Fostering Pets: Should I Foster a Dog or Cat?

Fostering is a great way to dip your toes into the pet-parenting waters, while helping a pet in need.

by Kelly Villa, | April 15, 2024

Fostering Pets: Should I Foster a Dog or Cat?

BONNINSTUDIO / Stocksy

Fostering a pet can be a rewarding experience, because you’re providing a temporary home for a pet in need while they await their permanent home. Once you’ve decided you want to save an animal’s life by fostering, how do you pick the best type of pet to foster? This article will help you figure out what’s in store, as well as if a dog or a cat is a better fit for you.

Understanding the role of a foster parent

If you’re not sure you’re ready to become a full-time pet parent, fostering is a great opportunity to test-drive that responsibility. Shelters and rescue organizations are always looking for people to not only give an adoptable pet a home, but also give them the attention and training they need to set them up for success in their forever family. In fact, one study found that dogs who were fostered were less likely to be returned to shelters.

Temporarily taking care of an animal in need also frees up space in overpopulated shelters, which in turn allows those shelters to save more animals. Each year, 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized because shelters are so overcrowded — so offering your home to a foster pet ends up saving multiple lives.

Fostering pet requirements and considerations

Before you decide to take-in a pet, you should consider a number of factors that will impact your ability as a foster parent, including:

Time commitment

Taking care of a pet takes time — do you have it? While the level of attention a pet needs varies by factors including age (kittens and puppies need way more attention than adult and senior pets) and size (bigger dogs need longer walks than smaller dogs), all foster pets need their foster parents to commit to making time for them.

Although you’re only committing to this level of care temporarily, many shelters and foster-based organizations can’t give fosters a set time when the pet will be adopted. So it’s still important to make this an indefinite time commitment, unless you’ve agreed to otherwise with the shelter or organization.

Some foster-based organizations and shelters may also ask you to bring your foster pet to adoption events in the local area. (These are organized to help potential adopters meet adoptable pets.) Facilitating travel to and from these events, and staying with your foster pet throughout the event, can be time-consuming.

Living space

The general rule of thumb in fostering is that any home is better than a kennel in (often overcrowded) shelters and rescue organizations. That said, the size of your living space should probably shape which type of pet you decide to foster. Cats are fine in smaller spaces, and most dogs can adapt to small spaces if they’re getting the exercise they need outside — but that’s a big “if.”

Living space especially matters if you already have a pet at home. Introducing your resident pet to a new pet — even if they’ll only be with you temporarily — should be done with care and generally requires a period of separation.

Family dynamics and consent

Before you bring any pet into your home, it’s important to make sure your whole family is on board. It’s also essential to make sure they’re on the same page as you about rules for how you’ll all interact with the pet, as well as which boundaries you’ll reinforce — especially if there are kids involved.

Experience with animals

You don’t necessarily need a ton of previous experience with animals to foster, but if you lack experience, do your research to understand the basics of caring for a pet. Some shelters and rescue organizations may also ask you to provide some basic training for your pet (especially dogs). If that’s the case, and you lack experiencing training a pet, most organizations will provide support.

Pet fostering expenses

Most shelters and rescue organizations expect their fosters to provide the basics, including affection, exercise, water, and food — the latter of which you may be expected to buy yourself. While these costs should be relatively minimal, you may be able to claim any expenses related to caring for your foster pet as a tax deduction.

Most organizations and shelters cover foster pets’ veterinary expenses, should they need medical care. But if they don’t, there are other options for getting assistance with your vet bills, including asking your vet if they have a reduced rate for shelters or rescue organizations, reaching out to charities that help pay vet bills, and more.

Fostering a Dog

If you’re wondering how to foster a dog and whether doing so is the right choice for you, we’ve got you covered. First, reach out to your local shelter or rescue group and ask them if they have a foster program and if so, about their application process. Once you apply and are approved, you’ll want to consider if a dog is the right pet to bring into your home. Here are some pros and cons to consider:

Pros

They call a dog “man’s best friend” for a reason. Even dogs who come from abusive or otherwise damaged backgrounds will warm up to a foster who treats them well and takes the time to build trust with them. Getting to that point is incredibly rewarding. Of course, plenty of foster dogs are ready to be your best friend right out of the gate, and that’s a wonderful experience, too.

Cons

Fostering a dog is likely going to be more time-consuming than a cat. Dogs need plenty of exercise and social interaction. What’s more, saying goodbye to your foster dog may be emotionally difficult. Once you’ve bonded with a dog, it’s very hard to let them go. Then again, there’s nothing wrong with foster failing, either.

Fostering a Cat

If you want to know how to foster a cat, it is, at first, a similar process to fostering a dog. You should still contact a local shelter or rescue organization and go through their application process. Once you’ve done that, you should consider if a cat is the right pet to bring home.

Pros

Cats are incredibly independent creatures. While they need love and attention like any other pet, they’re also generally fine spending long stretches of time alone and don’t need walks the way dogs do. So if you’re strapped for time, fostering a cat may be a better option than fostering a dog.

Cons

The age-old saying “curiosity killed the cat” didn’t come from nowhere. Cats are always on the hunt-adventure and tend to swipe objects off tables, chew wires, and so much more. Of course, you can always cat-proof your home, but if you’re concerned about a pet getting into trouble in your home, a cat might not be the best choice.

Commonly asked questions

How to foster a cat?

Reach out to your local shelter or rescue organization and ask about fostering opportunities. Take the pros and cons of caring for a cat into consideration.

How to foster a dog?

Reach out to your local shelter or rescue organization and ask about fostering opportunities. Take the pros and cons of caring for a dog into consideration.