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fostering?

zoe6660

Warren Scout
how would i go about this, my mam say it will stop me buying animals in need and ill be doing a good thing by helping others but what will i need and how do i go about this?
with rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice, hamster, birds, fish, maybe dogs and cats?
but i also got animals of my own how do it work?
 
I would contact your local rescue and ask their requirements. You might want to go and help out a rescue and doing some cleaning out for a while.
 
I would contact your local rescue and ask their requirements. You might want to go and help out a rescue and doing some cleaning out for a while.

i wouldnt mind but the resuces are all too FAR for me to travel and i got my own zoo to look after too. lol
 
how many animals do you already have? And if you were fostering how would you get to the rescues to pick them up?
 
How old are you? :) Think you have to be 16/18 to foster :? Fostering is very rewarding, can be hard work when you get a poorly bun, but its always worth it when you see them go to their forever home :love:
 
im 20yrs old
i own 9 female guinea pigs 2 are my mothers im looking after but some are resuces, 2 male chinchillas these are resuced, 2 female dogs one resuced other is a pup, fish, 2 rabbits resuced, lizard resuced and a snake, i have had different animals from the past like hamsters and others that was my pets from a child but becuase i got my own place i want to do all i can to help the animals, my fiance works in cardiff so he will be doing the picking up and droping off.
 
I would maybe just take some time to enjoy the animals you already have :) I read one of your older posts saying you were struggling with your rabbits bonding etc, and if you already have a lot of rescue animals they probably need a lot of specialist care and attention :) I'm not saying you have too many, I have a zoo as well and I think a lot of people on here do, but sometimes its nice to just enjoy spending time with your animals before you take on more, even temporarily.

If you feel like your rabbits are better now, then you could still go for it :) be warned though, I took in two rescue rabbits with every intention of rehoming them and they're going nowhere now! So make sure you could be strong enough to say goodbye when the right forever home comes for them, I know I could never be brave enough to do it.

hope this doesnt come across as mean, just giving you my opinion :) xx
 
:wave:

To be a good fosterer I think you need to be:

*knowledgeable and experienced with whatever species you are fostering. In essence, you are responsible for the care and welfare of someone else's animal/s so you need to know how to look after them properly, how to handle them, what their needs are, what illnesses they are prone to and what to look out for, as well as dealing with their day-to-day needs and welfare

*mobile and solvent: can you get to a vet any time of the day or night if necessary, not just when someone who drives happens to be around with a car, and can you pay an emergency bill in the interim before a rescue pays you back

*able to 'let go' when it's time for them to go back to the rescue or to their new home. If you have tendencies to want to keep anything that comes your way, then fostering probably isn't for you as it's easy to let the numbers of animals you have get out-of-hand and they all end up suffering

*able to keep foster animals away from your own. As you have several animals already this one is crucial. Rescue animals come from all sorts of circumstances and may be carrying all sorts of bacteria, viruses or other illnesses that could make your own animals ill. It is vital that you understand infection control, quarantine and have the space and facilities to keep foster animals completely separated from your own

*trusting and trusted: you need to have a good relationship with the rescue you are fostering for. There's a lot of trust involved in fostering, as I said earlier, someone is trusting you to look after and do the best for 'their' animals and you need to trust them that they will help and support you in the way agreed.

*realistic about what you can and can't cope with. Both in terms of numbers and the likely types and issues with animals coming in. So are you a behaviour expert so could be used for helping frightened animals, are you good at injecting so could take a diabetic one etc. You need to not be afraid to say 'no' if you're not 100% certain that you can give the very best of care to whatever animal you are looking after, without detriment to the health and wellbeing of your own animals.

Fostering works differently for every rescue - some don't use fosterers at all, some have all animals out in foster homes (which means you might need to let people view them), some use fosters for emergencies, some for animals that are not ready for rehoming e.g. if they are ill, have behavioural problems or too overweight to neuter. Some provide accommodation and food, others ask you to. It varies so much you really need to find a rescue, have a chat, build trust with them by helping out, and get involved that way.

There's a lot to think about and it's not easy, so please do take your time and think about what you are realistically able to do, bearing in mind the number of animals you are already looking after.
 
I would maybe just take some time to enjoy the animals you already have :) I read one of your older posts saying you were struggling with your rabbits bonding etc, and if you already have a lot of rescue animals they probably need a lot of specialist care and attention :) I'm not saying you have too many, I have a zoo as well and I think a lot of people on here do, but sometimes its nice to just enjoy spending time with your animals before you take on more, even temporarily.

If you feel like your rabbits are better now, then you could still go for it :) be warned though, I took in two rescue rabbits with every intention of rehoming them and they're going nowhere now! So make sure you could be strong enough to say goodbye when the right forever home comes for them, I know I could never be brave enough to do it.

hope this doesnt come across as mean, just giving you my opinion :) xx



no i understand but i have had most of these animals over 3+ years
the only recent ones ive only had is the 1 female guinea pig.
ive had her 3months ago.
 
ok, well if you feel up to it and can do everything Santa described, then it would be really rewarding and exciting.
 
Last edited:
:wave:

To be a good fosterer I think you need to be:

*knowledgeable and experienced with whatever species you are fostering. In essence, you are responsible for the care and welfare of someone else's animal/s so you need to know how to look after them properly, how to handle them, what their needs are, what illnesses they are prone to and what to look out for, as well as dealing with their day-to-day needs and welfare

*mobile and solvent: can you get to a vet any time of the day or night if necessary, not just when someone who drives happens to be around with a car, and can you pay an emergency bill in the interim before a rescue pays you back

*able to 'let go' when it's time for them to go back to the rescue or to their new home. If you have tendencies to want to keep anything that comes your way, then fostering probably isn't for you as it's easy to let the numbers of animals you have get out-of-hand and they all end up suffering

*able to keep foster animals away from your own. As you have several animals already this one is crucial. Rescue animals come from all sorts of circumstances and may be carrying all sorts of bacteria, viruses or other illnesses that could make your own animals ill. It is vital that you understand infection control, quarantine and have the space and facilities to keep foster animals completely separated from your own

*trusting and trusted: you need to have a good relationship with the rescue you are fostering for. There's a lot of trust involved in fostering, as I said earlier, someone is trusting you to look after and do the best for 'their' animals and you need to trust them that they will help and support you in the way agreed.

*realistic about what you can and can't cope with. Both in terms of numbers and the likely types and issues with animals coming in. So are you a behaviour expert so could be used for helping frightened animals, are you good at injecting so could take a diabetic one etc. You need to not be afraid to say 'no' if you're not 100% certain that you can give the very best of care to whatever animal you are looking after, without detriment to the health and wellbeing of your own animals.

Fostering works differently for every rescue - some don't use fosterers at all, some have all animals out in foster homes (which means you might need to let people view them), some use fosters for emergencies, some for animals that are not ready for rehoming e.g. if they are ill, have behavioural problems or too overweight to neuter. Some provide accommodation and food, others ask you to. It varies so much you really need to find a rescue, have a chat, build trust with them by helping out, and get involved that way.

There's a lot to think about and it's not easy, so please do take your time and think about what you are realistically able to do, bearing in mind the number of animals you are already looking after.


i agree, i work 5 hours in the morning 5 out of 7 days and my fiance works opersit. the experince i have is owner animals from a young age till now and doing my animal care course and working with animals in pet shops.
there is alot but i wont be taking on loads so i cant handle i got soo much time on my hands i need to help someone.
and i have OCD, (not good sometimes) but im looking to put 100% and time care and stuff. it wont be the case of having my house over runed but helping the odd one-3 maybe.
 
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