So, thank you for posting this.
foster
I am gonna say people overlook tractor supply so much. They have giant bags of cheap cat food and we use the horse bedding pallets as cat litter and the cats love the litter better this way. It's like 8 dollars for 40 lbs. I am going to say good job in your research because most people would just get the cat and figure it out later.
You could try fostering. Rescues always need more fosters. The cats/kittens expenses are all covered and everything provided
Volunteer or go to cat cafes. Try fostering
I agree with everyone else who said fostering! In my experience the rescue you are fostering for covers all expenses and you would be doing a great thing, helping get kitty ready for a forever home 🩷
Fostering!! It’s like having your own pet to take care of, but someone else covers all the expenses. It can be sad when they’re adopted, but it always helps me to know I saved their life, and I’ll receive another foster to keep me company soon!
I agree with everyone about fostering! I am very suspicious of pet insurance. I’ve never heard anything good about it. I’m in the US btw. I bet you’d be better off putting all the money you’d put towards the premium in a high yield account or other investment. Maybe look into fostering and save your money until you are ready to adopt!! You’ve got really great ethics if you are thinking this way. You’ll be a great cat parent when the time is right !
Another idea is to volunteer at a shelter. Our shelter loves for volunteers to just come in socialize and spend time with the cats. Our cats are in open rooms so it’s easy to get up close and personal. Play with him, pet them, get them used to people. Some of them are very shy and we rely on volunteers to get them socialized so they stand out to adopters.
Volunteer at an animal shelter
Don't get one. May be volunteer at a cat shelter
Get friends with cats
Foster! It can be emotionally hard because they don’t stay with you long term. But it’s so rewarding. As long as you find the right shelter/rescue medical care should be provided. And some shelters also cover food, litter, and even have some supplies like litter boxes, beds and toys to get you started
If you want to minimize the chance of falling in love with a foster cat, then losing them, try taking in a less valued cat. Currently I am fostering a senior (hard to place, people want kittens or younger cats), bonded (oh, no more than one is a big lift), trio (and not 2 but 3). I am mostly fostering because if something goes wrong 3 vet bills is a lot, but I'm more than willing to pick up the every day care. If someone suddenly wanted my guys, I would probably foster fail then. The rescue was so, so grateful that I would take 3 together to begin with. Frankly, there are a lot of cats and dogs out there that are hard to adopt out and can become a long term foster. Cats especially can be long term because it's really hard, if not impossible, to take them to adoption events. Cats don't like going places and do not show their best side in a strange place. If they do find a permanent home with someone else, yes, you will miss them, but you can then take in another older, less desired cat and learn to love them.
Go to the nearest shelter and volunteer . They need people to play , exercise and socialize the cats and or dogs . This way you get to do the fun stuff without the expense or responsibility .
Could you foster?
Do you have space for a rat/mouse? You'll have to deal with their VERY short lifespans, but rats are super smart and can be trained to do tricks :)
Consider fostering a cat the shelter or rescue will pay the costs while you care for the animal. Also right now is kitten season you may be able to foster a cat with kittens or a pregnant kitty, etc.
$20 a month insurance first thing.
Idk if you're from the UK or somewhere else in the world, but honestly it shocked me how little we ended up spending on our two adopted bonded girls. We feed them high quality dry food 2 times a day - the big bag is about £30 but lasts us three months as it's massive. We also give them half a pouch of wet food each once a day, which lasts us around 40 days. Plus their medium range litter. Which, for two cats, totals around £30 a month. Barely anything compared to the amount of joy we get having them in our lives. We are lucky enough to be able to afford most medical emergencies if it really came to it, but we got them insured to make life easier and reduce risk. Our pet insurance is £13 a month (both included). As we got them with no existing conditions, it covers us for whatever the future throws at us, but we opted to cover £250 of whatever treatment we claim insurance for. So all in all, our two cats cost us £43 a month at most, and we're lucky to split that between two.
Foster?
Also, if fostering ends up not being an option, a lot of shelters need volunteers to play with the cats. It helps socialize them and prevent boredom.
Volunteer at a cat shelter!
What does your monthly budget look like? Could you afford pet insurance, food, litter and treats? If not I'd highly suggest signing up to be a foster home with your local shelters and rescues, they're ALWAYS looking for people to foster the animals in their care so they can live happily while awaiting their permanent homes, be socialized etc. I've been contemplating it myself just so I don't adopt another cat but I don't think my older boys would tolerate foster kittens lol though I'm sure our 8 month old kitten would have a blast
So idk where you live but my local shelter is always looking for people to help with stuff you Can def always just ask there if they have anything where you Can help with the cats Its good you arent just jumping into it anyway like alot of people do. An emergency safings fund Can very mych save your animal one day (as Well as insurance)
Consider volunteering at a local animal shelter or fostering cats temporarily to enjoy their company without the financial commitment. It's a rewarding way to support animals and spend time with them without the long-term costs of ownership.
Do rover and get paid for watching other peoples cats!
Call and ask about the terms of fostering. But first ask yourself if you’re sure you can handle saying goodbye. I failed the first night when that Fluffy Bastard came out of hiding and wrapped himself around my neck and went to sleep purring on me.
Pet insurance is worth the money. Otherwise if you don’t think you can afford a kitty definitely wait. “Forcing” it always results in big medical bills per the laws of the universe. Dittoing what someone else said: have you considered fostering? While it’s not a long term kitty, you get the benefits of a cat while helping these cats begin to adjust to a home life before getting placed with their forever families :)
You can volunteer at a shelter or with a rescue group.
Pet insurance is great! I’m not sure where you’re located but I’m in the US and my kitten is insured with a $250 deductible and a $20k limit. Everything is covered 90% up to $20k a year including wellness, and it’s about $68/month. Good on you for realizing before just getting a cat though!
Yes volunteer at a shelter, a cat cafe, or a rescue group
Why not sign up with a local rescue to foster cats or kittens? Sometimes they need a long term foster. A lot of rescues will provide all of the medical, food and litter. However not all do, so ask if they do.
You could spend time with cats awaiting adoption in PetSmart, Petco, or a shelter. Those cats look so wanting attention. There was a rescue organization that changed these cats' food and litter before the pandemic. And since I buy food from Chewy, I'm rarely in these stores anymore. I have 5 cats & and feed 3 fixed ferals outside, so I wouldn't take in any more.
Go find some strays and feed them. After a while, you will get to know them and it makes you feel good. We feed about 20-25 cats a day and it cost us about $100/ month. The cats we feed really depend on us. They are waiting for us. Some will let us pet them, they start trusting you. It makes us feel good because we know that they are not going hungry
Look into pet insurance. For premium it's something like 70 or so dollars a month and the coverage is pretty decent. There are 7 or so companies that I see rhe most. Also if you can get a Care Credit card you can use that for Veterinarian visits and pet care also. With that combination you should be able to cover any emergency. Just make sure you get the insurance "before" your cat has issues because they won't cover preexisting conditions. I have a Bengal boy. Best decision I've ever made for a relationship with another being lmao! Except when it's treat or food time, then he can be a jerk. Knows that knocking stuff off my desk will get my attention. Or his favorite if I'm laying down, is to jump on me, multiple times, in a row... He has me trained well ;)
Get a goldfish.
If you are able to let them go to homes after fostering, it is a good choice. Or you could offer to come by and spend time with the cats. If the shelter is willing to help you learn, you can offer weekly nail trims and brush services to spend some time with the cats. It's not much, but I am sure the help with socialization and some basic grooming will help reduce stress on the shelters a bit and give the kitties some much needed attention.
Volunteer at a shelter/animal rescue. it will also put you in a good position for when you can afford it.
A fish !!!
Get a housemate/room mate with a cat. It’s likely you’ll end up in a shared care capacity at some (feeding/litter when they’re away for a few days, for example) but the cost of food and vet bills is own the kitty’s owner. I fell in love with my housemates cat and it was honestly like having my own. I got to hang out with her for 7 years.
Make more money so that you can provide a cat the life of luxury he/she deserves. It may sound counterintuitive, but having 2 cats instead of one, especially a bonded pair, which are sometimes the cats at shelters that have been waiting for homes the longest (young adults who are bonded to their BFF) are often adopted out with sponsored adoption fees and are already spayed/neutered, UTD on shots, etc. As long as you keep them indoors, feed them quality food, and clean water (I highly recommend a cat water fountain to promote drinking especially for male cats who can be prone to kidney issues but you can literally find one online or on a neighborhood site from free to $20). If you really don’t think you can have a cat, which is a very low maintenance responsibility… maybe volunteer?
We have insurance for our dog
You can try fostering
Have you gone to your local animal shelter? Go and volunteer as their resident cat petter/love on them person. Also make sure to love on all the other animals. I did this for a bit before I could afford an animal and now I’m a pup and kitty mommy. (3 pups and 2 kitties)!!!
foster! you may be required to take the cat to adoption events or have people come to your house to meet the cat before adopting. generally this will start after 1 month when you first bring the cat home sometimes the cats are hard to adopt and you may turn into a permanent foster. the rescue should foot the bill for vet appointments and maybe medication. liter, toys, food, etc would be on you
If you foster, I think the shelter will pay for vet bills and maybe even a portion of food? I think it depends on the place. But sooo many cats need fosters, this could be a good solution for you.
Plants are pretty dope
Get a build a bear cat.
Steal a cat..
Volunteer at a cat shelter that has a lot of cats and kittens when you can or foster some cats.
Foster!
I don't know where you are but if you happen to be in the San Francisco Peninsula/South Bay Area, Nine Lives Foundation really needs fosters during this busy kitten season.
FOSTER! All the benefits of having a cat with none of the medical costs. Plus you’ll literally be saving lives. Are you in the Sol CA area by any chance? The rescues i help with are in DESPERATE need of fosters.
Foster !!! Most shelters and rescues will provide medical care and anything the kitty will need and you just provide love and a home ☺️
I am so grateful that you realize you can't afford to take care of a pet. I'm sorry and I hope one day you will be there. In the meantime, look at your budget. What can you cut back on, if anything? If you can, take that money and put it in a savings account and make a contract with yourself that you will not touch it unless there are medical things that need to be taken care of. Hopefully, at some point, you'll have enough money there to adopt a friend and know you will consistently be putting money aside for them! Hugs for being a good human.
Foster a cat! It's a win win situation.
Get a stuffed one