Foster

Fostering means temporarily caring for a cat or kitten in your home until they’re ready for adoption.  It’s a way to give animals a safe, loving environment while they await their forever homes.  This is especially helpful to those who are too young, sick, or shy to be adopted right away.

As a foster, you provide the daily care: food, socialization, playtime, and lots of love. The rescue covers medical care and support. Some foster cats stay just a few weeks, while others may need a bit longer to get adoption-ready.

Fostering helps cats thrive—and it literally saves lives by freeing up space and resources so the rescue can help more animals. It’s a vital part of the rescue process, and an incredibly rewarding experience for the humans involved, too.

Fostering is one of the most impactful ways you can help animals in need—especially cats and kittens who aren’t quite ready for adoption. When you foster, you’re giving a vulnerable animal a safe, loving space to heal, grow, and prepare for their forever home.

Fostering also creates space in shelters and rescues so we can save even more lives. Every time you foster, you’re making room for another cat to be rescued.

• The first step: fill out the foster application found on this page
• Be sure to complete all fields that apply to you and your household
• When the application is received, the team will verify vet information if provided
• If everything checks out, the foster coordinator will contact you for a phone interview
• Once you complete all of these steps, we will begin pairing you with a foster kitty

Foster families provide the love, care, and support that help cats and kittens thrive while they wait for their forever homes. 

The basics: 

• Daily feeding, playtime, and socialization
• Sharing updates, photos, and personality insights
  This is incredibly important! Great photos and accurate descriptions help us match fosters with the perfect adopters.

Foster responsibilities may also include:

• Administering medication if a cat or kitten becomes sick
  (We’ll provide guidance and supplies—you provide the gentle hands.)
• Transportation to and from vet appointments
  (We’ll help schedule them, but fosters are usually responsible for getting the cat there.)
• Transportation to and from adoption events
  These are typically held on weekends. Young kittens often attend events at local pet stores, while adult cats or older kittens may go to our Kitty Kabin on The Haven campus.

Being a foster is more than just a temporary home—it’s a lifeline. And we’re here to support you every step of the way.

• KKHR has a foster pantry for basic supplies like food and litter.  However, if you are able to provide food and litter, we won’t say no!
• KKHR Haven provides dewormers and other medications as needed
• KKHR Haven provides bedding, litterbox, carrier as needed
• KKHR provides all veterinary care as needed.
• KKHR provides a full time 24/7 support team of other fosters and board members to help guide you every step of the way

To make everything run as smoothly as possible, we’ve found that it works best when our fosters live within about 30–40 minutes of our home base in Hoover, Alabama. Most of our vet partners are located in Hoover, Vestavia, Mountain Brook, or along the East 280 corridor toward Chelsea. This proximity helps us get foster pets the care they need without unnecessary delays or stress.

Attendance is recommended but not required. If you are available to help at one of our weekend adoption events, do join us. It allows you to help find the perfect home by telling interested adopters all about your foster. Adoption events are the most successful way to introduce your foster to the largest number of people.

No worries—your foster cat will always return home with you after the event. Unless, of course, other arrangements are made in advance.  We never leave animals overnight at adoption events.

Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue does not do same-day adoptions unless there’s already an approved application on file. If an approved adopter meets your foster at the event and it’s a perfect match, they may be able to take the cat home that day. Otherwise, interested adopters can submit an application, and we’ll begin processing it on the next business day.

In the meantime, your foster gets to go home with you, rest up, and wait for their perfect match!

If you have travel plans coming up, we ask that you give us at least two weeks’ notice whenever possible. This gives us time to coordinate alternate care for your foster.

Please reach out to our Foster Coordinator (FC) so we can work together on finding a temporary solution. While foster space is limited, we can usually arrange for your foster to stay with another approved foster family or at The Haven while you’re away.

We’re here to support you! Communication and advance notice go a long way in making sure your foster stays safe and cared for.

Bringing a new foster into your home is a big change for them, so it’s normal for them to feel anxious, shy, excited, or even a little fearful at first. With patience, consistency, and lots of love, most cats and kittens quickly begin to feel safe and settle in.

We always suggest preparing a smaller, quiet area (like a bathroom or spare room) as your foster’s starting space. This gives them time to decompress and feel secure before exploring the rest of your home. While the first few days may require some extra care, the ultimate goal is for your foster to live as a member of the family while they wait for their forever home.

If you have resident cats or other pets, we strongly recommend starting with a quarantine period in a separate space. This helps reduce stress and allows everyone to adjust gradually. A bit of hissing is completely normal, but if either cat shows signs of true aggression, it’s best to keep them separated for a while longer.

All medical care for your foster (including vaccinations, spay/neuter surgeries, and any necessary treatments) is fully covered by Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue. If your foster needs veterinary attention, please communicate directly with the Foster Coordinator, who will guide and coordinate all medical care on your behalf.

The Foster Coordinator will help you identify the approved veterinarians within our network. Together, you’ll decide which vet to use and how your foster will get there. If you’re able to transport your foster to vet appointments, it’s a big help and often speeds up the process. If not, we’ll work out the best solution together.

We hope so! When your foster pet is adopted from your home or you bring them to an adoption event, you’ll have the opportunity to meet and interview prospective adopters. In some cases, you may even join the Foster Coordinator in delivering your foster to their new family—helping ensure the home is a great fit and your foster is going to a loving environment.

Absolutely! Many foster families fall in love with their foster cat or kitten—and we’re always thrilled when a foster becomes a forever home.

If you decide you’d like to adopt, you’ll just need to submit an adoption application like any other adopter. The good news is that fosters do get first priority for the animals in their care. We simply ask that you let the Foster Coordinator know as soon as you’re considering adoption, so we can pause promotion and avoid processing another applicant for that cat or kitten.

We never pressure our foster families to adopt. While we love a “foster fail,” our hope is that fosters continue to open their hearts and homes to new animals in need, helping more cats find their forever families. Adoption is always a wonderful option when the time is right, but fostering as an ongoing commitment truly makes a lasting difference.

Your support as a foster is invaluable no matter what, and every cat you help brings us closer to saving more lives.