How to Help Homeless Pets

Posted by Jennifer Copley Aug 19, 2008

Four years ago, Maire Egan took in a single stray kitten, which she named Snowball. Since then, she has cared for and rehomed more than 900 cats, and her Kitten Cottage has been established as a registered charity.

Many people have started successful animal shelters and sanctuaries, though they require a lot of work, both in the planning stages and once up and running. If you think that this is something you’d like to do, see Starting an Animal Shelter for information on requirements, planning, and fundraising.

If you don’t have the time or resources to establish your own animal shelter but you’d like to help, local SPCAs have foster care programs through which you can provide temporary care for an animal that could not manage in a shelter environment. This includes animals that are very young, injured, ill, unsocialized, or extremely stressed out. When shelters run out of space, they may also foster out healthy, well-adjusted adult animals.

The shelter provides medical care for foster animals, while the foster “parent” usually provides the food and litter. The duration of foster care placements is variable. In some cases, people choose to adopt the pets they have fostered.

If you plan to foster a cat or kitten, see Cat Proofing a House for information on how to make your home safe for the new arrival, and Supplies and Equipment for a New Kitty for a list of what you’ll need to purchase in advance.