Fostering

Here you you find FAQ’s along with plenty of help and advice, including a wealth of resources, dog and cat foster care guides, sanitation tips for foster homes, short-term foster program ideas and more!

What is a foster parent?

Foster families save lives by getting animals directly out of the streets, freeing up space in local shelters, socializing animals, assisting with preventing disease transmission by having a small number of animals, and helping to get to know them as individuals in order to assist with finding them the best possible permanent home for them.

Foster parents can already be fur-baby parents or be on their own. We have a large network of all sorts of foster parents and always take living/working/experience into consideration before placement. If you have an existing animal, you should do some research online or speak with your vet to ensure that your own beloved pet is protected when another animal enters your home.

What is the process to become a foster parent?

You can join our foster network by applying here! Once we receive your responses and have a suitable case in mind, we’ll shoot you an email to set up a time do a videocall to onboard you about how we work, answer your questions, and ensure that your home is a safe environment for the animal to live. Once we’re sure that we’re moving forward, we send you the foster contract and get that animal safely to you! We sometimes place an animal with you immediately, while other times we wait until the perfect opportunity comes along that meets your living requirements/specifications. Please note that we have a very small team and struggle to reply to everything. When we publish on our social media looking for foster homes we typically need them immediately. If you are free but sometime in the future, it will be better to wait closer to when you’re available to reach us.

What is required of me financially?

We ask that foster families provide animal-specific food and litter (for cats), as well as any enrichment toys you think they need! Gatalunya pays for all medical expenses, including vaccinations, tests, bloodwork, anti-parasite treatments, and spay/neuters. Note that we do not have a shelter set-up so while we have many cat supplies in our personal homes, we do struggle with transporting items all over Barcelona and beyond. So if possible for you to also purchase basics such as litter trays and food bowls, that would be appreciated. A cat carrier is typically the trickiest thing and the only more expensive item. If you are able to purchase or borrow one, that is brilliant. If not, we will make one available and would appreciate if you’re able to pick it up,

What is required of my Time?

Each animal requires a different amount of attention each day, but in general we look for foster parents who work from home (particularly with kittens) or spend a good amount of time at home if working outside. This is to help socialize the animals, avoid them getting lonely, and in the case of our young ones to keep an eye on them so that they don’t do something risky out of boredom! The majority of our cats some directly from the street to your home, and are either adjusting to life indoors for the first time or re-adapting if they were abandoned. They need your attention and love in order to become adoptable. We select our cases very carefully so this happens quickly, and your presence is a key component to getting them ready for their furever homes.

What other Responsibilities does a foster parent have?

We ask foster parents to please keep them safe (this includes taking precautions to avoid any risk of falls, escape from the home etc). To take your foster friend to and from the vet when needed (public transport is fine), and to get to know them well as the unique individuals they all are. You will be well-supported by our team and good communication between us is also crucial for us to do the best we can for them. They are under our responsibility but they’re in your home, so we share the care of the animal with you in the front lines.

We also ask foster parents to have availability for when their pet becomes adoption-ready and we need to introduce potential adopters. This involves a visit of around one hour to your home.

We have a foster network Facebook group that provides support for foster parents. They have a wealth of information, ideas, solutions, and sometimes just want to grab a beer :) Please join if you are fostering with us!

What if I decide I’d like to to keep my foster pet?

We understand that sometimes friends become family and it becomes difficult to part with your lovie. Whether this is a possibility ahead of time or eventuates during the course of fostering, we evaluate to see whether this is a good permanent fit. It often is, and where that is the case we formalise the adoption and join you in celebrating your new family member!

Got more questions?