Thank you for Being Interested in Becoming a Cat or Kitten Foster
Last Hope is a nonprofit no kill rescue run solely by volunteers. We foster in our home until permanent homes are found. We are funded totally by donations and adoption fees. We appreciate your interest and support in becoming a great foster!
We receive some cat food by donation and can provide it to our fosters when available. If you are fostering a thin, young, or lactating animal, we strongly encourage you to feed it kitten food. If you have to buy kitten food, make arrangements with Bev Orr to okay your purchase. Then when you turn in your receipt, you will be reimbursed. If it is overweight, try light food to help it lose weight. When you come to the adoption days, you can find out more on how to get free bags of food and litter.
How do you start?
First, the cat coordinator will call you with a possible foster. Only the coordinator, Bev Orr (651) 463-8747 may accept cats into Last Hope. We do take surrenders as well as strays but they must pay a surrender fee. We do not take cats over 5 years of age, and the coordinator must OK any cat before it becomes a Last Hope cat. We do not take those that are not using the box, biting or untamed unless it is a young kitten even if you are willing to foster it! We will usually take cats with illnesses or injuries from being outside or abused, pregnant, or unwanted litters if we have room! You must remember that we cannot save them all and by filling up foster homes with unadoptable cats, we are turning away very adoptable ones!
The coordinator will explain all she knows about the animal(s). If you agree to foster the animal(s) you will pick it up at our Vet. All cats are spayed or neutered if they are over 6 months of age and if your cat grows to be that age in your care, you must get it okayed in to our vet for the surgery. The animal is vet checked, and given a feline leukemia test. If the cat is positive, it doesn’t become a Last Hope cat. Distemper series shot and worming medicine is given. Medicine for ears, eyes etc will be provided if needed. Do not take an animal from anyone unless it has been vet checked. At any time you suspect your foster cat is sick, contact Bev or contact the vet where you picked the animal up.
When you pick up the animal at our vet, ask for the health record. This goes with the animal until it becomes adopted, when it should be turned over to the new owner. On the health record will be the vet number that you will need when you place the animal. Another important number is the Last Hope Internal ID number which will be assigned to the animal by calling Angela (651) 451-7603 or at a Pet Adoption Day.
Foster cats must be kept indoors and must be transported in a kennel. If you lose a cat, you will be required to pay for it! If you need a cat carrier, contact Charlie at (651) 453-9755 or Sandi (651-455-5808)and they will get one to you. Use bleach and water between foster cats to clean the kennel. When you quit fostering, the crate or carrier must be returned to Charlie or Sandi.
You
have the joy of naming the animal if it doesn’t come with a history or
name. Behaviorists recommend using a name with an E sounding ending like
Honey or Suzie, which sound cheery to an animal. They request that you do
not use names with the O sound at the end of the name like Ringo, or Oreo
because it sounds like “no”.
When you get the animal home or place an animal in a home you must tell Angela immediately. Call her at (651) 451-7603. Tell her the color, sex, age, name, length of hair, fixed or not, etc. She then will assign a Last Hope number. If you move your animal to a different foster, please let her know. She can be emailed at jsamaste@msn.com. At any time we have over 150 animals looking for homes and we need your help with this! Turn in your white form and the money with the vet number and Last Hope number as soon as possible. If you are unable to come to the next Adoption day, or arrange with Bev to pick it up later.
Adoption Days are Important!
We have adoption days every Saturday at the Apple Valley Petco, and the West St Paul Petco. We would like you to attend as many as possible so that you can answer questions to the potential homes about the animal(s) you are fostering. Please come on time and stay until the end. If you are unable to attend, it would be great if you could let Bev know. We need you to drop off and pick up your fosters. Bring the health records! Please write down some of its traits and personality (gets along with other cats, shy, etc.). Make a nice small poster to hang from the adoption cage with the health records. The more information you have, the better other volunteers can answer questions for you when you are busy. The more volunteers know the better they can help place your cat and know whose cat it is!
Please do not bring your children to the Pet Adoption Day unless they are old enough to help (usually over 13). This would include handling the cats or kittens (litter pans, food, set up kennels and explaining their personalities to potential owners, etc.). Do not bring your own pets either. We do not have the room! Wear a Last Hope badge during the time you are at a Pet Adoption Day. Otherwise, when you hold a foster cat, potential owners will pass you up thinking that cat is adopted! If you forget your badge, use one that says “Volunteer” but return it at the end of the day. Also, at Adoption Days, you can pick up forms, flyers, and adoption day schedules and drop off money from adoptions you have made during the week.
The
Adoption Process:
The animal shall not be given to anyone until the adoption fee and application is completed and received by you. The adoption fee is non-refundable and must be CASH. We do not take checks, or credit cards or offer payment plans. Sales tax is included in the adoption fee that has been previously set. We do not allow trials. Once the animal is in Last Hope, it is no longer legally the property of the previous owner. If the previous owner wants their pet back, and we still think it is a good home, they must pay the adoption fee! Also, if you as a foster fall in love with a cat, you must also pay the assigned adoption fee and complete the adoption form as soon as possible or you are expected to come to adoption days with the animal!
Adoptions can be refused if you feel it is not a good home or a good match. We ask that any refusal be done tactfully. We may arrange with Bev’s or Charlie’s approval a home that may want to foster the animal then decide to keep it or not. However, since they are not a regular foster, they must complete the adoption form and pay cash for the cat when they take it home. In 2 days the money is turned in if they do not return the animal to your home.
If you feel the cat has a behavioral problem contact Bev Orr (651) 463-8747 immediately. She will need to evaluate any cat that you think is unadoptable. They will tell you to drop it off at our vet or make other arrangements for that particular cat.
If you are going on vacation or want to take a break, you must give us some notice. We are all volunteers and cannot move animals in less than 3 days! Don’t take new fosters if you know you are unable to care for a new cat or kitten.
Last Hope, Inc. PO Box 114,
Farmington, MN