Presented at the American Pets Alive No-Kill Conference 2014.

2. Why Do You Need a Foster Network?
Space: Foster homes create “infinite” space and provide you with complete flexibility.
Cost Savings: Foster homes provide the majority of the care and feeding supplies
for the animals.
Better Marketing: Fosters know the cats best.
Potential Adopters: Fosters have large social networks to tap into.
Happier /Healthier cats: Cats hate cages!

3. What Exactly Do You Need To Start A Foster
Network?
A foster application: So people can apply to foster.
Zoho
Version

4. Foster Application - Wordpress

5. Getting Started: Data Systems
You need a way to track animals moving around into and out of foster homes.
Keeping track of animals that you don’t physically have in your care can be
difficult, have a plan for every step of the way!

6. Getting Started: Follow Up Systems
Follow up is about prevention (not reaction) and reminding people
before something is due. Send reminders BEFORE things are due.
Times to contact your fosters:
 As soon as they pick the animal up
 Before items are due (vaccines, spay/neuter). Weekly reports BCC
mass email.
 Spay/Neuter reminders – enough time for them to schedule. Better
yet – schedule the appt. before the animal leaves your care if
possible, then remind people of their already scheduled
appointment.
 Overdue reminders
 If not responding – call!
 Legal letter sent if no responses
 Outcome as adopted or stolen (get it off the books)

7. Email When A Foster First Takes Home A Cat

8. Reminder Emails

9. Getting Started: Foster Documentation
Sign Out Sheet

10. Getting Started: Cat Foster Manual - Zoho

11. Getting Started: FAQs/Handouts
Common illnesses happen often, having easy to copy/paste info is essential,
fosters will always have lots of questions!

12. Cat Flu FAQs

13. How To Tell Age/Sex/Breed Of Cats
Whoever is going to be trying to get cats out of the shelter and into foster MUST
know how to tell a cat’s breed/age/gender! Train and make signs.

14. Cat Breed Training Example

15. Getting Started: Staff/Support
This can be basic and all volunteers. Grow the staff as the foster network
grows.
 Foster Approval Team: People to screen new fosters (auto email apps to
them)
 Foster Manager: Someone to “manage” the fosters (can be multiple people
 Foster Mentor team – not 100% necessary but helpful if you have a lot of
fosters, provide extra support to foster homes

16. Decisions On Setting Some Basic Foster
Rules
You’ll want to make sure your foster approval team is aware of
the rules for when they call to screen fosters
1. Quarantine
2. Indoor only – 100% indoor to prevent losing them or injury etc.
3. Live within X amount of minutes of the shelter/vet services.
4. Who to contact for medical needs and how to get them taken care of
5. How many cats can one foster home
have (2 cage rule)
6. What to do if a foster’s personal animals
aren’t neutered/vaccinated/etc.

17. Keep It Simple!
Keep it simple for fosters to sign up, and
avoid lots of loop holes.
• Vet References, calling landlords,
home visits – sound good on paper, not
great in practice.
• The vast majority of people are not
abusive/neglectful
• Prevent hoarding/overload – your
primary thing to worry about
• Educate your fosters - the best way to
ensure they will provide good care!

18. Getting Started: Communication Tools For
Staying in Touch With Fosters
Somewhere to plea animals from the shelter so fosters can know who needs
saved as well as foster to foster transfers.
Somewhere to send out rule changes or announcements (i.e. we have open
spaces at the PetCo cattery!)
 Yahoo groups
 Google groups
 Facebook (warm and fuzzy)

19. Yahoo Group

20. Google Groups

21. Facebook – try to
keep it warm and
fuzzy

22. How Do You Build A Foster Network?
Okay now that you’ve got everything you need to manage your fosters, how the
heck do you find anyone willing to do it?
• Craigslist
• Facebook
• Flyers
• Volunteers/Staff
• Your website
• Adopters
• Email everyone you know, ask them to forward to everyone they know

23. Craigslist Ad
General
Recruitment

24. Craigslist – Targeted Ad

25. Facebook Post

26. Recruitment Flyer

27. Website

28. See Cat Foster 2.0 presentation for
information on maintaining the foster
program once you have started it!

29. Thanks For Coming!