Foster Questions & Answers

Give our office a call at 714-997-0868 or send an email to MeoowzResQ@aol.com. The office team will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

To become a foster for MeoowzResQ, give our office a call at 714-997-0868 or send an email to MeoowzResQ@aol.com. The office team will explain your responsibilities and answer any questions you might have.

Tori is a fellow foster that has been fostering with MeoowzResQ for over 5 years. In that time she has had a hand in helping over 1,400 kitties get placed in new & loving homes. Tori shares, "Here are some helpful hints that I have figured out along the way – to make sure that my foster kitties are with me a shorter time – so that I can help more kitties get adopted."

1. Take your kitty's picture! Always try to get several pictures that are clear and in focus. The more you have, the more you have to choose from! Try to get a photo of each of the following layouts:

• A portrait of the kitty with their eyes open – just the face and chest.
• A picture of the kitty with other animals. Show the kitty in action, or a playful pose.
• A  picture of the entire kitty.

2. Send these pictures and a bio to our Advertising Team.

• Fill out the online form for submitting ads on the MeoowzResQ website. CLICK HERE!
• Write a short description about your kitty. It doesn’t have to be long & complicated, just a short description. (ex. Petey, born on 01/10/18 is a male black & white Tuxedo, loves to chase the laser pointer & snuggle up on your lap – Petey will be at the Buena Park event on Saturdays).
• Make it as positive as possible… if you have a shy kitty… don’t say that he is scared… instead say, “kitty may take a little time to warm up to new people”. You know that a frightened kitty is a snuggle bug when it feels comfortable! This is especially important if you have an adult kitty or a “teenage kitten” – the more exposure the better!
• Send it in! Our Advertising Team is AMAZING… but, they cannot advertise your kitty if they don’t know your kitty exists!

3. Take your kitties to events! Every weekend if possible. We have events every Saturday & Sunday – and many other “Special Events” during the year.

• Every event you can get your kitty to, increases their chance of a forever home!
• Our Event Teams place well over 1,000 kitties every year… but, they need the kitties present at events to be able to place them.

4. Leave a short bio of your kitty at the event – it helps the Event Team as they don't know your kitty themselves. If someone is looking for a quiet, playful, talkative kitty… and you have left a bio that says yours is quiet, playful, & talkative – the Team knows exactly which kitty to direct the adopter to. When you submit your kitty's bio via the Submit Kitty Ad form, you'll receive an email with a cage card that you can print and cut out. It's THAT easy!!

5. If asked to leave your kitty at one of the PetCo’s/PetSmart's – DO IT!  This increases your kitty's chance of being adopted BY MORE THAN TEN TIMES!

• Pet People are in these stores 7 days a week, from open to close… not just Saturday or Sunday for 4 hours.
• Many kitties that are “scared to go to events” do really well when they figure out the routine.
• The store staff take very good care of our kitties, and volunteers from our Condo Crew go and visit & care for the kitties twice daily. In most cases, the store kitties get MORE attention at a store than they do in the foster homes – so, don’t be scared to leave them.

6. Make sure your co-workers & friends know that you foster kitties.  Dani Ryan started our rescue by emailing her co-workers – and placing kitties that way.

• Many times a friend or co-worker has a friend/relative/neighbor who is looking for a kitty. If you don’t have what they are looking for, our rescue is big enough that we are almost always able to fill that need. We have over 700 kitties in our foster system!
• Yes – even specialty kitties… Persian, Siamese, Ragdoll, Bengal, Norwegian Forest Cat, Cornish Rex, Maine Coon… we get almost any kind of kitty eventually.

7. Share your kitties on your own social media!  Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, Twitter – whatever you use. Join Facebook groups such a Pet Place. If you post a short bio of the kitties you are taking to events and which event they will be at, they have a greater chance of getting adopted.

8. December, January, February, & March. This is the perfect time for getting adult cats, and “teenage kittens" their forever homes -- Before kitten season starts. Talk with your Event Team as most like to have at least one adult kitty at their event. There are people out there that are looking specifically for an adult cat. Each event is different and has different amounts of available cage space so your Event Team is your go-to people.

9. Consider going to different events if your foster kitty is not getting adopted after several weeks at the same event. There are 3 events in Riverside County held each weekend and in Orange County there are even more options! Isn’t it worth a 15 or 30 minute drive to find your foster kitty the purr-fect home?

10. Network with your fellow Fosters – In some areas, several fosters “take turns” carpooling the kitties to events. It works!

Thank you all for all you do for the kitties! Using these helpful hints, think how many more kitties we may be able to help.

Kittens need to weigh at least 2 pounds in order to be spayed or neutered. They usually reach that weight around 2 months to 2 1/2 months old.

The following may be a little long, but if your are a new foster, it is well worth reading.

1. Early in the week, the office sends out a ”What kitties are you bringing to events” email to all fosters.
2. Reply to that email with (there are directions in the email):
   • Your name. If you don’t include your name, they won’t put you on the list.
   • Which Adoption Event you’d like to attend and which day if applicable.
   • How many kitties you are bringing
   • How many cages you’ll need (limit 2 per foster)
3. If you do NOT hear back from the office, then assume you are good to go to the Adoption Event you signed up for. The office will let you know if the Event you chose is full.
4. If you've signed up for an Event but then discover that you cannot make it or your kitties get adopted before the Event, contact the office immediately. Someone else might be able to use your spot at the Event.
5. Getting ready for the Event:
   1. HEALTHY KITTIES: Make sure your kitties are healthy. If they show any signs of sneezing, coughing, diarrhea, fleas, throwing up, etc, you will NOT be allowed to leave the kitty at the Event.
   2. OFFICE PAPERWORK: If you have any paperwork or extra carriers that need to go to the office, you can ask the Event Coordinator to deliver them for you. They will gladly do this for you if they have room in their cars (for carriers).
   3. ENVELOPES: Make sure to bring each kitty's envelope and that it has both the Medical Record AND the Spay/Neuter certificate inside. NEVER write on the outside of an envelope.
   4. CAGE CARD: If you have submitted your kitty's online ad through our Submit Kitty Ad form, you'll have received an email where you'll find a "cage card" at the bottom. Print it, cut it out, and bring it along! It really helps the Event Team as only YOU know your kitty best! Each Event can also provide you with a Cage Card that can be filled out when you drop your kitties off.
   5. PHONE NUMBERS: If you need to reach the Event Team during an Event, talk with the Event Coordinator on how they prefer this be done. Some Coordinators are able to give you their phone number but some are college students and are not allowed to give their numbers out. Please respect this. Each store's address and phone number is listed on our Phone List. The store staff will gladly pass a phone call to us during an Event.
6. On the day of the Event:
   1. SHOW UP EARLY: To get a good choice of cages, show up 30 minutes prior to the start of the Event. (Ex: Event runs 12:00pm - 4:00pm, get there by 11:30am) Any earlier and you’ll stand around waiting for the Event Team to get everything set up. Any later and you run the risk of getting whatever cage is left available.
   2. SIGN IN: Make sure to sign in. Do NOT just put your kitties in a cage and leave. The Event Team needs to know which kitties are yours, sometimes a little about each kitty, and YOUR contact information in case they need to reach you.
   3. CARRIERS: Some Events have very little room to store carriers during an Event and you will be asked to take your carriers with you. Ask the Event Team what they prefer when you are dropping your kitties off.
   4. STAYING: Most Event Coordinators do not mind if you stay during the Event but it is always best to make that arrangement prior to Event day. Event Coordinator's names and phone numbers are available on the Phone List.
   5. KITTY ADOPTED: During the Event, most Event Coordinators will give you a call to let you know if your kitty is getting adopted.
7. At the end of the Event:
   1. PICK UP: Fosters are usually asked to arrive about 15 minutes before the end of the Adoption Event to pick up their kitties if they were not adopted. Ask the Event Team what time they prefer you get there for pick up.
   2. DO NOT BE LATE! Event Teams have been there for hours and are exhausted and need to clean up the Event space. It is extremely frustrating when a foster shows up late, causing us sometimes to wait until they arrive before we can even start putting stuff away. Event Coordinators and the volunteers may not foster kitties but they are giving up, many times, their entire day to get YOUR kitties a forever home. Fosters who are habitually late to pick up their kitties may be banned from attending a particular Event or asked to take their kitties to a different Event.
   3. HELP OUT: The Event Teams greatly appreciate anyone who is willing to jump in and help out. Many of us are at the locations from 10:00am - 5:00pm or later and it can be a very long, exhausting day for us. Feel free to lend a hand so we can ALL get home. Ask a Team member what you can do to help!

Every Event Coordinator does things a little different. The above is a general guideline. We are all volunteers so please be respectful of each other and if you have a question, just ask. We all remember our first litters and we are more than happy to answer any question you might have.

It’s simple, successful adoptions have two things in common: Effective advertising and a foster who is responsive and/or very diligent about bringing kitties to adoption events. Having a great ad posted for your kitty is the most effective way to get them adopted quickly! It may take a little time and effort, but in the end, it is well worth it!

A great ad will have the following:

1. A short description of the kitty’s great attributes! (you know what they are) Be sure to use proper grammar and get creative! The more memorable the description is, the more attention you will draw to your kitty.
2. The estimated age of the kitty is important to list. If you know the actual Date of Birth (DOB), this is even better.
3. The sex of the kitty. Names are not always obvious and the people posting your ad do not have this information available to them.
4. At least one good photo. 
   1. A so-so photo means you are able to see that it’s a cat and what color it is.
   2. A good photo shows the cat in full light but may be rather small or far away.
   3. A great photo is a sharp image showing off the kitty’s appearance. Cell phones CAN take good photos but you may need to take 10 shots to get a really good one, especially with black cats. 
5. Sending more than one photo (no more than 4) can show your kitty in different poses or activities. This lets people have a better impression of how your kitty acts.
6. Indicate if interested parties should call or email YOU or if they should contact the MeoowzResQ office. (Be sure to provide your phone number or email address if it is ok for adopters to contact you.) If this information is not noted, the office number will be listed.
7. List the location (city) of the kitty or which Adoption Event the adopter can attend in order to meet the kitty. (Do not list Orange if the cat is in South County.)

We are all volunteers. Let’s make it easy to help each other place kitties in great homes!

If you are a foster for MeoowzResQ and you'd like to have an advertisement for your foster kitty posted on the MeoowzResQ website, Facebook, Adopt-A-Pet, Petfinder and Craigslist, CLICK HERE and fill out the form. The Ad Team will create an ad as soon as possible.

ONLY 1 KITTY PER FORM.

If you'd like to have an advertisement for your foster kitty removed from the MeoowzResQ website, Facebook, Adopt-A-Pet, Petfinder and Craigslist, CLICK HERE and fill out the form. The Ad Team will remove the ad(s) as soon as possible.

UPTO 4 KITTIES PER FORM.

When your kitten gets adopted, a wonderful way to celebrate is by taking a photo of the kitten with its new family. We like to call this it's "Freedom Photo" or "Furever Family Foto". We can post this photo on the website as well as on our Facebook page. Show the world that your kitten got its 2nd chance!!

Click Here