5 Tips for Successfully Fostering a Pet

People who foster pets are true heroes who help animals in need get love and care while waiting for their forever home. Fostering a pet frees up important shelter space and provides a safe and enriching environment for pets who need extra help on their journeys. If you are considering becoming a foster parent, these tips can help you do it successfully:

Fostering a Pet: Try to Avoid a “Foster Fail”

While it is sweet to hear about “foster fails” who fell in love with their animal guests and decided to adopt them, it also leads to fewer available foster families for animals. When you sign up to foster a pet, your role is to prepare the animal for his or her forever home. Try to keep this in mind throughout the process. You are doing a wonderful thing by serving as this bridge between their lives before and when they finally find their forever family, and future pets will need you.

Fostering a Pet: Prepare Your Home

To provide the best environment for a foster pet, ensure your home is ready before they arrive. Stock up on helpful equipment like food and water bowls, pet beds, crate, treats, and toys. Store any potential pet toxins, such as cleaning solutions, medications, plants, or toxic foods that animals cannot reach. The perfect foster space is both comfortable and safe for pets. If you have pets of your own, be sure to set up a secluded spot for the fosters to give them an area where they can stay as they get used to their new surroundings. 

Fostering a Pet: Be Patient

Inviting a foster pet into your home is an adjustment for everyone. It is important to be patient as everyone gets used to the new arrangement. Each animal is different, and they will have different responses to new people, animals, and spaces. Remain calm around the animal, and work with them slowly to help them acclimate to the new surroundings and experiences. If you can be patient and continuously offer positive reinforcement, you will help them feel comfortable in your home.

Fostering a Pet: Take Cues from the Animal

When it comes to foster pets, it is important to let them take the lead when they first come to stay with you. Try not to be overly affectionate or physical. Some foster animals have never really interacted with humans, and they might feel scared. Let the animal come to you if they want some cuddles or attention. This will let them feel secure enough to relax in your home.

Prepare Them for a New Home

When fostering a pet, it’s important to remember that your house is just a stop on a foster pet’s journey. This means that how you treat your own pets might be different from how their future forever parents will treat your fosters. Avoid allowing behaviors like sitting on the couch or sleeping in the bed. Even if you do not crate train your own animals, you might want to consider doing so with a foster, especially at first. Basic training can prepare the animal to seamlessly transition into their forever home when they get adopted.

At Oakland Veterinary Referral Services, we believe that educating pet owners is almost as important as offering quality veterinary care. We want your pets to have the best care (whether they’re your own or just staying with you for a bit). To learn more about our specialty and emergency veterinary services, please call (248) 334-6877.