Take this opportunity to truly make a lasting impact on a cat's life.
How Can I Help?
We are always in need of foster homes, the preference is for all long term fosters be in the San Antonio or Austin area. If you live outside of these areas and are still interested in fostering, we may need short term/emergency fostering in your area.
If you own your home (or have permission from your landlord) and have an extra room, please take a moment and read through to see if you’d be interested and answer any questions you may have!
The cats we place into fostering are cared for in home settings willing to assess their personalities, ensure any medical care needed is completed and help them to socialize. This is often the first home and generous care they’ve ever known, there will be an adjustment period and it’s an opportunity to truly make a lasting impact on a cat’s life without fully adopting.
Have a Question?
Fostering
The following information will answer the most common questions we are asked about fostering and what fostering entails. We ALWAYS need foster parents! The more foster homes we have, the more lives we can save!!
Foster parents are volunteers who take STxPR cats into their homes and care for them until they are ready for adoption. It’s a great way to volunteer from home. Since we do not operate a shelter, all of the animals we accept into our organization must be fostered. Animals that come into our organization include:
- Kittens old enough to be eating on their own.
- Kittens/cats that need socialization because they are very shy, have never been around people, or have been abused or neglected.
- “Senior” cats
- Cats with special medical needs.
- Cats with perceived behavioral problems
- Cats with no issues at all; they simply need a temporary home until they are adopted
We work with our foster parents to determine what kind of cats they are comfortable fostering!
While some volunteers end up adopting a foster pet, please note that the foster program is not for people who want to “try out” an animal prior to adoption. It is intended to provide one-on-one attention in a home environment for animals, in order to best evaluate them and prepare them for adoption.
- Provide a clean nurturing, indoor home for the cat, pending adoption.
- Bring the animal to a STxPR approved veterinarian for exams, vaccinations and other routine treatment.
- Give medication as needed. We teach the inexperienced!
No – all cats available for adoptions are posted on our website and various other social media outlets. We receive and process the adoption applications for our cats. Our screening process includes a written application, a phone interview and reference checks. If the applicant is approved, the foster parent for that cat is able to conduct a second interview in order to determine compatibility. Our foster parents do have a veto vote in any adoption!
Please make arrangements for your foster animal to be cared for by a responsible pet sitter.
We do recommend that foster cat(s) be kept isolated from household animals for two to three weeks. If, after that time, you want to introduce the foster cat(s) to your household, we do provide information on how to properly integrate new cat(s). Please be aware, that STxPR is not responsible for any veterinary expenses for your own personal animals, should injury or illness occur via the foster cat(s).
There are many variables when fostering; a cat could be in your home for one week or two months. If you are only willing or able to foster for a couple of weeks, this program probably isn’t for you. Please carefully consider the commitment and be sure all family members understand what this program entails.
No. STxPR will provide and pay for the animal’s veterinary care and medications, as provided by a STxPR veterinarian. The STxPR can also loan litter boxes, food/water bowls, cat carriers and cage if needed. The foster parent is expected to purchase food and litter for the foster pet, unless the pet is on a prescription diet. We do require that premium foods be fed to our foster animals (see diet and nutrition under “Cat Care 101”).
You can apply to be a foster parent by downloading, completing and emailing the