Foster for City Kitties

Thanks for your interest in becoming a foster home! Foster homes are the foundation of our organization. This critical service allows us to house cats and kittens while they wait for permanent homes — meaning we can save more lives. City Kitties provides support for our fabulous volunteer foster homes. We pay for 100% of veterinary care, answer your questions about health and behavior, and screen applications from potential adopters. You will make a great foster parent if:

• you are flexible, patient, and love animals!

• you live in the general vicinity of West Philly, South Philly, Center City, Fairmount/Brewerytown, or Northern Liberties/Fishtown. We need foster homes to be close to us, as well as our veterinarian and potential adopters.

• you are comfortable providing minor health care, with guidance from City Kitties (oral and topical medications, flea/tick preventatives, grooming, etc.) and to assist with follow-up vet visits for your foster animal.

• your pets are up-to-date on appropriate medical care, cats tested for FIV/FeLV, and spayed/neutered.

• your current cats live indoors at all times and your home is safe for cats/kittens (screens on all windows, kitten-proof where applicable, etc.).

• you are willing to provide food, litter, and basic living costs (City Kitties pays for 100% of medical care).

• you have regular access to a car (your own, a friend’s, or car share) — this is not required but very helpful.

• you are easy to get in touch with by email and phone and can respond quickly to schedule meetings with potential adopters.

• you can say goodbye to your adopted foster feline when they find a happy forever home, so that another life can be saved. We understand that sometimes foster parents just can’t bear to part with their foster animals, but we encourage volunteers to let them go — this means we can pull another homeless kitty from the streets or shelter.

• you can commit to at least a few months (preferably 6 months or more) as a volunteer. Foster cats remain in our care for as little as 2 weeks and as long as 2 years! We keep them for as long as it takes to find the right forever home. Though we occasionally need emergency/short-term foster placements, the longer you can provide a stable home for a formerly homeless feline, the better.

Please fill out the foster application below. If you have further questions, feel free to contact us with a question about fostering.

Your Information

Your Name

Address

City, State, Zip

Email *

Please double-check to be sure your email address is correct.

Phone

Age

Occupation

How did you hear about City Kitties? Friend, Family, or Coworker Clark Park Farmer's Market The Cat Doctor Baltimore Pet Shoppe Poster/Flyer Petfinder.com or AdoptaPet.com Internet Search Other

Have you applied (or do you plan to apply) to be a foster home for other rescue organizations in the Philadelphia area?

No

Yes

If yes, which ones?

Do you rent your home/apartment?

Homeowner

Renter

If you rent, do you have permission from your landlord to have a cat? City Kitties will call to confirm this.

No

Yes

Landlord Name & Phone Number

Please tell us why you are interested in fostering animals for City Kitties:

Please describe the other people you live with (spouse/partner, relatives, roommates, children). Is anyone in your household allergic to cats?

Does anyone in your household smoke inside the home?

No

Yes

City Kitties requires a six month minimum commitment from our foster homes. Is there anything that would prevent you from remaining a foster home during the next six months? (e.g. moving out of the area, graduation, marriage, other major life change):

City Kitties does our best to match foster cats/kittens with foster home needs/circumstances. However, we ask that foster parents be open to accepting cats of various ages, both male and female. Who are you most interested in fostering?

Single cat/kitten

Multiple cats/kittens

Pregnant/nursing mother & kittens

Semi-feral kitten in need of intensive taming

Special needs animal

Our foster cats often come directly from the streets (after a vet visit, of course), and we may not be aware of behavioral problems like scratching furniture or rough play. Are you willing to work with a cat who might have these issues?

Cats new to foster care often need minor health care, such as oral antibiotics, flea/tick preventative, other topical medications/creams, brushing/grooming, etc. Will you be able to provide this care, with guidance from City Kitties?

If your foster cat becomes sick or needs follow-up care, City Kitties may ask you to provide transportation to and from the vet's office. Do you have regular and reliable access to a car (your own, a friend's, Philly Car Share)?

City Kitties asks that foster cats be checked on once daily while you're away (or more if circumstances require it). We aren't able to provide or pay for petsitting services. How will the foster cat/kitten be cared for when you are out of town?

How would you feel about parting with a foster cat/kitten after 4-6 months? Would you consider adopting your foster cat/kitten?

If you are interested in potentially adopting your foster cat, please also fill out an adoption application as a formality. This ensures that you will be "pre-approved" if you make that choice.

Please provide the following information for each animal currently living in your household: Pet 1: Owner, pet name, type/breed, age, sex, spay/neuter status Pet 2: Owner, pet name, type/breed, age, sex, spay/neuter status Pet 3: Owner, pet name, type/breed, age, sex, spay/neuter status Pet 4: Owner, pet name, type/breed, age, sex, spay/neuter status Pet 5: Owner, pet name, type/breed, age, sex, spay/neuter status

Have you ever had a pet before (not including current pets)? If yes, please provide the following information for each previous pet: Pet name, type/breed, spay/neuter status, years you had the animal (e.g. 1990-2003), reason animal is no longer with you

How many litters of puppies/kittens have the above animals had?

Veterinary Reference

If you currently have pets or have had a pet in the last five years, please provide a veterinary reference. City Kitties will call to verify that your pets receive regular exams, vaccinations, etc.

Clinic name:

Clinic phone (required)

Name of person with account:

Name of animals under the account:

Please check over all information before you hit the "submit" button.

If you wish to give City Kitties additional information, please include it here:

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