Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Anyone here ever been a foster pet mom/dad?

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » The DU Lounge Donate to DU
 
Lisa0825 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 09:08 AM
Original message
Anyone here ever been a foster pet mom/dad?
I had to have my sweet kitty put to sleep a couple weeks ago, due to a sudden illness. I miss her a lot, but I don't think I can adopt another pet right now. I see it as potentially an 18 year committment, much like a child. I am seriously considering either joining the Peace Corps in a few years, or possibly moving to a Latin American country for a year or two for the experience. Recent changes in my financial situation have made these options quite possible, whereas, they were mostly fantasies before. So, since I don't know where I'll be, I don't want to adopt right now.

I was thinking about fostering cats/kittens, but I am unsure what that would be like. If anyone has done this, I'd love to have more info, like how long do you keep a pet? Are they mostly adult or little ones? Is it while they await permanent placement, or do they rotate them through just so they all get time in a home? Do you find it really difficult to let them take them away after falling for them?

Thanks for any info.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
tyedyeto Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 09:14 AM
Response to Original message
1. I haven't but an acquaintence of mine does that
She's had both adults and babies. Usually abandoned and will keep them til they are healthy enough for adoption. She tells me that it is hard to give them up but then thinks of the pleasure these pets will give someone over the years.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
auburngrad82 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 09:22 AM
Response to Original message
2. We are on our fourth foster dog.
He's a big giant sweetie. We pretty much had our choice of who to foster. We have five of our own dogs so we had to be concerned about how they would get along with the foster. One of our fosters was an adult, two were adolescents (6 mos to a year) and the fourth was a 3 month old puppy. The first one was the hardest because he was a very pretty cattle dog and we have two cattle dogs of our own. He fit right in. With our group, they tend to stay in one place until they're adopted but occasionally they get moved around if people go on vacation, etc.

Here's our current foster:



We think he's a jack russell/st bernard cross. :)

We've had him longer than the others. He's on the large size and very energetic so he's a little harder to place than the others we had. His day will come, though...
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Mutley Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 09:26 AM
Response to Reply #2
3. Wow! How do you cross a Jack Russel and a St. Bernard?
How much does he weigh? What an interesting mix!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
auburngrad82 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 11:48 AM
Response to Reply #3
11. He's about 70 pounds
We really don't know what he's a mix of. I was just kidding about the Jack Russell/St Bernard cross because he's colored like both. It's just a joke we have among the rescue people.

BTW, we had a 100 pound great pyrenees mix that we told people was 3 months old. She was really 3 years old. We're just not to be trusted!!!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
xchrom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 09:57 AM
Response to Reply #2
6. oh god i'm in love!!!
now that's a dog -- he's gorgeous!
and is he riding shot gun?
right where i love my dog to be.

oh sigh -- i miss my dog -- dag nab it.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
auburngrad82 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 11:49 AM
Response to Reply #6
12. Yep, riding shotgun
Want him? He's available to a loving home. Preferably with a fenced yard and no small kids. He doesn't know he's big and can easily run right over the top of a child.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Mutley Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 09:26 AM
Response to Original message
4. Check in the pet group.
I know a lot of posters there are pet foster parents. Fostering is a great thing to do and you will feel so good about it.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
RebelOne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 09:57 AM
Response to Original message
5. I am fostering a dog now. See his photo below.
Dewey was headed for the pound. His family is moving to Florida and couldn't take him because they had no permanent housing. They were going to drop him at the pound. The rescue group sent me an e-mail and I decided to foster him. I knew he would be put down if he was sent to a shelter because he is about 11 years old and people just don't want to adopt older dogs. He is unique as he has one blue eye and one brown eye.

The pet stays with you until he is adopted. Usually the foster animals are older dogs.

Dewey goes to the rescue group's pet adoption at Petsmart every Saturday. I have had him since the first of June. He is so cute but no one wants an 11-year-old dog.

http://photobucket.com/albums/y275/Legend915/?action=vi...
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Lisa0825 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 10:12 AM
Response to Reply #5
8. So what happens if no one wants to adopt?
That's one thing I am worried about. I am afraid that if I foster a pet that doesn't get adopted, the longer I keep it, the more at home it will be, and then what happens if I can't keep it anymore? It would break my heart to have a pet a long time and then have to give it back. That's the reason I am not adopting now in the first place.

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
RebelOne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 10:17 AM
Response to Reply #8
9. You give him back to the rescue group where
they will find him another foster home. If no one adopts Dewey, I will probably keep him. I would like to see him adopted because then I can foster another dog. I can only foster one at a time because I live in a mobile home with a 100-pound Rottweiler, so I'm limited on space.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
XemaSab Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 11:50 AM
Response to Reply #5
13. that link wants a login
can't see the photo. :-(
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
LynneSin Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 10:00 AM
Response to Original message
7. I've never fostered but I've worked with cat rescues
Most are willing to work with you when it comes to what kind of cats you foster, but I will admit you do see foster parents attached to their fosterees.

To be honest, there is always a need for fostering adult cats since they seem to take longer to find homes and some of those adult cats get depressed living in the foster system. Imagine you're an adult cat who's lived in a home and suddenly those people no longer want you. It's so sad.

I would love to foster cats, but I live in an apartment and I already own 2 cats. It would be too close for comfort bringing in even a foster cat especially with Evita being wiggy as it is.

Good luck!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Patiod Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-04-05 10:49 AM
Response to Original message
10. Lorien in the Pet Group will be happy to answer your questions
She takes some damn fine kitty pictures, too!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Thu Dec 26th 2024, 05:06 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » The DU Lounge Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC