Become a foster home and save lives!

The cats and kittens rescued by Lonely Miaow are all cared for by patient and loving volunteers at home.

Lonely Miaow rescue hundreds of kitties every year, and all get taken care of by our wonderful Foster Whanau, who temporarily open their hearts and their homes to kitties in need of a second chance. Foster Carers are a vital part of our organisation - they nurse back to health, provide a safe and loving environment to rescue kitties until they are ready for their furever home.

Lonely Miaow provides all the necessary fostering equipment, food, litter, medication, training and support. We have established 5 supply locations and work with multiple vet partners Auckland-wide to facilitate access to supplies and care.

It is immensely rewarding seeing foster kitties blossom into happy, confident loving companions, and thrive in their furever home! #GoodbyeIsTheGoal

Frequently Asked Question About Fostering

How long do I need to foster for?

In many cases, a kitten will only need two to three weeks of care before it is ready to be placed in a new home

  • kittens must meet a minimum weight requirement before they can be desexed
  • cats/kittens must be desexed, microchipped and have received their first vaccination before they are able to go to their forever home
  • kittens may be pre-adopted, meaning the kitten is placed on hold for its adopter until it is ready
  • by law, kittens are required to stay with their mother (if possible) until 8 weeks of age (Ministry for Primary Industries Code of Welfare for Companion Cats)

Our cats are fostered for as long as needed for them to find a forever home. For adult cats this could be a couple of weeks, a few months, or more. There is no time limit for cats to be adopted, so if need be, they can be moved to another foster home if your circumstances change.

If a foster home is unavailable for a period of time, for example going on holiday, renovating their home, or just wishing for a break from fostering cats and kittens, there is absolutely no obligation to continue fostering. Existing foster cats or kittens in the home will be transferred into the care of another fosterer.

Can I choose which cats/kittens to foster?

Generally, as ‘re-homeable’ cats and kittens come in, we need to find foster homes for them immediately. There usually isn’t a selection to choose from in terms of colour, gender, coat length or age.

Some people only wish to foster kittens – while it’s great that we have foster homes available for the many kittens we rescue each season, a large number of kittens come with mother cats, so we may not be able to give you any sole kittens to foster straight away.

There are many adult cats which come into our care after being abandoned by their families that are equally deserving of your love and care. Adult cats are also lower maintenance than kittens, requiring less cleaning and are less likely to get sick during their time in your home. So, please think carefully about whether you can accommodate adult cat/s before asking for kittens only. In addition, in colder months, there are very rarely any kittens.

If your living situation is best suited to a particular type of cat, please discuss this with us and we will match you with rescues that fit your requirements. Even with the ever-increasing number of cats and kittens being rescued, there are always more waiting in line for a foster home. For every cat that is re-homed, we have another ready to fill its place.

What is provided?

The donations and grants Lonely Miaow receives each year allow us to provide most of the essential items such as carriers, food bowls, wet and dry food, litter trays and litter, bedding and crates.

We also cover all veterinary costs that may be incurred – Lonely Miaow is associated with over 30 vet clinics in Auckland, so you should be able to find a LM-associated Vet near you.

We have regional ‘Super Homes’ – foster homes who are able to store supplies for other fosterers to collect from in the area. In case of emergencies, such as if you are unable to get to a Super Home for supplies, one-off purchases are able to be reimbursed by Lonely Miaow. However we ask that our foster homes keep an eye on their supply levels and avoid this as much as possible.

Do I need cat care experience?

Cat ownership or experience with cat care is not a compulsory requirement in fostering with Lonely Miaow. However, we encourage you to research cat care prior to enquiring about fostering with us, so that you have an idea of what it may be like taking care of cats and kittens.

We have a dedicated volunteer Foster Home Manager whose role it is to take care of our foster homes, and a very supportive and readily available foster home network on Facebook that is able to give advice on many different situations in fostering.

What will be my main tasks as a foster home?

Once you have a cat to foster, you simply need to take care of him or her as you would your own cat:

  • Interact with them as much as possible, reassure them that they are in a safe environment, and that you are trustworthy.

  • Take plenty of photos, and write a description to describe your foster cat the best you can.

  • Take your cat/kittens to vet clinics for any check ups required. You will also need to arrange vet appointments for your cat/s or kitten/s to be desexed, vaccinated, microchipped at a Lonely Miaow-associated Vet,and to have regular flea and worm treatments prior to them going to their new homes.

  • Collect supplies such as food and litter from your nearest superhome

  • Collect/drop off your foster cats/kittens

Is it my responsibility to find my fosters a forever home?

The majority of adoptions are placed in our PETstock partner stores, if the foster cat/kitten is suitable for placement. Then your input in the adoption process is minimal.

However, in the case of an adoption from the Foster Home, you will receive appliactions to adopt, and need to arrange a visit at your home for them to meet the cat or kitten. It is also your responsibility to ask the appropriate questions to the adopter, and ensure the rescue cat or kitten is going to a suitable home.

Lonely Miaow volunteers take care of advertising the rescues for adoption on TradeMe and Facebook accounts, as well as on our website. The foster home simply provides photographs and a description for each foster cat/kitten.

 

Become a foster home

1. Get In Touch

Please fill out our Application to become a Foster Home by clicking on the button below. Our Foster Home Manager will be reviewing your application and get in touch.

2. Home Visit*

Next step is for one of our volunteers to come for a home visit, guide you through our basic protocols, and provide some training and gear to get you ready to start your fostering journey with us.
*or video call (Covid depending)

3. Foster Placement

Once you are all set, put your hand up when you see suitable cat(s) and/or kitten(s) you wish to foster come up on our Foster Home group or email.